Kinky Boots

Last night we watched the film Kinky Boots - there is nothing better than a good ol' Brit flick! During the day I came by the shoes of Dieppa Restrepo. They're a young Columbian duo with a store in New York and their shoes have an androgynous yet feminine feel. Wouldn't mind a pair myself!

Images from 1. Karen Walker 2. Pinterest 3. Matches

Ping Pong

My project for my final year in uni is looking at loneliness in older people through their home environments and their local community. Through the research I have been doing, so many support networks have come to light as well as the achievements of the oldest old. I seem to have missed all the screenings of Ping Pong over the summer months but I'm going to buy the DVD of the film, about octogenarians and older who compete in tabletennis tournaments around the world - it looks incredible!

Crazy Town

On Saturday lunchtime I arrived in Wales to catch up with my university unit for a study visit to Portmeirion. It was designed and built by the somewhat eccentric architect Clough William-Ellis, and for us was a surreal backdrop to create films about perception, imagination and form. It has really got me thinking/stretching my brain but through the creative process I think we have come up with incredibly interesting outcomes.

Architectural Graphics

It's late and I should be in bed but my mind is teaming with ideas. Our portfolio deadline is on Friday and I have been wracking my brains to think of the best way to present my work. A3 booklet, half A1 sheets, I just can't decide! Then I came across this graphical image by the architect Kate Macintosh - who was in the film Utopia London which we saw when we first started our studies here in Manchester. I love the almost dirty colour, muted tones and simple fonts. Dan said why not set your portfolio out like an old housing brochure, it is housing I'm doing after all. Here are some great American examples. The mind keep whirring...

Image from Utopia London

Urbanized

On Thursday night we went to see a screening of the Gary Hustwit film documentary, Urbanized. I haven't (yet) seen his other two films, Helvetic and Objectified, but having read reviews about this one and seen the trailer, I was really keen to go. The film presents case studies of different cities who have input different ideas to solve the problems caused by the mass urbanisation of our planet. 

The mayor of Bogota was fantastic, so enthusiastic having taken his position in office to bring in a super bus ways and ignore cars to focus on cycle and pedestrian networks. My ears pricked up about Detroit, who's population has decreased from 2 million to 700,000 in recent years, as the communities have started up urban gardens in the plots of lands where houses have been abandoned.

In a debate after these issues were discussed in relation to Manchester and what I concluded is that it is all about deeds not words. We, the individuals, need to get of our bottoms and make a different.

All in all it was a truly inspiring film.

Trailer from urbanizedfilm.com

Charles & Ray

There is a film out about the design duo Charles and Ray Eames. They didn't have a profession as it were, it was a Jack-of-all-trades philosophy. That's how I'd like to be. Here is the documentary trailer.

Images from First Run Features

Film Fun

I got snapping away with my old Praktica film camera when we were away in Fez. Embarrassingly I'm still a complete novice when it come to old school technology. First I thought there was already a film in so some images dissolved into nothingness, next I couldn't work out why the camera wouldn't take with a new film in (the shutter lock was on) and lastly when the film was finished I forgot to wind it back and opened the back up and exposed the film. Phew! Nevertheless I got a few good snaps, most importantly the ones of site for our project. Here's a few of the others.

Move Places

Another day, another video. Fiona showed me this yesterday and I can't say anything more than it is SO good. The places depicted and the slick interchange makes it a great short film.

Video: MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

On Film

Ethereal short films, clips moving in and out of focus. Recently I've come across some great videos and it's got me thinking about exploring this different medium in my studies. Plus it's another Kinfolk project!

Video: ribboned asparagus salad from tiger in a jar on Vimeo discovered via Village

Happy Ending

I've been meaning to watch The Shawshank Redemption since I received the DVD for my 16th birthday, so... 4 and half years ago. I'm very much drawn to rom coms and have to be in the mood to watch something deep and meaningful. Either I thought it was scary (not really knowing the plot) or that I knew that I would cry (which I did!)
Shawshank was sad, funny, made me angry, but all in all a fantastic film, an epic, with a happy ending which I felt to be believable. So I'd truly recommend anyone to see it - don't, like me, put it off!