#or like there aren’t neo-nazi villages

[mithliya]

white ppl can be so funny.. “as a white person, i’ve never noticed racism” yes girl we know and yet poc face it regardless

[bigyack-com]

The Best Movies on Netflix in India [February 2020]

In its efforts to win Oscars and please its 167 million members, Netflix has been pouring billions into movies recently, including projects from or featuring the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Bay. One of those — The Irishman — racked up 10 nominations for the streaming service at the 2020 Oscars, though it failed to come away with a single prize. Netflix has also expanded its film efforts in India in the past year, announcing projects from the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. For now though, the strength of its catalogue is still the acquisitions. With over 3,500 movies, Netflix offers more choices than any other platform in India. To pick the best movies on Netflix, we relied on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDb ratings to create a shortlist. The last of them was preferred for Indian films given the shortfalls of reviews aggregators in that department. Additionally, we used our own editorial judgement to add or remove a few. This list will be updated once every few months if there are any worthy additions or if some movies are removed from the service, so bookmark this page and keep checking in. Here are the best films currently available on Netflix in India, sorted alphabetically. 12 Monkeys (1995) Inspired by the 1962 French short La Jetée, a prisoner (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to learn more about the virus that wiped out nearly all of humanity. Terry Gilliam directs. 12 Years A Slave (2013) Duped into slavery on the account of a job, Steve McQueen's adaptation of a free New York black man's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) 19th-century memoir is an incredible true story, and an important watch. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) In Stanley Kubrick's highly-influential sci-fi film, humanity charts a course for Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL 9000, to understand the discovery of a black monolith affecting human evolution. It's less plot, and more a visual and aural experience.

3 Idiots (2009) In this satire of the Indian education system's social pressures, two friends recount their college days and how their third long-lost musketeer (Aamir Khan) inspired them to think creatively and independently in a heavily-conformist world. Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. 50/50 (2011) Inspired by a true story, a 27-year-old radio journalist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with spinal cancer and learns the value of friendship and love as he battles the rare disease. Aamir (2008) Adapted from the 2006 Filipino film Cavite, a young Muslim NRI doctor (Rajeev Khandelwal) returning from the UK to India is forced to comply with terrorists' demands to carry out a bombing in Mumbai after they threaten his family. American History X (1998) In a film that's more relevant today than when it was made, a neo-Nazi white supremacist (Edward Norton), who served three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same path. American Hustle (2013) In the late 1970s, two con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) are forced to work for an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) and set up a sting operation that plans to bring down several corrupt politicians and members of the Mafia. Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner star alongside. Andaz Apna Apna (1994) Two slackers (Aamir Khan and Salman Khan) who belong to middle-class families vie for the affections of an heiress, and inadvertently become her protectors from a local gangster in Rajkumar Santoshi's cult comedy favourite. Andhadhun (2018) Inspired by the French short film L'Accordeur, this black comedy thriller is the story of a piano player (Ayushman Khurrana) who pretends to be visually-impaired and is caught in a web of twists and lies after he walks into a murder scene. Tabu, Radhika Apte star alongside. Apollo 13 (1995) Ron Howard dramatises the aborted Apollo 13 mission that put the astronauts in jeopardy after an on-board explosion ate up all the oxygen and forced NASA to abort and get the men home safely. Argo (2012) Ben Affleck directs and stars in this film about a CIA agent posing as a Hollywood producer scouting for location in Iran, in order to rescue six Americans during the US hostage crisis of 1979. Article 15 (2019) Ayushmann Khurrana plays a cop in this exploration of casteism, religious discrimination, and the current socio-political situation in India, which tracks a missing persons' case involving three teenage girls of a small village. A hard-hitting, well-made movie, though ironically, it was criticised for being casteist itself, and providing an outsider's perspective. The Avengers (2012) Earth's mightiest heroes — including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk — come together in this groundbreaking Marvel team-up from writer-director Joss Whedon to stop Thor's adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army from subjugating mankind.

The Aviator (2004) With Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Martin Scorsese dives into the life of the aviation pioneer and film producer, who grapples with severe OCD while his fame grows. Awakenings (1990) Robin Williams and Robert De Niro lead the cast of this drama based on a 1973 memoir of the same name, about a doctor (Williams) who discovers the beneficial effects of a drug on catatonic patients, thereby gifting them a new lease on life. Barfi! (2012) Set in the 1970s amidst the hills of Darjeeling, writer-director Anurag Basu tells the tale of three people (Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D'Cruz) as they learn to love while battling the notions held by society. Beasts of No Nation (2015) With civil war raging across a fictional African nation, this Netflix Original focuses on a young boy who's trained as a child soldier by a fierce warlord (Idris Elba), and the effects it has on him. Before Sunrise (1995) In the first chapter of Richard Linklater's long-drawn-out trilogy, two idealistic twentysomethings, an American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy), spend the night together walking around in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The Big Lebowski (1998) A guy known as The Dude (Jeff Bridges) seeks payback for his ruined carpet after he's mistaken for a millionaire with the same name in this crime comedy from the Coen brothers. Less about the plot and more about a way of living. The Big Short (2015) Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, a look at Wall Street's penchant for self-profit in a vicious loop that caused the 2007–08 global financial meltdown. Birdman (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu won three Oscars including Best Picture for this tale of a washed-up superhero actor (Michael Keaton) who struggles to revive his career with a Broadway play. Known for appearing as if it was shot in a single take, it also starred Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Stone. Blade Runner (1982) One of the most influential cyberpunk films ever made is about a burnt-out cop (Harrison Ford) who reluctantly agrees to hunt down a group of fugitive “replicants”, synthetic humans with a limited life-span who aren't allowed to live on Earth. Blue Valentine (2010) Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams lead this drama that shifts between time periods to depict a couple's courtship and how their marriage fell apart. Das Boot (1981) One of the most authentic war movies ever made chronicles the life of a German submarine crew during World War II, as they go through long stretches of boredom and periods of intense conflict, while trying to maintain morale in a capsule 10 feet by 150 feet hundreds of metres under the surface. The Bourne trilogy (2002-07) Technically not a trilogy, but the first three chapters — Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum — starring Matt Damon in the lead as the titular CIA assassin suffering from amnesia were so good that they changed the longest-running spy franchise of all-time: James Bond.

