Hello!

How is your Christmas? I hope you enjoy it and you spend time on reading books instead of studying, just like me. All of my family members are huge bibliophiles, so there are always lots of books among our Christmas gifts. This year I got a great compendium about one of my favourite Tarantino's movies: "Pulp Fiction. Wszystko o kultowym filmie Quentina Tarantino" by Jason Bailey. I've already read a half, so I can tell that it's a very detailed and quite well-written study. It includes not only research on Pulp fiction, but also many information about Tarantino's life, other movies of him and references to other directors and their work.

Those of you who are interested in movies surely know than even the best productions are full of little mistakes, and even Pulp fiction isn't free of them. I post here a translation of some examples given in Bailey's book:

1. Execution in the Brett's apartment. When Jules and Vincent are shooting to Brett, both of them empty their clips. Then Tarantino go back to this scene in the beginning of another sequence (The Bonnie situation). Jules and Vincent empty their clips, but when "the fourth guy" comes out from a bathroom, they shoot again.

2. In the same particular scene Jules and Martin are talking to Marvin (before the guy from the bathroom appears). The wall is full of holes from shooting which, actually, haven't been shot yet.

3. There's a mistake in a famous adrenaline injection scene. Mia wakes up rapidly with a syringe in her heart. But wait... Where's the red point that Vincent put in her chest before?

4. A scene at the end of the prologue, just before the "Misirlou" and the credits. Honey-Bunny says: "Any of you, fucking pricks, move, and I'll execute every motherfucking last one of you!". When Tarantino returns to this scene in The Bonnie situation, she says: "Any of you, fucking pricks, move, and I'll execute every one of you motherfuckers". According to Tarantino, it wasn't a mistake but a deliberated effect, which he used to show that everyone remembers the same situation in a different way.

Have you already written to Santa Claus?

Hello!

Today I'd like to evoke one of the most important and inspiring figure in my life - Susan Sontag. For those of you who haven't heard of her yet (I hope everybody has!), she was an American writer, essayist, filmmaker and political activist. She was considered one of the most influential critics of her generation, a statement which I totally agree with.

I decided to talk about her because, first of all, I can't believe that I haven't done it yet, and secondly, my second half and I couldn't wait for Christmas (again) and we've already exchanged gifts a week ago and I got the first part of Sontag's diaries, which has made me happier than Cervantes' 'Exemplary Novels' that I had been expecting (believe me, that already means something!).

If you haven't done it yet, read Sontag because she combined everything that I admire in an intellectual - erudition, intelligence, sensitivity, charisma and a colorful personality. And she really did care about the world, which is very rare these days.

Here is the trailer to a great documentary about Susan Sontag by Nancy Kates (2014):

Hi! 

I'm in a very difficult moment of my life, facing a decision about adopting a cat. There are many pros but also many (or even more) cons, which make me very confused. I cannot make up my mind, so I've come up with an idea to make a list of all possible advantages and disadvantages of introducing a new family member and see if it helps. 

+ 

1. Cats can be sweet as... hell.

2. There are lots of cats in animal shelters which need a nice, warm house and a loving family to spoil them. You cannot change the whole world, but you can change life of one being and that's already something.

3. Cats don't need to go out to complete their digestive process, so you don't have to have a huge garden to make them feel fully comfortable (I think that dogs are better even in a tiny apartment in a skyscraper than in any animal shelter, but they are far better in a house).

4. Cats live longer than many other pets.

5. Cats are warm and many of them tend to turn into a nice living heating devices.

6. Cats are extremely clean.

7. And also clever. 

8. Cats don't speak so you can tell them everything and they won't repeat it in the kindergarten and make you feel embarrassed because of some uncomfortable details of your personal life. 

9. Cats don't bark (I love dogs, but they can bark as crazy little monsters). 

10. Cats don't need so much attention so they don't look at you and make you feel like the cruelest person in the world when you have to leave for 10 minutes. 

But on the other hand...

1. They do need some attention so you cannot leave them for a whole day because they would be bored and sad.

2. Cats don't need to run 10 miles to feel happy but a 30-square meter apartment may be not enough for them.

3. Cats are not vegans. They love meat. Especially when you serve it with meat. And season it with some meat.

4. Cats, just as any other pets, get sick sometimes and need to go to a vet. And sometimes they need to have someone to take care of them at home, but there's no sick leave for a cat care. (I hope one day it will change.) 

