2010/12/16

The letter "G"

A lil guide to who is doing what:


boomerangs

BOOMERANGS: GOLD RUSH (currently 39 points)


didgeridoos

DIDGERIDOOS: THE GREAT REEF BARRIER (currently 53.5 points)


lollies

LOLLIES: GENERAL GEOGRAPHY (currently 32.5 points)


spiders

SPIDERS: THE GREAT DIVIDING RANGE (currently 37 points)


useful links:
Australian Screen
Gold Rush
Great Barrier Reef
Great Dividing Range

2010/12/12

The letter "F"

"At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve 1900, as the clock ticked into 1901 and the 20th century, whistles, gongs, church bells, rattles, pots, pans, accordions and all manner of noise-makers joined the sirens of boats on Sydney Harbour.

It was to be a special day"


Do you know what special day it was? No? Then go here to find out :-)


Let's hear more form the historians because it will lead us to other topics.

"Just after that midnight, a storm broke and winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour swept into Sydney. Forty points of rain drenched the harbour city.

But the New Year’s Day morning of 1901 broke clear and fine, and an eight-kilometre procession headed out to Centennial Park, just beyond Paddington, where the federation rites, uniting the erstwhile separate British colonies into one federal Commonwealth, finally took place."










Australian weather has never been easy on the settlers. Southern regions suffer from severe fires, while the North often faces tropical cyclones and floods.

Click the picture above to watch a heartbreaking account of Black Saturday - the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.

Click the picture below to learn more about the 2009 Queensland Flood.











You will find more information about floods clicking on the little poor fellow below.













We touched upon the topic of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia very briefly two weeks ago. This time we'll have a closer look at their work and importance for communities living in distant, remote areas of Australia.



















(click on the picture)

IMPORTANT: YOU WILL HAVE SOME PRACTICAL TASKS TO DO IN THE CLASS SO PLEASE BRING SOME COLOURED MARKERS! :-)

2010/12/06

Clips for today

1) John Clarke and Bryan Dawe




2)Tim Minchin - "Angry (feet)"




3) Rove Mc Manus

Last episode of ROVE




4) Hamish and Andy Show

2010/12/05

The Letter "E" - part 2

Here we go again with the letter "E".


1. Entertainment.

This is a topic we're going to be getting back to again and again. Australians have a distinct sense of humour which - although shares some features with British - mostly retains the flavours of Australia's humble beginnings and the Convict Code.

We'll start with a brief introduction to some of my favourite Aussie comedians and TV personalities.


ANDREW DENTON


















Andrew is best known as the host of a TV chat show "Enough Rope". He has a very calm, open, inviting persona and is one of the best interviewers I know. Click on the picture to see him talk to Nigella Lawson.


ADAM HILLS



















Adam is probably the most recognisable Aussie comedian outside Oz. I love him to bits! ;-)
Click on the picture to sample his stand-up comedy.


TIM MINCHIN















Click on the picture to listen to Tim perform his song/poem "Mitsubishi Colt". Here you will find the lyrics. Pay attention to accents. Tim is quoting a conversation between two people and he uses accents to help to differenciate them.

And finally follow this link to watch and listen to Tim's wonderful spoof of "ecological anthems" that are so often associated with artist supporting PETA or "Live World". He has a gentle jab at how some musicians think too much of themselves and are too obsessed with creating their own artistic persona.

This clip is also a wonderful link to our second topic:


2. Endangered and Extinct Species.

Read about the factors that threaten Australian wildlife here.







Click the picture to browse around and learn about some species that are facing extinction.

















And we are going to spend some time talking about the fate of this unfortunate litte fellow. Click on the picture to learn more.

2010/11/30

THURSDAY FILM CLUB




2nd December

Room 005

Screening begins 2 p.m.


This week I have a treat for you: Red Hill has just premiered in the USA and it opens in Australia this weekend – so it’s a rare chance for you to preview this unique film.

Here’s the trailer:



Red Hill is about a young police officer Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten) who relocates to the small country town of Red Hill with his pregnant wife Alice to start a family. But when news of a prison break sends the local law enforcement officers – led by the town’s ruling presence, Old Bill – into a panic, Shane’s first day on duty rapidly turns into a nightmare.

