Neighbouring sounds

This piece is inspired by “Neighbouring sounds [O soma o redor]” a film directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho  Steve Rose (The Guardian) said: “You could call this a Brazilian ‘Short Cuts’ in that it juggles a multitude of connected characters (…) There are ominous soundtrack noises, depictions of the tenants’ nightmares, imitations of the not-too-distant colonial past.” I would call this a Life Short Cuts… my life… your life… but remember: all characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. 

The slamming door. The noise made in the corridor and time tells me who is coming back home or leaving. I don’t have to meet my neighbours to know their habits. I don’t have to even know them to know who they are. 

In the middle of the night I hear the heavy steps and deep bass voice. I feel the walls shake. He works here and there, making shady deals. He is a single guy who likes sex and having fun. He longs for a long-term relationship with a nice girl with whom he could discuss his interest in history and who would love his cat – the hurting memory of his ex…

 A couple of minutes later the door is opened quietly and not so widely as before. The fidgety sound of the keychain tells me that she has again had to park her car in the darkest corner of our communal car park which gave her goose bumps. Probably it wasn’t also the easiest night in the hospital. The night shifts there are the real nightmares just because everyone is scared while they are waiting for a dawn. 

A dawn brings the noiseless steps… the heartbeat seems to be as loud as drums. He tries to be invisible, untouchable and voiceless, to not destroy his wife and children’s calmness.  He walks like a thief, hiding himself, stealing his own feelings, desires and emotions.

An hour later I can hear shuffling and scratching. The cats from the top floor are waiting for their owner. He is coming down slowly, carrying his briefcase and sport bag with his gear. He goes to the gym twice a week, every week. He is well organized, so is his wife. They go out and come back at the same time always, with twenty minutes difference between his and her routine. He always sets off earlier and is always back earlier. He also cums earlier than she does.

A lovely child’s voice is heard, twenty to nine. He is three year old and cries rarely. Sometimes he calls the cats. He knows all the names of my neighbours’ cats. Probably he knows all the cats from our neighbourhood near and far. They always run away but it doesn’t get him down. 

Probably I know most of the people from my neighbourhood near and far. They always run away and it gets me down. The slamming door is the sound of the loneliness… despite the sounds crowded around me…   

Drip…drip…drip… about a gentle drizzle

A couple of weeks ago I received a letter from one of my friends and I’m still deeply confused by the words she used there. Her answer to my questions about poverty and social injustice was: “In my opinion I have the moral right to ignore that people die due to starvation”. I still can’t believe that I read these words and, what is more, I can’t stop thinking about them. They made me sick as I deeply disagree with this. Obviously many times I think that I can’t change the World as I’m powerless and nothing depends on me. Obviously many times I blindly follow a simple excuse: “what can we do” and I focus on my life, my reality, me. Fortunately, when I start to be selfish someone reminds me how lucky I am having everything I have, someone shows me that even if we have nothing to give we still have something to share with others: our compassion, our time and ourselves. When I start to believe that I’m unable to do anything someone says the words of “Grace”.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

How many of you know how this hymn was created? John Newton wrote the words during a storm on Atlantic, when he was engaged in the Atlantic Slave Trade.  This practice was finally abolished in Britain in 1807. It couldn’t be done if one man - William Wilberforce – had thought one day: “I have a moral right to ignore…” but fortunately “his morality” didn’t give him this right…

William Wilberforce’s battle for the Slave Trade Act is shown beautifully in the “Amazing Grace” film. It tells the story about the passion and compassion, believing not only in God but, the first of all, in goodness and humanity. You will finish watching this film in tears… but also with a deep belief that you can see…

John Newton: "I once was blind but now I see". Didn't I write that?

William Wilberforce:  Yes, you did.

John Newton: Now at last it's true.

Do you really think that you have any "moral right" to ignore…? If you see you can’t stay indifferent… you have to make a difference “with gentle drizzle, not storms. Drip. Drip. Drip”. 

Look around. Think. Act.

The weightiness of the Oscar Award

The special moments always come surprisingly. 

It was an ordinary evening, after dinner I had a choice between staying at home and reading a book or going to cinema. It was dark, freezing and snowing outside so I was very close to choose my sofa but finally I overcame my inner “His Lazyness”  and decided to go out. There was a special screening of an independent film “Zaytoun” which I found attractive due to the plot and an announced meeting with the producer. 