5. Most of the cats have fur. And they like to get rid of it. You know what I mean, right? 

6. Even if you love your other half more than you always thought you'd be able to, you have to be aware that one day you might get an emotional divorce and you'll have to divide everything you've accumulated by that moment and decide who takes what ("Was it your fork? What about this book? NO, it wasn't a gift. I don't want this lamp, it was from your aunt and it's disgusting."), including animals. Well, that's serious. 

Well, as you can see, it seems that there are more pros, but the truth is that it's not enough to compare numbers. We mustn't forget that animals are living, sensitive and consciouss beings, not objects, toys or ornament of our houses. Some of my friends think that I take it too serious, but that's what I call responsibility. What are your opinions? 

Well, I'm glad I wrote this post, although it didn't help at all. Eventually, I will have to make up my mind, but meanwhile you can enjoy a nice Ted-Ed video about cats.

Hi!

Have you already listened to the last Leonard Cohen's CD? If not, I give you an opportunity to listen opening piece, "You Want It Darker", which is also the title of the whole disk. I've always liked Cohen's music and this song only strenghten my belief that I was right about it.

And now make note of a beautiful instrumentation of "Traveling Light", another song from this CD, in my opinion, the best one.

What do you think about it? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with me. And enjoy!

Hello!

Today I'd like to recommend you a book which is about to be released by Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM. It's titled 'Wieczna krucjata. Szkice o Don Kichocie' (ed. W. Charchalis & A. Żychliński) and it's a collection of essays which includes some very interesting studies on Cervantes and his legacy, studied and presented from different humanistic perspectives. It's an interesting monograph not only for the researchers interested in Cervantes, but for every hispanist and bibliophile as well. The opening article is about the reception of Don Quixote in Poland during the 18th and the 19th century and it's a result of 30 years of study of its author, a considered specialist of Cervantes's works. There's also a great study on the importance of Don Quixote in Russian intellectual debates from the mid-19th century until the 1930. (By the way, the interest in Cervantes' work was surprisingly high in Russia - the bibliography about his text has more than 1000 pages!) There are also sketches about the Unamuno's and Bolaño's reflections on Don Quixote, which are also highly recommendable, and there's an article about the possible influence of Cervantes on the future creator of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, which is actually my first publication :) 

Well, you've got me... Yes, I'm just advertising. But trust me, it's a great monograph, even though there is an essay of mine. And I'd love to learn you opinion about it! 

9/11

(by Sztuczne Fiołki)

Hello! 

Today I'd like to share with you some of my reflections after my very first (sic!) visit in Spain. At the moment, when I start to write this post, I'm in Warsaw, waiting for a train to Poznań, already after spending more than 13 hours on journey…

                                                                                              

I was extremely nervous before I set out my trip, mostly because I'm afraid of flying. On one hand, I'm fascinated by planes and when I'm on board I feel some kind of a deep excitement caused by a huge amount of incredible impressions that I experiment while looking at the world from 11 km above the sea level. Every time the plane takes off it fascinates me just as it did the first time. On the other hand, I’m terrified of the inevitability of death which constantly reminds its presence by exit signs, life vests and oxygen masks. I know that it may sound ridiculous, but I can’t help it! I know that plane crashes are really rare; actually, planes are still incomparably safer than any other mean of transport. I’m also aware that emergency situations happen and usually they aren’t not dangerous. I know that my fear is absurd, but what do I do?

Well, I don’t actually know what scares me more – the fact that planes are just machines and they can always fail, or that I have to entrust my life to a stranger. Does it bother you too or is it just me being insane?

Actually, it doesn’t matter now, because I finally arrived, with no troubles and just a little bit of dizziness due to my low blood pressure.

There was also another reason for the anxiety I felt before the journey. I went to Valencia to participate in an international congress about madness in the work of Shakespeare, Cervantes and Llull, which was, actually, the first congress outside my University which I participated in. I was hoping that maybe this time being a musician would help me to deal with stress while reading in public – but, just as last year in Poznań – it didn’t help at all. Before I started, my hands were shaking, my legs were heavy and weak and I felt like I was going to faint. But finally I didn’t, so there’s at least one thing to be proud of.

