3/16/2015

THE VIEW FROM A CATHEDRAL

Stanislaw Elsner-Zaluski as Marek Siemek
in
"The View from a Cathedral"
formerly "The Department of Historical Necessity"

The Marek Siemek documentary has been trimmed down to 85 minutes and acquired the new title.   „The View from a Cathedral” encompasses the three territories the film travels through: the visual, the metaphorical and the academic. 

The search for the title that would fit was long and tortuous not only to me but also to those who were close to the production.  Thank you all! 

Various titles were considered: at first I pitched the story as „The Philosopher who died twice”.  Then I cut a trailer for „The Department of Historical Necessity”. Then came Aufhebung, Reason is free, freedom is reasonable, Honoris Causa, A Philosopher and the nation of devils.  And plenty more that I will save for later.  No, not for another change.  For a brand new project, I mean. 

What’s important for now is that The View from a Cathedral has entered the final post-production stage.  

3/14/2015

Life reinforces preposterous plot twists

Whiplash, by Damien Chazelle

Being a sucker for “let’s succeed no matter what the odds are, even if the biggest of the culprits are our own limitations” I liked this movie a lot. The drive is amazing and so fast and furious that even some less plausible plot twists gallop past reasonable doubt and produce a narrative epiphany.

Upon reading about the director having a serious car accident but nevertheless returning the next day to work I wondered if my comment about “less plausible lot twists” (I meant that the hero has a very serious looking car accident which miraculously does not stop him from showing up for a gig where nobody minds a bloodied performer rolling onto the stage) had any merit. Clearly the screenwriter/director walked his talk. Hats off to him.

Hats off to him also for splendid direction and for supervising amazing editing and acting.