The Breadwinner (2017) This animated film follows a 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, who disguises herself as a boy to provide for her family after the father is taken away without reason. Uses wonderfully-drawn vignettes to stress on the importance of storytelling. Bulbul Can Sing (2019) Three teenagers battle patriarchy and the moral police as they explore their sexual identities in Rima Das's National Award-winning drama — and pay for it dearly. Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. C/o Kancharapalem (2018) Set in the eponymous Andhra Pradesh town, this Telugu film spans four love stories across religion, caste, and age — from a schoolboy to a middle-aged unmarried man. A debut for writer-director Venkatesh Maha, featuing a cast mostly made up of non-professional actors. Capernaum (2018) In the award-winning, highest-grossing Arabic film of all time, a 12-year-old from the slums of Beirut recounts his life leading up to a five-year sentence he's handed for stabbing someone, and in turn, his decision to sue his parents for child neglect. Captain Phillips (2013) The true story of a Somali pirate hijacking of a US cargo ship and its captain (Tom Hanks) being taken hostage, which spawns a rescue effort from the US Navy. The Bourne Ultimatum's Paul Greengrass directs. Cast Away (2000) After his plane crash-lands in the Pacific, a FedEx employee (Tom Hanks) wakes up on a deserted island and must use everything at his disposal and transform himself physically to survive living alone. Castle in the Sky (1986) In the first film officially under the Studio Ghibli banner, a young boy and a girl protect a magic crystal from pirates and military agents, while on the search for a legendary floating castle. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Chupke Chupke (1975) Hrishikesh Mukherjee's remake of the Bengali film Chhadmabeshi, in which a newly-wedded husband (Dharmendra) decides to play pranks on his wife's (Sharmila Tagore) supposedly smart brother-in-law. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan also star. A Clockwork Orange (1971) Set in a near-future dystopian Britain, writer-director Stanley Kubrick adapts Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name, commenting on juvenile delinquency through the eyes of a small gang leader who enjoys "a bit of the old ultra-violence". Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Steven Spielberg's slow-paced sci-fi pic — which spent several years in development, being rewritten over and over — is about an everyday blue-collar guy (Richard Dreyfuss) whose humdrum life turns upside down after an encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO).

Cold War (2018) Jumping either side of the Iron Curtain through the late 1940s to the 1960s, Oscar-winner Paweł Pawlikowski depicts the story of two star-crossed lovers, as they deal with Stalinism, rejection, jealousy, change, time — and their own temperaments. Company (2002) Inspired the real-life relationship between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, director Ram Gopal Varma offers a look at how a henchman (Vivek Oberoi) climbs up the mobster ladder and befriends the boss (Ajay Devgn), before they fall out. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) Refusing to accept a death sentence from his doctor after being diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s, the true story of an electrician and hustler (Matthew McConaughey) who smuggles banned medications from abroad. Dangal (2016) The extraordinary true story of amateur wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) who trains his two daughters to become India's first world-class female wrestlers, who went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. The Dark Knight (2008) In the second part of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, regarded as the greatest comic book movie ever, Batman (Christian Bale) faces a villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger), he doesn't understand, and must go through hell to save Gotham and its people. Dev.D (2009) Anurag Kashyap offers a modern-day reimagining of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali romance classic Devdas, in which a man (Abhay Deol), having broken up with his childhood sweetheart, finds refuge in alcohol and drugs, before falling for a prostitute (Kalki Koechlin). Dheepan (2015) Winner of Cannes' top prize, three Sri Lankan refugees — including a Tamil Tiger soldier — pretend to be a family to gain asylum in France, where they soon realise that life isn't very different in the rough neighbourhoods. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut about three inseparable childhood friends whose wildly different approach to relationships creates a strain on their friendship remains a cult favourite. Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta star. Django Unchained (2012) Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) helps a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) rescue his wife from a charming but cruel plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Drive (2011) A stuntman moonlighting as a getaway driver (Ryan Gosling) grows fond of his neighbour and her young son, and then takes part in a botched heist to protect them from the debt-ridden husband.

Dunkirk (2017) Christopher Nolan's first historical war movie chronicles the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the French beaches of Dunkirk in World War II, using his love for non-linear storytelling by depicting three fronts — land, sea, and air — in time-shifted ways. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) In this coming-of-age comedy, the life of an awkward young woman (Hailee Steinfeld) gets more complex after her older brother starts dating her best friend, though she finds solace in an unexpected friendship and a teacher-slash-mentor (Woody Harrelson). End of Watch (2012) Before he made a terrible sci-fi remake of his own film, writer-director David Ayer took a near-documentarian lens to the day-to-day police work of two partners (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) in South Los Angeles, involving their friendship and dealings with criminal elements. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) An estranged couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) begin a new relationship unaware they dated previously, having erased each other from their memories, in what stands as writer Charlie Kaufman's defining work. The Exorcist (1973) One of the greatest horror films of all time, that has left a lasting influence on the genre and beyond, is about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to save her with the help of two priests who perform exorcisms. The Florida Project (2017) Set in the shadow of Disney World, a precocious six-year-old girl (Brooklynn Prince) makes the most of her summer with her ragtag playmates, while her rebellious mother tries to make ends meet with the spectre of homelessness always hanging over them. Willem Dafoe stars alongside. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) In John Hughes' now-classic teen picture, a high schooler fakes being sick to spend the day with his girlfriend and his best friend, while his principal is determined to spy on him. Fruitvale Station (2013) Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler's first feature offered a look at the real-life events of a young California man's (Michael B. Jordan) death in a police shooting in 2008. Winner of two awards at Sundance Film Festival. Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick follows a US marine nicknamed Joker from his days as a new recruit under the command of a ruthless sergeant, to his posting as a war correspondent in South Vietnam, while observing the effects of the war on his fellow soldiers.

Ghostbusters (1984) A bunch of eccentric paranormal enthusiasts start a ghost-catching business in New York, and then stumble upon a plot to wreak havoc by summoning ghosts. Gave birth to one of the most iconic song lyrics in history. Gol Maal (1979) A chartered accountant (Amol Palekar), with a knack for singing and acting, falls deep down the rabbit hole after lying to his boss that he has a twin, in this Hrishikesh Mukherjee comedy. Gone Girl (2014) Based on Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel and directed by David Fincher, a confounded husband (Ben Affleck) becomes the primary suspect in the sudden mystery disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike). GoodFellas (1990) Considered as one of the best gangster films of all time, it brought Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro together for the sixth time. Based on Nicholas Pilegg's 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy, it tells the rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill, his friends and family between 1955 and 1980. Gravity (2013) Two US astronauts, a first-timer (Sandra Bullock) and another on his final mission (George Clooney), are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, and then must battle debris and challenging conditions to return home. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) A bunch of intergalactic misfits, which includes a talking racoon and tree, come together to form a ragtag team in this Marvel adventure that needs no prior knowledge. Guru (2007) Mani Ratnam wrote and directed this rags-to-riches story of a ruthless and ambitious businessman (Abhishek Bachchan) who doesn't let anything stand in his way as he turns into India's biggest tycoon. Loosely inspired by the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Haider (2014) Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy concluded with this modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, that is also based on Basharat Peer's 1990s-Kashmir memoir Curfewed Night. Follows a young man (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to investigate his father's disappearance and finds himself embroiled in the ongoing violent insurgency. Her (2013) A lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system (Scarlett Johansson), who enriches his life and learns from him, in Spike Jonze's masterpiece. Hot Fuzz (2007) A top London cop (Simon Pegg, also co-writer) is transferred to a sleepy English village for being the lone overachiever in a squad of slackers. A blend of relationship comedy and a genre cop movie. Edgar Wright directs. Hugo (2011) In 1930s Paris, a boy who lives alone in the walls of a train station tries to figure out the mystery involving his late father and his most treasured possession, an automaton, that needs a key to function. Martin Scorsese directs.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) In the best of four movies, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen is forced to participate in a special edition of the Hunger Games, a competition where individuals fight to the death, featuring the winners of all previous competitions. I, Daniel Blake (2016) After a heart attack that leaves him unable to work, a widowed carpenter is forced to fight an obtuse British welfare system, while developing a strong bond with a single mother who has two children. Winner of the Palme d'Or. I Lost My Body (2019) In this animated Cannes winner, a severed hand escapes from a lab and scrambles through Paris to get back to his body, while recounting its past life that involved moving to France after an accident and falling in love. In This Corner of the World (2016) Set in Hiroshima during World War II, an 18-year-old woman agrees to marry a man she barely knows in this animated Japanese film, and then must learn to cope with life's daily struggles and find a way to push through as the war rages on around her. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Directed by Steven Spielberg off a story by George Lucas, an eponymous archaeologist (Harrison Ford) travels the world and battles a group of Nazis while looking for a mysterious artefact, in what is now often considered as one of the greatest films of all-time. Infernal Affairs (2002) Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed is a remake of this original Hong Kongian film, in which a police officer is working undercover in a Triad, while a Triad member is secretly working for the police. Both have the same objective: find the mole. Into the Wild (2007) Based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book, Sean Penn goes behind the camera to direct the story of a top student and athlete who gives up all possessions and savings to charity, and hitchhikes across America to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Iqbal (2005) In writer-director Nagesh Kukunoor's National Award-winning film, a hearing- and speech-impaired farm boy (Shreyas Talpade) pursues his passion for becoming a cricketer for the national squad, with the help of a washed-up ex-coach (Naseeruddin Shah). The Irishman (2019) Based on Charles Brandt's 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses”, Martin Scorsese offers an indulgent, overlong look at the life of a truck driver (Robert De Niro) who becomes a hitman working for the Bufalino crime family and labour union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