Enter Jimmy Conway, a convicted murderer serving life behind bars, who has returned to the isolated outpost seeking revenge. Now caught in the middle of what will become a terrifying and bloody confrontation, Shane will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive.

A taut thriller which unfolds over the course of a single day and night, and told with explosive action and chilling violence, Red Hill is a modern-day western played out against the extraordinary landscapes of high-country Australia.

============================================

Trivia time - director Patrick Hughes talks about the real town where he shot the film:

Hughes: We shot the movie in a town called Omeo. That was the biggest gold rush town in Australia. Back in 1890 its population matched Melbourne with forty thousand people. You know when you watch a show like Deadwood that’s exactly what this place is like. Beautiful old photographs and drawings and sketches of that bygone era are hanging on the walls of the pub there, because they found one of the biggest gold nuggets in Australia was found in this small town, Omeo where we shot it. And that’s where the National Australia Bank started, because some guy found this huge gold nugget and said, “Can someone look out for this for me?” And some guy put up his hand and said, “I’m going to be called the National Australia Bank.” I was drawn to this town, because (Red Hill) is about old and new. It’s about the changing of the guard. And it’s about a town that is, at its core, is rotting, and it’s dying.

(...)

You know, that town has all those old western frontages, and, you know, because it used to have a population of over 40,000 people, there’s all of these empty houses everywhere. I guess I was looking at all of these small towns and there’s something really creepy about them, because on a Saturday night you could hear a pin drop. You know what I mean? Because everyone lives on these farms outside of the town, and you’ve just got empty Main Street. We had this beautiful sort of Western town.

============================================

(This screening is recommended for Australia class students)

2010/11/28

The letter "E"


Exploration and long distances (in space and time) are the main topics for tomorrow. Confused? Just read on ;-)

















1. Let's start with European discovery and colonisation. We have already talked about James Cook and the First Fleet, but this time please concentrate on non English explorers. Click the map to get some information (focus on nationalities only). Go here to see the chronology of landings, and here to see a cute animation.


2. Our second topic is a little tricky - excavation. But we will not be talking about gold - not just yet! ;-)

In fact what we are going to discuss is Australia's fossil past. Click on the picture to read some fascinating facts.














3. And finally a few words about (long distance) education.

This video unfortunatelly has a Danish commentary, but it still gives a wonderful insight into what The School of the Air is and how it operates. Have a look:



Here you can read about The School of the Air.














(Click on the picture to visit Alice Springs School of the Air website).

2010/11/23

THURSDAY FILM CLUB


THURSDAY FILM CLUB


25th November
Room 005
Screening begins 2 p.m.


This year I'll be dividing time between current/canon Australian cinema and films which are interesting from the point of view of the art of screenwriting.

We are kicking off the new season of Film Club with a cult classic medical thriller from 1990, boasting an impressive cast of very young Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland and William Baldwin.

FLATLINERS



Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film focuses on five medical students who conduct experiments with near-death experiences in an attempt to find out if there's anything out there beyond death. As each of them has heart stopped and dies in consequence - to be revived mere minutes later - they begin to realize that they might have brought back from the land of death things they wish had stayed there.

Original concept, gripping plot and stellar performances from all involved. This film may be old but it hasn’t dated a bit.


FOCUS POINTS: character building, character flaws, protagonist’s arc

(This screening is especially recommended for screenwriting class students)


NEXT WEEK: Red Hill

2010/11/14

The letter C - cont.

This week we are going to step aside from the chronological path for a moment in order to delve deeper into the Aussie soul.

We'll be talking about following topics:

1. customs

A very interesting (if somewhat ridiculous) read here: Department of Immigration and Citizenship ;-)
Drinking etiquette as described on my favourite website.
















Click on the picture to see a really thought-provoking social commentary on The Australian Citizenship Test.


2. car fetishism

Aussies LOVE their cars. Watch the clips and try to work out which two cars have cult status in Australia.

car 1:
Road Warrior (1981)
Love the Beast (2009)

car 2:
Two Hands (1999)
[it's a very vague clue, pay attention to the first shot]


If you are still confused go here, type the title(s) in the search box, and then read "plot" and "trivia" sections.


***For movie buffs only***

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) - a film from Peter Weir, the same director who later shot the cult classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, and such films as Dead Poets Society and recently Master and Commander.


