FORMING CONSUMERISM AND THE CONSUMERS AFFINITY TOWARDS PRODUCTS OF THE CULTURAL INDUSTRIES (Igor Pop Trajkov)

Between 29^th and 6^th of April happened the Skopje Film Festival. Before some 10 years this festival was established in Macedonia’s prime city. Its goals were: his existence in the prime city to return the audiences in the cinemas, to improve the cinema distribution and the slow motioned and aged screening politics, to en reach the cultural mile with mainstream and art films, bringing guests and film- workshops, lectures on film etc. The author of this lines had not seen its previous 3 editions, but facing the mentioned tasks/criteria, it seems it had much distanced from them. As indicated in some local media coverage, it seems the festival had turned into a film show without any particular accent on the authors, art or even radical film that was its main attribute in his early years, with which attracted the attention of the international film community.

It seems the film piracy and the absence of its sanctioning took its peak, that lead into complete reduction of the film distribution in the cinemas in Macedonia; and lead to reduction of the cinemas themselves. Currently in Skopje there are only 2 cinemas- Millennium and Ramstore (with two cinemas). There are the cinematheque and cinema Frosina (with its rare projections), that are rarely distributing or screening any particular cinematography or production. The mentioned two cinemas (last 2 ones) announced its collaboration with Euroimages for e.g. and there network of cinemas, but that rarely happens. Price list of the cinema tickets in the existing cinemas are the same as the ones in the cinema metropolises, but the financial standard and the technical standard of the screenings here are drastically lower.With its goal not to lost in touch with the latest productions, the author of this lines also consumed some pirate DVD. Since normal distribution of DVD’s , with all the authors rights fulfilled, almost doesn’t exist. The quality of these pirate DVD’s is really bad, its technical and hygiene aspect. There price thought usually surpasses the one from the professional disks, that can be rented in any European city. This situation lasts many years already, but no serious measures were ever done for this so far. This and other similar issues touching the global landscape of the film piracy, were opened on the lecture by Joseph Beck. This lecture was about the authors rights in the global landscape, and that its viloateing is happening due to the relativising of the law of authors rights. Violating the authors rights and the intellectual owning, it seems, are some of the most sophisticated and largest forms of exploitation in the global economy, that non rarely slips into criminality.

The situation on this with Macedonia compared with the other countries in the region is one of the worst ones. According to the data I found the newly accepted EU members from the region imposed tough sanctions and measures for protection from piracy of films. In Macedonia does exist the law of authors rights that is by the EU regulations, but up till now no serious measures were done for its implementation.

With a large generalization I could underline that the main “profile” of the productions shown in the main and the other programs were the cultural differences, or on the contrary equalities (that at the first site are the opposite). The documentary about the composer Philip Glass (“Glass: A Portrait for Philip in 12 Parts” by Scott Hick, 2007) is following his life passage try following its career, mostly in his contemporaneity, particularly the production of his opera “Waiting the Barbarians”; and how that career reflects his private life. Without vulgarly entering in his privacy and intimacy, the director Scott Hick is giving us a picture of the life of an exquisite composer. That picture not rarely becomes imagination, just like the music he produces. The Croatian “Sevdah o rodama”by Silvio Mirosnicenko (2006) is analyzing the connection between the creativity and the life of one musician, the famous Bosnian raper Edo Maajka. The authors input here is also on the connection –life influences art, art influences life. Researching the history of other arts – literature, painting…- it seems the new age made the newly formed situation for the artists. Since from their very beginning they have to begun with there mature phase. That’s how this musician (since from the time of his education), due to the well known regional circumstances had to enter his maturity.

Peter Greenaways “Nightwatching” (2007) in his authors manner, visualizing the biography of Rembrandt, is analyzing the naivety of the artist. Naivety that emerged from his dedication. That brought him to his exploitation and male -use from his family, the wider community, and the whole state, that forces him in the tutorial.

With one great generalization again (possible due to the all present situation of globalism) and according to the presented in this years selected films, is that in the culture in East and West there is certain discrepancy. According to the Western culture all citizens are presumed innocent, thought according to the Eastern one they are all presumed guilty.

In “Lions for Lambs” by Robert Redford(2007) freedom of press is being observed try the current political moment. With its excellent interpretation of the character of the dedicated journalist (portrayed by Meryl Streep), this film is reaching the theme of integrated and sophisticated corruption. Namely the she-journalist that is a family woman, has to adapt what she is writing unless she wants to loose her work, or have any other repercussions. There is not much place for moralizing in the journalist texts, unless there’s some proof for some conspicuous activities. In “Sleuth“ by Kenneth Branagh (2007) is being observed the hermetics of one community from the high society, actually a circle of people that are at the edge of a delictum. Using the experimental dialogs scheme the film relativises the connotation about the law, due to the fact that in this kind of closed, isolated environments that connotation is being modified according to what is sad the last.

On the other hand the Chinese “The Course of the Golden Flower” by Yimou Zhang (2006), try the dramaturgy presented in the form of a chronicle, and the splendorous and meaningful visualization, on the “behind the curtains games of the dynasty Tong”- is presented the guilt as an accepted segment in the rules of the game. So the mentioned dramaturgy try its dialogs is something that is far more hiding than showing (retailing). Particularly when the basis of the plot is an incest. In “Stray Dogs” by Marziyeh Meshkini(2004) braking of human rights (in this case- rights of the children) is something that is accepted, even grounded in this unlucky environment- Afghanistan. In the Korean “Breath” by Ki-duk Kim (2007) is being outlooked the right of sexual freedom of one death- convict, as the fact that his mistress is a married woman, is completely overlooked.