John Wick (2014) In the first part of what is now a series, a former hitman (Keanu Reeves) exits retirement to find and kill those that stole his car and killed his dog. Less story, more action, with the filmmakers drawing on anime, Hong Kong action cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, and French crime dramas. Jurassic Park (1993) It might be over 25 years old at this point but watching the very first Jurassic film from Steven Spielberg — based on Michael Crichton's novel, which he co-adapted — is a great way to remind yourself why the new series, Jurassic World, has no idea why it's doing. Kahaani (2012) A pregnant woman (Vidya Balan) travels from London to Kolkata to search for her missing husband in writer-director Sujoy Ghosh's National Award-winning mystery thriller, battling sexism and a cover-up along the way. Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006) After a powerful property dealer (Boman Irani) holds a middle-class, middle-aged man's (Anupam Kher) newly-purchased property to ransom, his son and his son's friends devise a plot to dupe the swindling squatter and pay him back with his own money. Dibakar Banerjee's directorial debut. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) A coming-of-age story of the young titular witch, who opens an air delivery business, helps a bakery's pregnant owner in exchange for accommodation, and befriends a geeky boy during her year of self-discovery. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Lady Bird (2017) Greta Gerwig's directorial debut is a coming-of-age story of a high school senior (Saoirse Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf), all while she figures out who she wants to be through friendships and short relationships. Lagaan (2001) Set in Victorian India, a village farmer (Aamir Khan) stakes everyone's future on a game of cricket with the well-equipped British, in exchange for a tax reprieve for three years. The Little Prince (2015) Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 1943 novella is given the animation treatment, in which an elderly pilot (Jeff Bridges) recounts his encounters with a young boy who claimed to be an extra-terrestrial prince to his neighbour, a young girl. Rachel McAdams, James Franco, and Marion Cotillard also voice. A Little Princess (1995) Alfonso Cuarón directs this tale of a young girl who is forced to become a servant by the headmistress at her New York boarding school, after her wealthy aristocratic father is presumed dead in World War I. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive Middle-Earth to life in these three three-hour epics, which charts the journey of a meek hobbit (Elijah Wood) and his various companions, as they try to stop the Dark Lord Sauron by destroying the source of his power, the One Ring.

Loveless (2017) A Cannes winner about the social ills of life in modern Russia, told through the eyes of two separated parents who are drawn back together after their 12-year-old child goes missing. From award-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Lunchbox (2013) An unlikely mistake by Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox carrier system results in an unusual friendship between a young housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and an older widower (Irrfan Khan) about to retire from his job. Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) In legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's feature debut, a dashing master thief enlists the help of a long-time nemesis in the police and a fellow thief to rescue a princess from an evil count, and put an end to his counterfeit money operation. Marriage Story (2019) Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play an entertainment industry couple going through a divorce, which pulls them — and their young son — from New York to Los Angeles, the two different hometowns of the protagonists. Mary Poppins (1964) Based on P.L. Travers' book series of the same name, a disciplined father hires a loving woman (Julie Andrews) — who he doesn't know is capable of magic — to be the nanny for his two mischievous children. Won five Oscars, including best actress for the debutant Andrews. Masaan (2015) Neeraj Ghaywan ventures into the heartland of India to explore the life of four people in his directorial debut, all of whom must battle issues of caste, culture and norms. Winner of a National Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. Million Dollar Baby (2004) An overlooked, veteran boxing trainer (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) reluctantly agrees to train a former waitress (Hilary Swank) to help achieve her dreams, which leads to a close father-daughter bond that will forever change their lives. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) With the organisation he works for disbanded and his country after him, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) races against time to prove the existence of the schemers pulling the strings in this fifth chapter. Introduced Rebecca Ferguson to the franchise. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The legendary British comedy troupe mix their talents with the tale of King Arthur and his knights, as they look for the Holy Grail and encounter a series of horrors. A contender for the best comedy of all-time.

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Satire so cutting that it was banned for years in the UK and elsewhere, Life of Brian saw Monty Python turning their eyes on more long-form storytelling. The Life of Brian is the story of a young Jewish man born on the same day and next door to Jesus Christ, who gets mistaken for the messiah. Mudbound (2017) A Netflix Original, this World War II drama is set in rural Mississippi, and follows two veterans – one white and one black – who return home, and must deal with problems of racism in addition to PTSD. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) After his parents find out he has been pretending to be a doctor, a good-natured Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) tries to redeem himself by enrolling in a medical college, where his compassion brushes up against the authoritarian dean (Boman Irani). Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Set in post-war rural Japan, a heart-warming tale of a professor's two young daughters who have adventures with friendly forest sprits. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Mystic River (2003) Three childhood friends reunite after a brutal murder, in which the victim is one's (Sean Penn) daughter, another (Kevin Bacon) is the case detective, and the third (Tim Robbins) is suspected by both. Clint Eastwood directs. Nightcrawler (2014) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a freelance video journalist with no ethics or morals who will do anything to get the best footage of violent crimes that local news stations love. A feature directorial debut for screenwriter Dan Gilroy. Ocean's Eleven (2001) In this first of Steven Soderbergh's trilogy, which features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his eleven associates plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos at the same time. Okja (2017) Part environment parable and part skewer of corporatisation, this underappreciated Netflix Original by Bong Joon-ho tells its story of a young Korean girl and her best friend – a giant pet pig – while effortlessly crossing genres. On Body and Soul (2017) A shy, introverted man and a woman who work at a Hungarian slaughterhouse discover they share the same dreams after an incident, and then try to make them come true.

