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What makes you happy? Happiness Cinema @Trianon, Leiden

'Happiness should be taken seriously, but have as much fun as you can whilst searching for it :)' - Patricia and Koen from Happy Planet Platform

A roomful of cinemagoers was eagerly awaiting the start of the film HAPPY by Roko Belic, in the beautiful movie theatre, Trianon, in Leiden. It was a rainy and grey Saturday, but the buzz in the auditorium was warm and cosy.  The event organized via We Want Cinema by the Happy Planet Platform brought the film to the big screen again.

We asked a few questions from Koen and Patricia, from Happy Planet Platform!

What is Happy Planet Platform (HPP)?

‘At the Happy Planet Platform we are all about connecting happiness, science and people’.  They work on developing activities and policies based on the science of happiness. ‘We hope to increase the focus on happiness in everyday life for individuals, companies, organisations and communities’. Seems like a huge undertaking since nowadays we live an a society that is focused on money and merit. They explain, ‘We aim to achieve this shift from emphasising a focus on economic growth to a focus on well-being, by means of using a different indicator for progress instead of GDP: the Happy Planet Index' ( See more on their projects here).

  Happiness Cinema brings them one step closer to reaching out to their public. ‘We believe strongly in using film as a fun, positive and accessible/approachable medium. After all, at HPP we are film fanatics! That is also why we love We Want Cinema. Without WWC, it would have been very difficult for us to create such an event’. We at WWC are also film fanatics, so we are happy that they found us!

They chose Roko Belic’s insightful and comprehensive documentary, HAPPY, as part of their Happiness Cinema programme. ‘We choose HAPPY because of its subject: it relates closely to our own mission. Happiness should be taken seriously on all levels of society and people should make happiness - not just their own, but also other people's happiness- their top priority’ . The film takes the spectator across the world, examining different human experiences and their path to happiness. From the simple life of the Louisana Bayou to the island of Okinawa known for the longevity of life of its dwellers to the happiest people in the world living in Denmark. On the way, the science of happiness is discussed and elaborated upon by leading scientists in the field.

The event was a great success, it was completely sold out! ‘It was a huge surprise to us. We didn’t really have expectation. We just wanted to share HAPPY and our views with as many people as possible and tell the story of Happy Planet Platform’.

So check out their Happy Planet Platform and stay tuned for their upcoming events. ‘We will continue finding creative ways to spread our message. And we will continue Happiness Cinema after a great first edition!’ 

We would like to say thank you to Koen and Patricia and Happy Planet Platform for brightening our day and making us realize the importance of being happy with who we are. And to you, our readers, they also left a little piece of wisdom: ‘Happiness should be taken seriously, but have as much fun as you can whilst searching for it :)’.

Check out their Facebook page or Twitter page here to stay updated!

Text by Petra Albu

Photos from Happy Planet Platform and happythemovie.com

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Intense and insightful - CITIZENFOUR screening @IDFA 2014

It’s 8:50 early in morning when I arrived at the Tushinski on the first day of IDFA to the very first screening of the festival. Given it was an industry screening there were a lot of members of the Dutch press who greeted each other with a familiarity that resembled more a family reunion than a work assignment.

As I settled into my comfy seat, I felt a little sleepy and wondered whether I would have trouble keeping my eyes open in the darkness. It is safe to say that CITIZENFOUR kept me on the edge of my seat and with my mouth wide open during its 2-hours runtime.  

Laura Poitras’ poignant portrayal of the events leading up to Edward Snowden’s leak of the NSA documents and the chain of events that followed is intense. Poitras and Glenn Greenwald were the first people contacted by Snowden, under the pseudonym Citizenfour. It shows the two of them with Snowden in a nondescript hotel room in Hong Kong – as Snowden reveals the data he stole from the NSA, the reasons why and what his course of action will be. The film is part of IDFA’s special themed programme Of Media and Men that focuses on the increasing power of media in our perception of events but also on hacktivism and the role of media in society.

