The Man Who Knew 75 Languages
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THE MAN WHO KNEW 75 LANGUAGES “We women do not understand The War. We RNATIONAL only understand that it causes terrible sufferings and that we must care for friend and foe with the same love.” SEASON 9 INTE Poorhouse Newsletter No46 October - December ART:21 Berlin, San Francisco 2018 & Johannesburg by Robin Rhode Children pledging allegiance to the American flag at an Elementary School in San Francisco, 1942 © Dorothea Lange NEW titles from WiCHiTA FiLMS Dorothy Lamour in The Hurricane, 1937 2embla film The Man Who Knew 75 Languages "If we can understand culture and peace, Georg from the ground, and Amongst other provisions established for Elisabeth from the palace. human rights is the freedom of speech. Georg’s other people's nature and Georg travels the world and learns many lifetime devotion to keep minor languages alive mindset, we wouldn't be minor languages by speaking directly with exemplifies one important way to protect people. He becomes a fighter for the right to that freedom. As Georg Sauerwein fought to able to fight with them." speak and write in one’s mother tongue. preserve cultures by learning, documenting and Elisabeth, Queen of Romania He helps to keep minor languages alive and keeping minor languages alive, the film seeks to gives them dignity through documentation. promote an understanding of the importance A poor teacher (Georg Sauerwein), and his Georg writes in many languages, including and cultural significance of languages, history princess pupil (Elisabeth of Wied), were poems that later become popular folksongs. and locations while presenting a heart- two pioneers of freedom of speech, before it He starts newspapers, and fights for the warming story through a visually compelling was even a phrase of its own. revolutionary idea of the right of children to cinematic experience. The Man Who Knew 75 Languages is an be taught in their mother tongue. animated film that uses real backgrounds from Revered in the countryside and small www.TheManWhoKnew75Languages.com the places Georg lived and travelled, blended communities, Georg became the most with animated characters that recreate the criticised person in the German newspapers story. It was made as a co-production between by those that favoured the primary languages directed by Anne Magnussen Embla Film of Norway, Fralita Films of Lithuania of the time. Co-Director & Head of Animation and FUMI Studio of Poland. Princess Elisabeth, became the first Queen of Great attention was paid to the details Romania, a popular monarch, artist and peace Pawel Debski and historical accuracy of the objects and advocate. produced by Embla Film “We women do not understand The War. We only architecture incorporated with live footage running time 66' of the diverse environments shot beautifully understand that it causes terrible sufferings and in 4K. Rotoscoping techniques were used to that we must care for friend and foe with the transform live actors into animation. same love. ” Elisabeth, Queen of Romania Based on a true story from the 1800s, the film starts at the outbreak of the first Crimean war. The young genius, Georg (born 1831 Hanover, Germany, died in 1904 Christiania/ Oslo, Norway) has just created the first English-Turkish dictionary. The reputation of his linguistic skills results in an invitation to a small German court, to be the tutor of the young Princess Elisabeth of Wied. Through his lessons he introduces her to the value of learning languages and how they carry an imprint of the cultures that created them. Their friendship, along with his increased affection for her Anne Magnussen could not be tolerated, and he was banished from the royal court. Pining for Elisabeth, he put all his energy into fighting for minorities and their right to speak their native languages. They stay in touch for the rest of their lives, sending letters and books back and forth as they inspire each other to fight for languages, Newsletter No46 October - December 2018 6 wichita films3 Mary, DW Griffith, Chaplin & Douglas Chaplin, Mary & Douglas I, DOUGLAS FAiRBANKS When The Guardian reviewed Tracey American history and the emergence of the Goessel's book The First King of Hollywood – film industry as backdrop. His films crossed The Life of Douglas Fairbanks it quite rightly all borders. His physique and style made him insisted that “it's time for a reappraisal of the perfect American icon. At a time when the movie star who swash buckled in Zorro, the country did not have any self-doubt, he dueled exuberantly in Robin Hood and soared represented America like no one else: strong, magnificently in The Thief of Bagdad” . Clara confident, heroic, smiling and conquering. He Douglas and Mary and Julia Kuperberg, having celebrated in The was “Everybody's Hero”. Fairbanks also became Women Who Run Hollywood