Our Lady of Lourdes

One never can tell which event, large or small, can change a life forever.  Yet these occasions happen often and they sometimes overlap.  Our Lady of Lourdes centers around a young waitress who receives help from an unstable vagrant – when she tries to return the favor a chain of events happens which no one could have foreseen.

Our Lady of Lourdes stars Nick Moran of Harry Potter, Naomi Scott of Steven Spielberg's Terra Nova, and Lech Dyblik, a living legend in his home country of Poland. It was written and directed by Peter Szewczyk.

para l l el

What if parallel worlds exist? And what if, in one of them, humanity disappears off the face of the planet? An interesting thought here brought spellbindingly to life by Claire&Max. One by one the major cities of the world become devoid of human life – it’s fascinating yet unnerving. 

If you are scratching your head, as I did, about how this was done it’s all there at the menilmonde blog.

Versatile

A young girl receives a letter and in an instant she feels that her life is no longer worth living. Fortunately there is a handy railway line nearby and she prepares to slip off her mortal coil with something of a squelch. However, as you will see in this animated short by Margaux Lahuppe which she made during her time at Supinfocom, life is simply a question of priorities. You just have to be... versatile.

What Is PEE And How Do I Use It?

One of the things that I have to explain every year to a new intake of students is PEE.  It is a technique whereby learners can explain their ideas through a process.  The first question is usually what does PEE stand for? First of all students have to find the point about which they wish to write.  That is the P in the process.  The two Es come next – and in order to find out what they are and how to use them, you will have to sit through the video above.

I created this video as I teach GCSE English in the UK (it’s the “Gold Standard” English Language exam and everyone is expected to attempt it).  So, enjoy.  The PEE tool can be easily transferred to other subjects too, so it you are a teacher of, say, history and have discovered this video, then why not give it a shot in the classroom and then adapt it to your own curriculum.  Have fun!

The Story of Symbols

We use them every day – but what are the mysterious origins of these symbols we take for granted? 

 Here are few short explanations to demystify the meanings of our favorite symbols.


The Question Mark

Image Credit Emergency Dentists USA

Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a question mark. To show that a question was being asked, the word question would be written. In Latin - quaesto. The reason that it was in Latin was because that was the universal scholastic language of the time.

Reykjavik Aurora

Iceland Aurora Films have been busy filming the northern lights this winter, in rather unusual locations. This short film is all shot in the center of Reykjavik, Iceland and was extremely technically complicated to make due to the light pollution from street lights and houses. They also got really lucky with some incredibly strong Aurora displays this winter, and some Aurora shapes they had never seen before.  It’s beautiful.

The Divine Lorraine Hotel, Philadelphia: The Beauty of Abandonment

This is a short but beautifully made  fly-by (over? across?) of the once gorgeous Divine Lorraine Hotel in Philadelphia by Chris DeAntonio.  Although it is hoped a refurbishment of this gorgeous, historic building will start shortly, as of writing it continues to be the abandoned shell you see here.  As well as being a still grandiose sight it has more than just architectural importance: it was the first hotel to become racially desegregated in Philadelphia.

Ned's Phone

Public transport seems to be full, these days, of people with great big headphones listening to music off tiny, tiny phones.  Now I won’t start on the cacophony they make singing along to their tunes but, let’s face it, such is their immersion in their own little world that little if anything will wake them from their musical reverie – except one thing. Created by four students from ATI (Paris VIII University), Ned’s phone nails it.

The Kennecott Mines: Abandoned Alaskan Boomtown

In 1900 two prospectors were traveling through Alaska. Their horses were hungry and so when they spied a distant green hillside they thought their luck was in.

They were not wrong. They had stumbled upon a massive deposit of copper ore, exposed at the surface. Industry on a massive scale quickly followed. Yet by 1939 the copper was exhausted, the place abandoned. This is what remains of the Kennecott Mine Camp.

What is a URL?