Snowden and Greenwald

  Many reviews have already been written on CITIZENFOUR (see most recent review in the Filmkrant), so instead I would like to observe how it really changed how I feel about privacy issues. When Snowden was in the news last year, I didn't really pay attention since I did not feel that the issues directly affected me. The NSA surely would not spy on me through my ISP or through the webcam on my laptop. Of course not, I am uninteresting and I do not do anything suspicious on the web. Selfishly, I thought it did not concern me.

Google, Facebook, Hotmail, Apple apps all collect information on me that I am willingly providing. Despite hearing stories of privacy breach on Facebook and the way Google logs every search term I ever typed, it still did not bother me. Poitras managed to break through my apathy and I got to truly appreciate the message that she and Snowden want to spread. It somehow flipped a switch in my brain. 

I whole-heartedly recommend this documentary to anyone who does not know too much about the issue, who like me, thought it does not concern them. Hopefully, you got your tickets fast, since all the IDFA screenings were sold out really fast. 

Text by Petra Albu

Photos variety.com

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Whiplash wins American Indie Competition @LIFF 2014

“Whiplash gets jazz all wrong”, says the headline in the New Yorker. Does it though? Whiplash, directed and written by Damien Chazelle, won the American Indie Competition at Leiden International Film Festival  last weekend and it does not come as a surprise. At Cannes Film Festival, it received a 16-minute standing ovation. Why Richard Brody, of the New Yorker, thought that it was not a realistic depiction of what it is like to be in a jazz band, you can read yourself here. Interesting article, but also a bit short-sighted. This film, for me,is an exaggerated impression of what it is like to be under the rule of a tyrannical conductor, wanting to please him, wanting to be the best.

J.K. Simmons, who plays the conductor, explained his character's motivation as wanting to pull the greatness out of someone and if by chance their internal organs come out with it, it does not matter. It is about getting the greatness out of the person, even if it is blood, sweat and tears.

Admittedly, I couldn’t take the film completely seriously – J.K.Simmons conducting a band is more a caricature of a conductor, there is no illusion there. And his ruthless and tyrannical methods were more hyperbole than giving us a glimpse into the reality of jazz school bands. Nevertheless, fast-paced and extremely watchable, this film was a great festival opener at LIFF. A crowd-pleaser that entertains and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The particular sounds,rhythms and tempo of the jazz drums create a visceral reaction to certain scenes.

Miles Teller, who plays the young burgeoning drum virtuoso Andrew, had , no doubt, the skill to perform his role. I do think he had a better role in The Spectacular Now for sure, in the sense that it showed more emotional range. I could not relate to his motivations to play drums until his hands got bloody or why he chose music over the girl. Or how he just climbs out of the wreck of his car and runs to the performance without passing out. All of these do not really matter though, since it is about the music and about becoming one of the greats.

Whiplash  inspired me to dig up my old jazz records. Nowadays, having a record player and collecting old LPs is the most hipster thing anyone could do and I am not ashamed to admit that it’s awesome. Below you can see a great clip of Dave Brubeck Quartet and Ralph J. Gleason performing at the Jazz Casual TV show in 1961.  Happy listening and go watch Whiplash!

Text by Petra Albu

Photo from Leiden Film Festival 

Video from YouTube

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Review: 'We have to go back'....The Infinite Man @LIFF 2014

I caught a screening  of The Infinite Man at Leiden International Film Festival this week and it was a gem. Deemed as a time-travel comedy-romance, it delivers on many levels. But then again,being familiar with this type of time-travel film, I thought it less strange and confusing than many of the other spectators in the auditorium. Primer is one of my favorite films (If you haven’t seen Primer, do yourself a favor and go see it!Time travel is scary!) and this was quite similar but with the added comedy.

The story revolves around a couple, Dean and Lana. They arrive at a deserted hotel in the Australian countryside for their perfect anniversary. Dean is somewhat of a control freak and incidentally a scientist. He is working on a helmet device that can capture the present /past and  relive it. And so, the layering of levels begins. Dean wants them to relive their perfect anniversary, once it goes wrong, he tries to go back and fix it. Dean and Lana soon are joined by Terry, Lana’s ex-lover who just does not get it that it is over between him and Lana. A surreal character, Terry is a chain-smoking ex-olympic javelin thrower who considers himself a Greek god and more of a man than Dean.

