#steven maier

[themnmovieman]

Movie Review ~ Omni Loop

Omni Loop Synopsis: A quantum physicist herself stuck in a time loop, with a black hole growing in her chest and only a week to live. When she meets a gifted student, they team up to save her life and unlock the mysteries of time travel.Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Ayo Edebiri, Hannah Pearl Utt, Chris Witaske, Carlos Jacott, Harris Yulin, Steven Maier, Eddie CahillDirector: Bernardo BrittoRated:…

[jocia92]

Dan Stevens in an exclusive interview (Google translated)

Hollywood star Dan Stevens can currently be seen in the blockbuster “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in cinemas. The film is currently topping the box office charts and is number one worldwide. We met the charismatic actor in Los Angeles and talked to him about his current film, his next two projects and his choice of roles.

April 5, 2024 by Grace Maier

Can you share with us your first reaction when you were offered a role in Godzilla x Kong: The new empire? It's always a pleasure to work with the same people several times, but this time it was extra special as Adam Wingard, the director, is an old friend. I was also invited to play with an even older friend, Rebecca Hall, as well as Brian Tyree Henry, who I have known and admired for years. It felt like I was being asked to play with friends.

What was it like entering the universe of these iconic monsters? Did you have any ideas or expectations? It's a fun task to be asked to stretch one's imagination to the size of such cinematic titans! I've worked with CGI on an epic scale before, so it wasn't too foreign, and I was surprised at how many practical locations we had.

How did you prepare for your role in this blockbuster? Were there any unique challenges or exciting moments during filming? It was really exciting to shoot in the Australian outback, in the Daintree rainforest - this incredible ancient jungle. That sense of adventure on the way to work every day, passing crocodiles along the river banks, waiting for pythons to be removed from the set, really fueled the mood for the Hollow Earth walk in the film.

“Godzilla x Kong: The new empire” promises to be an epic clash. Without giving too much away, can you give us a hint as to how your character fits into the plot? Trapper is initially brought in to help Kong with his toothache - he is a vet for all Titan creatures - and is then approached by Rebecca Hall's character, Dr. Andrews, invited to the mission. He's a kind of happy, carefree Han Solo type, good to have around, tirelessly optimistic and impressed by little.

The film contains a lot of CGI and visual effects. What was your experience like acting in such an environment and how did it differ from previous roles? I've worked with this type of thing before so it wasn't too scary. I actually really enjoy working with a VFX team and helping to create something using our entire collective imagination. It's truly incredible to see what they achieve long after you've left the process.

Were you a fan of the Godzilla or Kong films before joining this project? How does it feel to be part of their legacy? I feel like I've known these characters my whole life: they are such an integral part of cinema history. I've loved seeing them in all their different iterations over the years and of course being asked to perform alongside them - and even fix their teeth - is a huge honor!

The film will have some intense action scenes. Can you describe one of your most memorable moments while filming these scenes? While it's not the most intense scene, the way my character is introduced - rappelling from a floating vehicle into Kong's mouth to perform large-scale dental work - was one of the more exciting stunts I had to do!

How do you think fans of the franchise will react to Godzilla x Kong: The new empire? What can they look forward to most? I want them to enjoy the ride! You'll see things you've never seen before and meet some fantastic new creatures and characters, but also maybe some familiar fan favorites...

You also have the film "ABIGAIL" coming out in April. Can you tell us a little about filming and what audiences can expect? This is a completely different kind of thrill! Essentially, it's a vampire ballerina heist movie - you know the kind - directed by the Radio Silence guys, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who specialize in a particularly wacky brand of horror-comedy that I love .

“CUCKOO” will also be released in the summer. What particularly interested you about this film? Tilman Singer, the director, is a truly exciting new voice in cinema - he has a very distinctive style that is so captivating and artfully disturbing. I was also very curious to work with Hunter Schafer, the lead actress of Cuckoo, who is such a bright and brilliant artistic soul.

Your career is so dynamic. How do you go about choosing a role? I crave variety, challenge and surprise, so I'm often guided by the search for those things, but it can also be a certain quality in the writing, a desire to work with certain directors or actors. It's different every time!

[beardedmrbean]

A fan fiction writer has been sued by the estate of JRR Tolkien for copyright after publishing his own sequel to The Lord of the Rings.

US-based author Demetrious Polychron published a book called The Fellowship of the King in 2022.

He dubbed it "the pitch-perfect sequel to The Lord of the Rings."