3. cinema (industry and film festivals)

Australian Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. Visit their official site, browse around, and find out some information about the rules and the venue. You can also watch some competition films. They are all under 7 minutes long, so it won't take you too long ;-)

The ones which I would recommend are: The Story of Bubble Boy and An Imaginary Life.


4. Canberra

2010/11/08

CONVICT LIFE

The Convict System (incl. Pardons and Letters of Leave)

National Heritage site - Fremantle Prison

The Australian Soul - its traces in Convict Era
- support for the Underdog
- "never give in" attitude
- "no whining" attitude
- "no worries" attitude

2010/11/03

Letters "B" and "C"

We'll have to make up for the class we didn't have last Monday, so I'd really appreciate if you did some extra reading at home. Just follow the links below.

So far we have a pretty good understanding of what Australia was like when its shores were still untouched by the white man. But the first contact was inevitable.

In two weeks (letter "E" - European exploration) we'll be talking about French and Dutch expeditions, but today we'll go straight to captain James Cook and his landing in Botany Bay.

To get you in the proper mood first listen to this Irish shantie - The Shores of Botany Bay



(go here to see the lyrics)


Captain James Cook did not "discover" Australia, but his landing in Botany Bay on 29th of April, 1770 symbolicaly marked the beginning of colonisation. Read this summary of Cook's first voyage on Australia's East Coast.

It was just a quick stop for Cook, and Botany Bay remained quiet and peaceful for the next 18 years. The British Empire welcomed the "discovery" of the new land - and a potential colony - but that part of the world was not politically or economically significant enough to claim these lands for the British Crown just yet.
However the situation changed with a rather rapid development of events in America, and year 1788 saw the arrival of First Fleet to Botany Bay.

Watch this video to see what impact it had on the local Aboriginal population.





Now let's have a look at these events from the point of view of the English - Redcoats, sailors and convicts. Go here to read about FIRST FLEET and the problems they encountered on their arrival to Australia.

***

All right, to have a short break from history overload let's move now for a moment to present day Botany Bay and its biodiversity.

Have a look at this video:



Follow the link in video description on YouTube to find answers to following questions:

1. What was Botany Bay called before it received its present name?
2. What is Eastern Blue Grouper, and why is it important?

***

Got a bit tired and hungry doing all the research, eh? ;-) Watch this 1984 commercial featuring Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan. It is a great introduction to two more topics: BBQ and beaches.



See if you know answers to these questions:

1. What is the etymology of the word "barbecue"?
2. What fuels do Aussies use?

I've already shared this with some groups, but there is a reminder of some social rules concering BBQ ;-)

BBQ booze

(click to see bigger version)

And finally click here to see a stunning picture. Read the description. I'll ask you some questions on it.

***

On Monday we'll also have a few "C" topics, but don't worry about them yet, I'll do the presentation.

2010/10/24

The letter A: Aboriginal Australia - indigenous culture and more

Most of our time in class today will be taken up by didgeridoo workshop. Don't know how much we'll be able to cover so here are some interesting links for you:

1. Dreaming.

Dreaming is essential to Aboriginal cultures. It explains the special bond the people have to their land. Below you will find three short clips taken from Australian Screen - an amazing website which archives the best of Aussie TV and film.

Curator’s notes

Dog Dreaming is a documentary about the journey of two ancestral dogs across the land that became a Dreaming story. In the land that belongs to the people who speak Mengerrdji, two dogs – the male dog called Adjumalar and the female Womarr – named sites as they crossed the land. Jacob Nayinggu follows their path, telling us what happened to Adjumalar and Womarr as they crossed the country, and how Womarr eventually became a dreaming place at the point where she sank into the ground.
Dog Dreaming is an interesting documentary that invites us into Indigenous cultural beliefs about the land being created by ancestral beings. As Jacob Nayinggu follows the dogs’ journey, he informs us what happened to them and the significance of the sites as a result of the dogs’ passage. Here, we gain an insight into how story is a way of mapping territory, and Jacob Nayinggu can tell us what landmark – a waterhole for example – was created and the name the dogs gave it. But it is the story of Dog Dreaming that Jacob follows as he moves through the land.

