trevor826
04-23-2005, 09:49 AM
Vodka Lemon - Hiner Saleem 2003
A poverty stricken isolated village, the sort of place with one telephone, miles from anywhere where anyone who can leave already has. This is the setting for Vodka Lemon, freezing temperatures, no money, no jobs, exploitation. In this part of the world a letter from the outside is enough to excite the whole populace.
Sounds miserable? Yes of course it does but believe me, the dark humour, absurdity and somewhat surreal moments shine through, for instance:
The film starts with a bed being pulled through the snow like a sleigh, it stops and the musician (old and fragile looking) starts playing, the scene opens with more musicians and a crowd of wailing mourners at a funeral.
At least 4 times during the film, a horse and rider dash through the scene with absolutely no rhyme or reason.
There is a moment with a piano at the end of the film that is like a scene from a Magritte painting.
The storyline (for the most part) follows Hamo, old, grizzly and recently widowed and his budding relationship with a widow he sees every day at the cemetery.
There are other story strands involving a wedding, prostitution, bartering ,selling and existing.
The toughest thing is knowing that people actually eek out this type of existence, the poverty and sheer coldness is palpable but thankfully the humour carries you through what would otherwise be a very downbeat film.
The R2 DVD also contains a 40 minutes making of doc which is also well worth seeing.
Try and catch it if you can.
Cheers Trev.
A poverty stricken isolated village, the sort of place with one telephone, miles from anywhere where anyone who can leave already has. This is the setting for Vodka Lemon, freezing temperatures, no money, no jobs, exploitation. In this part of the world a letter from the outside is enough to excite the whole populace.
Sounds miserable? Yes of course it does but believe me, the dark humour, absurdity and somewhat surreal moments shine through, for instance:
The film starts with a bed being pulled through the snow like a sleigh, it stops and the musician (old and fragile looking) starts playing, the scene opens with more musicians and a crowd of wailing mourners at a funeral.
At least 4 times during the film, a horse and rider dash through the scene with absolutely no rhyme or reason.
There is a moment with a piano at the end of the film that is like a scene from a Magritte painting.
The storyline (for the most part) follows Hamo, old, grizzly and recently widowed and his budding relationship with a widow he sees every day at the cemetery.
There are other story strands involving a wedding, prostitution, bartering ,selling and existing.
The toughest thing is knowing that people actually eek out this type of existence, the poverty and sheer coldness is palpable but thankfully the humour carries you through what would otherwise be a very downbeat film.
The R2 DVD also contains a 40 minutes making of doc which is also well worth seeing.
Try and catch it if you can.
Cheers Trev.