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Blog Entries by Karin Badt from 05/2009

Child Soldiers on Film: ""Johnny Mad Dog" (II)

| Posted 05.04.2009

The director's commitment to these children -- both on-screen and off -- is evident, both in his craft and action: proceeds from the film will be used to help the child soldier actors rehabilitate themselves.

Child Soldiers on Film: "Kassim the Dream" (I)

| Posted 05.05.2009

The situation of child soldiers remains the same: and the finger points back -- many argue -- at Museveni himself.

Now in Paris: Valadon and Utrillo

| Posted 05.12.2009

But now -- for the first time -- both Valadan and Utrillo are at the center: literally a stone's throw from the Seine in the classy Madeleine plaza, at the most chic museum on the right bank.

Cannes Glamour: Opening Pixar Party

| Posted 05.17.2009

One should not imagine a Cannes party as -- what I once expected -- the Rock Hudson hot-tub orgy scene in Seconds.

Cannes 2009: Mariah Carey in Precious

| Posted 05.18.2009

Any spectator of this new dramatic film by Lee Daniels, who has a tad of a self-esteem issue, will identify with the pains of this story.

Cannes Favorite: Jacques Audiard's "The Prophet"

| Posted 05.18.2009

"Your film has no message," I said to Jacques Audiard after the screening. "It is refreshingly free."

Jane Campion's "Bright Star" Premieres at Cannes

| Posted 05.19.2009

Fanny lies alone on her bed with a white gauze curtain billowing, as her legs, slightly parted, tremble under her frock.

Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) at Cannes

| Posted 05.19.2009

His philosophy may be intuited in how he plays basketball with Adam: "Keep shooting through... When you fail a shot, don't stop."

Cannes 2009: The Underside of the Philippines

| Posted 05.20.2009

What I want to show in my film is the abuse of power; the police are like god. They can butcher people. I don't expect people to like the film, but I want them to think about it after they go to bed.

Ken Loach's "Looking for Eric" Premieres at Cannes: A "Crowd-Pleaser" with Eric Cantona

| Posted 05.20.2009

"No I don't believe in a God, I believe in the collectivity of people: that you are stronger as a group."

Catherine Breillat on a Yacht at Cannes: "Great Directors" Party

| Posted 05.21.2009

Breillat thinks the French don't like her because she makes films where its women, not men, who are talking about sex.

Cannes Buzz: Which Film Will Win?

| Posted 05.21.2009

All charismatic, powerful men ruthlessly destroy other people's lives as they cheer on "Vincere!"

"In the Beginning" Premieres at Cannes: Solid Story with Emotional Punch

| Posted 05.22.2009

It is a compelling true story: a French convict is released from prison, finds it impossible -- with a prison record -- to get work, and decides to g...

Johnnie To at Cannes: Aesthetic Thrill with No Substance

| Posted 05.23.2009

It was my first Johnnie To film -- "Vengeance" -- and I was happy to find it an aesthetic experience. From the first shot of an upper-class mod hom...

Vampire Gore Wins Jury Prize at Cannes: Park Chan-Wook's Thirst

| Posted 05.23.2009

I surprised by the jury's decision, as the film has too limited a subtext to justify all the gore, especially after the first hour, when things get really bloody.

Palme d'Or Winner of Cannes 2009: Michael Haneke's "White Ribbon"

| Posted 05.25.2009

The intent of the movie is to show how the imminent war -- or any imminent war -- results from the sickness of a culture as well as from inherent human malice.

Cannes Wrap Up: What Journalists are Saying

| Posted 05.25.2009

Fish Tank tells the story of an alienated adolescent girl fighting her way to have an identity with a mother who hates her and a peer group which shuns her.

Most Hated Director at Cannes: Lars Von Trier as Antichrist or Shaman?

| Posted 05.29.2009

The film is marked by anxiety, cruelty and power manipulation in which the climax is a clitorectomy executed with a pair of scissors.