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jueves, 12 de diciembre de 2013

Cuestión de aberturas


Sin distinción del índole fílmico son diversos los modos como es abordada la exhibición de los genitales femeninos. Asimismo, el tratamiento visual que recae en este punto es desigual al que se tiene con otras piezas eróticas de la mujer. 

Quizá sea la escena de Sharon Stone y su desfachatado abrir de piernas en Bajos Instintos (1992) sea la asociación más próxima entre el séptimo arte y las vaginas. De igual manera, surgen otros momentos en los cuales permanece perenne la mirada de los directores cuando se trata de representar el universo vaginal. 

Es evidente que existe una propuesta común en la mirada ejercida en relación a la vulva; a diferencia de los senos y las nalgas. Con las vaginas se prefiere una austeridad audiovisual. Una moderación que probablemente tenga relación con las expectativas de la audiencia masculina como el tipo de público que va a consumir el desnudo femenino. He aquí una parábola del cine como reflejo de la sociedad: se ha construido un morbo desmedido por la voluptuosidad de los pechos y los traseros. No con las vaginas. 

A su vez, resulta divergente el tipo de mirada que pueda brindar un realizador masculino a comparación del punto de vista de una realizadora femenina. Digamos que una directora impondrá un enfoque más desinteresado cuando tenga que aprehender una vagina. De otro lado, un director afrontará una vagina con una mirada masculina. Esto significa, que no solamente prevalecerá la subjetividad del realizador, sino también una segunda mirada fálica como consecuencia de la cualidad de ser hombre.

Otro tipo de detalle es cómo la representación de las vaginas en el cine respetan los paradigmas estéticos según la época. En Soñadores (2003), Isabelle (Eva Green) es una de las jóvenes de un trío amical, que prontamente se torna promiscuo, en pleno esplendor de mayo del ’68 en París. Precisamente, en cada acto amatorio en que Isabelle hace parte sobresale la exuberancia de su vello púbico sin que eso logre llamar la atención de sus compañeros sexuales.

Contrariamente, en Cashback (2006) las representaciones femeninas mutan estéticamente y la frondosidad vaginal desaparece para erigirse como norma una vagina imberbe.  Así, cada recuerdo narrado por el joven Ben (Sean Biggerstaff) incluyen mujeres con la pubis depilada. Menuda alegoría que trasgrede la ficción, debido a que es esta la estética que se exhorta a las féminas con los productos de acicalamiento en el mundo occidental en la actualidad.  

Empero, esta idealización estética varía en la cultura oriental como sucede en la taiwanesa El sabor de la sandía (2005), al margen del carácter reciente del mismo. Detalle, el cual, no es más que una prolongación verosímil del cine como intento por respetar y evidenciar realidades culturales aún cuando se trate de los genitales.

Sucede también que se restringe tal manifestación visual por apuestas igual de lúbricas, pero que incluyen estrategias más sagaces de dominación al espectador: la seducción. Corazón Salvaje (1990) expone a Lula (Laura Dern) en pleno orgasmo al ser estimulada sexualmente por Bobby Perú (Willem Dafoe). Similarmente, Vagina Dentada (2007) narra la anormalidad genital de Dawn (Jess Weixler) quién posee una vagina con la habilidad de castrar cualquier elemento intruso dentro de ella.

No mostrar sensualidad no debe ser tomada como meros caprichos de los realizadores sino como apuestas icónicas con fines pavlovianos con el espectador; y que, reposa en la dialéctica sobre la seducción de Baudrillard. Este dispositivo destruye la realidad y la sustituye por la ilusión: espectador conquistado. Mostrar es discordante con la seducción. El espectador permanece en su realidad e inmediatamente buscará un nuevo mecanismo para esquivarla.


lunes, 9 de diciembre de 2013

Marker and their animals

Watching Chris Marker's Bestiaire is contemplate his genuine curiosity in the way he regards animals. Indeed, the director somehow features this clip as if his real intention were to stop beings from the daily rush of life in order to take a look around and breathe.