The whole narrative and its layers are actually motivated by Dean’s insecurities and wish to capture the perfect moment. Not only that, but also to please Lana in every possible way. He cooks her the perfect meal, he plays her music from her Dutch ancestors, he prepares intensively for their love-making. But will they manage to fix the past? Make things perfect? Is there such a thing as absolute hapiness and perfection?

The film is light-hearted, funny, at times confusing, however not in an annoying way. It is extremely refreshing to watch a film like this in the cinema! I tip my hat to the Leiden Film Festival and its organizers, I wish more film like these would find their way to our big screens.

  Text by Petra

Photos from The Infinite Man FB page

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SOFT MACHINES @Impakt festival 2014

Soft Machines 2014

Wednesday evening on the 29th of October, the 25th edition of the Impakt Festival opened. We Want Cinema was there to marvel, not only, at the intriguing and stimulating exhibition at Fotodok, but also the festive opening and keynote speech of Bruce Sterling at Theatre Kikker.

Luckily enough, a couple of days before the festival started, Arjon Dunnewind, festival founder and director, sat down with me to shortly but concisely go through not only the history of Impakt but also that of video art.  

A Festival is Born

  The spark that started the Impakt festival can be traced back to Arjon’s passion for cinema that he cultivated throughout his years at the Utrecht Academy of Arts where he studied film. Arjon says “When I was at the Art Academy in Utrecht, I tried to find a way to see as much experimental filmmaking as possible”. He started working at Ekko, where they had a broad programme that also included a film club. Ekko approached Arjon to organize a festival that involved various art forms - “That, combined with my personal need to learn more about video art, experimental filmmaking, experimental music, urged me to start the Impakt Festival”. 

Capitalism Catch-22 2013, Yourspace 2008, The Right To Know 2011

Changing trends

When the Impakt festival started, film and the fine arts were two very separate worlds. "The big change came at the end of the 80s and during the 90s where video invaded the art world", Arjon explains.  Technical advancements meant that a video camera was a cheap and accessible way to record images. Video became not only a mainstream technology but also the means for many filmmakers to express themselves. 

  There is one thing, however that cannot be changed. It is the differences between the perceptual experience of  film and installation. Film develops in time whereas the video installation has a fragmented way of dealing with time – “many video installations have a very platful way of communicating with the audience”.

Ultimately, Arjon considers himself lucky, because “combining  these kinds of media techniques and ways of thinking in one festival makes us forerunners and we received a lot of positive response on that”.

Soft Machines

Soft Machines catalogue 2014

The clever wordplay accompanying this years Soft Machines title is meant to inspire debate and discussions about various topics relating to the relationship between human and machine. Does Siri have artificial empathy? Does she really care about us? What does it mean to be an optimized human?

Arjon explains “Soft Machines is not only about how technology is changing and developing empathetical qualities but also we ourselves have different expectations, developing different standards to what we find normal in our exchange with technology. People have an emotional relationship with their computer”. Most recently illustrated by Spike Jonze's Oscar winning film Her, humans  have a seemingly growing intimacy with their machines. 

Soft Machines is curated by a group of four young curators from the US. Impakt has worked with curators since 2009 and Arjon finds it an ideal way of bringing fresh and interesting ideas to the fore. This year's  programme turned out to be great because it has quality on all levels: a comprehensive film selection, strong exhibition and important speakers from the sciences. "All in all, it is a very intelligent approach to the Soft Machines theme".

The curators A.E. Benenson, Ken Farmer, Noah Hutton and Dr. Leah Kelly at the Impakt Festival opening @ Theatre Kikker in Utrecht.

Panorama Event Nights

  “The Panorama programme allows us to show, basically, whatever we like” says Arjon. This year there are 3 Panorama Event Nights during the festival where the works of filmmakers from all over the world are showcased. This part of the programme is separate from the thematic part, Arjon explains, because “having a main thematical theme excludes a lot of the good stuff".

