Saturday, October 2, 2010

Academy Award

La prima cosa bellaLa prima cosa bella” (The First Beautiful Thing), by the Livornese Paolo Virzì and almost completely filmed in Livorno, is the Italian candidate for the next foreign language Oscar.
On the other hand, our Pisan cousins have already won a world wide laugh for this rickety and off-key video supporting the Nobel Peace Prize for the Internet.

(Thanks to my friend Stefano for showing me this pearl)

P.S. - If you like the Pisan video I can do nothing for you, but if you think that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to a thing is a good idea, please try to read this New Yorker piece about social media: “Why the revolution will not be tweeted” by Malcolm Gladwell.

19 comments:

Michelle said...

You are right...this is a pearl.

Leif Hagen said...

Lights, camera, action! Keep us posted on the possibility of an award for a film produced in Livorno!

Lowell said...

You can be sure I'll be watching for "La prima cosa bella" at the Oscars next spring! Congratulations.

I love the video...so funny and yet there's a lot of truth in what your Pisan cousins are saying...I think the Internet has, in many instances, brought together people from all over the world and in so doing has helped to overcome nationalistic and ethnic and linguistic tensions which tend to separate us. I think the Internet has helped many to see that we are one race, the human race, and we all experience the same kind of hurt and pain while sharing similar dreams for peace and happiness in our lives and in the world!

Also, Trillian, thank you again for all your wonderful comments today! Your words make the sun shine brighter and strengthen my resolve to take better photographs every day!

Randy said...

I'm ready for my close up. Fun post.

Luis Gomez said...

Waiting to see "La Prima cosa bella". Wonderful video! As you said a pearl!

Dina said...

Great fun, this video. And I think it's a fine idea to award the Peace Prize to the Internet.

joo said...

Will keep my fingers crossed for La prima cosa bella!
The video is, well...pearl:)
Have a nice weekend!

Cezar and Léia said...

Oh, man... What did these guys have in mind to propose Internet for Nobel Peace Prize? Really strange...
God bless you!
Cezar

Birdman said...

I like your shot of the camera. Ya, I'm ready for my 'close-up' too. Ha! Cool video.

Lowell said...

Greetings VP! Re your comment on The Villages...at first I thought the "For Rent" sign was a joke...but then I wasn't sure. I didn't ask them. Perhaps they were serious and as you suggest, they were looking for some tourists who would be willing to rent their cart to run around town.

I just thought the sign was funny and they were very nice.

Small City Scenes said...

Very interesting post. What fun to see a film made in Livorno---they could use some of your photos. Great camera shot.
The Paris video was interesting in so many ways true.
Good luck with everything. MB

Unknown said...

I will have to keep the 'La prima cosa bella' on my mind, don't want to miss this. Hope to watch it before the Oscar ceremony.
...And I like the camera shot!

amatamari© said...

Ah ah ah troppo bello il video di Pisa for peace...il montaggio sonoro è davvero effervescente!!!
:-)

Grazie per il post!

propostestefano said...

Pisa M..... über alles

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Davvero stupenda!

Stefan Jansson said...

Ha ha. That was a good one.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

he must have very strong shoulders to carry that heavy camera

Francisca said...

Oh drats, VP, why did you do that to me? I don't really have time for such a think-fest right now! :-D

Like most - if not all - smart New Yorker articles, that one was a highly intelligent analysis of "strategy and discipline" versus "network" in their effectiveness to bring about social/political change. I am among those who believe that there are still many lunch counters out there that need integrating. There is room for real activism on the ground as opposed to finger walking on the keyboard. Yet the internet (and social media) does have many positive (as well as negative) uses. You may or may not like their worldview, but Avaaz.org has been able to make some strong political counter-status-quo statements that have made the powers that be blink.

Before reading the article I already wondered about the sense in awarding a TOOL the award... at least give the award to its inventor! I think the internet came from military uses, then education, but the WWW as we know it since 1991 is attributed to Sir Timothy John_Berners-Lee.

I've not watched a good movie in quite some time (the last good one was a documentary on the author Iris Murdoch in her later years when she had Alzheimer's), but after watching the trailer, I would enjoy La prima cosa bella.

Enough for now... whew! It's your fault, VP! You got serious... :-D

tapirgal said...

A thought-provoking day. I agree that the Intenet has helped us do much good, and it's interesting to see the scale of exaggeration in the article. This is not new. I've been reading some history from the 1800s, and hype has always played its role. Give the Peace Prize to a human, but use the tool for good.