The Danish documentary “AFR“ by Morten Hartz Kaplers (2007) dedicated to the danish premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen is analyzing the question of functioning the individual/person in the European political elite, as the whole film unlike in the classic documentary is experimenting with the reality and fiction. That is the case, (that is the thesis of this documentary) with the life of the mentioned elite- balance between the reality and imagination.

Does that mean that the main line of the film productions lately is to point that large part of the lawlessness is being integrated in the society? In “A Girl Cut in Two” (2007), the maestro Claude Chabrol is observing the game of love and death in the close bourgeois and family circle, as that is his specialty from the beginning of his career. All the violations are being suppressed and hidden, until the moment a big violation happens. Even after that, the protagonists are making a deal in there close circle, as the victim is an innocent citizen. What is really impressive in this film is the fresh, humorous andtil the level of perfection precise stile of its director. “Sicko” by Michael Moore (2007) is analysing the corrupted network in USA, that is benefiting from the social and health insurance of its citizens. Thought I couldn’t agree that the socialist system (what is pointed in this documentary) , provides its citizens with some extra protection. In it there also are violations and exploitation, that are integrated in a different way. For that another documentary should be made. In “Inland Empire” (2006), David Lynch is continuing with his creative obsession- integrated crime, corruption, and the intern interest, in a most transparent manner up till now. Where the interest ends, the violence begins. As longer that violence lasts, its becoming more acceptable; becoming a part of the everyday culture. And becoming a part of the art: films, film narration, music etc. On this line, also is, it seems the film “Eastern Promises” by David Cronenberg (2007) that was presented in the program, but his screening canceled.

Namely, the violence is enhancing the believe that it is bringing the society in a constant movement; and that movement is developing the economy .

In this research line: movement > society, I could gather one group of films. Namely there are some studies that are/or it is being believed are finding the beginnings of the fascism. What means wind[1], in some European languages it has meaning for some family relations, in some cultures it means freedom, eternity, life, movement. In this line was “Water” by Deepa Mehta (2005) where the widows monastery is marked with the mentioned sign. In that monastery inner space the widows are sharing all the segments of there personal, inner life, that liberates and enslaves them at the same time. Also located in India “Darjeling Limited” by Wes Andreson (2007), trough the modernity of the globalism, is exploring the idea of the society that is functioning in movement, but with no governance (or power from above). That is bringing the society to its balance or chaos, happy- end or a tragedy- all in the sign of the culture of eternal movement. The connection between fascism and modernity is researched by Roy Andersson in his “You, the Living” (2007) underlining how the over connection in one society influences the human communication, its escapism, its reduction to signs and lack of intellect.

Reduction of the modern societies and there separation in cultural groups was also present in the following movies: Andre Techines “Les temoins” (2007) , the homosexuals and there families, Tamara Jenkins “The Savages” (2007), the alienated families, Sam Gabarskis “Irina Palm”(2007)- middle aged housewives, Ulrich Seidls “Import –Export”(2007)- economic migrants, in the documentary “Invisibles”(2007),produced by Javier Bardem- people that leave in closed communities as threatened by humanitarian crisis, Ilian Simeonovs“Warden of the Dead”(2006)- Jews, Jason Reitmans “Juno”(2007)-teenagers. All these groups of people, live closed in themselves, as having a goal to help each other, trying to protect themselves from the society that rejected them.

Particularly interesting was to see this years selection of short films, at least for me, as the main aesthetic and artistic tendency was the returning of the atmosphere; regardless weather it is about cinematography in landscapes, interiors or close shots. And I noticed a tendency of aesthetisizing of everything that is shot, as well. See this years program at www.skopjefilmfestival.com.mk/Short%20Program.htm

Very innovative in this context were: “Viva” by Anna Biller (2007) and “Taxidermia” by Gyorgy Palfi (2006). There modernity and innovation of the film language is based in the new usage of dialogs and there visualization. As the dialogs (or the words) are less used for film narration, and much more for a semantic orchestration of the reduced and historically circumstanced mizanscene (in the I case) and the imaginative visualization (in the II case).

Interesting was the program of the short, one minute long films which was competitive. I was a fan of the film which was about buying apples on the street market Stefan Nikolovskis “Apples”(2008 ), where on a black blank on the dialogs sound basis, is being visualized the “green, fresh” effect of an apple byte. Only that if I noticed well the girl (the biter) didn’t pay for the apples. I wonder why?

This years SFF show some interesting and innovative films from the last years pale production sky. This year a retrospective of Vittorio de Sicca was screened. His films even now are impressing with there stone perfection, contrasting the technical superiority of todays movies. It would be usefull if the young authors could learn something from his films. Otherwise there fragile productions gonna disappear up there like cows from the skies.

[1] In ancient times it was believed that life begins with circle wind of dust. There are some mosaics for e.g. that show the swastika (symbol of wind), waves, fishes, in a circle.