A Wander Through Melbourne's Fertile Lanes Of Unhung Art
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday October 23, 2007
NOT QUITE ART 10pm, ABC: There is no art - we just do the best we can, creeping towards a better understanding of eternal questions. We'll never get there - not by art alone, but it helps to ponder the expressions of those who feel compelled to create. And if culture is an infection, should we be vaccinated or let our immune systems respond accordingly? Plenty of discussion in the air at present about the desirability of laneway bars and intimate establishments for the savouring of certain nectars - as opposed to the upscale lavatoriums where grog-sodden boofheads and aggressively self-assured young poseurs tip it down by the bucketful - so an excursion into the laneways and back streets of Melbourne with Marcus Westbury to check out the new folk art scene is timely. Folk art? Folk off! But it stands to reason there's fertile ground in the wide swing of the pendulum between corporate sponsorship of flagship theatre, opera, ballet and orchestras and the uncollectable artworks on display in subversive venues such as Hosier Lane. Not quite art? Not quite sure - but I know what I like. Chantilly lace ...
EARTH AND ASHES (2004) 1pm, SBS: Dastaguir, an elderly man, journeys through remote Afghanistan to visit his son, a miner. Accompanied by his young grandson, Yassin, the old man bears woeful tidings - his son's family has been wiped out during an air raid on their village. Dastaguir's wife, along with the son's wife, Zaynab, his daughter and a nephew, are dead. Yassin has been rendered deaf by the bombing. Dastaguir (Abdul Ghani) isn't sure he has the courage to break the news or to compound the inevitable despair by revealing that Zaynab killed herself after being "dishonoured" (raped by Taliban), during the attack. What is there left to live for? Can there be any residual hope in the face of such overwhelming suffering? Atiq Rahimi's film is slow and coruscating both in the extent and measure of its bleakness. The voice of reason emerges nonetheless - from a roadside vendor, Mirza Qadir (Walli Tallosh), whose decency and civility defy the pessimism and fatalism confronting the old man and the damaged boy who, without doubt, represent both the soul and future of this benighted country. The film's slow pace and moments of sudden consequence played out as inconsequential - or inevitable - in the greater scheme of things, will make it difficult viewing for viewers who prefer stories kicked along by action. How much hardship can those inured to futility accept before they wither?WHY DEMOCRACY? 8.30pm, SBS: Speaking of Afghanistan, much is being advanced in the name of democracy - most of it worthy and commendable if the provision of access to free choice and equality are fundamental elements. But can democracy be imposed? Are various adventures and political excursions, undertaken in the name of liberty or human rights, genuine attempts to bring a better social system to oppressed people? Could they sometimes be misguided or arrogant expressions of superiority? Egypt: We Are Watching You focuses on the promotion of the dominant idea of our time through the vision of three committed women and their campaign to reveal to ordinary Egyptian citizens the need for an independent judiciary, the value of voting and the necessity of participating in reasoned debate. Things we take for granted - and our politicians shamelessly manipulate.
© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald
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