Only Yesterday (1991) A Studio Ghibli production about a 27-year-old career-driven Tokyo woman who reminisces about her childhood on her way to the countryside to see her sister's family. Isao Takahata writes and directs. Paan Singh Tomar (2012) A true story of the eponymous soldier and athlete (Irrfan Khan) who won gold at the National Games, and later turned into a dacoit to resolve a land dispute. Won top honours for film and actor (Khan) at National Awards. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) In Guillermo del Toro's fantastical version of Spain five years after the civil war, Ofelia – a young stepdaughter of a cruel army officer – is told she is the reincarnated version of an underworld princess but must complete three tasks to prove herself. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Emma Watson stars in this coming-of-age comedy based on the novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote and directed the film. Watson plays one of two seniors who guide a nervous freshman. Phantom Thread (2017) Set in the glamourous couture world of 1950s post-war London, the life of a renowned dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis), who is used to women coming and going through his tailored life, unravels after he falls in love with a young, strong-willed waitress. Pink (2016) A lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) comes out of retirement to help three women (Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang) clear their names in a crime involving a politician's nephew (Angad Bedi). Won a National Award. PK (2014) A satirical comedy-drama that probes religious dogmas and superstitions, through the lens of an alien (Aamir Khan) who is stranded on Earth after he loses his personal communicator and befriends a TV journalist (Anushka Sharma) as he attempts to retrieve it. Porco Rosso (1992) Transformed into an anthropomorphic pig by an unusual curse, an Italian World War I ace fighter veteran now works as a freelance bounty hunter in 1930s Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Queen (2013) A 24-year-old shy woman (Kangana Ranaut) sets off on her honeymoon alone to Europe after her fiancé calls off the wedding a day prior. There, freed from the traditional trappings and with the help of new friends, she gains a newfound perspective on life. Director Vikas Bahl stands accused in the #MeToo movement.

Rang De Basanti (2006) Aamir Khan leads the ensemble cast of this award-winning film that focuses on four young New Delhi men who turn into revolutionary heroes themselves while playacting as five Indian freedom fighters from the 1920s for a docudrama. Ratatouille (2007) An anthropomorphic rat (Patton Oswalt) who longs to be a chef tries to achieve his dream by making an alliance with a young garbage boy at a Parisian restaurant. From Pixar. Rebecca (1940) Alfred Hitchcock's first American film is based on Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name, about a naïve, young woman who marries an aristocratic widower and then struggles under the intimidating reputation of his first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. The Remains of the Day (1993) Made by the duo of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, this based-on-a-book film is about a dedicated and loyal butler (Anthony Hopkins), who gave much of his life — and missed out on a lot — serving a British lord who turns out to be a Nazi sympathiser. Reservoir Dogs (1992) After a simply jewellery heist goes wrong in Quentin Tarantino's feature-length debut, six criminals – Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen are a few of the actors – who don't know each other's identity start to suspect each other of being a police informant. The Revenant (2015) Leonardo DiCaprio and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu won Oscars for their work on this semi-biographical Western film set in the 1820s, which tells the story of frontiersman Hugh Glass and his quest for survival and justice amidst severe winters. Roma (2018) Alfonso Cuarón revisits his childhood in the eponymous Mexico City neighbourhood, during the political turmoil of the 1970s, through the eyes of a middle-class family's live-in maid, who takes care of the house and four children, while balancing the complications of her own personal life. Sairat (2016) In a tiny village in the Indian state of Maharashtra, a fisherman's son and a local politician's daughter fall in love, which sends ripples across the society because their families belong to different castes. Currently the highest-grossing Marathi-language film of all time. Scarface (1983) Al Pacino delivers one of his best performances as a Cuban refugee who arrives in 1980s Miami with nothing, rises the ranks to become a powerful drug kingpin, and then falls due to his ego, his paranoia, and a growing list of enemies. Se7en (1995) In this dark, gripping thriller from David Fincher, two detectives – one new (Brad Pitt) and one about to retire (Morgan Freeman) – hunt a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. Secret Superstar (2017) Though frequently melodramatic, this coming-of-age story – produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao – of a Muslim girl from Vadodara who dreams of being a singer dealt with important social issues and broke several box office records during its theatrical run.

Sense and Sensibility (1995) Jane Austen's famous work is brought to life by director Ang Lee, about three sisters who are forced to seek financial security through marriage after the death of their wealthy father leaves them poor by the rules of inheritance. The Shining (1980) Stephen King's popular novel gets the film treatment from Stanley Kubrick, about a father who loses his sanity in an isolated hotel the family is staying at for the winter, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and the future. Shoplifters (2018) Winner of the top prize at Cannes, the story of a group of poverty-stricken outsiders scraping together an under-the-radar living in Tokyo, whose life is upended after they take in a new, young member. Hirokazu Kore-eda writes, directs, and edits. Shrek (2001) A half-parody of fairy tales, Shrek is about an eponymous ogre who agrees to help an evil lord get a queen in exchange for the deed to his swamp, filled with enough jokes for the adults and a simple plot children. A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016) Based on the manga of the same name, a coming-of-age story of a school bully who tries to make amends with a hearing-impaired girl he tormented back in the day, after the tables are turned on him. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Two people (Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper) with pain and suffering in their past begin a road to recovery while training together for a dance competition, in what becomes an unlikely love story. The Sixth Sense (1999) In writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's best film to date, a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) tries to help a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who can see and talk to the dead. Snowpiercer (2013) Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi from Bong Joon-ho, which takes place in a future ravaged by an experiment, where the survivors live on a train that continuously circles the globe and has led to a punishing new class system. The Social Network (2010) The tale of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg gets a slight fictional spin, as it explores how the young engineer was sued by twin brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and sold lies to his co-founder and squeezed him out.

Soni (2019) A short-tempered young policewoman and her cool-headed female boss must contend with ingrained misogyny in their daily lives and even at work, where it impacts their coordinated attempts to tackle the rise of crimes against women in Delhi. Spartacus (1960) After failing to land the title role in Ben-Hur, Kirk Douglas optioned a book with a similar theme, about a slave who led a revolt — known retrospectively as the Third Servile War — against the mighty Roman Empire. Won four Oscars and was named as one of the best historical epics. The Stranger (1946) A war crimes investigator hunts a high-ranking Nazi fugitive (Orson Welles, also director) hiding in the US state of Connecticut, who is also duping his naïve new wife. Super Deluxe (2019) An inter-linked anthology of four stories, involving an unfaithful wife, a transgender woman, a bunch of teenagers, which deal in sex, stigma, and spirituality. Runs at nearly three hours. Swades (2004) Shah Rukh Khan stars a successful NASA scientist in this based on a true story drama, who returns home to India to take his nanny to the US, rediscovers his roots and connects with the local village community in the process. Taare Zameen Par (2007) Sent to boarding school against his will, a dyslexic eight-year-old is helped by an unconventional art teacher (Aamir Khan) to overcome his disability and discover his true potential. Talvar (2015) Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj combine forces to tell the story of the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and the family's hired servant were killed, and the inept police bungled the investigation. Uses the Rashomon effect for a three-pronged take. Tangerine (2015) Shot entirely on iPhones, a transgender female sex worker vows revenge on her boyfriend-pimp who cheated on her while she was in jail. Tangled (2010) Locked up by her overly protective mother, a young long-haired girl finally gets her wish to escape into the world outside thanks to a good-hearted thief, and discovers her true self.

