Café Vivien and Turkish Music

Three unrelated topics and a digression point:

For the first time last night I had a Turkish music experience that I liked; I had heard Turkish pop music back home (not my cup of tea); but if I remember it correctly Turkish pop music was an epidemic for sometime in Iran, the same was with Indian music, musicals and romance films, which had been exported legally and illegally from Bollywood. At any account last night’s Concert and Oud Recital was different and I very much enjoyed it. Oud master was Osman Nuri Ozpekel and the singer, with a very soft and rich voice, was Ayce Yesim. My favorite song piece was Yine bir Gul-Nihal aldi Bu Gonlumu, when Osman joined Ayce briefly. It was and a very calming piece composed by Ismail dade Efendi (1778-1846). Also my preferred Oud piece was Ferahfeza Sazsemaisi composed by Serif Muhittin Targan.

Dave Calver illustrations are under my attention these days, especially his New York subway pieces. Although his black and with works reminds me of Philip Guston, in his other pieces exists a placid fantasy; the quality that make me think of Paul Klee.

Hoax (2006) directed by Lesse Hallström story wise is a B+ movie that mingled with masterful decoupage and talented performers becomes an A+ production. Richard Gere plays brilliantly; definitely one of his best performances.

And Café Vivian is the place where I do my work these days. It is with in Princeton campus and it's open till late every night, which suits me fine.

Bling (a.k.a Hand), Dave Calver, 2005

Rabbit Transit (unofficial name), Dave Calver, 2006

The Shine of A Spring Rain

Crystal shine of your eyes,

A pink pearl necklace
And
My kindness
I lost them all to a spring rain.

I opened my arms,
Closed my eyes
And greeted the cruel rain that
Took you from me.

Then
I collapsed
Neither like raindrops
Nor like autumn leaves

I collapsed
Like pearls from a broken lace
At your knees.

Crystal shine of my eyes
A pink pearl necklace
And
Your kindness

All had vanished through the spring rain.






*The Shine is for the rain, Renoir 's Umbrellas (1881) and you.

My Get Away!

There are some pieces of art that looking at them brings me joy. It is more of a personal joy rather than an aesthetic one that makes me wonder when I look at these works. They take me to a remote place in time that is familiar for me, yet I know I’ve never been there. They take me somewhere I never want to comeback from. As if they take me home. I save these pieces; I collect their copies, posters and postcards; but most of the time I save their digital reflection, one at a time on, Bibi Huryeh’s desktop. So whenever I work, I can take a break from my boring self and go there.

Recently I have realized that most of these pieces are portraits of women. It is funny since generally portrait is an artistic representation that I dislike, same as landscape painting. So here they are, Women whom my intimate moments are built around.

Madam Auqustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle,
Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

Self portrait, Berthe Morisot, 1870's

Self portrait as the Allegory of the Painting,
Artemisia Gentelischi, 1630

Portrait of Mrs. P in the South, Paul Klee, 1924

de Femme la Donna (The Veiled Woman),
Raphael, 1513

Snow Again!

It is snowing right now in Princeton! I really can't believe it. Take a look at its photo. Those small white lines are the falling snow.

Princeton's Snow, April 2007

Back In Business

I am out of my sleeping-mind period and I feel sheepish; it was all due to Nourooz, spring and me once more feeling 15.

Let's start the business. In the last week apart from me being in love, I tried to put together a Film List for the Silk Road: a very interesting project for my lecture on Cinema and the Modern Silk Road. I was thinking that it can be a list of A and B movies (Documentary, Fiction or Animation) made in or about the regions, countries, areas or nations along the Silk Road from far East to far West. So far I have this. I am sure there are a lot that I didn’t mention due to my sleepiness. So I appreciate if you remind me of things (movie/region) that have been left out from this list.

And lastly I got this Mona Lisa with Heejab which I thing is funny: I don’t know who the artist is, but she/he is surely familiar with Duchamp's ideas. So take a look at LHOOQ Mona Lisa (1919).

The movie information follows this order:
Title of the movie / Director’s name / year of production / country / more info
Afghanistan (about or made in)
Osama / Siddiq Barmak / 2003 / Afghanistan, Netherlands, Japan, Ireland, Iran /
Algeria (about or made in)
The Battle of Algiers (Battaglia di Algeri, La) /Gillo Pontecorvo/ 1966/ Algeria, Italy
Arab World (about or made in)
Incomplete
China (about or made in)
The Last Emperor / Bernardo Bertolucci / 1987 / China, UK, France, Italy
Kung Fu / Stephen Chow / 2004 / China, Hong Kong
Europe
Marco the Magnificent (Fabulous Adventures of Marco Polo) / Denys De la Patelliere / 1965 / Italy, France, Yugoslavia, Afghanisatn, Egypt
Egypt (about or made in)
Incomplete
India (about or made in)
Water / Deepa Mehta / 2005 / Canada, India
The Chess Players (Shatranj ke Khilari) / Satyajit Ray / 1977 / India
Iran (about or made in)
Ten (Dah) / Abbas Kiarostami / 2002 / Iran, France, USA
Taste of Cherry (Ta’me Guilass) / A. Kiarostami / 1997 / Iran, France
Under the Olive Trees (Zire Derakhtane Zeyton) / A. Kiarostami / 1994 / Iran, France
Barefoot to Herat (Paberahne ta Herat) / Majid Majidi / 2002 / Iran
Baran (Rain) / M. Majidi / 2001 / Iran
The Children of Heaven (Bache haye Aseman) / M. Majidi / 1997 / Iran
Gabbeh / Mohsen Makhmalbaf / 1996 / Iran & France
The Silence (Skout) / M. Makhmalbaf / 1998 / Iran, Tajikistan, France
The Sun Behind the Moon (Safar e Ghandehar) / M. Makhmalbaf / 2001/ Iran, France
Israel (about or made in)
Paradise Now / Hany Abu-Assad / 2005 / Palestine, France, Germany, Netherlands, Israel
Japan (about or made in)
Dodesukaden or Clickety- Clack (Do desu Ka den) / Akira Kurosawa / 1970 / Japan
Throne of Blood (Kumonsu Jo or Macbeth)/ A. Kurosawa / 1957 / Japan / Adaptation of Macbeth
The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) / A. Kurosawa / 1954 / Japan / The Magnificent Seven (1960) was inspired by this movie.
Howl’s Moving Castle (Hauru no Ugoku Shiro) / Hayao Miyazaki & Rick Dempsey / 2004 / Japan / Animation
Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) / H. Miyazaki & Kirk Wise / 2001 / Japan / Animation
Pakistan
Incomplete
Russia/Soviet (about or made in)
Color of Pomegranates (Sayat Nova) / Sergei Parajanov / 1968 / Soviet Union
Andrey Rublyov / Andrei Tarkovsky / 1969 / Soviet Union

Central Asia & Other Independent Countries After Soviet Era
(Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, etc)
Incomplete
Although their most productive years were during Soviet era, it is good to have them on the list.

Turkey
The Road (Yol) / Yilmaz Guney / 1982 / Turkey, Switzerland, France
USA
Seven Years in Tibet / Jean-Jacques Annaud / 1997 / USA
Genghis Blues / Roko Belic / 1999 / USA / Documentary /

Mona Lisa with Heejab,

L.H. O.O. Q Mona Lisa, Duchamp, 1919