And Valencia is such a beautiful city! As I wanted to listen to the majority of lectures, I had no time to visit any monuments, but at least I took a few long walks through the centre and some nice districts. I post below a photo of one of my favourite places: Pont des les Flors (Bridge of the Flowers). I’ve never seen such a beautiful bridge!  

And some vegan advertising just to finish this long post – don’t hesitate to visit Nomït restaurant. They have really good food and a nice library in the neighbourhood.

'Competitions are for horses, not artists' - Béla Bartók. 

Today is the last day of the final stage auditions of the Wieniawski Competition. We've already heard 5 out of 7 finalists: Richard Lin, Ryosuke Suho, Veriko Tchumburidze, Luke Hsu and Bomsori Kim. They had to perform two violin concertos during one evening with Poznan Philharmonic. All of them decided to play Wieniawski Violin Concerto no. 2 op. 22 and besides, they performed Brahms, Beethoven and Shostakovich concertos. 

I would like to comment on two great, but extremely different performances of the Shostkovich concerto. This piece had been finished by the composer in 1948, after the Second World War, but it had to wait 7 years so that the censors allow it to be published. David Oistrakh, for whom it had been dedicated, called this concerto a 'shakespearian masterpiece'. It's an unbelivebly dark, even demonic, epic story with a famous composer's DSCH sign in the 2nd movement (Scherzo). It requires a 'complete', mature artist, without any technical barriers, capable of produce dozens of kinds and colours of the sound.  

Veriko Tchumburidze, who played Shostakovich on Thursday, aroused the first standing ovation during the 15th Wieniawski Competition. Her interpretation was very emotional, even aggressive. She played as she were haunted by Shostkovich's ghost. A mysterious beginning (actually, not perfectly in tune, but it doesn't matter), daring Scherzo, melancholic Passacaglia and wild Burlesque provoked a vivid discussion about the limits of the being non-academic. Her performance reminded me to a literary style in Spanish literature called esperpento - beyond the limits of grotesque and inclining into the direction of being absurd. 

Bomsori Kim is 7 years older than Veriko. She also aroused a standing ovation, though her performance of Shostakovich was totally different from the previous one. She proved that she's a complete artist, who understands each note (and each break!) of the music. Her Shostakovich didn't have to be out of the control to get wild and exuberant. She didn't change being grotesque into being absurd. The 1st movement - Nocturne - and the 3rd - Passacaglia - were even darker and dimmer than in the Veriko's interpretation, because she seemed so peaceful. So disturbingly peaceful. At the same time, scherzo was as vivid as it seemed to be like an image of carnival in a battlefield full of dead people. Her Shostakovich was like an epic story about the biggest atrocity of the 20th century. Or at least about how we imagine its cruelty.

I admire both of them because they fulfilled the most important aim of the art - they moved the audience and they didn't let it be indifferent. They've already won. 

http://wieniawski2016.tvp.pl/27415244/veriko-tchumburidze-gruzjaturcja-4-etap-wystep-2

http://wieniawski2016.tvp.pl/27427132/bomsori-kim-korea-poludniowa-4-etap-wystep-2

The 2nd stage of the Wieniawski competition has finished a few hours ago. 26 musicians from 11 countries have faced a very challenging repertoire - one composition for violin and piano by Fritz Kreisler, a romantic miniature and a huge 19th or 20th century Sonata. There has been no place for trivial virtuosity or playing the violin without playing music. The aim of this stage has been to choose the most sensitive, creative and unique musicians. 

The members of Jury, chaired by maestro Maxim Vengerov, have decided to invite half of the participants to the 3rd stage. Although my guess has been right in the great majority, I think that the verdict is, at least, controversial. And I'm sure that one person will be definitely missing in the next stage. 

I've known Ania Malesza for almost a decade. She's always been an extremely gifted and brilliant musician. And in the last couple of days she has proved that she's already become a mature Artist, capable of doing incredible things. I know lots of musicians, but very few of them make me feel their music so deeply and intensively. 

Everybody knows that competitions are all about politics. It's just such a shame that some other people's interest can shut door to someone who deserve them to be widely open and inviting. 

Well, I truly believe that there's nothing that will stop Ania from achieving her goals. Eventually, somebody else will get to the final. But she's the one whose music has got to our hearts. And will stay there forever.

I'm very proud that I can be, study and make music around such an incredible Artist like her. And I'm happy that my math coaching helped her to go through the high school  - look where she's got! ;) 

Don't hesitate and listen to the most sensitive, creative and unique violinist of the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition. And enjoy. 