Thithi (2016) In this award-winning Kannada-language film, set in a remote village in the state of Karnataka, three generations of men reflect on the death of their locally-famous, bad-tempered 101-year-old patriarch. Made with a cast of non-professional actors. The Town (2010) While a group of lifelong Boston friends plan a major final heist at Fenway Park, one of them (Ben Affleck) falls in love with the hostage from an earlier robbery, complicating matters. Train to Busan (2016) Stuck on a blood-drenched bullet train ride across Korea, a father and his daughter must fight their way through a countrywide zombie outbreak to make it to the only city that's safe. Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016) Five thirty-something friends struggle to find a place in Mumbai where they can play football in peace in this light-hearted rom-com tale, which explores gender divides and social mores along the way. The Two Popes (2019) Inspired by real life, the tale of friendship that formed between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), the future Pope Francis, after the latter approached the former regarding his concerns with the direction of the Catholic Church. Udaan (2010) Vikramaditya Motwane made his directorial debut with this coming-of-age story of a teenager who is expelled from boarding school and returns home to the industrial town of Jamshedpur, where he must work at his oppressive father's factory. Udta Punjab (2016) With the eponymous Indian state's drug crisis as the backdrop, this black comedy crime film depicts the interwoven lives of a junior policeman (Diljit Dosanjh), an activist doctor (Kareena Kapoor), a migrant worker (Alia Bhatt), and a rock star (Shahid Kapoor). Uncut Gems (2019) A charismatic, New York-based Jewish jeweller and a gambling addict (Adam Sandler) ends up in over his head in this taut thriller, struggling to keep a lid on his family, desires, business, and enemies. The Untouchables (1987) With mobster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) making use of the rampant corruption during the Prohibition period in the US, federal agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) hand picks a team to expose his business and bring him to justice. Brian De Palma directs. Up in the Air (2009) A corporate downsizing expert (George Clooney) who loves living out of a suitcase finds his lifestyle threatened due to a potential love interest (Vera Farmiga) and an ambitious new hire (Anna Kendrick).

Vertigo (1958) Topping Citizen Kane in the latest Sight & Sound poll of greatest films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's thriller about a detective afraid of heights who falls for an old friend's wife while investigating her strange activities continued his tradition of turning audiences into voyeurs. Village Rockstars (2017) A young Assamese girl of a widow pines to own a guitar and start her own rock band, but societal norms routinely get in the way. Rima Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. Visaranai (2015) Winner of three National Awards and based on M. Chandrakumar's novel Lock Up, the story of four Tamil laborers who are framed and tortured by politically-motivated cops in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Vetrimaaran writes and directs. A Wednesday! (2008) Neeraj Pandey's film is set between 2 pm and 6 pm on a Wednesday, naturally, when a common man (Naseeruddin Shah) threatens to detonate five bombs in Mumbai unless four terrorists accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings case are released. Wonder Woman (2017) After a pilot crashes and informs them about an ongoing World War, an Amazonian princess (Gal Gadot) leaves her secluded life to enter the world of men and stop what she believes to be the return of Amazons' nemesis. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) This Disney animated film tells the story of a video game villain who sets out to fulfil his dream of becoming a hero but ends up bringing havoc to the entire arcade where he lives. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) The decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden is the focus of this thriller from Kathryn Bigelow, dramatised as and when needed to keep a CIA intelligence analyst (Jessica Chastain) at the centre of the story. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol star as three childhood friends who set off on a bachelor trip across Spain, which becomes an opportunity to heal past wounds, combat their worst fears, and fall in love with life. Zodiac (2007) David Fincher signed on Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. to depict a cartoonist's (Gyllenhaal) obsession with figuring out the identity of the Zodiac Killer in the 1960s–70s. Zombieland (2009) A student looking for his parents (Jesse Eisenberg), a man looking for a favourite snack, and two con artist sisters join forces and take an extended road trip across a zombie-filled America, while they all search for a zombie-free sanctuary. Read the full article

[thinkingisthenewrebellion-blog]

Welcome to Punjab (while there’s still something to see)

Punjab doesn’t get the credit it deserves for its beauty; fashion, food, and spirituality all exist in unexpected harmony. See, this is a state that was once defined by such a vibrant culture. At the core, that culture is still there. And at its core, it's also dying.

The Sikh faith was born in Punjab, and over the years the Sikh culture pretty much came to define the state itself. It’s where the Sikh Raj was brought into existence, and held a prosperous reign for years until the British invasion. This is important for the reason that Sikhism holds a solid belief in the ideas that words are important, that sense should not be given up for tradition, and that the best way to spread a message or to convey thoughts is via poetry supported by music. Our very holy book is poetry written by well-known poets of the day, all from different castes and religions. 

But back in the end of the 1800s, when most students attended convent schools and knew more about Christianity than the Gurus, the community felt that the faith was dying out. There were too many sects, the children didn’t know their own culture, and when the youth stop understanding is when the elder generations comes to realize that there is about to be a debilitating identity crisis. The Khalsa values were fading out, and the era of the Sikhs seemed to be coming to an end.

But after all that Sikhs went through, they were hardly about to let such a thing happen peacefully. The response thus came in the form of the Singh Sabha movement, which was basically a more politically-minded Sikh Renaissance.  It was a physical and philosophical battle to bring back the true nature of the Gurus’ teachings.

With that determination, corruption was exposed and members of the movement went to cities and villages to preach of the inspiring heritage and the important ideals that had been diminishing in value. There was an outpouring of books, poetry, and magazines; centers of education were built and the right to control them was brought back to the religion. The SGPC was founded to govern and ensure that these victories remained. If you go to my college, you understand the irony in this, and can probably now understand exactly what we had and what we lost.

Because maybe that made up the 1900s, but it’s not really something that has made its way to the 21st century. If anything, we’ve reached another point of crisis. But this time it’s not just about the loss of the values that make up a religion, but rather the loss of the Punjab’s heritage and health as a whole.

Today, too, the majority population of Punjab is the Sikhs. But you can’t see a focus of those values, either secular or non-secular, in the citizens. There’s little to no deep, thoughtful writing or education centers which focus on the importance of what the Gurus believed- respect all as fellow humans, challenge tradition, believe service to be the highest purpose in life, and help those who need it. There’s barely any respectable art (in any form) to be found. Some of my classmates write and sing, and their works are beautiful. But it's done in secret, and while I completely respect their right to keep it personal, that leaves very little to create an impression. I want to know where that proud and dignified culture went.

This is the richest state in India, and it has the least influence on the country. It is drugged up, drunk, with villages dying both literally and figuratively. There is an epidemic of farmer suicide, and it is rife with drug addiction, illiteracy, and poverty.  This is India’s cancer capital, much of it due to lack of knowledge, pesticides leaving heavy metals in the water, and pollution in general. 

And no one is being informed of any of this.

Nothing exists in the "indie" genre in Punjab. There is nothing in the way of independent work. No independent music, movies, nothing. You know how in America so many kids have that dream of becoming a rock star, or they make bands in high school just because they can and they want to? Yeah, that’s not really a thing here.

I don't know, maybe I'm too much of an outsider to be commenting on lack of culture. But I know for sure that the medical parts are real. The epidemics linked to alcoholism and poor hygiene and drug abuse and lack of education are real. Pollution is killing and it's so easy to deal with but politics and corruption keeps anything from happening.

How do we make things happen? Everyone complains about it as an integral part of their teatime chats, but the conversation always ends before anyone reaches anything close to a solution.

And then there’s that part about culture, again. Where is it? Where are the words, the music, the moving movies and documentaries not produced by Bollywood in an attempt to reach a liberal audience that barely exists?