- Dog Dreaming part 1
- Dog Dreaming part 2
- Dog Dreaming part 3


2. Aboriginal Flag

The Australian Aboriginal flag represents the indigenous people of Australia. It was designed in 1971 by the Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas. Australian government officially recognized it as a flag of Australia on the 14th of July, 1995.

Australian Aboriginal Flag

It consists of three colors (red, yellow, and black).

The black is said to represent the Aboriginal people of Australia, the red is said to represent the red ochre of the outback, and the yellow of the sun. Other interpretations of the colors used in the flag say that the red symbolizes the blood spilled when Europeans first came to Australia.

The designer of the flag Harold Thomas was quoted as saying "I wanted to make it unsettling. In normal circumstances you'd have the darker color at the bottom and the lighter color on top and that would be visibly appropriate for anybody looking at it. It wouldn't unsettle you. To give a shock to the viewer to have it on top had a dual purpose, was to unsettle.. The other factor why I had it on top was the Aboriginal people walk on top of the land. It's an obvious fact as well. So it had.. that was the reason why the black was on top was visibly unsettling and because of how I was trained at art school, not to make things too obvious but to have a bit of a shock but also to say that the people walk on the land."

Official Australian buildings often display the Australian Flag and the Aboriginal Flag side by side. The colors of the Aboriginal flag have also become powerful symbols of pride and strength for the indigenous people of Australia.


(from: IndexOz)

3. Adelaide

And a short clip from my favourite traveller/YT poster Overlander



4. Animation in Australia and New Zealand

See if you can see the connection? What do the following have in common?
- The Lord of the Rings
- King Kong
- District 9
- Legends of the Owls
- Avatar

WETA Digital is one of the leading CG/FX houses in the world, along George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. Follow the links to visit their website and be sure to watch their commercials (especially "Snowball" ;-) ) and reels.


Australian animated feature films and shorts have won many awards. Here are just two examples.

- Oscar winning short: Harvie Krumpet



The odd biography of a man who has Tourette's Syndrome, chronic bad luck, menial jobs, nudist tendencies, and a book of "fakts" hung around his neck.
- some clips from Happy Feet (click the picture below)





















Be sure to be back tomorrow for your "B" topics!

2010/10/18

Aboriginal Australia

Sorry Day and the Stolen Generations

This is a fictional "sorry speech" spoofed in one of the greatest satirical series on Oz TV - "The Games".

Listen...



... and compare it with the actual speech.



Which one do you like better? ;-)

For more information on Stolen Generations CLICK HERE.

Here is a summary in a video format:

2010/10/05

WELCOME :-)

I hope that all of you managed to navigate here safely :-)


Please be sure to come back tomorrow.

I'll be posting topics that we'll cover in our next class as well as useful links that will help you get prepared.


Also do remember to post your "PUB NAMES" in the comments section, together with the list of who is in which group.



Thanks :-)

Till tomorrow!

2010/09/15

Another film tip

Well, this film hasn't been shot yet, but it's already on my radar. It combines my three favourite phrases:

- stereoscopic 3D
- science fiction

and of course

- Australia

:-)

Below you'll find a great article from Film Ink. But before you read it, check this short film (you will need red-cyan 3D glasses)

S21-3D from S21film3D on Vimeo.


New Directions

We speak to local producer Laura Sivis about a 3D film to be shot in Australia next year.

e05cc78f6cef754cf661.jpg

Nearly three years ago, French filmmaker Olivier Parthonnaud was one of the few to believe in Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) as a viable release format. While James Cameron worked on Avatar in New Zealand, Parthonnaud began moving forward in France with Australian Producer Laura Sivis, and a small but experienced Stereoscopic 3D team.

Parthonnaud wanted to prove that it was technically possible to make a sci-fi live action film in S3D. Sivis says investors were initially reluctant to back the technology because of the cost and the fact that many saw it as a passing fad. "People didn't wish to invest the manpower or resources required to get up to speed," she recalls. "Even those who acknowledged that James Cameron would make a groundbreaking film assumed Avatar would be an event film which would be limited to a few IMAX screens, not an industry changer that would permeate into mainstream expectations."