the power and one of Hollywood's founding fathers. In 1919 With unlimited access to his legacy on film creative energy brought by women to the together with his best friend, Charlie Chaplin, Clara and Julia Kuperberg will tell the life of “Golden Age” of the cinema, now turn their his bride-to-be Mary Pickford, and director Douglas Fairbanks in a first person narration, investigative eye to the dashing, dazzling and DW Griffith, he started the United Artists drawing on film clips and newsreel footage to debonair Douglas Fairbanks, the “First King Studio which is still a Hollywood player today. show that he invented a style that would be of Hollywood”. His life story unfolds with In 1927, Fairbanks was a founding member emulated for decades. No Superman without of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and a Fairbanks signature pose, no Batman without Sciences. As the host of its first prize giving The Mark of Zorro, no Mickey Mouse without ceremony in 1929, he handed out 14 awards Fairbanks and Chaplin as Walt Disney once to his peers, but he never received an Oscar admitted. He was even thinking of Fairbanks himself during his lifetime. Also in 1929 he was when he was creating Prince Charming in involved in the establishment of the School of Snow White. Today, when Johnny Depp plays Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern his role in Pirates of the Caribbean, or Jean California thereby creating one of the first Dujardin in The Artist, the actor they are paying faculties for film studies. His opening lecture tribute to is Douglas Fairbanks, like generations was devoted to photoplay appreciation. During of stars before them. Peter Facinelli of Twilight his marriage to Mary Pickford, “America's and S.W.A.T. fame lends the King of Hollywood Sweetheart” the couple dominated the his voice. headlines and turned the scrubland of Beverly Hills, inhabited by coyotes and snakes, into the directed by Clara & Julia Kuperberg poshest place in town. produced by Wichita Films running time 52' Shot in HD Newsletter No46 October - December 2018 4 wichita films Jean Harlow Max Factor, 1934 The Max Factor The man who created the faces of directed by Clara & Julia Kuperberg Hollywood was born in Poland and became produced by the wigmaker and make-up artist to the Wichita Films Court of Tsar Nicolas II. Because of rampant running time 52' Shot in HD antisemitism in the early 1900s, he and his family fled to America where relatives were the looks of many stars by means of a beauty living. An immigration officer inadvertently calibrator. In 1935 he had created a make-up changed his name to Factor with a c instead empire which allowed him to ask the famous of a k. Max Factor moved to Hollywood at architect S. Charles Lee to build an art-deco the right moment. Theatre make-up did not office for him which is now the Hollywood work very well with projectors and close-ups Museum in Los Angeles. Clara and Julia Max Factor and his Beauty Calibrator, 1934 and the talkies as well the introduction of Kuperberg interviewed film historian Marc technicolour created other problems Factor Wanemaker who talks about the achievements brilliantly solved. of Max Factor, while Donelle Dadigan shows For Cecil B. DeMille's The Squaw Man us around the Museum, and the actresses in 1913 he lent wigs and moustaches made Lee Purcell and Jaclyn Smith tell us what from real hair which was a novelty. He solved Max Factor meant to them. Lots of film clips the problem of melting lipstick by testing new featuring the stars Factor worked with round products in a kissing machine and changed off this look behind the scenes. Newsletter No46 October - December 2018 wichita films5 Japanese arrive in California, 1942 HOLLYWOOD and the Yellow Threat The attack on Pearl Harbour on the 7th of all of these films the enemy is vilified, we see December 1941 changed the world forever. particularly ugly Japanese in The Fighting The United States entered WW2. More than Seabee. 110,000 citizens of Japanese origin were With the arrival of the Cold War the rounded up and dispatched to camps until enemy image had to change quickly and the end of the war. Hollywood was quick to Hollywood obliged. This is well explained in react with films fromObjective Burma to The Naoko Shibusawa's book The Geisha Ally. Clara Bridge on the River Kwai and The Story of and Julia Kuperberg found the right interview GI Joe to Know Your Enemy: Japan. Already partners in Joseph McBride, film critic, Nancy in 1941 Warner, who were manipulating the Wang Yuen, author of Reel Inequality, Tamilyn public opinion in favour of entering the war, Tomita, actress in Come to See The Paradise had released Dive Bomber with Errol Flynn. and Dan Akira, specialist of Japanese film It showed very clearly that America was history, in order to show how strong an Japanese internment law threatened from the Pacific region.