International Film Festival previews lesser know reels
May 6, 2008
By: Sam Watermeier <swatermeier@gmail.com>
Film buffs beware: The Indianapolis International Film Festival at the Keystone Art Cinema is ending two days from now. If you really rush, you can catch today’s 3:30 showing of “May the Best Man Win” after school. In “May the Best Man Win,” a man hires a director to document his wedding. Then things go awry when the man cannot decide on his best man. So the director devises an intense, no-holds-barred contest between the man’s friends to determine the best man and the comedy ensues.
The big film in the festival however is “Mongol,” an Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. This is not the only film directed by Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov that was nominated for an Academy Award. His 1996 film “Prisoner of the Mountains” was also nominated. “Mongol” tells the story of Genghis Khan, the famous conqueror of Mongolia. According to Variety magazine, this film is “Russia’s largest-scale co-production with Asia to date.” More importantly, the film has garnered controversy over its depiction of Khan. The same Variety magazine article states that Mongolians are offended by the lack of historical accuracy in “Mongol” and feel that it is humiliating to their national pride.
Bodrov explains, “For us, Genghis Khan lived 800 years ago, and he’s an extraordinary historical figure. For Mongolians, he is a living person — even today, he’s important and critical. They see him as the father of their nation.” Bodrov said he is not interested in offending anyone. He is just concerned with telling this story the best way he possibly can. Bodrov said, “We have found an extraordinary story — about love, about Genghis Khan, about a boy who was an orphan and then went on to conquer half the world, more than Alexander and all the other conquerors.” The article states that he is hoping the film will match the success of other Asian films like Jet Li’s “Hero” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
“Mongol” is playing tomorrow at 7 p.m. The closing night party and awards ceremony are after the film at 9. Tickets to these ceremonies are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For the films before these events, individual tickets are $10 per show but are limited due to All-Access Passports and 10 ticket bundles. 10 ticket bundles allow you to get 10 tickets for $75, saving 25 percent off the standard price. Unlike All-Access Passports, bundles are transferable. If you have not purchased tickets yet, you are behind the eight ball and are basically out of luck. Also, as the web site for the festival warns, “You MUST arrive 10 minutes before the show time to guarantee a seat.”
On Sunday, award-winning short films from Indiana high school and college students are showing. They will start at noon and end in the evening at 8:45. Some of the highlights are the “Grand Jury Prize” winners for Documentary, World Cinema and American Spectrum. The last film shown is the Audience Award winner for Best Narrative Feature.
Bright Ideas
May 6, 2008
By: Corey Bright <cbright@gmail.com>
It’s a 100 percent necessary part of my schedule. It’s my release. It’s my relaxation. It’s my own time of reflection. In other words, I love my art classes. And yes, I don’t know what I would do without them. The following is the journey I began as a freshman art student.
Like pretty much every other fine arts student here, I began in drawing classes. These classes definitely have a focus on technique. Most projects begin with finding a visual, such as a photo, and then choosing a crop of that picture. Then, using a variety of media, the artist does his or her best to duplicate the image on a piece of paper. It’s honestly that simple. We practiced using pencils, pen and ink, pastels, paint and watercolors.
I would always try to pick a visual that had some sort of meaning to me, such as a picture from a vacation or of a family member. If I cared more about the subject matter it would usually translate to me caring more about the finished product. I considered the rest of the project a test of my patience.
How many times can you redraw an eye until it looks exactly right? How long will you take shading every section until it has the perfect effect? How long can you look at one small, square of a visual before you get bored?
The artist with the most endurance usually wins in those drawing classes. Most of the work I used to do in there turned out decent. This piece (bottom) is a great example of that whole endurance bit.
It’s done with colored pencil and it took me over a month to finish. It’s a great artwork, because it depicts a beautiful part of nature, but generally, when I look at it all I can think of are the hours I spent slaving over it. It was still enjoyable to work on a piece and develop a technique for rendering it, but I don’t think the whole project involved much of my own creativity.
