The article, "Vive la Resistance!: A New Wave From Slovenia," by Tom McSorley, examines the highly unknown filmmakers of Slovenia, a nation
full of intimate artists but dominated by Hollywood influence. McSorley
dives into a brief history of the country, one that was just recently
granted independence in 1991 during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
He seeks to expose the filmmakers of Slovenia, beginning with the
first of the early 20th century. I found it an odd coincidence that the
first film made by a Slovenian artist in 1905, Karol Grossman, featured
a crowd of people leaving a church. It's a curious similarity to some
of the first American images ever produced. While other films were made
throughout the 1900s, it was not until the '90s that Slovenian cinema
exploded artistically with a "new wave" of filmmakers. Slovenian films,
as McSorley explains it, have been recently characterized as character
studies that tend to deal with alienated, anti-social protagonists,
highly personal stories, and a great deal of natural location shooting.
I found this whole history, especially the recent history of Slovenian
cinema to be very intriguing. First, Slovenia seems to be one of those
nations that everybody recognizes, but knows very little about. Their
wave of recent filmmakers reminds me of many other foreign countries,
all of which seem to be highly influenced by Hollywood, but manage to
remain independent as artists, nations like France, Mexico, etc. The
artists of Slovenia have proven to be sensitive, intelligent, and
original in the way of modern cinema, dealing not with big ideas but
simple examinations of everyday people and situations. The last ten years
have obviously been some of the best for Slovenian cinema, and if they
remain independent of a constant Hollywood presence on their screens,
I should think they will only improve as artists and as a separate
industry.
http://www.cinema-scope.com/cs28/feat_mcsorley_slovenia.html
"Vive la Resistance!: A New Wave From Slovenia"
by Tom McSorley
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1 comment:
Thanks for this post - most informative, and I can tell by the the attention of the writing, that the article was of interest to you. I know next to nothing about Slovenian cinema. So i should check it out.
Of the filmmakers discussed was there one that you would most like to see, experience? (Does the work circulate much in the States?) If I ask, it is that I'd like to encourage you to address something more specific. Don't get me wrong: this post is solid. The article offers an overview so it makes sense that your post would be similarly wide in its scope. In many ways in reading these blogs, I am more interested in your thoughts than the articles you are reporting on, or a balance between the two. If I am interested in more specific takes at times, I do think your post achieves that balance.
Glad the article was of interest, and thanks for conveying that interest and for taking the time on this.
Carl
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