I Am a Woman, Watch Me Make a Movie

Eve has definitely come a long way since she was allegedly taken out of Adam's rib. She has long stepped out of his shadow, standing up for herself and speaking her mind. Eve doesn't need many Twitter followers or a thousand of Facebook likes just to prove her worth. She knows she's worth it.

Cinema has given the female species an opportunity to express themselves; and the opportunity isn't wasted. Although filmmaking is mostly a man's world, women have become the captain of their own cinematic ship.

In celebration of being a woman, I listed down some of my favorite films directed by women. (In alphabetical order.)

Village of the Damned

THE WHITE RIBBON

Michael Haneke, 2009

Children scare me sometimes, especially über precocious ones. Scheming and seething adults in the form of cute and supposedly innocent children. You know, those kids who look at you as if they can read your very thoughts while mentally indicting you for having those thoughts — whatever they may be. The alien kids in Village of the Damned, the children of the corn, and the young ones in The White Ribbon. Yeah. You better not mess with them.

Cinematography: The White Ribbon

THE WHITE RIBBON (2009)

Director: Michael Haneke

Cinematographer: Christian Berger

Aside from its meticulously woven story and its meditative rural setting, the other thing that is worth checking out in The White Ribbon is its Bergmanesque cinematography.

Christian Berger is said to have drawn inspiration from the works of Sven Nykvist, Ingmar Bergman's cinematographer.

"CABBAGE DAY!"

(If you like crappy American movies, you'll get that joke.)

Dykon: Romy Schneider

Romy Schneider is a cinematic icon. Wait. Who? Rob Schneider? Romy. Schneider, Romy Schneider. She was an Austrian-born actress who held German and French citizenship. (Yes, I read Wikipedia. Just like all of you out there.)

Aguirre, the Art of Immersion

AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD
Werner Herzog, 1972

16th Century, South America — Don Lope de Aguirre (a sedate Klaus Kinski) leads a bunch of Spanish conquerors and Indian slaves in search of the (urban) legendary El Dorado, the city of gold. Although only second-in-command, Aguirre practically controls the people and the journey.

Nastassja Kinski: Unforgettable (Forgotten) Actress

Nastassja. What a sexy and musical name. Kinski. Who could forget such a name? If you're a cinephile comme moi, that name is familiar. The name, Nastassja Kinski, is so unique to forget. Conversely, "Nastassja Kinski" is quite difficult to remember to pronounce, mainly because it's not an ordinary name. (I pronounce it as "nas-ta-sha.") Actually, it is pronounced as "nas-TAS-ya."

So, what comes to your mind whenever you hear the name, Nastassja Kinski? This?

A Fusillade of Passion

THE DAMNED
Luchino Visconti, 1969

Fellini. Antonioni. Bertolucci. De Sica. Pasolini. Rossellini. And Visconti. Italian cinema would practically be nothing hadn't those names existed.

Among those filmmakers, Luchino Visconti is the one whose works I find very exciting. Most of his films are fearless; yet underneath that audaciousness lies a certain touch of overwhelming tenderness.

Death in Venice is Visconti's most popular work. (That film is a tearjerker.) While The Damned is, in my opinion, his best and sadly underrated opus.

My Second Attempt in Analyzing POSSESSION

POSSESSION
Andrzej Zulawski, 1981

Author's note: After reading Soiled Sinema's brilliant analysis of Possession, I decided to examine review Zulawki's film for the second time. (Here's my first attempt.)

Author's note 2.0: Sorry for the strikethroughs, but my opinion towards this film changes as time goes by.