Marker travels with his camera on hands transmitting his most inner thoughts whenever he encounters animals. Moreover, the filmmaker images ranges from the roughest ones such as bulls to the most docile ones such a cat. Similarly, in Marker's eyes, animals are products of how human beings raise them: they can evidence its most furious anger, as shown in Bullfight in Okinawa; and its incredible sweetness as exhibited in Chat écoutant la musique.

Likewise, the sound plays an important role as if were the own voice of the animals. This regard is widely explored in An owl is an owl is an owl, where the camera frames insistently a large variety of owls along a disturbing sound. Hence, in this film, the sound works as if each owl through the intertwined frames were talking to each other in a unintelligible language only Marker may know.

'Bestiaire' tells different short stories related to animals without any particular intention at first glance. Nonetheless, once the seconds run in the film, the entire story offers a poetic experience due to the repetition of sounds and animal images. This last aspect, turns the abstract image of animals into a more down-to-earth image as if they were considered in the same 'superior' category human beings have on Earth.





miércoles, 27 de noviembre de 2013

When the future is away from home


Five years after the economic crisis struck Europe one of the most affected groups nowadays are young people. Young and educated is not necessarily equal to be independent and have sufficient incomes in several countries across the continent. This is the case of Spain with more than half of their youth population under 30 in overqualified jobs.

During the past October, almost 5.6 million people under 25 were unemployed in Europe, whom 3.5 million are in the Eurozone, which it makes the 24,4 % of youth. One of the countries that top the inquiry is Spain with 57,4 %, six tenths more than in September, which means that 972,000 young Spaniards were unemployed.
Slightly ahead, Greece counts with 58 %, and in third place Croatia holds a 52,4 % of youth jobless according to the recent Eurostat figures.

Regardless what policies could be implemented there is a current leakage within and outside Europe or simply anywhere but not Spain. As a matter of fact, 43.6% among those between 20 and 24 years, and 25.5% in the range of 25 to 29 years are educated but jobless. As a result, 89 % of nationals that have migrated had higher education.

It is quite understandable this brain drain abroad when due to labour shortage, young people that hold a degree find out that are overqualified for a job position hence are mostly offered to work under short-term contracts. Similarly, if found a job, is only possible to get one, but underpaid and unrelated to their education and skills.

Despite for Spaniards going for a specific country is not an issue as long as jobs are available. Early inquiries show that Latin American and Europe are receiving most of Spanish migrants. For instance, Ecuador seems to be seemly option out of Europe due to its government offer of more than 5,000 jobs to college-educated Spaniards this year.

In the region is Germany, with the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe, is one the most preferred destination by Spanish citizens along with France and United Kingdom. Nonetheless, Belgium is becoming widely chosen due to its stable economy contrary to the rampant crisis in the continent.

Anywhere but not Spain

Ana Alvarez represents one of these cases, 24, who took her last year of undergraduate in Tourism in the University of Leuven and now has settled down in Belgium. "Just one week before going back home, I found a job in Brussels as nanny. I took it without hesitating, in Spain I just would not have found a job," claimed Ana. "My friends who have a work in Spain earn way less than what I make here even when they work on their field. Here (Belgium), besides earning money, I am saving it up".

Furthermore, Ana, like most of Spaniards away from home, does not know when will she back home even when she is almost two years abroad. "I like Leuven, I have friends here and I am making money here. I love my country too, but at the moment I only see me in Spain for holidays.” remarked Ana.  Rather she is thinking in investing her money saved in a master degree in order to get upward social mobility in Belgium.

On the other hand, she is conscious that she is not working on her field; however she believes she is doing it right. “I know I am not working on what I studied but let’s say that now I am lucky unlike most of people of my age in Spain. I would be worse if I were an underpaid worker as most of my friends in Spain,” concluded Ana.