Parthonnaud and Sivis' currently untitled sci-fi film in the making is an ambitious project, but an exciting one. The story revolves around a lunar prisoner who escapes to earth via a holo-transport link. The lunar station commander finds himself trying to stop a killer hologram that can hold a weapon, but against whom weapons are completely useless. However, the commander then discovers this dangerous prisoner is the creator of the holo-transport link, and must be kept alive at all costs.

As a way of researching and developing the film, Parthonnaud and his team selected parts of the feature that they knew would constitute technical challenges in 3D and began exploring how these could work. Those pieces were rescripted and from them Parthonnaud wove a sci-fi short film titled S21-3D, which won the 2009 Australian SMPTE Dimensionale 3D Film Festival and was released recently in France.

Compiling the short - which tests and incorporates 3D lunar landscapes and vehicles, futuristic city skyscrapers, fight sequences and hologram characters - was an invaluable experience. "Prior to doing the short, we were heading down a different path creatively, but this new path is infinitely more spectacular," Sivis says. "That's very much thanks to our R&D team who used their collective experience and hunger to push the boundaries of what can be done."

Shooting the feature length version of the film is scheduled to begin in Australia in the first half of next year and Parthonnaud and Sivis have already begun assembling an award winning creative and technical team which they hope will feature a mix of local and international talent. "For key cast we are speaking to successful Aussies who are currently based overseas who will happily jump on the next plane back once we set a start date. There will also be a couple of international cast too."

While the film is to be shot in Australia, Sivis acknowledges some of the restrictions in casting local actors. "Packaging films has become much tougher since the world financial crisis. Sales agents and distributors want to see at least four to five internationally known actors even in the smaller films," she explains. "It's understandable that they are trying to mitigate their risk. But it has ramifications. A greater slice of the budget needs to be allocated to cast, sometimes as much as 30-50% of a budget and more for smaller films."

Sivis says our talented crews were an incentive for shooting the film in Australia and she hopes that the film may signal a shift in support of science fiction. "Australian crews are simply really really talented with sci-fi films. Look at The Matrix Trilogy, Star Wars 2&3, Red Planet, Farscape, and Pitch Black," Sivis enthuses. "The irony and the tragedy is that we never make any of our own. It's historically been outside the Australian government funding bodies' brief to make or support Hollywood style blockbuster stories, let alone sci-fi. I for one am hoping that we can swing that around."

2010/08/18

From the director of "Not Quite Hollywood"...

... comes another masterpiece!

It is a bit Oz-related as some of filmmakers interviewed in this documentary are Aussies.



(WARNING: blood, gore, sexuality)

2010/08/12

Outback Tent Boxing

Another brilliant little documentary I found on YouTube.

Tent Boxing is a crossover of sport and entertainment in which fist fights are organised between professional boxers and the local guys who want to prove to their mates and, above all, to themselves that they can conquer their fear and face a superior adversary - that they are real men. Not so much different from adulthood initiation practices in so many ancient cultures.

It's a bit of Australian identity which - sadly - may become extinct before it even gets known.








2010/08/07

2010/07/21

The Horseman

Another gritty genre film from Australia. I'm not sure if it will get any form of official distribution in Poland, but if you stumble upon it by any chance I think it's worth your time.

Not for the faint-hearted, though - a lot of gore in this one ;-)


Take a look at the trailer.




My favourite film blogger claims that the flick features one of the best fight scenes he's ever seen put on film. Well... the trailer shows that it definitely has its potential. ;-)


Official website

Make sure that you watch the "making of" featurettes. They're brilliant! This is the true spirit of filmmaking! :-)

2010/07/12

Anyone craves for a good ol' slasher film? ;-)

Those of you who saw Not Quite Hollywood will undoubtedly be pleased to learn that the sacred tradition of making fun B movies is alive and kicking Down Under ;-)

I'm not saying it's a must-see film or that it has any artistic merit, but those of you who enjoy that kind of cinema could really give it a try.

2010/07/02

Results again

All the boring details you wanted to see should be available somewhere here.

That's Google doc spreadsheet format, do let me know if it doesn't open.

2010/07/01

FAILED PAPERS

If you haven't found your name on the list, please come to Room 107 at 9:00 tomorrow. We'll have a chance to look together at your written work and double check the points.