The court ruled that Polychron must stop distributing copies of the book and destroy all physical and electronic copies.

'Frivolous' lawsuit

In April 2023 Polychron attempted to sue the Tolkein estate and Amazon, claiming the TV series, Rings of Power, infringed the copyright in his book.

The case was dismissed after the judge ruled that Polychron's own book was infringing on Amazon's prequel that was released in September 2022.

The Tolkien Estate then filed a separate lawsuit against Polychron for an injunction to stop The Fellowship of the King from being further distributed.

On Thursday Judge Steven V Wilson called the lawsuit "frivolous and unreasonably filed" and granted the permanent injunction, preventing him from selling his book and any other planned sequels, of which there were six.

The court also awarded lawyer's fees totalling $134,000 (£106,000) to the Tolkien Estate and Amazon in connection with Polychron's lawsuit.

The estate's UK solicitor, Steven Maier of Maier Blackburn, said: "This is an important success for the Tolkien Estate, which will not permit unauthorised authors and publishers to monetise JRR Tolkien's much-loved works in this way.

"This case involved a serious infringement of The Lord of the Rings copyright, undertaken on a commercial basis, and the estate hopes that the award of a permanent injunction and attorneys' fees will be sufficient to dissuade others who may have similar intentions."

Earlier this year it was confirmed by Warner Bros that more Lord of the Rings films are on the way over the next few years.

Work on the second series of Amazon's TV show began in October.

The BBC has tried to contact Demetrious Polychron for comment.

[captaindibbzy]

This is why we do not charge for fanfiction. This is why we do not publish unsanctioned fanfiction.

Actually this is why copyright came about in the first place.

Dude has some balls though. Dude sued Amazon and the fucking Tolkein Estate for infringement on HIS book, which he published in 2022. Judge granted a permanent injunction against selling it and his planned six sequels.

The estate's UK solicitor, Steven Maier of Maier Blackburn, said: "This is an important success for the Tolkien Estate, which will not permit unauthorised authors and publishers to monetise JRR Tolkien's much-loved works in this way.

Lord of the Rings will reach the public domain in 2044.

[ulkaralakbarova]