According to Estela Román, 21, another student of the University of Leuven who is currently taking a Erasmus year program, she believes her future will be uncertain is she gets backs to Spain right after her stay. "I've already heard by some friends that in more than one year have not found a damn job. They (companies) want you to have experience, but how to acquire experience if there are no jobs?” stated Estela.

Likewise, Estela does not discard staying in Belgium after her academic term in Leuven. "I could stay here or go anywhere that I know I will find a job. Because If I get back there (Spain), I believe it will be for a fallow year or maybe to study something else as long as is not expensive," said Estela. "Because if I want to start a master program there (Spain) I have to pay up to 3, 500 euros while here (Belgium) only costs 650 euros. How could I get that money in Spain?”

Therefore in Spain it is not only a matter of not finding a job and being educated, it is also a matter of paying high fees and being a future jobless. Of 21 countries in Europe, Spain is the sixth with the highest fee rates only behind Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and the UK. Not to mention that, only two out of ten Spanish scholars get some kind of financial aid or scholarships.

But perhaps such financial aid may be cut down sooner or later. In fact, the Minister of Education, José Ignacio Wert, announced the past October his intention to cut down financial aid to Erasmus students amid their on-going studies. If scholars had not protested along Europe, it is likely that the financial cuts would have occurred. Nevertheless, Wert is planning to put stricter requirement to access to the Erasmus aid for the next academic year.

Notwithstanding, Europe will recover its economic course in the future; present situation displays current youth migration against their will and life expectations. A move that possibly implicates a job but will never return recapture the plans these youths had in their homeland close to their friends and family.   

It is a fact that Spain is losing their youth population, and even more that most of them are educated and do not see themselves in their homeland within a near future due to the financial crisis. Subsequently, the question that arises is how the Iberian country could overcome the crisis once is gone if they may not count with the most important actors of any country for the future: young people.

sábado, 23 de noviembre de 2013

Photojournalism: past, present and future

The origins of photography go back to the beginnings of the XVII century with with Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787-1857)

The term

As first glance photography is associated with a representation of an object. Such representation involves time, reality and space as most relevant components. Back in eighteen century with the attempt to capture the image in a camera obscura, and later in 1839 with  Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre presenting photography to the world; photography has been through several changes.

First,

sábado, 9 de noviembre de 2013

Libros 'must read' de la de Lima

#1Guardar305.5 B77 20122012
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS40
#2Guardar302.2019 S492008
1 copia disponible en Piso 3 Psicología - PS120
#3Guardar306 F3852008
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS50
#4Guardar303.49 B2342008
2 copias disponibles
#5Guardar305.803 L25 (R)2007
1 copia disponible en Piso 1 Referencia - Diccionarios
#6Guardar339.47 B262007
3 copias disponibles
#7Guardar325.32 H22 20052005
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencia Política - CP50
#8Guardar791.4363538 G862005
1 copia disponible en Piso 3 Arte - AR60
#9Guardar303.4 B265S2004
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS20
#10Guardar306.449 G252004
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS50
#11Guardar320.01 H222004
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencia Política - CP10
#12Guardar701.17 C182003
1 copia disponible en Piso 3 Arte - AR10
#13Guardar302.2345 A142002
1 copia disponible en Piso 3 Comunicación e Información - CN50
#14Guardar325.32 H222002
2 copias disponibles
#15Guardar303.4 B26P2000
#16Guardar303.4833 G862000
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS20
#17Guardar305.8 A881998
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS40
#18Guardar306.7 B261998
1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS50
#19Guardar110 B261997
2 copias disponibles
#20Guardar149.7 D52D1997
1 copia disponible en Piso 3 Filosofía - FL50




#21

Guardar
303.4 B261997
Las estrategias fatales  5a ed. 

  Baudrillard, Jean, 1929-2007.

1 copia disponible en Piso 2 Ciencias Sociales - CS20
#22Guardar149.7 D521996
1 copia disponible en Piso 3 Filosofía - FL50
#23Guardar305.5 B77 19911991
3 copias disponibles
#24Guardar302.23 A561989
2 copias disponibles
#25Guardar301 B777C1988
2 copias disponibles









jueves, 31 de octubre de 2013

People from this place.