What is a URL? It is the ‘address’ to a resource somewhere on the internet, yes.  However there is more to a URL than meets the eye.  Did you know, for example, that a URL has two main components and – more often than not these days – a third? This video goes in to some detail about each and even explains what the letters behind the acronym URL really mean. Plus it’s very easy to understand so if you are new to all this – no problem!

Newton in Space

If you need to know how Newton’s three laws of motion work then look no further. This educational animation, made at Beakus, for the Royal Observatory Greenwich, explains the three laws in words and terms that most people can understand.

Newton in Space was directed and designed by Amaël Isnard.  OK, it's for kids but guess what?  Yes indeed.

If You Have Never Wanted to Visit Madeira, You Will after You Watch This

This short hyperlapse and timelapse combo by Kirill Neiezhmakov is short but amazing.  What I would like to know is how he got the fountain to appear as if by magic (you have to get to around the 40 second mark for that!).  This is technically amazing work – the timelapse equivalent of street magic, perhaps?  Whatever, we hope you will love the sights of Madeira presented in this remarkable way!

Pardon the Intrusion

Betty isn’t happy.  After a stroke has left her dependent on the morning and evening visits of carers her existence has dwindled to little but TV and soggy sandwiches.  However, one day an intruder enters her house and the status quo is at once threatened – but not quite in the way you might imagine.

Featuring a tour de force performance by Sarah Kestelman who has been a regular face on British TV screens since the 1950s, Pardon the Intrusion is a Cue Pictures film, directed by Louise C Galizia and written by Harry Chadwick.

Earth Song

If you have ever been to Yorkshire Dales and Lake District national parks in northern England then you will have been, no doubt, struck by their incredible natural beauty.  They have never looked so magnificent in this short time-lapse film about the ever changing light and beauty in nature made by Alex William Helin. The stirring music is Epic Journey by David Tobin, Jeff Meegan and Malcolm Edmonstone.

Star Wars Snowflakes

Be the Snow: A Pillow Runs Away to See the World

There are times in life when we have to leave our comfort zone behind and that is as true for pillows as it is for us.  This little guy decides to run away one night and discover the world.  How will he fare on his adventures?

This charming short combining live action and animation was created by Amir Honarmand for the National Film Board of Canada.

Eternal Flame Falls

At the base of a waterfall deep in the forests of the state of New York an eternal flame burns. A small grotto between the layers of shale protects this everlasting fire. Although it glows brightly throughout the year it radiates light and warmth more on Midsummer’s Night than on any other time on the calendar. Then, it is said that the fair folk…

Craco - The Abandoned Town

Back in 1963 massive landslides made the inhabitants of the hilltop town of Craco in Italy shrug their shoulders one last time and move elsewhere.  As no one wished to (or could…) move in the place was left to nature.  Today although the local authorities have made attempts to rehabilitate the town as a tourist attraction it remains eerily abandoned.  If a town could have a beautiful corpse this is it, as amply demonstrated by Walter Molfese’s amazing film.

If You Have Never Wanted to Visit Saint Petersburg, You Will After Watching This

This is a stunning example of aerial motion photography at its very best.  The beautiful Russian city of Saint Petersburg is captured in all of its glory by Timelab, who enable us to see the place from heights and angles probably not captured on film before.  The result is an enchanting – hypnotising even – tour through this amazing city which the company call White Nights in Saint Petersburg.  Simply stunning.

451°

If you are familiar with Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel, Fahrenheit 451 then you will love this.  Even if you’re not I think you will appreciate the message about a dystopia where books are banned and firemen are tasked to eliminate them. The title refers to the temperature at which paper will auto-iginite (although this has been debated, er, hotly).  This is a student film, created by Anastasia Chernova at the All-Russian State University of Cinematography : I think you will agree that it shows immense promise.

Spin

A launderette may not be the first place you would think of when it came to dance but Mietta Gornall makes it beautiful (80s film fans will see what I did there).

Directed by LAW this is a beautifully put together piece of film – where elegance collides with this week’s washing.