I saw 55 films despite being unwell for the first week; sleeping through 4 booked sessions fighting the 'flu (I still mourn those missed films, especially The Postman's White Nights). Of the 55 that I saw 51 were either good, very good or excellent, which was a pretty good ratio for this festival. I gave ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to these two documentaries. My … [Read more...] about MIFF2015 – First Report
Archives for 2015
Blog for my daughter on her 21st birthday
Eleanor is a Force of Nature. She showed this when she entered the world - coming early - 2 weeks before her due date - she was meant to be an April baby, about now in fact. But she came on the 20th of March. There were fireworks in the city - marking the end of Moomba. Appropriate. She also arrived quickly - in 2&1/2 hours - our doctor nearly … [Read more...] about Blog for my daughter on her 21st birthday
Meeting Malcolm
I met Malcolm Fraser once. Ironically on the anniversary of the dismissal of Gough Whitlam by Kerr at Malcolm's behest. An event that shattered my faith in Australia's political institutions, spurred my republicanism and generated a loathing of the man I held responsible. Malcolm - Kerr's cur. Of all the obituaries today, this one by Mungo … [Read more...] about Meeting Malcolm
Remembering my Mother on my Birthday
I've just had my first birthday without my mother. She often told me the story of the night I was born. It was a Thursday (Thursday's child has far to go) in the middle of nowhere (Birchip in north western Victoria). In one of the many small bush nursing hospitals that dotted the country then and that country people relied on for births, deaths and … [Read more...] about Remembering my Mother on my Birthday
Two Films
I'm very pleased to have got the chance to see two films that I missed last year. The first was The Great Beauty seen last week-end as part of the Italian Film Festival at ACMI. I was expecting it to be beautiful to watch but suspected some tedium might be involved. But that wasn't the case at all. I loved everything about it. The beautiful … [Read more...] about Two Films
Tangled Up In Blue
When Julia Gillard referred to Tony Abbott's blue ties I thought she was being puerile. Now every day I see Tony Abbott in a blue tie I know he's puerile. I don't agree with other feminists who get cross about journalists focussing on what politicians wear and their hairstyles etc. I agree they monitor women pollies' appearances more closely and … [Read more...] about Tangled Up In Blue