The Image Poet

My eyes welled up as I was watching the tenacity of this girl, waiting for the love of her life in the freezing winter. Her unconditional love to a man she bearly knows by cooking the best food, following him around, fixing up the unkempt school and finding every opportunity to talk to the man she loves (the well sequence).

How simple the film is in its effortless storytelling. Where are the villains? (The invisible grip of Chairman Mao) Where are the conflicts? (Inner conflicts) Where are the huggings and kissings of a romantic film? (Do we need them?) Once we uncover the beauty of Zhang Yi-Mou's image storytelling, you are invited into a world where it seems so far yet you are able to identify with it. He draws you in as a part of the villagers with the usage of repetitive images of the school, the small bridge and the lone tree, the old well by the school and the images of the roads. I envied him the first time I saw the film and I don't think I can approach up to his genius in the ways he tells story but he is one of the benchmarks that I look up to.

Zhang Yi-Mou, the image poet of our generation. We have had our fair share of image poets of the past, Sayajit Ray, Yasujiro Ozu and John Ford. Zhang Yi-Mou is the heir to the greats of the past.

Pride & Proud

As I was searching for a parking spot, it started to drizzle. Taksu Gallery is situated in this bungalow near Dato' Keramat. Earlier, I thought I would not be able to make it as I had two meetings back to back but luckily they ended around 8pm. Now, why was I there?

My cousin, Justin had his art exhibition launch titled Justin Lim MOMENTUM SOLO 2006 at Taksu. I would not have missed it for the world. For memory sake, I remembered when he was a little boy, I would lie down on the floor with him, guiding him in sketching figures (well...mainly superheroes like Batman, Spiderman, etc...). Another one that I remembered most was when he and his family visited Los Angeles and we were in Disneyland going on this water ride, as we hit the bottom...the impact was so strong that he hit his head on the handle and I felt guilty for not being able to anticipate that... he was in a great deal of pain.

Now, while I was talking to him about his style and technique...all of the moments slowly crept into my mind. His affinity towards jazz (Miles Davis, John Coltrane,etc...) associates to the way he inspires the canvass with colors and strokes , in a way it makes me proud as he knows that I have always been a jazz lover. Justin is also a talented musician.

Congratulation Justin for last night was your night and there will be many more of such nights for you.... Continue on....