In the last few months, I've really started getting into touch with my hobbies and passions. Filmmaking is among the top of my list. While I haven't worked on any official projects (other than freelance editing for institutions) of my own for years, I still haven't lost that desire for filmmaking

I plan to begin brainstorming again because  I definitely need to brush up and improve upon my skills.

But for now, I leave you with my first ever "professional" project that I made during my high school junior summer at NYU TischSOA film program. It has a lot of shortcomings, but it has managed to encourage me to get back to the storyboard and begin another film.

It's titled Pour Danser and was filmed in various places in New York. While the bare bones (anorexia in a teen) of the story has been done many times before, the various elements incorporated are taken from various influences in my life. For one, both my mother and sister suffered from anorexia nervosa and both were dancers (my mother did ballet while my sister did hip-hop). The french dialogue was chosen because my roommate (and main actress) Bethsabee felt it would be easier to deliver her lines. While there are so many more little tid bits I could share, I don't want to bore you.

So on with the movie!

I am an avid fan of classic cinema, and since it's Academy Awards season, I will be posting films and related videos in honor of the past winners and current nominees.

One of my favorite actresses from the classic cinema period is Sophia Loren. Her striking features and strong performances always struck me when I was a kid. I looked up to her (and still do), as a role model for how a strong woman should behave and look like.

Of her many film roles, my favorite is her work in La Ciocara (two women). Thankfully the film is available for download at http://www.archive.org/details/LaCiociaraTwoWomen1.

However, if you are just in the mood to watch it rather than download it, you can see it here:



Sophia Loren gave the performance of her lifetime in this role and as a result she became the first Italian woman to ever win the best actress award.

You can see the subsequent parts by clicking on available links after part 1 is done.

I live in what is considered to be one of the San Fernando Valley's/LA County's "worst" areas. Yes, the train tracks next to my house, which act as a thin barrier between us and the projects, look like they came out of your quintessential "hood" film.

However, after I graduated high school, I realized that those same train tracks and urban decay that I once thought of as a plague I had to escape from, are really just embellishments to a different type of beauty rarely seen.

I decided to wake up this morning and get some shots of said train tracks in hopes that I could show you some of the beauty that is sometimes hidden beneath a curtain of urban demographics.

  

  

all photos © michelle aguila 2010

I am Mexican-American. Born and bred. However, I think it's the most beautiful thing in the world to be exposed to different cultures and attitudes and view points. While I will still be "me" afterwards, I will have had the ability to have diverse experiences. Much like this past Sunday. I had the pleasure of witnessing two of my Sikh friends practicing their Kirtan.

Kirtan is a Sikh sacred hymn. Sikhism is a northern Indian religion that was founded in the 16th century by Guru Nanak.* Sikhism was light-years ahead of the later equal rights movements of the 20th century, as the religion rejected the caste system of India and believed in equality among males and females.

My friend Rimmy (she plays the harmonium and sings) is perhaps one of the most passionate people I know. Her devotion to Sikhism and to her culture is something I can only stare in awe at. Thankfully, I was not only able to stare in awe, but I was also able to take some pictures as well.

I've posted some of the photos below. I plan to write more about my experience hearing them play later (I'm still a bit busy, but I wanted to post something), but I'm hoping that through these pictures, you're able to get a glimpse of the beauty of these hymns much like I did.

 

  

  

 

 



*http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Sikhism


all photos © michelle aguila 2010

So, I am currently in the process of getting my schooling in order. It's a pain, but I'm hoping it's all worth it the moment I am back on some college campus. School has a way of charming you,  regardless of the hours of work you're forced to put in.

Anywho, here is a video of the last couple of photo trips I had the pleasure of going on (the video fits on the screen when you play it).

Cheers.

video  © michelle aguila 2010

I was 7 when I first fell in love. My mother worked as a secretary at the local Christian Church. So not only did we get to learn about Jesus on Sundays mornings, but we also got to see the inner workings of his house without the hustle and bustle of sister jane's and brother bill's rushing to find their preferred seats. We used to sit next to my mom, but after a while she moved us to the children's nursery.

And since mom was at work during after school hours, my sister and I were condemned to spend the hours of 2-4:30 in solitary confinement in said children's nursery (don't ask how we survived 8 hours a day in this place during summer). The only thing we had to entertain us other than building blocks and puzzles was a 12x12 inch screen vcr/tv. So my sister and I brought all of our favorite Disney films (Dumbo, Snow White,etc...) to watch on this vcr and were able to survive the first two months of boredom. However, this quickly died off as soon as we heard, "someday my prince will come" being sung for the 5th time in the past 8 weeks. Being 7&8, my sister and I went and complained to our mom about our lack of activities. She told us to be quiet and be good or we would be spanked. We got her point, but not without a few grumbles under our breaths, which were thankfully picked up by her co worker, Mary.

Mary Duran. An amazing woman who was married to the assistant pastor of our church. She worked with him. I didn't know her very well, only talking to her when my mom would tell us to say hello. It wasn't until she came with a Ralph's paper bag full of "goodies" that I would come to admire her and be forever grateful to her.

The day after our outburst, Mary told us she had a surprise. Out of that wonderful paper bag she drew a black video cassette that was missing its label. She handed it to us and told us that it was one of her favorite movies. We asked Mary what the name of it was and she just told us that we were going to like it. I don't think I had ever been as excited to watch a movie as I was at that moment. The missing title and the smile that Mary gave us as she explained it had me itching to watch it. Holding the tape in my hands, my sister and I ran to the nursery and popped it in the vcr player. We waited with bated breaths as the familiar grainy screen gave way to a "TCM" logo and a strong and terrifying orchestra accompanying the title of the film: THEM!

Yes. Them. From the first scene where the unsuspecting police officer's scream of death is swallowed by the disturbing screech of "Them" to the young Ellison girls re-visitation of the memory of her parents death and her screams of, "THEM! THEM! THEM!...", to the final tunnel scene where we see the queen ant being burned to death; my sister and I were captivated. We couldn't believe this movie was made in 1954. It was too "cool". But Mary just reassured us that movies like this were made all the time back then.

We asked her to bring more. She did. And while my sister was fond of them, they gave me a generous shove in the right direction. I began researching, watching, renting, and reading about everything surrounding classic hollywood films. By 9 I had become a Kazan follower, and by 12 I was convinced that I was born in the wrong era.

Mary continued to bring films for me to see until my mom quit her job. Even though I saw less and less of Mary, thankfully her influence was enough for me to continue cultivating my love of classic cinema. This love is still small (merely 12 years in the making) and still has a lot of room left to grow. But I'm in no hurry. Love like this lasts a lifetime.

Why I started another blog.

Hello. This is the beginning of the first blog I actually plan to keep up with. My previous blog with the url of: http://michelleaguila.blogspot.com/ is no longer accessible. I hadn't logged in for so long that I forgot my username and password.

However, now that I have started up this new one, I hope that you will take the time to read. 

This blog is basically documenting my growing love of film and photography. I will be posting any small movies I have done and a few of the photos I have taken. I will also be commenting (not necessarily reviewing) on different films (both recent and classic) I enjoy (and maybe not enjoy).  

I will be reposting the first (and only) entry I had made on my previous blog here and will continue to try and update my blog with a few posts a week. 

Enjoy,

Michelle