Honey Singh, Badshaah, Bohemia; Hard Kaur, the only female Punjabi rapper; these are what we dance to and who the culture worships. Maybe they have talent in some way I can't relate to, but the only thing they sing of is drinking and partying and hooking up. Maybe because that’s the only thing this generation wants to hear. (Side note- watch Udta Punjab if you want to see more on that scene; it’s one of my favorite movies to come out that's based on reality)

This is the part I’m a bit more reluctant to bring up, only because I know that the less aware will take full offense if they haven’t already. But the truth is that my classmates are more than half the problem. They’re highly educated, with significant connections, well off parents, and absolutely no interest in what they're doing or what they could be doing with their privilege. They all vote for AAP and then get bored five words into any conversation about reality.

Since you probably haven’t realized this yet, let me make it clear: YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE CHANGE.

Americans are rising up because of neo-Nazis in the White House and a president who really shouldn't be there. But for these guys that's just business as usual. There were marches all over the world, from America to Africa to Europe, and even in other states in India; Punjabis didn't even know that it was Women's Day. There are strikes and protests happening right now from the ones who really can't afford the consequences of a strike failing to pull through, but just as same can't afford for things to continue as they are.

Historically, the ones who can actually start and maintain a revolution are the ones who have the means to call for change without worrying about issues like living hand to mouth, or losing their livelihood over such actions. That's us, by the way. In this day and age, our generation is the one with that power. We're the ones who should be rising up and calling for change.

But the only change being discussed is rising up for more parties, less rules, and more ways to go on adventures and get drunk without failing classes.

And I get it. I really, really do. I want to go on adventures and have fun and not have to worry about things like responsibility. But have you seen the streets and the people you pass? Have you seen how we have to cover our mouths when we go into the city and wash our hair when we come back? We can afford to have fun, but the rest of the state can't afford our apathy.

It’s just such blatant hypocrisy. Voting for the idea of change, but not consider doing anything personally. Attending colleges that people work so hard to reach, and then acting couldn’t-care-less when it comes to actually doing something with that knowledge and with that position.  

Why aren't you aware of your own power when they're terrified of it? I'm not telling you to stop drinking and partying. But put your glass down, we can get to the party when the work is done, yeah?

Because after all of this, I refuse to believe that this beautiful state is slowly killing itself. Just as the Singh Sabha movement came about because they refused to accept that as inevitable, so am I waiting for our movement to come forth, because this death is not inevitable.

Personally, you can expect to see me on my blogs, on my twitter, and on my YouTube channel doing my best with my works, forcing these issues and ideas into the forefront until they can't be ignored.

And if you have opinions on that, commentary, or even disagreements, please email me, comment below, or send a message on my blog. I want to start a discussion, even if it's because you hate every word I said, as long as you can counter it logically.

It may be easy to avoid these ideas, but there's only so long you can pull the wool over your eyes, before it slips down over your mouth and chokes you.

Okay. Maybe that was too extended a metaphor. But you get the point- this exists, we will only be able to make any change once we finally fully acknowledge it.  

It’s far past time to rise up. We outnumber the opponents of change. If we sustain energy we can do so, so much, it’s actually incredible. We could quite actually change the world.

[gapingperceptions]

10 best movies of 2016!

Seems just about a right time to talk about movies.

2016 was a bit underwhelming but hey! We all love the movies and some of them in this past year where worthy of a celebration.

So, a regional Indian movie (Not Sairat) and a South Korean masterpiece have cropped up this time in my list.

Here are my 10 best movies of 2016:

10. Patterson

A poised observation of the little things in our routine lives. A tale of defeats and triumphs as the day goes by. And some beautiful poetry along the way makes this effort a wonderful piece of art. “Adam Driver” gave a performance worthy of challenging even the likes of Denzel Washington and Casey Affleck but guess what, he was not even nominated for an Oscar.

9. Thithi (English: Funeral)

Thithi (English: Funeral) is a 2016 Indian Kannada drama film co-written and directed by Raam Reddy. A wizened old man, over a hundred years and counting, suddenly keels over and dies. And sets into motion an absurdist comedy of manners which uses death to make gentle yet stinging points about life. Consisting of a cast of non-professional actors from a village in Karnataka this is India’s finest movie of 2016. Now available online with subtitles.  

8. Arrival

There is no thought without expression. An idea however profound it seems to you does not really exist until you can write it down or in some cases put in on film. Denis Villeneuve’s latest effort is highly effective and impactful by focusing on the very thing that affects and impacts us - Language.

The ability to put forward an idea that “The future can influence the past” and to have the skill and craft to put it on film is heavenly. This is  Denis Villeneuve’s finest effort and he already has “Prisoners”, “Incendies”, “Enemy”, “Sicario” on his CV to name a few. The movie bends time and isn’t linear. You only learn this at the very last scene. This itself should be reason enough to watch this.

7. Green Room

A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar and the further the film progresses the more your nails get bitten. Well, need any more motivation?? It starts the supremely talented “Imogen Poots”. :) Just drop everything and watch this mad mad effort put on film.

6. Ahgassi (English - The Handmaiden)

Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden is a must-see, at least for those who don’t mind a little graphic violence and kinky sex to go with their misdirection. The extreme South Korean director of ‘Oldboy’ and ‘Stoker’ has made a love story, one where the lovers aren’t related or vampires or anything! To get to it, you just have to peel back all the layers of deception, just like the characters do. Available online with subtitles.

5. Manchester By The Sea

Firstly, this is a horribly depressing movie.  I repeat, this is a horribly depressing movie.

But Kenneth Lonergan deals with the topic of grief is such a sublime manner that you are bound to remain invested in this one. Finest screenplay of 2016 with Oscar worthy performances from both Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams. Thankfully, Oscars got one of them right. Casey is stupendous on screen dealing with grief and loss.Michelle Williams deserved an Oscar for this scene alone (Refer pic above). It’s very hard not to break down during this scene or many others in the movie.  Manchester by the sea is a lot like unrequited love - Depressing but gorgeous.

4. La La Land

Just go watch this for the finest opening scene to any movie ever. Period.

Then go watch this for everything that follows. Magical stuff from Damien Chazelle (Whiplash fame). Absolutely magical.  Music, dance, dreams, love and Emma Stone. <3 A combination that only can be seen at the movies. A combination to cherish.

3. Frank & Lola

A psychosexual damaged love story, set in Las Vegas and Paris, about love, obsession, sex, betrayal, revenge and, ultimately, the search for redemption.

Michael Shannon is world class. And well, the supremely talented “Imogen Poots” gives a Oscar worthy performance and well! She wasn’t even nominated. A story that puts love in its most damaged form and excels.

2. Forushande (English - The Salesman)

No one better than Asghar Farhadi to depict human relationships on screen. Rightfully won the Oscar for the best Foreign film.

This guy from Iran just keeps getting better.  This movie will strangle you but keep your pulse just enough for you to suffer.

1. Deadpool

If I had to pick one mainstream movie that did not disappoint, and in fact delivered much more entertainment than I expected, it would be the hilariously potty-mouthed Deadpool. The film beautifully roasted all the clichés of superhero movies and was a fresh new addition to the increasingly decaying genre.

Easily the finest movie of 2016. 

Notable mentions: I’m Not A Serial Killer , Elle 

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

So Your Neighbor Put Up an Offensive Flag—What Can You Do?