Hello after the holiday break!

I'm glad to be back and to continue on sharing my thoughts and reflections with you.

I would like to dedicate the entire upcoming week to one of the most important cultural events in Poznań - the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, which is celebrated in our city since October 8th.

First of all, it's essential to point out that it's the oldest violin competition in the world. It was organized for the first time in 1935 by a nephew of the famous composer, Adam Wieniawski. The first winner was Ginette Neveu, an amazing (only) 15-years old French violinist, who beat a legendary Soviet artist, David Oistrakh. Unfortunately, she couldn't take advantage of her extreme success for a long time - she died in a plane crash in 1949, when she before her 31st birthday.

The competition was planned to be held every five years, but it was interrupted by the Second World War. It came back after a gap of 17 years, in 1952, and from that time it took place 12 times. Every edition gives us another reason to be proud of our Polish violinists - there are visible and important amongst the participants and they continue on proving that the so called 'Polish school of the violin' is one of the greatest in the world.

There's a lot to tell about, but let's get to the point. Today was the 2nd day of the 2nd stage auditions and I had a huge pleasure to listen to Celina Kotz's performance. She's 1 of 6 Polish violinists who had qualified to the 2nd stage of the competition, just like 5 years ago, when she was an impressing 17-years-old violinist, promising to be a great artist one day. And today she's proved that this day had already come - she's an extremely mature, conscious and developed Artist, who is capable of telling wonderful stories through her beautiful music.

She started her performance with 'Little Viennese March' by Fritz Kreisler. It was a nice, well-played miniature, which reawoke my appetite for more. Then she played Wieniawski 'Legende' op. 17, which turned out to be a nostalgic, even melancholic story of something left or lost. She finished with Ravel Sonata in G Major 'Blues', which I find very hard to describe with words. The first movement, very impressionistic, full of pastel colors and long brush strokes, took me to the 19th-century France. And then, when I was thinking that it couldn't be better, there it was. The second movement. 'All that jazz'. It was so vivid and real that I was feeling like I were sitting in Blue Note drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and listening to a great, Friday night jam session...

Wanna go there? Just listen:

Hi! 

Today I'd like to recommend you a book I've recently got. It's The War is Dead, Long Live the War: Bosnia: the Reckoning by Ed Vulliamy, a British journalist and writer, who was New York correspondent for The Observer for six years and Rome correspondent from The Guardian. It's a reportage which tells about many aspects of today's situation in Bosnia: about its political condition, about how is the life of the survivors 20 years after the outbreak of the Bosnian War (the book was published in 2012), about the needness of justice and punishment for the war criminals who are, partially, still free, and about a problem which is nowadays omnipresent in any kind of historical debate: the collective memory.

The famous slogan: 'Remembering Srebrenica' has a particular meaning and importance for the author. Although he didn't take part in the Srebrenica investigation, he was one of the journalist who discovered the concentration camps in Omarska and Trnpolje and informed the world about them, which was one of the most important and, at the same time, shocking news after the Second World War. 

But does anybody of you know anything about Omarska? About the details of the Srebrenica massacre, which was actually the biggest genocide in Europe after the Holocaust? About the trial of Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić? If yes, you are in the tiny minority of the Europeans. This is also one of the aspects which Ed Vulliamy comments widely. It's unbelievable that Europe decided to leave unsaid the fact that in the very last years of the 20th century the areas of the Former Yugoslavia experienced such a huge cruelty, despite of the declarations of the leaders of the majority of the European countries who promised that the atrocities of the Second World War would never be back. 

Few days ago I wanted to recommend to one of my friends a documentary about the Srebrenica massacre which I'd watched a day before. He interrupted me after I'd told him what the film was about and asked me: 'Why are you watching this kind of films? What for? Come on, I don't want to know anything about it. How can you sleep calmly after watching it?'. OK, maybe I wouldn't recommend watching 'Shoah' by Claude Lanzmann to everybody (although I think it's the greatest film of our times). But I would rather ask how do you sleep calmly pretending that the Bosnian War never happened? 'Remembering Srebrenica' doesn't refer to the past. Neither to the present. It refers to the future - we have to remember that only two decades, only two-hours flight from Paris separate us from the biggest drama of the second half of the 20th century, which is still going on. We have to remember it so we won't let it happen again.

