Our very talented friend and film critic BigMacguffin has an excellent new post

Identity Crisis
By BigMacguffin

Following the international success of “Canino”, Greek director Giorgio Lanthino’s fourth feature film, “Alps” was one of the most eagerly awaited screenings at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay.

Critics, however, were deeply divided, perhaps even more so than with his previous works; maybe the hype surrounding “Canino” cast a shadow and they were expecting something wildly innovative or equally shocking.

It was never the intention of “Alps” to reinvent the wheel, but rather to follow the blaze left by “Canino”, observing how its main characters deal with the world around them. In “Canino” we encounter a despotic father who, in a desperate attempt to isolate his family from a society he deems unworthy, creates his own harsh rules and language, while in “Alps” four characters form a group whose principal aim is to usurp personalities, in an attempt to ease the mourning caused by the loss of a loved one. Needless to say their ulterior motives make things interesting.

The natural dynamic of the group allows Lanthinos to reflect upon society through their individual roles; the ambulance driver and group leader who unilaterally establishes the rules of behavior; the frustrated coach who is able to control his only student by means of humiliation; the insecure young gymnast desperate to prove herself to the group and, finally, the rebellious nurse, compelled to act according to her own principles.

This time the filmmaker substitutes the microcosm of the family for that of the world of work, but maintains the theme of the struggle of the individual against the rest of the rest of the world.

Lanthinos doesn’t need to invent a new language to illustrate the (mis)communication between his characters and society, but he does employ loss as a narrative figure to create the claustrophobic universe inhabited by the characters, unnerving the spectator and making it impossible to feel comfortable with the attitudes displayed by the characters on screen.

The main difference between “Canino” and “Alps” is that “Canino” inhabits terrain closer to the horror genre- shades of Michael Haneke- while “Alps”, with an unconventional nurse as a main character is a cruel portrait of the loneliness of a woman capable of employing any means necessary to find the human warmth denied to her both at home and within a group she doesn’t quite fit into. The film’s best moments show her metamorphosis; the gradual loss of her true personality as she single mindedly tries to find her place in a hostile world.

Day after day we see the precarious situation in Greece unfold before our eyes; the financial crisis and social disturbance on the streets. And in film after film, we see Giorgios Lanthinos as one of the great chroniclers of his time, achieving his objective without the need to bring his camera onto those same streets to show us the existing conflict between the people and the authorities.

It is precisely this kind of social cinema that I find artistically enriching.

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Teaser Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj2lR6Yp-gY

Holy Week, Semana Santa. 1st- 8th April (it changes every year). All over Spain.The most famous religious processions are:
- Holy Week, Semana Santa in Seville: members of the local parishes carry decorated floats which represent the Passion of Christ into the Cathedral.

-Empalaos de Valverde de la Vera, in Caceres: men are tied to crosses with ropes that surround their bodies.
- Procession of the Drunken, Procesión de los Borrachos, in Cuenca: at dawn and with music, this procession simulates how Christ was mocked during the cavalry.
- Christ’s Good Death Procession, Procesión del Cristo de la Buena Muerte, in Malaga: a procession of legionaries.
- Procession of the Holy Grail, Procesión del Santo Cáliz, in Valencia: procession that tributes the Holy Grail that’s in the cathedral.
- The Silent Procesion, Procesión del Silencio, Madrid: a silent procession that starts at the Puerta del Sol.
- Hellín’s Drum Procession, Tamborrada de Hellín, Albacete: over 20,000 drummers play dressed in black robes and red scarves.

Easter Monday, Lunes de Pasqua. 9th April Catalonia. Traditionally godparents would give the Mona, a chocolate cake with an Easter egg on top, to their godchildren. Bakery shops display their spectacular Monas as works of art.

Festivity of the Painted Eggs, Fiesta de los Huevos Pintos.10th April,Pola de Siero, (Asturias).
People come from all around to see these original painted eggs that are exhibited and sold. It’s believed that this tradition was bought to Spain by a colony of immigrants decades ago.

The Sardine Burial, Entierro de la Sardina. 14th April (the Saturday after Semana Santa) Murcia.
Carnival floats parody a funeral procession and culminate with the burning of a symbolic figure of a sardine.

Boat Procession, Folía. 22nd April (15 days after Easter Sunday) San Vicente de la Barquera (Asturias).
Boat procession that recreates the arrival of the Barquera Virgin, Virgen de la Barquera, who supposedly arrived at the village on a boat.

Moors and Christians, Moros y Cristianos, 22nd -24th April Alcoy (Valencia).
Locals dress up and parade as Moors and Christians in commemoration of the end of Moorish rule of Spain and celebration of the return to Christian rule.

Sant Jordi’s Day, Diada de Sant Jordi. 23rd April, Catalonia.
Also called the Rose Day, this celebration of the Saint George legend is linked to international book day (the day that Cervantes and Shakespeare died). Traditionally men would give women roses while women would give men books. Hundreds of outdoor stands selling roses and books are set up for the occasion.

Olive Festival, Fiesta del Olivo. Last weekend in April, Mora (Toledo).
Tribute to the olive tree with parades and a food and oil festival.

April Fair, Feria de Abril. 24th- 29th April Seville (Andalucía).
The most popular fair in Andalucía. For 6 days people eat, drink, dance and party in the casetas, individual decorated marquee tents which are temporarily built on the fairground.

Catalonia’s International Tourism Fair, 20th-22nd April,Barcelona. Fair for travellers with international exhibitors.

Tennis, 28th April,Barcelona,Conde Godó Tournament.

MotoGP 29th April, Jerez de la Frontera. Moto GP World Championship.