Karen Blixen

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:12 am Post subject: Karen Blixen

Every so often the television guide gifts with such a gift...

This morning I sat and watched a gem of a documentary...(our video recorder is a little unwell..and we've not fancy fancy dvd recording gear Wink

)...so there I was from 11am to noon televisioning!

http://audience.withoutabox.com/festivals/event_item.php?id=1583

If you are at all interested or besotted with the gal in question, may I suggest you seek out this documentary...the joy of seeing her speaking...those eyes!

Meryl Steep appears as well...towards the end she is wearing sunglasses...'n from the depth of emotion in her voice it is clear there are tears...without ever meeting Blixen, I feel she knew her well...she spoke of Blixen being able to transform sorrow by making it a story...that what how she bore her life....powerful powerful powerful....

a stunning piece...10 stars out of 5
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Rainey · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:35 am Post subject:

Thank you for the heads up, madame. I have been such a fan since Out of Africa a film which can always make me cry at the strength and generosity of her character.

I will look for a showing in my area.
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God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:03 am Post subject:

Rainey Darling...it's a 2005 thing..so maybe not in movie houses..

however here be link that might help...not sure if it's for sale...however Danish tv would help I'm sure..I'm writing to them after I post this...

http://www.dr.dk/DRSALES/programmes/doc_ace_karenblixen.html

one of the finest docs I've seen...one of those I-dare-not-blink-or-I'll-miss...her sister in law is interviewed...nephew...a writer who would visit her towards the end of her life....she must have been some cookie for he speaks of visiting her..she was as frail as could be...and as he leant close she did something to his neck....out of some kind of anger of some kind...he said all these years later various neck people haven't been able to fix the problem!!!

maybe someone will already have the piece and will be able to let us know more...

'n a little treat:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/9334/quotes.html

(not too sure if the wildlife would have shared her joy of safari life! the images of the full on shooting are rather confronting...the rino...bang...the end...)
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Barbara · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:51 am Post subject:

Madame I saw this earlier this year on TV. I enjoyed it immensely too.
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Barbara

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:05 am Post subject:

ah Barbara..how nice that we've both seen it!

What a treat to see Meryl Streep speaking with such intensity...taking her time to find the exact word that would convey her thoughts...

one of those tv treats that comes along every so often...that's why a brief, yet thorough, read of the tv program is a pattern of mine..
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Barbara · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:11 am Post subject:

Madame I should read the tv programme more. Last week I switched on tv and saw the tail end of an Australian movie which I think was called Oyster Farmer. The scenery was stunning and I suspect it was filmed around Pittwater. If Jude is reading it reminded me of Salvation Creek.
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Barbara

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:22 am Post subject:

oh...just you wait to read the wondrous Judy on that film!! Smile

Barbara, this is a link to the Judith Thruman biography...Thruman was in the documentary...you might find the review posted on May 12 2002 of interest...the writer poses that idea of the work being enough...that sometimes we want our fav writers/artists/actors etc etc to be a little on the perfect side...and then...wham oh...reality bites!

http://www.amazon.com/Isak-Dinesen-Storyteller-Judith-Thurman/dp/0312135254/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196915014&sr=1-2

hugs from Oz... Wink

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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Rainey · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:47 am Post subject:

I saw that it was from '05 and hoped it might be online as a result. But when it wasn't my next best option was to watch for a local showing. In any case, I'm so glad you brought it to my attention. ;>
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God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:56 am Post subject:

Rainey...I'm glad you're glad!...there's something about the word 'glad'...it looks what it is!
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

gingerpale · Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 1324

I remember how disappointed I was to read that Denys Finch-Hatton left "no diaries" (like people seemed to do in those days), and just a few of his letters survived.

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:17 pm Post subject:

gingerpale, a dear friend of mine simply can't understand how I can read the letters of others!.....those between Vita and Virginia for example...she sees letters as being private...

there was an intensity of purpose in Jackie Kennedy burning letters she'd kept over the years....by golly, can you even begin to imagine them!

given the speed of life these days perhaps not so many journals etc being kept now...and as for handwritten letters...ah...bordering on a forgotten art...

keep seeing Karen Blixen with the cigarette in her hand...seems, when a young woman, she wanted to be thin....while watching the documentary I thought every so often...by golly, there's not much of her...anorexia isn't recent...named in the 19th century...think of all those fasting saints from history...

there is much comlexity to this life business Wink

hugs
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

cigalechanta · Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 200 Location: cambridge, ma.

I saw it in the theater when first released.
I buy my French films here where you can buy Out of Africa for $19.99.

http://www.facets.org/asticat
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..................................MFK Fisher

Judy · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:07 am Post subject:

Just back a few posts to Oyster Farmer...

Barbara it was filmed just a bit upriver from Pittwater, at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River. I'm well acquainted with it because a lot of my family live in that little village, a few of whom are in the movie. One even has a speaking part. They used an uncle's working areas and treatment plant in quite a few of the scenes, and 2 of my uncles and their employees can be seen in the background working.

It's a good thing the film-maker made the movie when she did, had she left it any later there wouldn't have been any working oyster farms or treatment plants to film around. Brooklyn was an oyster farming community until the QX parasite wiped out the Sydney Rock Oyster there. Tragic.

Great movie, though.
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