And one more thing. In the Polish preface to The War is Dead, Long Live the War: Bosnia: the Reckoning Ed Vulliamy wonders why the Polish translation of the book is the first one in Europe, even though Polish people don't seem to be very interested in this part of history. 

Think about it. And then - read it. 

Hello from Italy!

Yesterday I finally arrived in a small town near to Bari, after spending two days in a (surprisingly economic!) car. If you've already started to hate me because of my geographic location, I can tell you that there's nothing to be jealous of - it's cold, it's raining and I have no time to do anything else apart from playing violin and studying. But during this 2000-km journey I had enough time to reflect about things that I'd like to share with you.

First of all, if you've ever had an opportunity to see a sunset in the Alps from a plane, you might think that there's nothing more beautiful in the world. That's what I thought when I saw it last year for the first time. But this year I decided to change perspective and see the Austrian and Italian part of this incredible mountain chain from below. And I'm not able to decide whether it's better or worse because it's totally different, but still, definitely breathtaking. It's impossible to catch it if you only have a poor LG smartphone camera, but still, isn't it just amazing?

Secondly, I had a great opportunity to actually experience some observations from one of  Marc Augé's texts, which some of you and I were lucky to comment with our professor on the master's degree seminary classes. Here's a fragment from his famous book 'Non-places. Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity':

'France's well-designed autoroutes reveal landscapes of somewhat reminiscent of aerial views, different the ones seen by travelers on the old national and departmental main roads. They represent, as it were, a change from intimist cinema to the big sky of Westerns. But it is the texts planted along the wayside that tell us about the landscape and make its secret beauties explicit. Main roads no longer pass through towns, but lists of their notable features - and, indeed, a whole commentary - appear on big signboards nearby. In a sense the traveler is absolved of the need to stop or even look. Thus, drivers batting down the autorout du sud are urged to pay attention to a thirteenth-century fortified village, a renowned vine-yard, the 'eternal hill' of Vézelay, the landscapes of the Avallonnais and even those of Cézanne [...]. The landscape keeps its distance, but its natural or architectural details give rise to a text, sometimes supplemented by a schematic plan when it appears that the passing traveler is not really in a position to see the remarkable features drawn to his attention, and thus has to derive what pleasure he can form the mere knowledge of its proximity.

Motorway travel is thus doubly remarkable: it avoids, for functional reasons, all the principal places to which it takes us; and it makes comments on them'. 

It's a great observation, valid for the French, German, Austrian and Italian autoroutes. If you think about it this way, a 2000-km journey becomes a long and incredibly dynamic narration. 

That's all by now because the 'siesta' is already over and I have to dress up as an artist and try to win a violin competition. 

Have a nice afternoon!

Hello!

I was afraid that I would have nothing interesting to share with you, even though I had spent most of the time reading books and press. I've suffered from what we normally call "spring solstice", that is I've been going through a really harsh migraine that made me feel unable to collect my thoughts.

Yesterday, just for a change, I decided to have a break in Virginia Woolf''s 'Orlando' and watch a film with my other half. As usual, it took me some time to pick up one, but I finally decided to watch a film I'd already seen a few years ago, inspired by the International Transgender Day of Visibility that took place 2 days ago.

'The Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story' is a biography television film directed by Agnieszka Holland. It's based on the true story of the real life of Gwen Araujo (1985-2002), born Edward Araujo, a transgender American teenager who was murdered in an extremely cruel way by four men, after discovering that she was transgender. They lured her into a trap and then they spent five hours beating and strangulating her. She died from strangulation associated with blunt force trauma to the head. Her body was covered with dozens of bruises, which showed that she'd been beaten even after dying. The defendants tied her, wrapped in a blanket and buried her four hours away from the house they'd killed her in.

The film touches on many different problems, most of them connected with the (unfortunately, still omnipresent) transphobia. It also reveals the importance of the full acceptance and unconditional love of the family. Furthermore, it's not just another important, worth watching film - it's also very well written, starred and shot.

After Gwen's death, her mother, Sylvia Guerrero, became an important LGBTQ right's activist. Here's one of her speeches, which I truly recommend you to watch. Almost each sentence is a powerful and wise message to all people. I could tell a lot of things regarding this question, but I just think that it is enough to listen to Sylvia Guerrero speaking. 