"The Sound of Music": 20th Century Fox

Tensions are running high across the nation in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, where one protester was killed. Residents of Northern California and Tennessee are bracing for more rallies and protests this weekend, which will likely dominate the airwaves on TV news.

But what happens when that overt racism suddenly appears in your own building or community? Do upset neighbors or city officials have the right to demand that, say, the flag of Nazi Germany be removed? And can offensive displays affect local property values, or how long it takes to sell nearby homes?

These weren’t hypothetical questions for Page Braswell, who confronted her neighbor over the Nazi flag he put up in front of his Gaston County, NC, home. The exchange quickly turned heated and went viral after Braswell posted it on Facebook.

“What’s it to you?” the homeowner with the flag said in the profanity-laden conversation. “Do you make the payments on [this] … house?”

Meanwhile, in New York City, angry neighbors threw rocks and insults at an apartment in Manhattan’s trendy East Village that has displayed Confederate flags in its window for years, alongside Israeli and American flags, according to The New York Daily News. (While the Confederate flag is seen by some Southerners as a symbol of regional heritage and pride, many others consider it a symbol of white oppression, and it’s a rare sight in the North.)

The Confederate flag incensed a local DJ so much that he broke into Will Green‘s home to remove it. Green’s landlord also sued to evict him. DJ Darren Keen was charged with criminal mischief and fined $150, and the eviction suit was dropped, according to The New York Post.

“It’s a Southern flag,” Green told the Post. “It flies many places in the South, but they only show it on TV when a racist is talking.”

Could a neighbor’s offensive flag bring down property values?

Controversial symbols in front of someone’s home could also cause property values to suffer—by indicating that your neighbor is spoiling for a fight.

“It’s the concept of a nightmare neighbor,” says national real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller. “People don’t want to buy into those problems.”

This could lead to a home on the same block sitting on the market longer—and maybe requiring a price cut before it sells. After all, many people are not eager to live near a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi.

However, in this tight housing market, with too many buyers and not enough homes for sale, it’s likely not to damage property values too much, Miller says.

What can you do about it?

Those living in an apartment or condo building, or in a single-family home in a community covered by a homeowners association, may have some leverage in getting an offensive flag or sign taken down. That’s because many buildings and associations prohibit such displays in windows or on front doors.

“If it’s in a rental building, complain to your landlord,” says New York City-based real estate attorney Aaron Shmulewitz of Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman. “If it’s a co-op, condo, or a homeowners association, it might be violating a house rule. There might be something that the board can do about it.”

But those who do take action could find that it might come back to bite them. Some people may find their building’s or community’s Christmas or Hanukkah displays inappropriate. So going after one person could lead to a crackdown on everything else—including Santa.

Meanwhile, those whose homes aren’t covered by a landlord, board of some sort, or homeowners association have little recourse. People can generally put up whatever they want in front of their homes unless there’s a law against it.

“Hate speech is still protected speech under the First Amendment,” says Houston, TX-based real estate attorney Cassandra McGarvey of Sanders Willyard.

Should you talk to your neighbors about it?

Frustrated folks could try to reason with their neighbors, but they shouldn’t get their hopes up too high.

“It probably won’t help, because their goal is to make a statement,” Shmulewitz says.

That’s the price of living in the United States.

“We do have the First Amendment protection. But it cuts both ways,” says McGarvey. “We can say a lot of things we couldn’t say in other countries. But … the other side also has free speech and may say things we don’t agree with.”

The post So Your Neighbor Put Up an Offensive Flag—What Can You Do? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/neighbor-puts-nazi-flag/

[bryanharryrombough]

I do not need to explain to you why the Toronto police should not march in Pride.

You are a decent, rational, compassionate person. You of course recognize that, the individual foibles and allowances of individual officers aside, the Toronto police have been the historical, habitual and ongoing antagonists of Toronto’s LGBT community.

Perhaps you remember Operation Soap, the malicious bathhouse raids that destroyed people’s lives — and subsequently triggered Toronto’s first Pride march as a passionate anti-police protest. If not, you still know about the decades of harassment and attempts to destroy the village’s institutions like the Glad Day Bookshop. You probably saw the footage of HIV-phobic insults hurled at a homeless person in the village. You likely remember 2016’s Project Marie, which descended on anonymous and closeted men in a park and publicly humiliated them in droves. You certainly saw the cheerful police photo op just a few weeks ago with neo-Nazi mayoral candidate Faith Goldy.

You know about the people we lost while begging the police to do something for decades, though perhaps their names escape you; there are, after all, so many of them: Majeed Kayhan, Selim Esen, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Andrew Kinsman, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi, Abdulbasir Faizi, Kirushna Kanagaratnam. The decades of grisly cold cases, now reopened, despite the mockery they once gave us for suggesting there was a killer; the blame the police chief tried shifting to us when the killer was caught too late.

Alloura Wells, left to rot in a morgue while her community searched everywhere. Tess Richey, left in an alley stairwell for her mother to find.

You’re not a monster.

To demand an abuse victim to stand and smile with their abuser is an act of cruelty and an obscenity contrary to every ethos of restorative justice. Philosopher Hannah Arendt, writing about Christ and the Jewish capacity to forgive their oppressors after the Second World War, noted forgiveness is only possible if and when the perpetrator stands in the victim’s power to be punished if they so choose.

“It is therefore quite significant, a structural element in the realm of human affairs, that we are unable to forgive what we cannot punish and are unable to punish what has turned out to be unforgivable,” she wrote.

Arendt also stressed that you cannot forgive on behalf of another. Forgiveness is neither given nor received communally — the wrong you have done must be addressed by the wronged and not the enablers of the perpetrator.

No inquiry has taken place. No police chief has stepped down. The Toronto police have never been placed in a position to be punished for their actions, and so they cannot be forgiven them.

Nothing has changed.

You cannot ask the oppressed to forgive their oppressor while a boot is still upon their neck. That is coercion and collaboration, not forgiveness.

So I do not need to explain to you why the Toronto police should not march in Pride. It is  obvious to everyone with a soul.

What I may need to explain to you, however, is why they want to.

The answer is power.

When I was a little boy, I was bullied in the first grade. I was small, and gentle and shy. He was larger than me, older than me, and cruel. He was fond of making a spectacle of his torments and framing them as something I deserved — that my shyness and fear of engaging were themselves the reason I deserved it.

For a year he made me miserable. I remember him tearing through some small paper dinosaur dolls I had arranged — they were in the way, he said, and too fragile. I shouldn’t have put them there. It was my fault.

The cruelest thing he would do, however, was insist he was my dearest friend. I don’t even remember his name, but I remember the recess monitor asking if I was okay and him pulling me suddenly close and piping up, “We’re fine! We’re best friends, aren’t we, Tony?”

I remember him snuggling my face next to his and beaming brightly at her.

I’ve never forgotten that sickly-sweet falseness, the violating way he made me a prop in my own humiliations, or his desperation in that moment and his gleeful triumph that it worked.

This is the favourite violence of the abuser:  to make you watch as other people insist it is okay; to make you hold their hand in public and grin at the people whom you frantically wish would help you. Wave to the people, honey.

It is no longer fashionable to break a faggot’s skull with your billy club. It is no longer regarded as good police work to warn the crowds that the man being beaten “probably has AIDS.” White people are dying now; children are dying now. There are too many people watching, too many cameras filming.