A devoted wife and mother leads a secret life as a CIA agent until her husband’s article exposes a scandal, putting her identity and loved ones at risk. As her world crumbles, she must navigate the fallout of her double life. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Valerie Plame: Naomi Watts Joseph Wilson: Sean Penn Sam Plame: Sam Shepard Bill: Noah Emmerich Jack: Michael Kelly Jim Pavitt: Bruce McGill Scooter Libby: David Andrews Paul: Tim Griffin Dr. Zahraa: Liraz Charhi Hammad: Khaled El Nabawy Chanel Suit: Sonya Davison Tabir Secretary #1: Vanessa Chong Hafiz: Anand Tiwari Tabir Secretary #2: Stephanie Chai Fred: Ty Burrell Sue: Jessica Hecht Steve: Norbert Leo Butz Lisa: Rebecca Rigg Diana: Brooke Smith Jeff: Tom McCarthy Samantha Wilson: Ashley Gerasimovich Trevor Wilson: Quinn Broggy CIA Tour Leader: Nicholas Sadler CPD Agent: Iris Bahr Minister of Mines – Niger: Ghazil Joe Turner: Kristoffer Ryan Winters Nervous Analyst #1: Louis Ozawa CIA Analyst #1: Sean Mahon Professor Badawi: Mohamed Abdel Fatah Kim: Rashmi Rao Nervous Dave: David Denman Nervous Analyst #2: Remy Auberjonois Ali: Sunil Malhotra Jordan Officer #1: Kevin Makely Mukhabarat Officer: Mousa Al Satari Hammad’s Son: Rafat Basel Hammad’s Wife: Maysa Abdel Sattar B.U. Professor: Judith Resnik B.U. Student #1: Ben Mac Brown B.U. Student #2: Satya Bhabha Iraqi Scientist #1: Nabil Koni Iraqi Scientist #2: Mohammad Al Sawalqa Beth: Jenny Maguire Pete: David Warshofsky Ari Fleischer: Geoffrey Cantor Journalist #1: David Ilku Journalist #2: Deidre Goodwin Journalist #3: Donna Placido Karl Rove: Adam LeFevre Steven Hadley: Brian McCormack Andrew Card: James Rutledge Cathie Martin: Tricia Munford David Addington: Michael Goodwin Mr. Tabir: Nassar Dir. of CIA Operations: Chet Grissom Internal Security Officer: James Joseph O’Neil Supporter #1: Danni Lang Supporter #2: Jane Lee Field Reporter #1: James Moye Field Reporter #2: Judy Maier Diane Plame: Polly Holliday Businessman #1: Kola Ogundiran Businessman #2: Byron Utley Right Wing Reporter: Anastasia Barzee DC Cab Driver: Sanousi Sesay Barista (uncredited): Angela Lewis Deceased Soldier’s Daughter (uncredited): Michelle E. Mancini UN Diplomat (uncredited): Rebekah Paltrow Neumann Iraqi Server (uncredited): Barbara Grace Romano Four Seasons Waitress (uncredited): Satu Runa Warehouse Supervisor (uncredited): Kaipo Schwab Head Paparazzo (uncredited): Harry L. Seddon Turkish Diplomat (uncredited): Kent Sladyk Vietnam Vet at Rally (uncredited): Bill Walters Film Crew: Producer: Doug Liman Screenplay: John-Henry Butterworth Producer: Jez Butterworth Book: Joseph Wilson Associate Producer: Sean Gesell Makeup Department Head: Michal Bigger Line Producer: Pete Singh Key Hair Stylist: Amanda Miller Line Producer: Anadil Hossain Line Producer: Bruce Wayne Gillies Line Producer: Carson Ng Original Music Composer: John Powell Executive Producer: Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei Associate Producer: Gerry Robert Byrne Line Producer: Wesam Seif Elislam Hairstylist: Lisa Hazell Book: Valerie Plame Executive Producer: Jeff Skoll Co-Producer: Avram Ludwig Stunt Coordinator: G. A. Aguilar Stunt Coordinator: Peter Bucossi Co-Producer: Kim H. Winther Casting: Joseph Middleton Producer: Bill Pohlad Co-Producer: David Sigal Producer: Janet Zucker Set Decoration: Sara Parks Executive Producer: David Bartis Executive Producer: Mari-Jo Winkler Costume Design: Cindy Evans Producer: Jerry Zucker Editor: Christopher Tellefsen Stunts: Anthony Vincent Producer: Akiva Goldsman Art Direction: Kevin Bird Production Design: Jess Gonchor Stunts: Stephen A. Pope Executive Producer: Kerry Foster Movie Reviews:

[goalhofer]

2024 IIHF Worlds Austria Roster

Wingers

#3 Peter Schneider (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Klosterneuburg)

#5 Thomas Raffl (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Villach)

#16 Dominic Zwerger (C.D.H. Ambrì-Piotta/Dornbirn)

#17 Manuel Ganahl (Klagenfurt S.S./Bludenz)

#52 Paul Huber (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Graz)

#70 Benjamin Nissner (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Vienna)

#96 Mario Huber (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Innsbruck)

#98 Benjamin Baumgartner (S.C. Bern/Zell Am See)

Centers

#9 Ali Wukovits (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Vienna)

#19 Vinzenz Rohrer (Zürcher S.C./Rankweil)

#21 Lukas Haudum (Klagenfurt S.S./Linz)

#23 Marco Rossi (Minnesota Wild/Feldkirch)

#48 Lucas Thaler (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Villach)

Defensemen

#12 Daniel Maier (Klagenfurt S.S./St. Veit An Der Glan)

#14 Kilian Zündel (C.D.H. Ambrì-Piotta/Dornbirn)

#18 Paul Stapelfeldt (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Braunau)

#20 Nico Brunner (Vienna Hauptstädte/Villach)

#24 Steven Strong (Klagenfurt S.S./Villach)

#32 Bernd Wolf (C.D.H. Lugano/Vienna)

#81 Ramón Schnetzer (C.D.H. Thurgau/Feldkirch)

#91 Dominique Heinrich (Vienna Hauptstädte/Vienna)

#92 Clemens Unterweger (Klagenfurt S.S./Lienz)

Goalies

#30 David Kickert (E.C. Red Bull Salzburg/Korneuburg)

#31 David Madlener (Pioniere Vorarlberg/Feldkirch)

#33 Thomas Höneckl (Steinbach Schwarze Flügel Linz/Schwarzach Im Pongau)

[arsmusica]

Songs of Love & Peace

Datum: Mi, 24.04.2024, 19:30 Uhr

RICARDO VOLKERT & FRIENDS - SONGS OF LOVE & PEACE

Mitwirkende: Elke Brüsch (Berlin) - Gesang

Dirk Trageser (Berlin) - Gitarre und Gesang

Bernhard Seidel - Kontrabass und Gesang

Ricardo Volkert - Gitarre und Gesang

Uli Maier - Gitarre und Gesang

Veranstalter: ars musica e.V.

