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Brilliant piece of contemporary art in the form of a video mashup:

H/T: @mwesch
Lyrics after the jump.
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Can I be alone in my longing for inarticulacy, for a cinema that refuses to join all the dots? For an arrhythmia in gesture, for a dissonance in shape? For the context of cinematic frame, a frame that in the end only cinema can provide, for the full view, the long shot, the space between, the gaps, the pause, the lull, the grace of living.
  
  - -- Tilda Swinton’s State of Cinema address, San Francisco Film Festival

I have compiled a list of movies I really like where pretty much nothing happens. In this age of nonstop-action films, these films dare to show the pause, the lull, the in-between, that which we call life. To say that nothing happens in these films is, of course, an oversimplification, and while these films are not boring, not by any stretch, they are the furthest thing from the climatic feeling you get in other films where a mystery gets solved, or when the two main characters finally fall into each others’ arms.

These films are certainly not for anyone, but those willing to risk losing ninety minutes off their lives, might gain so much more.

 
Lost in Translation (Japan, 2003) -- Director: Sofia Coppola

 
Himalaya (Nepal, 1999) -- Director: Eric Valli

 
The Band’s Visit (Israel, 2007) -- Director: Eran Kolirin

 
The Way Home (South Korea, 2002) -- Director: Jeong-hyang Lee

 
Elephant (USA, 2003) -- Director: Gus Van Sant

 
The Mailman of China’s Mountains (China, 2003) -- documentary

 
Our Daily Bread (Germany, 2005) -- Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter -- documentary

A few minutes ago, Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman lost his bid for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Hebrew speaking Waltz With Bashir, an animated documentary film, or documation, was Israel’s eighth nomination in this category and while everybody here hoped it would be Israel’s first win -- unfortunately that was not in the cards tonight. Previous Israeli nominees include:

Foreign Language Film Nominations:

Sallah (Sallah Shabati, 1964)
The Policeman (HaShoter Azoulay, 1971)
I Love You Rosa (Ani Ohev Otach Rosa, 1972)
The House on Chelouche Street (HaBayit Berechov Chelouche, 1973)
Operation Thunderbolt (Mivtsa Yonatan, 1977)
Beyond the Walls (MeAhorei HaSoragim, 1984)
Beaufort (2007)

Documentary Feature Nomination:

The 81st Blow (HaMakah Hashmonim V’Echad‎, 1974)

Best Actor Nomination:

Chaim Topol (as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof‎, 1971)

Here is Ari Folman sitting at a bar, drowning his sorrows, apparently holding someone else’s Oscar statuette (…yes, I manipulated the photo in advance):

More on this on your mainstream media.

After winning numerous awards including a Golden Globe, Ari Folman’s documation ‘Waltz with Bashir’ has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Minutes ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made its announcement for the 81st Academy Awards ceremony, that will be held exactly one month from today, on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.