A flurry of violent movement — only a momentary frenzy that registers deeper, longer, crueler torments — has caught the public eye.

For just a moment, the recess monitor is watching.

We’re best friends, aren’t we?

[bestforlessmove]

So Your Neighbor Put Up an Offensive Flag-What Can You Do?

"The Sound of Music": 20th Century Fox

Tensions are running high across the nation in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, where one protester was killed. Residents of Northern California and Tennessee are bracing for more rallies and protests this weekend, which will likely dominate the airwaves on TV news.

But what happens when that overt racism suddenly appears in your own building or community? Do upset neighbors or city officials have the right to demand that, say, the flag of Nazi Germany be removed? And can offensive displays affectlocal property values, or how long it takes to sell nearby homes?

These weren't hypothetical questions forPage Braswell,who confronted her neighbor over the Nazi flag he put up in front of his Gaston County, NC, home. The exchange quickly turned heated and went viral after Braswell posted it on Facebook.

What's it to you? the homeowner with the flag said in the profanity-laden conversation. Do you make the payments on [this] house?

Meanwhile, in New York City,angry neighbors threw rocks and insults at an apartment in Manhattan's trendy East Village that has displayed Confederate flagsin itswindow for years, alongside Israeli and American flags, according to The New York Daily News.(While the Confederate flag is seen by some Southernersas a symbol of regionalheritage and pride, many others consider it asymbol of white oppression, and it's a rare sight in the North.)

The Confederate flag incensed a local DJ so much that he broke into Will Green'shome to remove it. Green's landlord also sued to evict him. DJ Darren Keen was charged with criminal mischief and fined $150, and the eviction suit wasdropped, according to The New York Post.

It's a Southern flag, Green told the Post. It flies many places in the South, but they only show it on TV when a racist is talking.

Could a neighbor's offensive flag bringdownproperty values?

Controversial symbols in front of someone's home could also cause property values to suffer-by indicating that your neighbor is spoiling for a fight.

It's the concept of a nightmare neighbor, says national real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller. People don't want to buy into those problems.

This could lead to a home on the same block sitting on the market longer-and maybe requiring a price cut before it sells. After all, many people are not eager to live near a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi.

However, in this tight housing market, withtoo many buyers and not enough homes for sale, it's likely not to damage property values too much, Miller says.

What can you do about it?

Those living in an apartment or condo building, or in a single-family home in a community covered by a homeowners association, may have some leverage in getting an offensive flag or signtaken down. That's because many buildings and associations prohibit such displaysin windows or on front doors.

If it's in a rental building, complain to your landlord, says New York City-based real estate attorney Aaron Shmulewitz of Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman. If it's a co-op, condo, or a homeowners association, it might be violating a house rule. There might be something that the board can do about it.

But those who do take action could find that it might come back to bite them. Some people may find their building's or community'sChristmas or Hanukkah displays inappropriate. So going after one personcould lead to a crackdown on everything else-including Santa.

Meanwhile, those whose homes aren't covered by a landlord, board of some sort, or homeowners association have little recourse. People can generally put up whatever they want in front of their homes unless there's a law against it.

Hate speech is still protected speech under the First Amendment,says Houston, TX-based real estate attorneyCassandra McGarveyof Sanders Willyard.

Should you talk to your neighbors about it?

Frustrated folks couldtry to reason with their neighbors, but they shouldn't get their hopes up too high.

It probably won't help, because their goal is to make a statement, Shmulewitz says.

That's the price of living in the United States.

We do have the First Amendment protection. But it cuts both ways, says McGarvey. We can say a lot of things we couldn't say in other countries. But the other side also has free speech and may say things we don't agree with.

The post So Your Neighbor Put Up an Offensive Flag-What Can You Do? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.

[gillespialfredoe01806ld]

So Your Neighbor Put Up an Offensive Flag—What Can You Do?

"The Sound of Music": 20th Century Fox

Tensions are running high across the nation in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, where one protester was killed. Residents of Northern California and Tennessee are bracing for more rallies and protests this weekend, which will likely dominate the airwaves on TV news.

But what happens when that overt racism suddenly appears in your own building or community? Do upset neighbors or city officials have the right to demand that, say, the flag of Nazi Germany be removed? And can offensive displays affect local property values, or how long it takes to sell nearby homes?

These weren’t hypothetical questions for Page Braswell, who confronted her neighbor over the Nazi flag he put up in front of his Gaston County, NC, home. The exchange quickly turned heated and went viral after Braswell posted it on Facebook.

“What’s it to you?” the homeowner with the flag said in the profanity-laden conversation. “Do you make the payments on [this] … house?”

Meanwhile, in New York City, angry neighbors threw rocks and insults at an apartment in Manhattan’s trendy East Village that has displayed Confederate flags in its window for years, alongside Israeli and American flags, according to The New York Daily News. (While the Confederate flag is seen by some Southerners as a symbol of regional heritage and pride, many others consider it a symbol of white oppression, and it’s a rare sight in the North.)

The Confederate flag incensed a local DJ so much that he broke into Will Green‘s home to remove it. Green’s landlord also sued to evict him. DJ Darren Keen was charged with criminal mischief and fined $150, and the eviction suit was dropped, according to The New York Post.

“It’s a Southern flag,” Green told the Post. “It flies many places in the South, but they only show it on TV when a racist is talking.”

Could a neighbor’s offensive flag bring down property values?

Controversial symbols in front of someone’s home could also cause property values to suffer—by indicating that your neighbor is spoiling for a fight.

“It’s the concept of a nightmare neighbor,” says national real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller. “People don’t want to buy into those problems.”

This could lead to a home on the same block sitting on the market longer—and maybe requiring a price cut before it sells. After all, many people are not eager to live near a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi.

However, in this tight housing market, with too many buyers and not enough homes for sale, it’s likely not to damage property values too much, Miller says.

What can you do about it?

Those living in an apartment or condo building, or in a single-family home in a community covered by a homeowners association, may have some leverage in getting an offensive flag or sign taken down. That’s because many buildings and associations prohibit such displays in windows or on front doors.

“If it’s in a rental building, complain to your landlord,” says New York City-based real estate attorney Aaron Shmulewitz of Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman. “If it’s a co-op, condo, or a homeowners association, it might be violating a house rule. There might be something that the board can do about it.”

But those who do take action could find that it might come back to bite them. Some people may find their building’s or community’s Christmas or Hanukkah displays inappropriate. So going after one person could lead to a crackdown on everything else—including Santa.

Meanwhile, those whose homes aren’t covered by a landlord, board of some sort, or homeowners association have little recourse. People can generally put up whatever they want in front of their homes unless there’s a law against it.

“Hate speech is still protected speech under the First Amendment,” says Houston, TX-based real estate attorney Cassandra McGarvey of Sanders Willyard.

Should you talk to your neighbors about it?

Frustrated folks could try to reason with their neighbors, but they shouldn’t get their hopes up too high.

“It probably won’t help, because their goal is to make a statement,” Shmulewitz says.

That’s the price of living in the United States.

“We do have the First Amendment protection. But it cuts both ways,” says McGarvey. “We can say a lot of things we couldn’t say in other countries. But … the other side also has free speech and may say things we don’t agree with.”

The post So Your Neighbor Put Up an Offensive Flag—What Can You Do? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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