Wade Davis: Cultures at the far edge of the world

In response to some of the topics discussed in the previous Herzog post.

Uzak (2002)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5923048813949842511

Mahmut, a 40 year old independent photographer, is a "village boy made good" at least professionally in the big city - Istanbul in this case. After his wife leaves him, he falls into an existential crisis. Then comes his cousin Yusuf, who left his native village after a local factory closed down, effectively unemploying over half the local men. He looks to Istanbul for salvation: a job on board a ship sailing abroad, at once exciting and crucial to supporting his family in the desperately poor village. The distance between the two men is apparent at once, and becomes increasingly pronounced. Whereas Mahmut is adusted to big city life and suffers from many of its neuroses, Yusuf is a lonely, excentric country worker with annoying nervous and hygienic habits, and a sick mother back home he must somehow support. This intimate drama was filmed in the director's apartment in Istanbul, using all his furniture, appliances, rooms, car and so on as the film's props. The actor playing Yusuf is actually the director's real-life cousin, and the actor playing Mahmut is an actual friend, a non-professional actor.

Director:
Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Megamix by Spudd

http://nowisthatmusick.blogspot.com/

Spudd lays down the law.

Werner Herzog - Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

Werner Herzog takes his camera to Antarctica where we meet the odd men and women who have dedicated their lives to furthering the cause of science in treacherous conditions. A scientist studies neutrinos, which are everywhere, yet elusive; he likens them to spirits. A researcher's nighttime performance art includes contorting her body into a luggage bag. A survival guide teaches his students to survive white-out conditions by wearing cartoon-face buckets over their heads. Animal researchers milk mother seals as part of their study. Volcanologists offer advice on what to do when a volcano erupts. A pipefitter shows us the anomaly in his hands that he says are a sign he descended from Atzec royalty. A former Colorado banker drives what he has christened Ivan the Terra Bus. An underwater diver shows his colleagues DVDs of apocalyptic sci-fi films like Them! (1954). And -- though Herzog declares he's not "making another film about penguins" -- we meet a penguin researcher who answers the filmmaker's questions about homosexuality and insanity in his subjects. We also meet an individualist penguin, who breaks away from the other birds to run toward the mountains, facing certain death

GZA, RZA and Bill Murray - Coffee & Cigarettes

Bill Murray, RZA and GZA from Wutang Clan talk it out in a cafe

Tom Waits & Iggy Pop - Coffee and Cigarettes

A great scene from Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee and Cigarettes".

Occupations - Lars Von Trier

Coming to you directly from Mr.Trier's disturbed mind! Lars Von Trier's Short film for Cannes 2007's "Chacun Son Cinéma".