Recently released on Blu-ray and DVD: Iranian Cinema: Before and After the Revolution, A Paris Education, k.d. lang - Ingenue Redux: Live From the Majestic Theatre.
Iranian Cinema: Before and After the Revolution
Iranian cinema has thrived since the revolution of 1979. The nation’s filmmakers are more prolific than those of many larger nations, and while a certain amount of schlock is produced for local consumption, Iran has earned respect on the worldwide film festival circuit. Walled off by government controls, Iran’s filmmakers have retained European art-house influences and, untainted by recent Hollywood trends, they have focused on their own culture. In the face of global homogenization, Iran’s directors have preserved a local cinema with universal appeal.
Those are several conclusions drawn from this set of documentaries by film scholar Jamsheed Akrami. In interviews, Abbas Kiarostami, Dariush Mehrjui and other directors discuss the benefits and liabilities of the censorship they work under. Not unlike the Soviet Union or Production Code-era Hollywood, the rules provide a frame that begs to be subverted and crossed. Creativity is spurred in finding new ways to express ideas.
A Paris Education
A Paris Education deliberately evokes the romance and excitement of French New Wave through its study of young film student Etienne. He’s a provincial lad who, arriving at a Paris college, falls in with a smart crowd where heady discussion is the rule. They don’t kill time talking about reality TV! The story wraps around a mini-history of cinema and multiple discussions of aesthetics as Etienne and friends explore love and sex while constructing their identities.
k.d. lang—Ingenue Redux: Live From the Majestic Theatre
San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre is a grand old place, ideal for the elegant show presented by k.d. lang. A compelling performer, lang doesn’t sing with the brassy force of a “Voice” contestant but with smoldering subtlety. Elevating her quasi-alt-country roots into cabaret, lang performs Ingenue in its entirety. Almost every note is infused with yearning romance, as if redemption can be found in eros. “Constant Craving,” her Grammy-winning hit, is the showstopper.
