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Show culture 03.01.2010 "Water" the stuff tears are made of Continuing their silent protest, the art department is maintaining a minimal yet commanding presence in the former 401 Gallery in GT level four, now being labeled the "4 Only 1 Gallery". One has to literally maneuver Into the crevice in which artwork Is now displayed, while the music department reserves the majority of space for their outer lobby. In case you are too large to fit into the nook, you should know that the artwork currently being exhibited is a color photo titled "Action Art at MoMA, NYC" contributed by Art and Visual Communications Professor Patrick Wilkey. Every art major is disturbed by the sudden takeover, having been left high and dry without a place to display the fruits of their labor. Having invested funds into the former gallery, one might wonder why the art department is not being given priority, and why the art students who contribute equally in tuition, are being completely neglected. • J A C O B MCMILLAN! Culture writer Movies about children in difficult situations destroy me. I'm still trying to forget I ever saw "Pan's Labyrinth." So when the little girl was getting her head shaved within the first five minutes of the 2005 Indian film "Water;' presented at the Library Auditorium by UVU's Cinema Club, I prepared for a brutal viewing experience. The head-shaving is part of a ritual Indian women undergo upon becoming widows. The little girl, eight-year-old Chuyia, played by Sarala, is then unceremoniously dumped by her parents into an ashram, a home for widows where they live in poverty and spend their lives performing religious rituals. Immediately she befriends the enchanting Kalyani, played by Lisa Ray, and clashes with the head widow Madhumati, played by Manorma. All this happens in 1938, during the height of Gandhi's extraordinary spiritual reign. After the thought of returning home to her parents becomes a distant memory for Chuyia, she settles into her new life as a widow. It is at this point that a chance encounter with handsome young law student Narayan, played by John Abraham, completely alters the fates of both Chuyia and Kalyani. Narayan is instantly smitten by Kalyani, who has been reduced to yahoo.com prostitution in order to support her fellow widows in the ashram. An educated follower of the teachings of Gandhi and other progressive Indian leaders, he longs to defy convention and marry the young widow. Til stop there. What happens between these three is a spiritual and emotional journey that deserves to be experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible. An indictment on a society which sees a woman without husbands as only half a person, this film also offers a strong argument against any overlap between church and state. Yet with many ' scenes shot with a strong contrast between dark and light, it manages to find beauty and warmth among pitiable circumstances. A title card at the end of the film informs us, appallingly, that widows still live as second-class citizens in India, bound by the traditions shown in the film. Movies like "Water" are important to anyone who takes cinema seriously because they open eyes to these sorts of conditions, and they can be the catalyst for change. The Cinema Club's next showing will be the German-language film "The Lives of Others," on March 11. As always, admission will be free and the movie will begin at 7 p.m. 4 only 1 gallery Muse provides regular creative outlet • R I K K I CARTER Culture writer To ease the transition from weekend back into the week, each Monday beginning at 7 p.m. local venue and cafe" Muse Music in Provo offers a free platform for local musicians to share their music with the public. Local talent is invited and encouraged to sign up for a time slot during the two hour block to perform and those who might not be so musically inclined can simply bring along some friends to enjoy the local flavor you would not hear otherwise, free of charge. Following Open Mic Night beginning at 9 p.m., a screen and projector replace the musicians on stage. The venue creates an intimate viewing environment in which to broaden fans' musical cannon by offering free screenings of various music documentaries. It gives the public an opportunity to enjoy a unique visual and audio experience with like-minded fans in the area as well as giving bored Happy Valley residents an alternative to the usual Monday night obligations. This past Monday brought the unique rockumentary of Death Cab for Cutie entitled "Directions." The band describes the rockumentary as a visual companion to their 2005 release "Plans" containing the hit single "I'll Follow You into the Dark," which some may argue is overplayed. The film essentially consists of artistic interpretations of each of the songs from the album as well as a few bonus tracks not included on the album. While both live action and animated creations were offered up as platforms of interpretation, the animated videos captured more clearly the unifying concepts expressed in the album. The imagery and style of each video varied greatly from song to song keeping things interesting while confronting and mixing common relatable themes of love, nature, loss, pain, family and death. It is always a unique experience to view someone else's interpretation of a song you may know and love, but "Directions" brings something new and interesting to the table in almost each case. Muse will continue their Free Monday Open Mic Night/Rockumentary screenings through April, and here are a few upcoming screenings you won't want to miss: March 1 - Anvil: The Story of Anvil March 8- It Might Get Loud (featuring Jack White, Jimmy Page, and U2's "The Edge") Muse music offers a free "Rockumentary" each Monday night, including such films as "Directions" by Death Cab for Cutie March 15- Dig!- Brian Jonestown Massacre &The Dandy Warhols March 22- Spend an Evening with Saddle Creek (the label that launched Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint and more) UVU AVIATION SCIENCE Training the Next- Generation of Aviation Personnel UVU UTAH VALLEY AVIATION SCIENCE www.FlyLJVU.com U N I V E R S I T Y (801) 8G3 7830 or 1 8 8 8 3017192 |