Location: LUISE Kulturzentrum

Adresse: Ruppertstraße 5, 80337 München

Eintritt: € 18,- / erm. € 15,-

https://www.ticketino.com/de/Event/Songs-of-Love-Peace/184763

Beschreibung:

Songs of Love & Peace

...weil sie aktuell sind wie nie zuvor und weil es immer Liebe & Frieden braucht

Wir singen Songs of Love & Peace aus Lust und Überzeugung, aus Begeisterung und Freude zusammen zu singen und sich mit Gitarren zu begleiten.

Songs of Love & Peace sind Lieder die um die Welt gingen, Lieder die wir vor "ewiger" Zeit schon gesungen haben, jeder für sich...und mit anderen zusammen...

Songs die wir lieben, von Songwritern geschrieben für ihre Zeiten voll Liebe & Gewalt, zwischen Summer of Love und Vietnamkrieg, zwischen Bürgerrechtsbewegung und Woodstock - das sind Songs of Love & Peace.

Klassiker wie Bob Dylan (Blowin in the wind, Don't think twice, The times they are a changing), Leonard Cohen (So long Marianne, Halleluhja), Pete Seeger (If I had a hammer, Where have all the flowers gone), Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Crosby Stills Nash & Young....

Klassiker von Gestern für unsere Zeit: atomare Bedrohung, Naziparolen, Judenhass, AFD... Populismus... und angesichts des Krieges in der Ukraine wieder aktueller denn je.

Wir singen sie dagegen, die Songs of Love & Peace

Mit

Elke Brüsch (Gesang) – Berlin: SingerSongwriterin, Chorsängerin

Dirk Trageser (Gesang/Percussion) – Berlin: Gitarre und Gesang bei der international tourenden Band 17 Hippies Discografie: https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/1673274-Dirk-Trageser

Ricardo Volkert (Gitarre/Gesang) - Ammersee: Mehrfacher Preisträger internationaler Songwettbewerbe, Kopf mehrerer Ensembles rund um die Spanische Gitarre. www.ricardo-volkert.de

Uli Maier (Gitarre/Gesang) - München: Gitarrist und Frontmann des Rock-Trios Magic Buzz, Mitglied der in den 80er Jahren bekannt gewordenen Mundart Kultformation Henry Caddie Band.

Bernhard Seidel (Kontrabass/Gesang) - München: Klassik, Jazz, Weltmusik, Bayrisch, Bossa & Bolero. Ein mit allen musikalischen Wassern gewaschener Virtuose.

http://konzert.name/home.

Admin: Frank McLynn

[bethereader]

“Ahora vuelvo a estar en casa y no me funciona ninguna de mis habituales estrategias de evasión. Suelo ver un montón de películas. Si es posible documentales sobre solitarios, marginados, pioneros. Dame líderes de sectas, oscuros personajes históricos, músicos muertos. Me atraen las personas con enfermedades raras y que tienen capacidades extraordinarias. Quiero ver cómo los incomprendidos por fin son rescatados del olvido. Uno de mis favoritos trata de una niñera llamada Vivian Maier, que resultó ser una de las mejores fotógrafas del mundo, aunque nadie descubrió su talento hasta después de su muerte.”

Querido Evan Hansen — Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul.

[calendario-gp]

April 22

Moleskine Detour Arles 22 april - 14 may 2023 Opening Exhibition of notebooks from the Moleskine Foundation Collection Artists: Erdem Akan, Yasser Alhasan, Tamadher Ali Alfahal, Batool A. Aziz AlShaikh, Joël Andrianomearisoa, Yuval Avital, Leilah Babyrie, Ruth Bekele, Quentin Bidaud, Mirko Borsche, Jason Brooks, Simonetta Capecchi, Giancarlo Carnevale, Joel Chu, Kellyn Lisbeth Córdoba, Julien D’Ys, Paul Dewis, Jean-Claude Ellena, Robert Gligorov, Michael Graves, Steven Guarnaccia, Martha Kazungu, William Kentrige, Diobédo Francis Kéré, Toshiyuki Kita, Libri finti clandestini, Carl Liu, Giorgia Lupi, Hans Maier-Aichen, Rachel Marks, Davide Masi, Reg Mombassa, Alioum Moussa, Daniel Müller, Aida Muluneh, Tatiana Musi, Stéphanie Nava, Ou Ning, Roberto Paci Dalò, Maurice Pefura, Pi Piquer, Julie Polidoro, Oki Sato, Paula Scher, Julian Semiao, Cheikh Yakhouba Sidibe, Carlo Stanga, Mark Todd, Siren Elise Wilhelmsen, Amina Zoubir Festival du Dessin Eglise de Saint Blaise, 33 rue Vauban Arles, France