PNJA - RESULTS - STUDENTS WHO PASSED WRITTEN PART

Białoń Natalia
Bieniek Marcin
Bryniak Danuta

Cabak Wiola
Cebula Monika
Dara Karolina
Deker Judyta
Depczyński Marcin
Druzik Marcin
Dudek Małgorzata

Franiak Anna
Frączek Edyta
Frączek Renata
Geniec Monika
Górski Bogusław

Grzeszczak Anna


Izworska Natalia
Janisz Katarzyna
Jasińska Olga
Jurecka Katarzyna
Kania Aneta
Konicki Adam
Konstanty Alicja
Korneluk Magda

Kotlicka Sabina
Kowalczyk Marcin
Krawczyk Krzysztof
Król Joanna
Kuciel Justyna
Laskosz Anna

Liszka Magdalena
Łukaszczyk Ewelina
Małojło Grzegorz
Morańska Katarzyna
Myśliwiec Katarzyna
Pawlik Angelika
Pawłowska Paulina
Pitwor Lucyna

Radzik Ewa

Repel Dominika
Skraba Joanna
Smoleń Magdalena
Socha Artur
Sochaj Katarzyna
Sroka Maria
Stanek Alina
Stolarczyk Olga
Stroka Izabela

Strzelczyk Łukasz
Szczepanek Anna
Szczygieł Ewelina
Szkaradek Jolanta

Topór Donata
Trybus Łukasz
Wargoła Natalia
Zając Dorota
Zwolińska Joanna
Żak Jakub

2010/06/26

Another great trailer for Animal Kingdom

The word in the industry is that Jacki Weaver (who plays the mum) may get an Oscar nom. Well, it's an Australian film and Oscars are American, so we'll just have to wait and see.



2010/06/24

Australians have new Prime Minister



In a rather sudden turn of events, Kevin Rudd stepped down and was replaced by this foxy lady.

Julia Gillard is the first female Prime Minister in the history of Australia.










Read more here.

Watch the drama here.


Here is a report from Guardian.
==============================

Julia Gillard becomes Australia's first female prime minister


Sudden change of leadership comes after Kevin Rudd steps down rather than face Labor party ballot

Ellen Connolly in Sydney

Julia Gillard vows to call an election in the coming months Link to this video

Australia has its first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, after Kevin Rudd stepped down as Labor party leader, avoiding a ballot he was certain to lose.

In an extraordinary day in Australian politics, Gillard told a media conference in Canberra's Parliament House she was "truly honoured" to become prime minister.

The 48-year-old who came under attack in 1998 when she entered parliament for being single and childless, said it was also an important milestone for Australian women.

"I think if there's one girl who looks at the TV screen over the next few days and says 'Gee, I might like to do that in the future', well that's a good thing," Gillard told reporters.

Gillard, who was born in Wales and came to Australia in the 1960s with her parents, said she accepted her new role with "the greatest humility, resolve and enthusiasm" because she believed a good government was losing its way.

Gillard said she would stay in a suburb in Melbourne's north, and not move into the prime minister's Canberra residence, The Lodge, until after she had won the next election.

"I'm very happy in my home in Altona (in Melbourne's north) … very happy in my flat in Canberra," she said.

"Indeed, I believe it is appropriate for me to stay there until we have an election and I have fulsomely earned the trust of Australian people to be prime minister."

Her historic – and unexpectedly swift – rise to the top job was sparked by a report in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald that Rudd had used his chief of staff, Alister Jordan, to sound out the backbench on the level of support for him. This followed a Herald/Nielsen poll which showed the government would lose if an election were held now.

Gillard, who had been publicly and privately loyal to her leader, was livid, and regarded Rudd's action as a sign that he did not trust her repeated assurances that she would not stand.

"It was offensive and disloyal," said a Gillard supporter.

It led to a push to oust the leader, and in the end Rudd, aware he didn't have the numbers, stood aside this morning.

Rudd, who was once regarded as Australia's most popular prime minister which led to him being known as "Mr 60 Percent", for his high approval ratings, has seen his support plummet to record lows this year as the nation reacted angrily to a series of government U-turns on key election promises.

The most damaging was the decision to shelve its flagship emissions trading scheme until 2013. He also came under fire over plans to tax the "super profits" of the key mining sector by 40%, earning the wrath of resources firms and their many shareholders.