Panorama is a magnificent array of all kinds of projects – some have a more personal and psychological way of dealing with film, others respond to issues in society that are important, issues that are part of our visual culture. With titles such as Memorizing Morals, Erotic Friction and Into the Surface, there is something for every intelligent, albeit not yet optimized, human being. 

Arjon does not have a definite idea of what the theme for next year’s festival will be, but what he knows is that he would like to see Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 5 in the cinema again. We at We Want Cinema would gladly organize this event for him!

Check out www.impakt.nl for more info and tickets! Here is the schedule for the festival.

Text and photo by Petra Albu

Photos from impakt.nl

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Thomas, our new guest blogger, has dug up some Drive In Cinema treasures! So check out his short history of Drive In movies  and go buy your ticket to the real deal here. Driving North @ NDSM-werf in Amsterdam Noord.

Photos curated by Thomas Crommentuyn

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WWC Special report: Speed Dating @NFF2014

A new day starts at NFF and We Want Cinema is there to represent! No, we are not experts in romance and dating, this is not one of those singles activities. Lilian and I are here as professionals to advise young filmmakers on the best way to self-distribute their film.

  We are here to offer these newbies, who by the way already have quite impressive portfolios, information on what We Want Cinema can offer them. We get our little table and with a short introductory word, the session starts. The idea is that we get 5 minutes with each filmmaker, during which they have to present their project and we in turn have to explain in what ways we could be relevant to them. We must’ve talked to around 10 filmmakers in 2 hours, a fruitful session indeed.

  The idea we got from the conversations  is that film students find it really hard to finance their films. They have to really start from scratch. One of the now graduated students, Bregje, said that coming from the HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht) they know that they get zero funding from the school itself. They have to be creative and find ways to fund their thesis films. So, Bregje and her partner used crowd-funding to raise 3000.- to be able to complete their film project, Beeld van een vrouw. They relied on the good will of their acquaintances to realize their film.

  Our self-distribution platform is very suitable for a filmmaker like Bregje. She is entrepreneurial, takes matters into her own hands and thinks practically about how to develop her film and ways to bring it to an audience. Self-distribution, then, would be the next step for her.

  Some of the filmmakers’ shorts will premiere tonight at NFF Kort! at 20.30.  I recommend everyone to go see these talented young people arriving fresh from school ready to take on the world. It is quite inspiring.

Text and photos by Petra Albu

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WWC Special Report - Indigo @NFF2014

This was a spontaneous decision: what is on right now? Indigo on Cloud Nine at Tivoli Vredenburg. Sounds mysterious enough, the event turned out to be quite interesting and eye-opening.

  Indigo, powered by Dutch Game Garden, is a showcase of talented young Dutch game developers and their newest work. For it is not only in the film industry where independent companies are trying to make their way into the market, it is also in the world of games. Really, I have never been into gaming, so I was fascinated by the different types of innovative games that were presented. There were 32 new games showcased, some finished, some still prototypes with their developers standing close-by to explain their process.

  One of them in particular I would like to share with you is a prototype where the boundaries between game and film are blurred. The game-play centers on moving the narrative forward, and just like a film, it is immersive and emotionally engaging. I think  that Fragments of Him,  by Sassybot Studios is one of those games that is, pardon the pun, a game-changer. For me, it was the stand-out project that seemed to deviate from the traditional idea of what a game should be . Also, the girl from Sassybot Studios explained to me that the appeal of this game is really broad because of it’s emotional theme. A  large proportion of game players, be it women, men, young and old will relate to it.

  The other games were really reminiscent of old arcade games, which I aptly named hipster games. Nowadays it is quite hip to recycle retro trends and old arcade games with a new twist might be the game worlds equivalent of beards, vinyl records and vintage clothing.

  The atmosphere was nerdy in the best sense of the word! I sometimes think that everyone is trying to be too cool and they forget the childish joys of something as simple as sitting down and playing a game.

  Text and photos by Petra Albu