Maybe just one short commentary. Gwen's mother has said several times that sometimes, especially at the beginning, she found it difficult to accept Gwen, just because she couldn't understand her. That's why the education is so important. I truly believe that, even though there are a lot of adversities in the world, there would be less hate if there was more understanding and social awareness.

   

Shalom!

I hate being sick, especially when I have to stay at home and I'm not able to do anything but sleeping and watching films. That's why the only thing that I can write you about is a film that I watched yesterday (as you might suppose, sleeping wouldn't be so interesting - mostly because all the time I was dreaming about breathing normally). 

'Blue velvet' is one of the most famous films by an American director, screenwriter, painter, musician and author, David Lynch (1946). Like almost every other movie he's made, it's surreal, strange, mistifying and disturbingly violent. The plot seems to be far more complicated than it actually is. However, although we might feel that everything becomes clear at the end, there are some things that remain unsaid and leave the viewer confused and distracted. 

It's really difficult to decide which of the elements play the lead - is it an amazing charcater starred by Kyle MacLachlan, or horrifying and fascinating at the same time Isabella Rosellini, or maybe a really beautiful soundtrack, which can also compete with incredibly genious and poetic takes by Frederick Elmes. 

I've already seen it twice and I can only tell you that it's worth watching at least once! 

And for all of you who has started (or want to start) watching new Ellen's show, the second episode is already available on Youtube. It's very sad, painful and depressing, but still, worth watching.

Another week, another challenge, another reflection.

I've just finished an extremely intense week, full of sound (mostly definitely too loud), people, stress and tiredness. It was also the last project of the Symphony Orchestra of Academy of Music in Poznań in which I had to participate to gather enough ECTS points to obtain a respected (but not so prospective) title of Master of Arts next year. And it was also the first time when the CIM gave out all passes for our concert in two hours (althought they are always free of charge)!

After hundreds of times of rehearsing the part of the first violin in Verdi's 'Requiem' and giving two, utterly tiresome concerts, I assured myself again that being a musician is one of the most devastating things that may happen to you in your entire life. Or maybe I should say 'during' your entire life, because normally you start before you find out how to say 'dog' in English, and it turns out that at the age of 21 you've already spent more than 75% of your life playing your instrument. Furthermore, you have to be aware of the fact that if you accidentally end up sitting near to the concertmaster, what means that you have to play with him (or her, like this time) the unfeasible solo part in the 'Offertorio', and you fail on one of the concerts, other musicians will make fun of you for next 300 years. And even though it sounds like a stupid trifle that should be as significant as the opinion of the Venice Commission for our government, it actually hurts a lot. Mainly because you're never as vulnerable as when you decide to open your soul in front of other people. Especially, when some of them live on other people's failures and derive from them a kind of disgusting and strange pleasure.  Contrary to writers, painters, film-makers and other kind of artists who have the possibility to rewrite, rethink and retake their work again and again, we have only one chance to do it. Hic et nunc. Nothing else. Sometimes it works and sometimes it just doesn't.

Few hours after the second concert I came to another conclusion. Being a musician is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to you in (and during) your entire life. Tiredness, stress, mental and physical sacrifice, years of exposing your heart to be devoured by vipers, always hungry for sb's failure... All these things are nothing compared to what you feel when you see tears on the faces of the most important people in your life, or, even more, on the faces of the strangers, who let you guide them to the places they've never been to, deep inside themselves. 

Hello again! 

I know that I've already reached the limit of the posts for a day, but because it's the day of the world's premiere of the series, I'd like to share it with you right now. If you're already fed up with 'Grey's Anatomy', 'House M.D.', or you just don't want to waste time looking for another TV series that could occupy you by the next season of the 'House of Cards' (which I - shame on me, future philologist, can't wait to see), check out something totally different. 

The day that Ellen Page decided to come out was a very important day for the whole LGBTQ community in the world. As she admitted in one of the interviews she gave after her famous speech, she made herself the best gift she could ever make. But she also made a gift to many other people and, no wonder, she became one of the unofficial ambassadors of the LGBTQ people all over the world. And it's really great to know that she perform this function very, very well.

Hello!

Today, on this very special for every filmgoer day, I'm back after quite a long, but very intense break. Last night, during the 88th ceremony of American Academy Awards, Leo finally got an Oscar, after 23 years that had passed from his first nomination. The whole Internet filled up with funny memes and photos of Kate Winslet praying for mercy for her friend. 