It's been nearly a year since I am in Belgium and definitely the belgian people topic conversation is always my favorite one. Indeed, mainly the ones that are flemish due to my current stay in Leuven.

In a nutshell, Flemish are so dazed to break the status quo hence they are pretty good at following rules. Multiple examples come to my mind with the aim of display my perspective:

 They never complain

- They can even get the wrong purchase but still that is not a reason to complain.

Once a friend of mine bought an phone case for her brand new iphone so I told her that it was overpriced since I bought one for less and much more quality. For what she answered: 'But none complains here. I already unpacked it anyway...".


-They follow rules

-Students HAVE to good home each weekend because they parents say so.

Most of students commute home every weekend. Yeah, every weekend. It is such a ritual they follow every friday or even thursdays to get back to the city they study either on sunday night or very early on monday.

Again, I asked about this situation and I had: "But otherwise my parents would get mad at me and will not give me money. I have to go home every weekend".

This is what Leuven is, and Belgium at certain extent, got for you....I'll be back soon with more of this odd facts....

lunes, 30 de septiembre de 2013

A summer speaking french

It was early July while I was enjoying warm Leuven for the first time. No raining, no cold, no humidity. Not the Leuven I used to be. It was Leuven during the summer. It did not last long, though. In fact, my European summer would not happen to be in this city of Belgium.

Days later I was settled down in Paris: my summer would be there for a cero euros price thanks to the generosity of a friend instead of paying a pointless rental when classes were over. Without missing that I had some arguments with my landlord so the escape for my trouble was three hours away from lovely Leuven.

So unlike many people let's say that I never planned -and somehow want- a summer in Paris once I had it. Definitely the first days I may have unconsciously believed that I was still in Leuven therefore I was reading a good book or simply doing household tasks. In the following the days, I realized I was in an immigrant neighbourhood when I rarely could hear French around my hood. Chateau Rouge, which it was the metro stop near my house, had a pile of hairdressers targeted for black people along the street, telephone booths and a bakery 24/7 just at the corner of my street. That is how I could describe where I was in Paris during my first days.

After a couple of weeks I finally realized I was in Paris. I mean, my mind and eyes were able to realize of this. People were different from Leuven. For instance, twice, people got into arguments with me just because I rubbed my body with them while walking in the street. Once one of them even asked me to say sorry. Ha. Not to mention that twice I was about to get robbed in the Parisian metro; bars close at 2 am and by no means you will get a Stella Artois for one euro; and last but not least: French people are either bad in English or just do not speak it. This was a sign I was not in Leuven anymore; indeed, I was now living in Paris.

This does not mean I hated Paris. Not all. I started to love it once I find certain things were better there than in Belgium. As a matter of fact, Books and museums were ridiculously cheap unlike Belgium. I would recommend Gibert Jeune or the bookstore of the Pompidou Museum with a price for each book ranging between 10 and 15 euros. On the other hand, about finding good and cheap food I would not say that Paris is expensive either. However is a matter of finding good spots. As a general rule I believe that the more tourists are, the more expensive price will be around that area. 

Also, Parisian streets during the summer are quite different from other periods. There are a lot of free outdoors activities for everybody such as concerts and public cinema. Precisely, this was the moment when I decided go out in the streets everyday with my camera to keep all these summer memories. 

I remember that my first photo I took it in a public shower were lots of people were there just enjoying the cold water splashes during a hot day. I wasn’t really sure where I was aiming with all these snapshots until I checked my photos in my laptop. Once I reviewed each photo, I decided to grab moments like this around Paris.

Therefore, I went to the most popular spots in Paris and grabbed particular moments that most likely will happen only there. I was not interested in Paris cliché tourist places such as the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, the Montmartre and so on. Instead, I was interested in these places but mainly about what people was doing there. After almost three months of stay, this was the outcome: this is how I saw Paris from my eyes. Au revoir!