[tehri]

Well hey, good morning to me, I had forgotten I made this post even if I didn't forget about... *squints at notes* demetrious polychron nope i'm still not keen on believing that this is his actual name what the hell

So an important thing to note here is this quote from the BBC News article on this: "The estate's UK solicitor, Steven Maier of Maier Blackburn, said: 'This is an important success for the Tolkien Estate, which will not permit unauthorised authors and publishers to monetise JRR Tolkien's much-loved works in this way.'"

Note the wording. "[...]will not permit unauthorised authors and publishers to monetise JRR Tolkien's much-loved works".

So yeah, literally where Mr Polygon- sorry, Polychron. Where this guy went wrong is very much where he officially published his fanfiction on a commercial website with the intention of making profit on it. And yes, he did intend to make profit. It was on there to be bought, not handed out for free. Which, you know, not the smartest thing to do if you're a fanfic-writer.

Maybe he just hasn't ever heard about AO3. Or maybe he has and decided that he better make some money on his self-proclaimed... *squints at BBC News Article wording* "pitch-perfect sequel to The Lord of the Rings"?

wow

Anyway, long story short, fancreators don't need to worry, this was just the Tolkien Estate reacting to A - being sued over the copyright they still hold, and B - being sued by the very dude who decided to make money on his fanfiction by putting it up on Amazon and making it clear that he intended that story to be the first one of SEVEN that he also very much intended to sell. Aka, they're not coming after fancreators who don't try to monetize their stuff, and Demetrious Polychron is an idiot who should maybe look into making an AO3 account instead.

The Bonkers Lawsuit of Demetrious Polychron (I Wish This Were A Joke)

In other bonkers news I have just learned through my LotRO server’s certified Deep Lore Guy (bless you, Rana, may you never see this), apparently there’s a very literal fanfiction writer by the name of Demetrious Polychron (yes, I was also very surprised that this is his name) suing both Amazon and the Tolkien Estate for $250 million because he claims RoP was based on his book “The Fellowship of the King” - which is very blatantly a post-canon AU LotR fanfiction using several characters from Tolkien’s works, including Elanor Gardner, Elladan, Elrohir, and Eldarion.

One part of his reasoning is apparently that “there is a hobbit character in RoP named Elanor, this is obviously stolen from my book”, which makes no sense to begin with.

He also very clearly admits that his work was “inspired by the LotR and JRR Tolkien” (”inspired by”, lol) - when it is very much set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth and even starts in the Shire and involves several of the characters from the books and so on and so forth.

He has written a very literal post-canon AU fanfiction. Which he has published. On Amazon. And now he’s trying to sue both Amazon and the Tolkien Estate because he thinks they ripped off his book.

[rookie-critic]

The Pale Blue Eye (2022, dir. Scott Cooper) - review by Rookie-Critic

The Pale Blue Eye sees Christian Bale giving a masterclass in acting in a movie that, otherwise, is just fine. I'm big fan of writer/director Scott Cooper, having seen and loved 2 of his earlier films, Out of the Furnace and Crazy Heart, but his last couple of films, while not bad, necessarily, have been disappointing. His last film, Antlers, felt content to idle its way through its story until it just, kind of, ends; never seeking to dive too deep into any of its very interesting characters enough to develop any true impact on the audience. The Pale Blue Eye also has this issue. A lot of the film isn't terribly interesting. That's not to say that the central mystery isn't interesting, because it very much is, which makes it all the more surprising that none of the investigation or surrounding story was very awe-inspiring or gripping. It had its moments of "oohs" and "aahs," but they were fleeting. I was concerned with how the story would resolve itself, but never too concerned to be more than passively invested. I will say the sets and production design of the film are top notch, and for a period piece (which I confess aren't necessarily always my cup of tea) I found the movie very visually engaging when the script and storytelling were lacking. The story also suffers from from a structuring problem. It feels terribly disjointed, and again, that meandering pace makes it feel like it drags in certain areas, but the biggest confusion comes in the form a very unexpected fourth act.

