Senses 30, Bright Lights 43.

I'm running behind on covering the films in Competition at the Berlinale, but there's a bit of a break tomorrow afternoon and a lot to catch up with, so do check in.

Meantime, a new issue of either Bright Lights Film Journal or Senses of Cinema would be well worth breaking the current relentless flow of text from Berlin for, but new issues of both at practically the same time makes you want to run out and stop traffic.

Lars von Trier

Senses 30 is top-loaded with its annual World Poll. Writes co-editor Jake Wilson, "While it's likely that by this point in the year readers will already have encountered numerous 'best of 2003' lists, we feel our own compilation still serves a useful purpose, particularly in drawing attention to little-known or undervalued films." Which is one of the many reasons we revere Senses in the first place, isn't it. Besides the features, book reviews, festival round-ups, "Great Directors" database (there are six new additions) and special sections, such as the one this time around on "Perversion."

Not a topic Bright Lights would ever sweep under the carpet, either. Issue 43 poses the question, for example, "Lars von Trier: Pornographer?" But it's not all Film als Subversive Kunst, of course. Bert Cardullo gets Stanley Kauffmann to reflect on 40-year+ career that proves sly wit can and often will outrun mere effrontery.

But back to Lars von Trier for a moment. In tandem with the film festival in Berlin, countless galas and discussions and exhibitions have sprung up, among them a black-tie sort of affair now in its second year, this whole Cinema For Peace initiative which decided to give this year's award to LVT but declined to play the taped acceptance speech he delivered in lieu of his presence. Via Screen International, a mere snippet what LVT would have said if he could:

Dear Peace Committee! Thank you for the Peace Prize! I believe in peace just like you. And we peace believers see it as our noble task to make everybody in the world to feel the same.

But not everybody in the world wants to. The people of the world are two tribes living in the desert. One tribe lives in the country with the well in it. The other lives in the country beyond.

The tribe in the country with the well in it wants peace. The tribe in the country beyond doesn't want peace - it wants water!

Posted by dwhudson at February 11, 2004 3:21 PM