That is why, this year, I was so excited to begin working in Independent Study Art. This upper-level class assumes you know the basics. It showcases the utmost creativity as students come up with their own projects from proposals to the finished work. It’s also a great opportunity for me to develop my own style. I’m learning what my strengths are and what I like most, and combining them into pieces that send a personal message. The work is so me. It utilizes everything that I love working with, and sends a message to the viewer about the idea of peace and how it can be attained.
As much as I enjoy my opportunities now in Independent Study, the years I spent in drawing classes were necessary to my development as an artist. I’m so thankful that I’ve had time at school to develop my art skills and create some neat finished products. Also, I’ve been completely surrounded by some ridiculously talented art students. The skill and creativity of the kids in my class will never cease to amaze me. Next week, the annual art show will be set up in the commons area of the school. As you walk through the rows of finished works, take time to appreciate the endurance and creativity of each artist.
Ballroom dancing the time away
May 6, 2008
By: Min Qiao <mqiao@hilite.org>
With the increasing popularity of shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” ballroom dancing is on the rise as well. For Amanda Finin, president of Ballroom Dancing Club and sophomore, “Dancing with the Stars” is exactly why she got into this genre of dance.
“When ‘Dancing with the Stars’ first started I thought the way the professionals moved was amazing. So in May of 2006 I started taking lessons over at Arthur Murray,” Finin said. “(In) freshman year, I was really into ballroom dancing and had thought about starting a club. I was in Swing Club at the time, so I had met some other people who have become my close friends, and we kind of tossed around the idea. I then found a sponsor and figured out what I had to do and in October 2007 things got started.”
Brent Blackwell, dance instructor of the Ballroom Dancing Club, said that he began taking ballroom dancing lessons so that he could dance well at wedding receptions. He also agrees that ballroom dancing’s popularity is rising and that dancing, in general, has become more popular in recent years.
Finin said, “The professional dancers can be doing a move and in a split second they can just stop and hit this really outrageous and cool pose. I think that’s what people look at and go ‘wow’.”
This increasing interest in dancing is reflected in the Ballroom Dancing Club, which aims to teach people these dances. In addition, Finin said this club also wants teach students to dance so that it can benefit them in social events.
“Being in high school, there are a lot of dances that go on, so knowing how to dance socially and having friends that know how to dance is a big benefit.” Finin said. “It may not seem like the cool thing to do, but I know that knowing how to socially dance will help when it comes to social events for my future. I would like to show more people this, and show them that in the long run knowing how to ballroom dance is a huge benefit to possible future careers.”
In the Ballroom Dancing Club, students can learn a variety of dances from the waltz to the samba. Blackwell said that he basically teaches the members whatever dance they request to learn. For the most part, they have been learning major dances that are popular internationally. Blackwell said that he usually teaches the members a couple of steps that tie together and can be danced in a pattern.
“Ballroom dancing may not seem cool, but it comes in handy when it comes to social outings. This one is especially true for guys,” Finin said. “They may think that ballroom dancing is not very masculine, but the thing I find most attractive is when a guy knows how to handle a girl. So if a guy can dance and lead me through things and make me look good while still making himself look good is very attractive.”
Museum delights viewer with extensive collection
May 6, 2008
By: Michelle Hu <mhu@hilite.org>
The Indianapolis Museum of Art, a relatively new venue for up and coming exhibits, is one of the most productive ways to spend a day. The museum itself is free, except for a small fee of six dollars for limited time exhibits. Currently, the museum is showcasing local fashion designers in its exhibit “Breaking the Mode.”
The lobby displays a unique exhibit by a living artist. The lobby has a series of speakers and wires that, if visitors listen closely, project individual voices and sounds. It may seem strange at first, but at the top of the escalators, an information panel explains that the artist wanted to capture sounds of human emotions, such as love, fear, joy, lust, etc.