Our mystery gets solved at about the 90-minute mark. The whodunnit is resolved and we reach what anyone would conceivably call a final scene. Then the film decides that no, it's not over, but in fact still has 38 minutes left of its runtime. It's jarring at first; you really are stuck thinking "what could we possibly be using 38 more minutes for? Is this really necessary?" While I do think the movie's true finale feels a little out of place with the rest of the film, and the buildup to this moment is almost non-existent, I have to say that is also, by far, the best section of the entire film. The absolutely legendary performances given by both Christian Bale and Harry Melling (who is playing a very young, very green, and very Virginian Edgar Allan Poe) in this final sequence is genuinely more awe-inspiring than the entire rest of this movie and all of Antlers put together. Bale is in peak form, and every inch of his face is crawling with anger, remorse, regret, sorrow, and maybe even gratitude. Melling gives an incredible monologue and proves himself capable of keeping up with Bale, and the fact that Melling is taking up so much of the linguistic space of the scene makes Bale's performance even more impressive because he is somehow still the center of your attention, without even saying much for a lot of that final bit. There's one shot in particular (keeping it spoiler-free here) where the camera just lingers for close to 10 seconds on Bale's face as he looks forward past the camera, and his expression grows from complete disbelief slowly to sorrowful acceptance. I've had this issue with the last few movies I've seen of Bale's. He was practically the only good thing of note in Thor: Love and Thunder, and he was also the clear standout of Amsterdam, a movie that I would describe as "good, but not great." I love that he is the kind of actor that, no matter what he's in, he is going to crush it. I know I'm in safe hands with Bale even if the film itself is lacking, but I hope that soon he starts to fight in his own weight class again, because Christian Bale with a solid script is honestly something truly wondrous.

As it stands for this movie and its script, I'd say that The Pale Blue Eye is perfectly serviceable, but flawed, even without that final sequence. However, if the entire film had been as riveting as that fourth act, this may have been an easy 10, but I can't justifiably give it an amazing score like that based purely off of one sequence. Instead, I'll settle on a score of "could have been better" and patiently away Cooper's next film in hopes that it is as good as I know he is capable of.

Score: 7/10

Currently streaming on Netflix.

[ramascreen]

Official Key Art For THE PALE BLUE EYES Starring Christian Bale

Official Key Art For THE PALE BLUE EYES Starring Christian Bale

Netflix has released this official key art for their new film The Pale Blue Eye On Netflix January 6, 2023 In Select Theaters December 23, 2022 Written & Directed By Scott Cooper Based on the book by Louis Bayard Produced by Scott Cooper, Christian Bale, Tyler Thompson, John Lesher Executive Producers Tracey Landon, Dylan Weathered, Louis Bayard, Chris Sharp, Jennifer Lamb, Emily Salveson, Ryan…

[hexalt]

[Steven] Maier and [Martin] Seligman had repeatedly administered painful electric shocks to dogs who were trapped in locked cages. They called this condition “inescapable shock.” Being a dog lover, I realized that I could never have done such research myself, but I was curious about how this cruelty would affect the animals.

After administering several courses of electric shock, the researchers opened the doors of the cages and then shocked the dogs again. A group of control dogs who had never been shocked before immediately ran away, but the dogs who had earlier been subjected to inescapable shock made no attempt to flee, even when the door was wide open—they just lay there, whimpering and defecating. The mere opportunity to escape does not necessarily make traumatized animals, or people, take the road to freedom. Like Maier and Seligman’s dogs, many traumatized people simply give up. Rather than risk experimenting with new options they stay stuck in the fear they know.

— The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

[tenth-sentence]

Maier and Seligman also found that traumatized dogs secreted much larger amounts of stress hormones than was normal.

"The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, brain and body in the transformation of trauma" - Bessel van der Kolk

[pauline-lewis]

Devant le monde qui s’incline

Je crois que je ne sais pas ou plus (l’ai-je déjà su ?) écrire sur la musique. Dans un train, je lis le texte de Fanny Quément dans Panthère Première. Elle y raconte comment elle a découvert l’autobiographie de Cosey Fanni Tutti (membre des Throbbing Gristle) Art Sex Music. Tombée amoureuse de ce texte, elle décide de le traduire. Le témoignage de Fanny Quément m’a parlé à bien des égards, et surtout ce passage :

 “Je n’ai jamais envié aux passionné·es leur vision d’ensemble, leur savoir encyclopédique, leur mémoire des noms. (...) La musique, c’est l’endroit où je me fous des connaissances, du discours, du contexte. J’écoute des disques sans me renseigner. Tout ce qui m’intéresse, c’est le son. Je n’essaie même pas de savoir qui joue dans quoi.”

Cette phrase me frappe en plein cœur. Je me dis, c’est exactement moi. Et je crois que de la même manière, je ne sais pas trop écrire sur la musique. Je m’ennuyais quand, à l’université, il fallait mesurer qui avait la plus grosse culture, qui savait qui avait sorti quel EP en 1992 et sur quel label.

Je lis en diagonale une critique de l’album de Sufjan Stevens et Angelo De Augustine, A Beginner’s Mind et je m’agace immédiatement que les mots utilisés ne disent rien de tout ce que viens remuer en moi ce disque.

Mais je ne sais pas écrire sur la musique. Je ne saurais pas écrire que Reach out a exactement la même texture que le café du matin quand on regarde la brume se lever par la fenêtre, les yeux un peu collés, ce moment où il faut se rappeler de comment exister pour une nouvelle journée. De l’espoir qui naît au bout des doigts quand deux voix parfaites s’entremêlent. Des souvenirs qui émergent aussi, dans ce monde tellement sombre, de voir que d’aucuns s’enferment dans une pièce pour faire naître la lumière en écrivant des chansons. La musique est magique, et c’est tellement niais de le dire et pourtant merveilleux de le vivre. Je ne me renseigne pas sur ce disque, je n’en sais rien, je l’écoute comme pour naître une deuxième fois au monde : pour voir enfin par les yeux de quelqu’un d’autre. Quand par la fenêtre du train les paysages défilent — tous ces kilomètres que j’ai mis entre la vie d’avant et celle de maintenant — Sufjan Stevens chante Olympus et sa voix soulage et rassure et apaise, aussi. Mais je ne sais pas écrire là-dessus. Je laisse ça aux érudit·es. Et moi je me roule en boule au milieu de ce disque où je me sens, je le sais, incroyablement bien.

Vivian Maier et Georgia O’Keeffe

J’ai profité d’une visite express à Paris pour voir ces deux expositions de deux artistes que je connais sans connaître. Je n’ai rien compris au parcours de l’exposition O’Keeffe au Centre Pompidou — mais j’ai aimé que les couleurs me brûlent légèrement la rétine, j’ai aimé y retrouver un sentiment fort de découvrir le monde en plus grand, en plus brillant, éblouissant. Je connaissais surtout ses fleurs mais ce sont ses peintures de villes qui m’ont le plus émue je crois. J’ai posé sur mon bureau cette toile en carte postale d’un New York éclairé par les lumières des lampadaires, avec ces bâtiments qui déchirent le ciel nocturne bleu et rose. Des petites lueurs d’espoir, peut-être.

L’exposition de Vivian Maier m’a, elle, secouée à tous les niveaux : le parcours, les textes, les photos, l’impression de pénétrer dans une œuvre à pieds joints. J’avais toujours envisagé la photographe comme “la nounou qui arpentait les rues de New York” mais l’exposition du Musée du Luxembourg l’a présentée à moi sous un autre jour : une photographe, une artiste. Sa vie professionnelle n’est mentionnée que quand le besoin s’en fait sentir (ie quand elle prend en photo les enfants qu’elle garde). C’est toujours ça de pris pour moi quand je me souviens que les gens ne sont pas la somme de leurs journées de travail. Je me suis beaucoup posé la question, en admirant son sublime portrait de Lena Horne, ses photos drôles de la bourgeoisie prises sur le vif, les regards qu’elle captait — de ce que cela voulait dire d’être "amateur”. Son œil n’avait rien d’amateur, je crois bien. Et l’exposition l’assoit non pas comme une curiosité mais comme une artiste.

Ce qui m’a le plus touchée dans le parcours c’est le début et ses autoportraits, accompagnés d’une phrase d’Emily Dickinson “Je suis dehors avec des lanternes à la recherche de moi-même”. J’ai reconnu dans ces photographies prises dans des miroirs dans la rue et dans de grandes pièces ce besoin d’essayer de se trouver soi-même. Ou du moins de se chercher. Essayait-elle, justement, de se penser en photographe en se représentant l’appareil dans les mains ? Ou s'amusait-elle simplement de ces jeux de perspective ? Ou avait-elle une envie soudaine, tout simplement, de se voir exister ? Dans tous les cas, embourbée moi-même dans l’écriture d’un format long je me sens pleinement à la recherche de moi-même, avec une lanterne qui n’éclaire que très faiblement. Aux moments où je ne fais rien, où j’écoute Sufjan Stevens les yeux fermés, je me demande comment font les autres : est-ce qu’iels écrivent tout le temps ? Est-ce qu’iels sont poussé·es par quelque chose de plus profond, de mystique peut-être ?

Je suis sortie de cette exposition un peu chamboulée, un peu changée même. Éclairée par la lanterne magique d’une autre. Plutôt chouette, comme sensation.

La vingt d’Audrey Beaulé (ed. Mécanique Générale)

(Ce texte a été publié initialement sur mon compte Instagram mais j’essaie de doublonner ici pour que ce ne soit pas perdu dans les limbes des algorithmes)

J'ai toujours eu besoin de lire des livres / de voir des films / de lire des BD / d'écouter de la musique pour comprendre ce que je ressentais sur à peu près tout. Depuis que j'ai quitté Nanterre en mai (déjà), j'ai eu toutes sortes de sentiments joyeux et bizarres et tristes, que je n'ai pas forcément verbalisés.     Et puis Olivier a choisi cette BD pour moi à la librairie, il m'a dit "je te l'offre" parce qu'en la feuilletant il a reconnu ce que j'aimais (et il avait raison, comme souvent). Je l'ai lue hier soir et ça a été comme une belle rencontre : entre moi et ces dessins doux et tristes, entre moi et cet univers poétique et profond, et entre moi et mes propres sentiments sur les derniers mois. Dans La Vingt (paru aux éditions Mécanique Générale), Audrey Beaulé raconte une période de sa vingtaine pendant laquelle elle a beaucoup voyagé d'un point à l'autre : elle est partie de Québec à Montréal, elle s'est sentie engloutie par l'anxiété de savoir ce qui se passerait par la suite. Elle s'est retrouvée face au renoncement parfois, elle a dû analyser ce besoin de performance et de réussite qui nous accable tant, elle a aimé des femmes et appris à tisser des liens avec elles. Ce livre à la fois très beau, très doux et aussi triste (de cette tristesse simple, sans fioritures) explore les relations amicales, amoureuses et aussi familiales avec une sensibilité infinie.  

 Audrey Beaulé raconte ce que cela fait de devenir soi — sans clichés, sans facilités. Les dessins sont sublimes et donnent une forme à des pensées jusqu'ici abstraite. Ce serait peu de choses de dire que c'était un coup de cœur, une flèche en plein cœur plutôt et un petit moment de rencontre avec moi-même.

Urban Driftwood de Yasmin Williams

Ces derniers temps j’ai beaucoup écouté Dumb Blonde de Dolly Parton et juste après j’enchaînais avec l’album Urban Driftwood de Yasmin Williams. J’en reviens au début de ce post : je ne sais pas écrire sur la musique. Pourtant, ce disque m’a aidée à écrire, par ricochet. Je l’ai écouté en boucle tandis que j’étais bloquée sur une idée ou une autre et à chaque fois il me sortait de mes mauvais pas en m’indiquant une clairière inconnue, un petit bois encore jamais exploré.

C’est un disque pour voyager sans bouger de son siège, à écouter quand on en a marre, quand tout est bloqué et tordu à l’intérieur, parce qu’il brise les murs et laisse entrer tout ce qui n’est pas trop mal dans la vie : l’air pur, la joie tranquille, la mélancolie douce et la paix intérieur qui existe, oui oui, je l’ai éprouvée parfois. Je ne sais pas comment Yasmin Williams fait pour évoquer tout cela avec simplement une guitare et dix doigts — je l’imagine comme quelqu’un qui fait du feu, qui prend son temps, qui frotte les bouts de bois longtemps et d’un coup la flamme apparaît et à partir de là, ça crépite et ça réchauffe. Ce disque est un petit miracle. Et on en a bien besoin, de miracles comme ceux-là.