comprehensionthroughrepetition

Mourning the Living: thoughts while watching the Channel 5 documentary film “Dear Kelly” (2025)

January 20, 2025

I originally composed the majority of this essay as a message to Andrew Callaghan, the director of the film “Dear Kelly” in response to having watched it with my husband and our 13 year old son. I even sent the message to him via Instagram, but I decided to unsend it because I kept thinking … More Mourning the Living: thoughts while watching the Channel 5 documentary film “Dear Kelly” (2025)

On a visit to the museum…

October 18, 2023

I wondered, how do other devotees feel when they come across deities in museums? Divorced from culture, from the ritual, from the breath of life, so far from source? Do their hearts sink to the pit of their stomach? Do they hold back tears? Do they feel called to pray? I looked it up. I googled, “Do people pray to deities in museums?” … More On a visit to the museum…

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) (Kokurikozaka kara)

February 14, 2022

I recently rewatched From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara), an animated 2011 Studio Ghibli film directed by Goro Miyazaki and adapted from the manga by his father, the master himself, Hayao Miyazaki. It had been a long time, but I found that it was just as good as it was when I first saw … More From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) (Kokurikozaka kara)

On Watching Avatar: The Last Airbender

January 12, 2022

Within the past two years I have watched Avatar: The Last Airbender in its entirety from beginning to end no less than ten times. Maybe it’s actually a lot more than that, now that I think about it… maybe more like twenty. If one were able to easily retrieve their Netflix viewing history (I don’t … More On Watching Avatar: The Last Airbender

Close-Knit (2017) (Karera ga honki de amu toki wa)

April 23, 2018

When eleven year old Tomo’s already mostly absent mother takes off again after a night of heavy drinking, Tomo finds her uncle Makio at the bookstore where he works to tell him. The bond between the pair is apparent as they make their way back to his apartment together. They talk about the video games … More Close-Knit (2017) (Karera ga honki de amu toki wa)

Kubo and the Two Strings 2016

April 21, 2018

When it comes to Japan, I can sometimes feel, I don’t really know how to describe it… protective? defensive? I realize that everyone who has spent time living abroad or studying a place, its culture, its history, and so on, might also feel something like this about the way in which others choose to depict … More Kubo and the Two Strings 2016

Padmaavat (2018)

February 10, 2018

When I heard sometime last year that Sanjay Leela Bhansali was coming out with a new film with Ranveer Singh and Deepika Pakudone, I decided then that it would be my first Bollywood theatre experience. Bhansali films are gorgeous with breathtaking scenery and beautiful costumes. They are colorful and lavish, and I imagined that if … More Padmaavat (2018)

Haider (2014) (or, on my introduction to Shahid Kapoor)

January 23, 2018

Udta Punjab (2016) was the first film that I saw Shahid Kapoor in. I loved the film, which, if you haven’t seen it, is about the drug epidemic in Punjab; a controversial subject in heavily censored Bollywood. I was impressed by Diljt Dosanjh’s natural performance. Kareena Kapoor, of whom I am a fan, was great in … More Haider (2014) (or, on my introduction to Shahid Kapoor)

Holding the mirror for Imtiaz Ali

October 19, 2017

Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) I am new to the films of Imtiaz Ali, but I’ve read enough about him to know that he is at the top of the list of romantic film directors in Bollywood. Rumor has it Ali’s vision of love will sweep just about anyone right off of their feet. You will … More Holding the mirror for Imtiaz Ali

Thoughts on Anurag Kashyap ~ halfway through Bombay Velvet

March 11, 2017

I am about halfway through Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet (2015), and wanted to talk a few things through before I finish the film. I’m going to be honest about this: I started watching the film because Ranbir Kapoor is great and I found out that Kashyap directed it after consulting IMDB when I realized that the film was … More Thoughts on Anurag Kashyap ~ halfway through Bombay Velvet

Filmi and eiga musings