Free exhibits include American, European, Asian, African and perhaps most interestingly, Contemporary Art. Each regional display includes several large rooms full of pieces that date from ancient times to present day. The European collection boasts pieces by great artists, including Rembrandt van Rijn, El Greco, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh. The American Art exhibit showcases the most extravagant painting of Georgia O’Keefe’s portfolio and works by Norman Rockwell.
In addition, the museum includes the Lilly House and gardens, which are also free of admission. The Lilly House was formerly inhabited by the family of Eli Lilly, and now functions as a museum much like George Washington’s estate. In the back, visitors can go jogging concurrent to the White River.
Performing Arts groups prepare for end of year spring shows in late May
May 6, 2008
By: Tommy Sneider <tsneider@hilite.org>
After a season full of show choir competitions and performances, all of the different choirs prepare for one last show.
“The spring concert is our last chance to show off our choirs and what they’ve done all year,” Ann Conrad, choir teacher said. According to Conrad, each group will perform four numbers and one with all of the choirs performing.
“The spring concerts are really fun, it’s just a way for us to show people one last time what we did this year,” Erica Richter, member of Accents and junior, said. Although it is only a one night performance, it still provides all of the choirs a chance to show what they have achieved throughout the year.
The choir spring concert is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dale E. Graham Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and students according to Conrad. In addition, other performing arts programs are planning their concerts as well. The orchestra spring concert is planned for May 15, and the band concert for May 21. “It gives students a chance to see all of the different performing arts groups in less than a week,” Richter said.
While the school year winds down, the performing arts department still has a last kick in it before winding down. “This has really been a great year for the choirs,” Richter said. “It’s going to be really great to see what all the other choirs did, and it’s just going to be a great show.”
IB gives students chance to make own feature films
May 1, 2008
By: Hera Ashraf <hashraf@hilite.org>
Junior Sarah Donaldson is a student of a new course started here, called IB Film. Donaldson decided to take the course because she said she wanted to go more into film than theater.
“I am normally in drama, but I didn’t want to do theater acting; I wanted to do film acting. So, I thought that I should learn about the industry,” Donaldson said.
According to IB Film teacher Jim Peterson, this school was chosen as a pilot to try the course this year. Next year, it will be offered in all schools.
The IB diploma was offered last year, and all teachers received training the year before 2006 for teaching the IB classes. Peterson said he missed that year of training, so he had to start training for IB Theater last year when he said he found out about IB Film.
“I thought (IB Film) was a nice course to offer, and this year was the last year for piloting. So I put in the application, and I wrote up my biography, talked about what we had as far as equipment in the school and how many people I thought might take it,” Peterson said. “I put up the proposal, and we got accepted.”
The course has three parts. Peterson said, “(IB Film) really concentrates on three main areas: production, film theory and history and textual analysis.”
Donaldson said that IB Film was a great course to learn about all aspects of film.
“We get to watch a few films, and we study about them and learn about all the angles. We learn why things are used, and we get projects throughout the year,” Donaldson said.
The current project the students of IB Film are working on is movie trailers for the Elliot Rosewater books. “It used to be done by the theater students, but they passed that over to the film students,” Donaldson said. These trailers will be shown in the library for previews for books.
Peterson said that the students in this class work on many different kinds of projects from short movies to written reports.
One project the students are working on is the IB Film Festival at the end of the year. Peterson said that they will be showcasing all the work of the students in the class throughout the year in the auditorium.
Peterson said that he recommends the class to all students, even those who aren’t even going for the IB Diploma.
“I think film is fantastic, and it is a great medium. It is very popular today and can be very expensive. But the cool thing now is that the equipment is accessible with video cameras and editing on computers. Having the program on every computer is a big step, so kids can actually be film makers,” Peterson said.
Donaldson said, “You will never watch a movie the same way ever again because you will know what lighting does what and what angle does what for a viewer. It really helps you understand like why certain things happen in films and what the process is. And it is a wonderful process.”
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