I remember the year when I got excited about the Academy Awards for the first time, short after I got fascinated about films and film industry. I was thirteen, maybe fourteen, and I got addicted to watching films. I was doing it during each possible everyday activity. It was the only moment in my life when the books weren't the most significant position in my personal budget - I bought films and film magazines like a nutcase.

I also remember how shocked I was, two or three years later, when I read an article in 'Kino' magazine about the backstage of the American dream prize, and my doubts about the objectivity of the members of the Academy turned out to be justified. I had to accept that it's just a huge farce, that it's all about the money and the influences, which is, basically, the same thing.

From that moment I was not an enthusiast of this annual ceremony anymore. I also realized that there are a lot of other aspects that should be openly condemned. This morning I found an interesting study made by Los Angeles Times: from aprox. 5700 of Academy Award members, who decide about the nominations and vote for the winners, the 94% are men, and the 77% is white. The following image reveals more details:

Does it really matter, if they're white, black, Asian or Latino? It shouldn't, but, actually, it does, because this year there have been no nominations for black artists. Is it because they weren't good enough? Well, I don't think it's necessary to answer this question. The worst thing about it is that the racism isn't the only symptom of the strongly discriminatory politics of the Academy. 

Regardless of this question, I really believe that 'Spotlight' is worth watching and I recommend it to all of you who haven't done it yet!

Here is the trailer which may encourage you to go to the cinema: 

Good evening!

Tonight I'd like to share with you a short video made by journalists from Gazeta Wyborcza. It's an experiment made on a group of French people met by accident on a street. The reporters wanted to see their reactions to the most recent situation in Poland. First of all, they made them guess what country they were describing: they mentioned that it's a country were the deputies work and vote during the night, where the government wants to impose new regulations on the Constitutional Tribunal, mass media, access to the personal information about the civils in the Internet and to restrict civil liberties. The interviewed people were, at least, surprised, when they found out that this actually happens in... Poland.

You can see it here:

I'm not surprised, but I do feel terrified. I'm terrified because of the things made by our government, but I'm even more terrified when I realize that this is the result of a democratic decision of the Polish people. At the very beginning I had the feeling that the reality is a surreal dream of Luis Buñuel. Now I know that I was wrong - it's not Luis Buñuel, it's Michael Haneke, who always makes me want to escape from this world as far as possible, so that I not have to participate in it.

If you think that I'm getting boring with my complaining about the same thing all the time - you're right. But, come on, is it possible not to complain? I don't think so anymore.

At least we have music. This time - Janis Joplin, who would be 73 today. 

Enjoy!

 

Hello everybody!

Tonight I'd like to share with you some of my reflections about famous people. Last week I had an opportunity to play in the orchestra Collegium F on New Year's Concerts in Warsaw in the Roma Music Theater and in Poznań. After giving 5 concerts in only 7 days I felt extremely exhausted, but also full of thoughts about the human nature. I worked with two big stars of Polish music, who I haven't been a fan of, and whose music I would consider as cheap mass art. But still it's undeniable that for some reason they've already left their trace in the history of Polish music. I had worked with famous musician before, some of them very strange, so I wasn't very surprised when it turned out that working with those artists was nothing but a very unpleasant experience. They were moody, troublesome and they had no respect for other musician, not to mention the organizers and plenty of other people that were doing whatever they could to satisfy them.

Although it wasn't my first time to play concerts like those, I still haven't got used to this kind of behavior and I'm not able to consider it as something normal, common and acceptable. That's maybe because I could never understand the notion of double standards in some situations. Before the first concert in Warsaw I felt frustrated, helpless and sad (apart from being just hungry and thirsty, because the rehearsal before the first of two concerts that I played that evening was much longer that it should be because of those artists) and I started to think that maybe it's just impossible to be different for people like them.

But I won my hope back during the rehearsal with a famous singer from Roma Music Theatre, Edyta Krzemień. She was nice, professional and... just amazing. She rehearsed what she needed to rehearse, she asked the conductor to repeat some difficult parts and she said 'thank you' to everybody on the stage. So simply. She disappeared and she came back few hours later when it was her turn to sing on the first concert. And then she made me forget about the whole world with her voice, the power of her expression and her sensibility.

I didn't ask anybody for an autograph. I'm just happy that I could shake hands with her. And that I could be a part of her music.

Enjoy: