Film: Waltz with Bashir

A friend recommended watching this 1.5-hour-long animation film. It is an Israeli production about the Israeli army's incursion into Lebanon in 1982, amidst the harrowing civil war between various religious and political factions in that country.

Based on a true story, the film is written and directed by Ari Folman, who himself took part in those events as a 19-year-old and who plays himself in the film. Most of the other characters are also played by the real people they represent, which makes the film even more powerful.

The film is very well done, and is probably the best animation I've ever seen. But I usually pay little attention to the presentation, as my mind primarily focuses on the message of a work of art.

This animation film moved me deeply, bringing me to tears, as I watched the fear and suffering of both the (former) Israeli soldiers and the Palestinian refuges. Many years after the conflict, the former soldiers still have visions and are desperately looking for answers to make sense of what had happened there.

A great thing about this film is that it is not black and white (figuratively speaking). It depicts the good and the bad, the human and inhuman in people. Anyone of us could find ourselves in a similar situation, and I just hope that we will act with humanity and compassion, and not with cruelty and indifference.

Please, watch this film if you have a chance. I am sure you'd also be deeply moved by it.

Congratulations, Roger!

I am so happy Roger Federer finally won the French Open tennis tournament today! He is such an excellent, graceful, intelligent and dignified player! A pure pleasure to watch him play and talk.

Sample Sale Experience

Last night, at the invitation of Mexx (for whom I do a lot of work), we went to a Mexx Sample Sale event in Roosendaal to buy ourselves some brand clothing for little money. Well, that's what it's all about. You get into a huge warehouse with lots of clothes and other stuff hanging around, and you just go and grab what you like. You pay 3 to 10 times less than what you'd pay in a regular shop. That's a real bargain.

This event is organized once a year, and we almost always go there. I always go there with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's a great opportunity to buy some good clothes for almost nothing (especially for Luda). On the other hand, I always sense something wrong hanging in the air. It must be a spirit of raw consumerism and greed, with people running around grabbing stuff, filling their plastic bags to the fullest. Suddenly it looks like everyone is loosing their reserve and their manners. What matters is that you get what you want.

I wonder how much money people spend on a sale like this. Judging by the size of their bags, it must definitely go into several hundreds. Yesterday I spent 50 Euro, buying myself a pair of shorts (my old one are completely worn out), two pairs of socks, and two sport jackets. Luda spent another 150 Euro, but she seems to have bought a lot of stuff (also some for my mother). The best piece she bought was a black leather jacket, downpriced from 299 to 50 Euro. That was a good deal!

It was funny to experience the raw consumerism at such a close range. It leaves a dead feeling inside of me, but it has its place in our society. The trick is not to get swept by it. Once a year should be enough. Happily, the sample sale only happens once a year!