Rudd, the first Labor prime minister to be dumped by his party before he could complete a term in office, was in tears today as he declared "I have given it my all".

He said he was particularly proud of the apology to the so-called stolen generations – the tens of thousands of Aboriginal children taken from their families in a strategy of white assimilation only abandoned in 1970.

"What I am less proud of is the fact that I have now blubbered," a teary Rudd said.

He said he would stay on and fight for the re-election of the Labor party at the next election.

Gillard's partner, Tim Mathieson, said he was greatly surprised at the rapid chain of events that led to her appointment to lead the country.

"She will absolutely be a fantastic prime minister,'' Mathieson said. "She has the right mindset and she is very consultative.

"I am so proud to be her partner and to be able to support her today.''

In parliament this afternoon, Gillard defended her role in the leadership ambush of Rudd, saying she did what was best for her party and the country.

"I formed the view that the best way of making sure that this government was back on track … was to take the course that I took last night and this morning," she said.

2010/06/19

"Cane Toads: The Conquest 3D" Los Angeles Film Festival Review

I was telling you about this brilliant mock-documentary some time ago, and now guys over at Collider had a chance to see the film in its 3D glory at LA Film Festival.

Here is their review. :-)

Cane Toads: The Conquest 3D Review

Cane Toads The Conquest 3D image


Director Mark Lewis has a made a career out of directing odd and quirky documentaries that center around animals. He’s directed documentaries about rats, chickens, cattle shows, and ferrets. In his latest film, Cane Toads: The Conquest 3D, the director returns to a subject which he explored previously in 1988 with Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. In that film, Lewis told the story of the cane toad and how it was taking over Australia. The toad had been brought into the country with hopes that it would eliminate a pesky bug which was ruining the countries sugar plantations. The cane toad failed at doing that job and instead began to multiply by the hundreds and began to spread around the country at a incredibly fast pace.

Cane Toads: The Conquest picks up decades later from where Lewis last left off. The cane toad has now spread all over Australia with 1.5 billion toads hopping around and the number just keeps on getting higher. Lewis not only revisits this odd bit of history and how it’s affecting Australia, but he also spends most of the film documenting the colorful characters that have been affected by these toads as well.

What Lewis has made is not a scientific nature documentary, but instead a deadpan comedy which just happens to be a nature documentary. From its opening scene set “million of years ago” that ends with a giant cane toad starring you down before rushing at you while the screen cuts to black and its title card appears in the most dramatic fashion, it’s clear that Lewis isn’t taking this subject too seriously and just wants to have fun.

Thankfully, the rest of the film is filled with scenes like this. There are dramatic inserts of toads spliced into archival footage, a scene depicting an acid trip as experienced by a dog after licking a toad, and a sequence showing an art piece done by a man who decided to pose all of his dead stuffed toads reenacting a wrestling scene and a car accident. All of these scenes and a lot of other ones are done in such a serious manner that you can’t help but laugh.

If the documentary wasn’t fun enough by itself, the 3D surely helps. Lewis constantly decides to use 3D to his advantage by creating a number of scenes which show the beauty of Australia, but shows the depth and distance of all of the scenery by placing a toad in the forefront. Plus, the acid trip as seen from a dog’s perspective is also something great to see in 3D. If you’re able to not take anything in the documentary too seriously and see it as a comedy, then Cane Toads: The Conquest really is a surprising amount of fun and I recommend you seek it out if it comes by your town.

Cane Toads The Conquest 3D image

Can't wait to see it! :-)

2010/06/17

X, Y, Z... or I'm really sorry to see our classes end :-(

It's so difficult to let this go... so I probably won't ;-) I'm intending to keep this blog and post something from time to time.

Even if I have another class next year, it won't be the same without your group. When I started I wasn't entirely sure what it would be like and what the heck I was doing ;-)

THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR GOING ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ME! :-)



Ok, but now enough of saying goodbye, it hasn't ended yet. ;-P We still have a couple of topics to discuss.

1. Youth culture and youth problems

In a way we have already touched upon that talking about subcultures. Pity we didn't have a chance to watch Romper Stomper.

And it seems we won't be able, either, to watch any of the two films which would be a perfect illustration of the topic.