When we reached the cinema, the hall was packed with people holding their mobiles. “Oh, God Almighty” – I thought – “The Orange Wednesday offer! I’m not happy waiting in this huge queue for the film which is likely not the best, even if the story is interesting and important!” But finally we decided to stay, as we had already left the flat, leaving its cosiness and warmth. We bought the tickets and climbed to the highest level of the cinema complex. In the screening room we met other 12, maybe 15 people.

“Zaytoun” is a story with the historical and political backgrounds from the Middle East. It shows a group of children, Palestinian refugee, who live in a Beirut camp, Lebanon in 1982. In their school class more and more chairs are empty as their school mates die due to warfare. One of the boys, Fahed, loses his Dad, what makes him angry and bloodthirsty. Therefore he practices hard to be a Palestinian soldier as he believes that his duty is to fight back his Dad’s land, which that time is occupied by Israel. One day his steps cross with an Israeli fighter pilot, possibly one who took part in the attack when Fahed’s dad was killed… it’s the beginning of a meaningful trip and a symbolical relationship.

This film touches me deeply as it shows that our personal losses and fears can lead to blind cruelty. It makes me sick and sad as it shows that people fight against each other forgetting that we all are humans who have rights not only to live but also to live worthily. It also makes me laugh when it shows the friendship with all of it ups and downs… and the ups are very often quite funny. :)

The topics discussed in the film are terribly difficult but we need to face them. We – as mankind – can’t be blind to the cruelty and horrors which are the reality in the other parts of the World. As long as we are humans, ALL human’s issues should deeply bother us.  

After the screening we were lucky to talk to Gareth Unwin – the producer of this particular film as well as “The King’s Speech”, which brought him the Oscar award. He made us more familiar with his productions by answering our questions and talk to us in very informal and friendly way. We discussed the challenges of the independent cinema. He even mentioned that he had to finance himself significant part of the “Zaytoun’s” budget… let’s bear in mind that the whole amount was 8mln dollars!  He let us hold his Oscar Statue. I took it gently and I was surprised how heavy it was… as a burden to bear, when you have to choose between producing commercial, mainstream propaganda or opening eyes to the truth. 

Dear Mr. Unwin, please, keep opening my eyes, don’t let me stay blind, insensitive and idle… even if this burden is much heavier than your Oscar Statue… Because of this award you are obliged to do so. I believe that you know and understand the weightiness of the Oscar. I’m ready to promise not to stay on my cosy sofa, even if it is dark, freezing and snowing outside… 

We no longer need theory...

This is the end…

The whole of UK talks about the “Skyfall”, the new James Bond, and so I decided to watch this. I’m not a huge fan of action films, and so obviously I’m not an expert in these. I found the oldest stories about James Bond interesting, I watched: “From Russia with love”, “Dr.No” and “Goldfinger” featuring Sean Connery followed by “For your eyes only” and my favourite one “Octopussy” with Roger Moore. These are classical films and show James Bond, an English special agent 007 as an invincible, extraordinarily intelligent and heartbreaking playboy. He is able to handle any dangerous situation using his strength, cleverness and flair. The plots are always full of uncommon and unpredictable action scenes. On the other hand they are very recurrent, as James Bond is shown to be trapped by a beautiful woman and has to make passionate love with her. It has to be dangerous for him, however he is able to sort out all difficulties, overcome all his enemies and finally he comes back safe and sound to the UK, the country he loves most.

The newest James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, is different in comparison to the older films. The plot is related to the previous stories and the main scheme is the same, however the character is shown as a “resurrected immortal” person rather than the best agent in the World. He has no physical strength to pass the tests prepared for agents before they receive special works, but his loyalty and patriotism pushes him to fight against the enemies of the British Empire. He is no longer the best one as he makes a couple of school boy errors due to his age, body limits as well as sentimental thinking. Despite these he is able to run away even if he though should be dead.

In my opinion the plot is too sophisticated, which makes the story unbelievable, too long and boring which irritates me. It’s not only an action film as the characters talk too much about psychological issues. It also can’t be classified as a drama or a psychological film as it doesn’t discuss these topics deep enough. I believe that the director, Sam Mendes, tried to create this film family friendly as cruelty as well as nudity is not really shown.

The one thing which I really love in the “Skyfall” is Adele’s song which is a background of a fabulous computer animation. I also enjoyed the camerawork which I found brilliant especially when showing shots from Shanghai and Istanbul.  Apart from these in my opinion Adele is right when singing: “This is the end… Hold your breath and count to ten… Feel the earth move and then hear my heart burst again” as this is definitely the end of the James Bond era.