July 8th 2011, Egypt. Tahrir Square.

Tahrir Square, experience #1.
Whilst 6 months ago, Tahrir square ran rich with unity, passion and devastation,  leading to the demise of a disguised dictatorship run by none other than Hosny Mubarak, his family and possy of bribed, money-loving, power-hoarding idiots, I sat on the side lines in London.

Although I thought I was doing my part by standing outside the Egyptian embassy in London, amongst other Egyptians living abroad, chanting the same chants as in Tahrir, it comes down to nothing in comparison to what my brothers and sisters did here. The men and women that stood here. The martyrs that died here.

Today, July 8th 2011, I stood in that same square.
I walked through crowds of newspaper hats and strewn garbage. Initially, walking down the bridge towards the crowd I vainly considered if my white lacoste shoes were going to get damaged (not a proud moment). Within seconds of hearing the crowd from a distance, I felt a complete change of heart. Being checked at the gate by other Egyptians, taking it upon themselves to ensure anyone entering was weaponless and in support of others joining them and then seeing the crowd. Hearing all of them-different groups, with different supporters, chanting different things, but all there for one cause: undeniably as memorable a moment as possible.

I've got to admit, holding back tears was actually something I had to deal with. I was so honoured. Right there, I stood in the place where Egyptians denied a 30 year dictatorship any further power. I stood where martyrs sacrificed themselves, and so inspired 1000's of others. I stood in a place where we wanted change and so stayed until we got it.

I belong to people that are strong. That are united. That believe in change and get it. It can't be said in any other way:
Ta7ya Masr.

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Simple, but different.

I really want my structure to be very simple but still very different. I need it to be something that can be constructed in a matter of a day or two. I need it to have playful elements in order to attract the youth.
It is meant to be a leisure center, a place where they find guidance, a place for their creativity to grow and find inspiration. Ideally, I would have it that this place be used for inspirational talks, so a stage must be present. It also must be the type of stage that is capable of changing size and shape.

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3 weeks into it and...

3 weeks into my fmp and i had the idea, a concept of how i wanted it to be like and strange persistent desire to present my research very clearly.
My topic being the street children of Cairo I intend on researching just that. Researching the streets and the building and seeing what they lack and feeding off the city to know what my project needs and researching the children and their desires, knowing them and what they want.

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But The Truth Should Look Different From A Lie

Contextual Studies – CCW Film Review

As a 21^st century viewer, Une Femme est Une Femme presents itself as nothing out of the norm; a dilemma where a woman is in love with a man who cannot accommodate her desires, whilst his best friend, madly in love with her, is more than willing to deliver. A somewhat common predicament in many present day romance soaps and movies.

However, empathizing as a viewer from that era, Une Femme est Une Femme, is nothing less than a breath of fresh air. It’s seemingly simple plot line is explored in depth through the means of musical jubilation and the genuine sense of playfulness with which it is filmed.

            Michael Legrand’s musical score justifiably acts as a character on its own, a charismatic addition to many of the scenes. During Angela’s performance at the Zodiac, for example, the music is a part of the song in the fact that it sings alongside her; she performs a capella and the music is accredited in the sense that it is not background music, the two act as an intertwining verse-by-verse performance. Furthermore, emphasizing my opinion that the music acts as an essential character, the only time the music and Angela come together during her performance is on the last word: “belle”. Whether coincidental or not, I can’t be sure, but it seems to me that to a certain subconscious degree it seemed to reinforce the notion of the film, in that Angela wants a child and only the coming together of her and Emile could do so, just as the coming together of the music and her voice make something “belle” (beautiful). In my opinion, its cinematic presence throughout the film, is used to accentuate the comedic relief within a scene or as apart of the musical quota of the act, unlike in Godard’s, Alphaville, where the music is clearly background music used to implement the depth of the scene.

In fact, the use of music as a core element is reminiscent of how Susan Philipsz employs music as the core element of her artwork. Philipsz’s musical arrangements are intellectually magnetic and inspiring and truly embody “Singing as a physical and sculptural experience,” as noted by the Turner Prize, just as Legrand’s music embodies the playful and narrative characteristics of this film.

Even during arguments, the music paints the scene with a sense of playfulness adapting it as a form of playground warfare, where serious matters are dealt with trivially. In fact, the harsh characteristics of the film and it’s almost “heartless characters” (Christopher Null), defined by the way they choose to treat eachother in ways of betrayal and unfaithfulness, are concealed in humour through the triviality, allowing for the film to in fact hold up its own standard that “It might equally be a comedy or a tragedy because it’s certainly a masterpiece.” Angela and Emile’s argumentative methods of using book titles rather than actually speaking echoes a sense of triviality, yes, but reflects on the creative depth of the film making process as well as adding the necessary comedic quality to a seemingly normal couple, giving this film the unique essence  that has allowed it to be timeless.

Godard’s clever use of witty music and childlike argumentative means gives this film, more-so than Godard’s later works, the freshness that deemed it part of the “French New Wave.”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG2KcTCTyBw
The full movie can be seen here, just follow the links on the right side of the page for the remaining parts.


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I used to be a sign...once upon a time

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Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a heaven in hell's despair.


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Know the true value of time; snatch, seize and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination.
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