Both deal with the insecurities of young people: loneliness, lack of understanding, problems with defining one's identity, lure of the big world and its temptations, and so on...
Both star a very talented female - Abbie Cornish - who is well on her way to become next Cate Blanchett.
In both she co-stars with two Australian actors representing the young generation whose potential has been recognised by Hollywood.

Here are the trailers for you:

Candy (2006)



Somersault (2004)




2. Time Zones

Australia has 3 Time Zones

  • EST - Eastern Standard Time
    Australian Capital Territory,
    New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria
  • CST - Central Standard Time
    Northern Territory and South Australia
  • WST - Western Standard Time
    Western Australia


Standard Time Daylight Savings
1 Western Australia + 8.0 hours GMT no change
2 Northern Territory + 9.5 hours GMT no change
3 South Australia + 9.5 hours GMT + 10.5 hours GMT
4 Queensland + 10.0 hours GMT no change
4 Lord Howe Island + 10.5 hours GMT + 11.5 hours GMT
5 New South Wales + 10.0 hours GMT + 11.0 hours GMT
5 ACT + 10.0 hours GMT + 11.0 hours GMT
6 Victoria + 10.0 hours GMT + 11.0 hours GMT
7 Tasmania + 10.0 hours GMT + 11.0 hours GMT





3. Zoos


Sydney Aquarium - Amazing - The most amazing videos are a click away



















Australia's Heritage


2010/06/08

TV

Now, where do I even start... ;-)

Inevitably this topic is going to be very arbitrary. Imagine that a foreigner asks you to recommend best 10 programmes/soaps/talk shows on Polish television now and in the past. Yes? Well? Czterej Pancerni or Szymon Majewski Show? I bet everyone would come with a unique list...

I've been nagging my Aussie friends for suggestions, plus I've discovered some gems of Aussie TV on my own. It will be a very incomplete list, but I feel that's the only way I can do it - just to share with you my personal favs.

First visit the infallible Culture Portal for a comphehensive insight into the history of TV in Australia.

And now you are ready to look at Top 10 Programmes (or rather categories - but let's not be too pedantic, eh? ;-) )

1. comedians: Adam Hills, Tim Minchin, Judith Lucy

You've seen some clips with Adam and Tim already, but now have a look at the one which unites them on screen :-)



And this one shows Judith at her sarcastic best. :-D I rarely find female comedians funny, but her style of comedy never fails to entertain me.



2. radio presenters guesting on TV shows: Hamish and Andy, Myf Warhurst

Hamish and Andy are a comedy duo with their own radio programme but often appear on Spicks and Specks and Rove.

Here is a little clip in which they instruct their mothers to play pranks on Mother's Day. It is not very highbrow humour, mind you, but it's endearing nevertheless :-)
Look for the expression of sheer dread in the boys' faces when they realise what they have made their moms do. And you have to admit that the ladies are really game to take on any challenge ;-)




Myf appears as team captain on Spicks and Specks. She is the heartwarming, adorable, gentle soul of the show. But her being the only girl in the gang, the host - Adam Hills and Kiwi team captain Alan Brough never miss an opportunity to put Myf in an embarrassing situation ;-)

Here is what happened one of the very rare times when Myf's team actually won...




3. talk show hosts: Rove McManus, Andrew Denton, Paul McDermott
4. comedy shows: Spicks and Specks
5. kids TV: The Wiggles, The Upside Down Show, High 5, Marine Girl, Silversun
6. soaps: Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers
7.
modern TV dramas: Love My Way
8. "mystery"/sci-fi: Bryan Brown's Twisted, Two Twisted

From Two Twisted promo:
'Two Twisted' follows on from the 'Twisted Tales'(1996) series produced by Australian actor/producer Bryan Brown. These Australian series' follow the tradition of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and 'The Twighlight Zone', of short dark thrillers which develop with a surprising twist. 'Two Twisted' consists of 14 episodes of 30 minutes each, screened in pairs, with a link connecting each of the two episodes. Can you spot the link?

It's another show which I love to bits! :-) Mostly because when I was your age I used to write such sting-in-the-end stories. Nice to see they sometimes make it to the screen.

Hare is the trailer:




9. spoof documentary: The Games

This is the clip which I tried to show to you last time, but the loudspeakers wouldn't work. Have a look at it again. It's worth it! :-)



10. entertainment: Strictly Come Dancing