“Colors of a Lebanese Airways” recreates the old-time Lebanese souks with shots of colorful tents, street vendors selling everything from fresh produce to handicrafts, cafes, fruit and ice cream shops, bars and nightclubs along the main drag in the old city. The subject is Beirut in all its glorious glory, with the old quarter in flames and a giant crane lifting heavy steel cranes in the distance. The vibrant colors blend with surprisingly accurate depictions of the old downtown areas. Images are occasionally zoomed in to fill in the exact places shown and sometimes the camera is stationary at one point while other shots are constantly moving around the location. The subject matter is typically Lebanese with occasional Middle Eastern elements like a map or a palm tree. The subject is usually shot from an above perspective and appears to be taking place inside a very large room.
“Boom Boom” is a short film I discovered while surfing the Internet, it tells the story of a Russian trucker who is stranded in the middle of the desert after his cargo vessel is robbed. The bright Russian colors used for the backgrounds really do make the world go away as the vivid orange and green of the city are contrasted with the blackness of the horizon. The vivid colors are offset by the extremely loud roaring of the wind through the still air of the Arabian Sea. The music in this film is catchy and loud with the sound effects being much like something out of a really futuristic music video. Very interesting images are displayed along the sides as the truck approaches a town and is ransacked by looters.
“The Autobiography of a Rebel” centers on the life of a young man who kills for fun as a rebel and then turns to be a secret agent for ufa (Kazakh State Broadcasting TV). The film depicts many events that take place within the films foreground, and background, and all of which are shown to have the main theme of a revolution, specifically a clash of opposites such as good and evil. The most fascinating aspect of the film is when the main character meets his future wife, they fall in love and marry. A short segment in which the couple is captured and taken back to ufa’s capital is shown and then they return to their respective countries.
“Kubatov’s Ark” is a film that focuses on an ethnic group called the Kubats who are forcibly removed from their native lands and shipped to the gulag. Throughout the film the ethnic minority peoples attempt to survive and raise families. The film focuses on their plight and how the president of ufa offers a deal to the Kubatovs, they will exchange their traditional clothes for white rugs; this allows them to survive and return to their homeland. Throughout the film the Kubatov’s offer the white rugs to the oppressed nations, this allows them to live in relative comfort and so on.
This film is different in that its plot centers on a revolution. However the story is not entirely centered on a certain government or ruling class. The film makes subtle hints towards the true power structure of ufa, how the current leader is corrupt and willing to do anything for personal gains, and how everyone is divided amongst themselves and manipulated. We see some of the underdeveloped countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan attempting to build their nation, and how this will affect the countries closer to them. The movie shows us that the borders don’t mean a lot and that one country can gain influence over another. The film also shows us what happens when the revolution spreads to Russia and the CIS.
This film is entertaining and educational. The documentary style of filming helps to give the viewer an insight into the way that world leaders make decisions and how the media plays a part in these decisions. Overall this film is a great watch and I recommend it to anyone who has not seen it yet.