Happy Father’s Day!

Today we honor fathers and other father figures – grandfathers, uncles, Godfathers, and male mentors who have had a positive influence on our lives.

Studies show that women who become leaders have often been encouraged and guided their father as well as mother.  They have had fathers who took a strong, active interest in them.

Certainly my own father was such a person.  I will be forever thankful for his interest, guidance, love and encouragement.

I hope that you, too, have a father figure you are thankful for as we honor fathers on Father’s Day.

Bonnie Fatio

May 2011 AU CINEMA

Good **

Winter’s Bone **1/2 In the poverty-stricken Ozarks of Missouri, a young girl sets out to find her outlaw father who has put up their home as bail. This is an unendingly dismal portrait of the miserable reality of their lives. Well acted and true to the region, but did it deserve to be nominated among the best films of 2010?

November  **1/2 (vo French)  A luminous documentary about an old mother and her eccentric son in their remote ancestral home somewhere near Alsace. It may feel static, but the beauty of the images has a hypnotic effect.

Los Colores de la Montana **1/2 (vo Spanish)   A touching and earnest foray into the tragedy of simple, innocent village people terrorized between the rebels and government troops in Columbia.

Unknown (Sans identité)  ** With Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger, this is an intriguing tale of mistaken/lost identity and a chase to find the truth in a maze of spies and hit-men in Berlin. This formulaic thriller has too many holes in its script, but an interesting finale. Bruno Ganz is great.

Ma part du gâteau  ** (vo French) Cédric Klapisch (L’Auberge espagnol) delves this time into two opposing worlds – that of a factory worker/maid and a rich trader who was instrumental in the downfall of her factory.  Karin Viard is charming as the initially-clueless maid, wowed by her new lifestyle.

La Fille du puisatier ** (vo French)  Based on a Marcel Pagnol classic and in the genre of Jean de Florette, Daniel Auteuil’s first endeavor at writing and directing is lovely to look at in the lush Provence, but too clichéd, sentimental and with some awkward acting from strong performers such as Darroussin and Azema. He should stick to being one of France’s great actors.

The Hunter ** (vo Farsi)   A stark and unrelentingly bitter tale of a man who loses his family in Tehran and tries to hit back at random. As director and actor, Raffi Pitts can’t make up his mind if this is a political statement of despair, a family tragedy or a thriller.

I am Number 4  (Numéro 4)  ** Like the vampire Twilight series, this looks like the beginning of a new franchise of good vs evil, aliens this time. The good guy alien is a dish of course, and his counter-part earth girl is sweet and trusting – what else? The evil aliens are really ghoulish….

Neptune Ravar Ingwersen

May 2011 AU CINEMA

Very Good  ***

The Fighter ***   Another true story, of two brothers, from the wrong side of Boston, who manage to hit the boxing big time due to their (sometimes destructive) loyalty to each other, and despite an overpowering mother, drugs and a band of loony sisters. Oscar-winning acting all around.

Pina  3D ***1/2 (vo German/English)  Remember Wim Wender’s trailblazing documentary about Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club?  He enchants us once again, this time on the sublime dance sequences of the late German choreographer, Pina Bausch. Here’s one master honoring another….

Rabbit Hole ***1/2    A haunting story of the loss of a child, the mourning process and what it does to the marital relationship. Director John Cameron Mitchell manages to grip you from the get-go and Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart carry their cross with honor and grace, plus a great crew.

Cirkus Columbia *** (vo Serb)   Danis Tanovic hit the film world with a bang with his outstanding No Man’s Land, winning many awards. His concern with the war and the tearing up of his country, Yugoslavia, continues here. 1991 – just before the war, in a bucolic village, a successful native son returns from Germany after 20 years, with money and a sexy girlfriend. Things have changed….

The Company Men ***   Here is an up-dated, more human Glengarry Glen Ross, about the harrowing tale of men losing their jobs and feeling completely paralyzed and rudderless in a ruthless corporate system. Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner and the whole cast are excellent.

Women without Men *** (vo Farsi)  Shirin Neshat, the celebrated Persian artist, spins a melancholy, hypnotic tale of four women from varied backgrounds who come together against the backdrop of the 1953 Mossadegh/Shah/CIA upheavals in Iran. Despite its magical surrealism, it’s uncannily timely.

The Adjustment Bureau (L’agence) ***   Here’s a fine romantic thriller that’s also a philosophical mind-bender. Matt Damon convinces again as the fellow who dares defy fate and its weird agents. There’s great, intelligent fun in this freewill vs destiny brain-twister.

Silent Souls (Le dernier voyage de Tanya)  *** (vo Russian)  A strange, evocative saga of a burial in a remote part of Russia. Two men take the body of the woman they’ve both loved on a journey to a pagan ceremony of farewell. Slow, moody and quite unforgettable.

Hugo Koblet – Pedaleur de charme *** (vo German) This docu/biography on the famed Swiss champion cyclist of the 1950s, Hugo Koblet, is an eye-opener about the man who charmed his fans and the ladies but somehow lost track of his own life. Delightfully retro portrait of those simpler times….

The Source Code *** Jake Gyllenhall plays a heroic soldier who has to find the bomber of a passenger train.  Duncan Jones, who did the mysterious Moon, is again in futuristic mode and grabs us once more in this thriller that defies logical convention and could go on to another fine sequel…

Rio 3D ***  Very cute animated tale of a nerdy Minnesota blue parrot and his devoted mistress who end up in Rio de Janeiro , with all the fun, beauty and trouble you can imagine there.  The birds are a blast, the sound track is bombastic and it’s a super panorama of Rio life.

Die Fremde (When you Leave)  *** (vo German/Turkish)   Austrian Feo Aladag’s first feature film is a strong statement on the divide between Eastern and Western culture in Germany. A Turkish woman leaves her husband and wants to live a decent life with her little son. Her conservative family feels their honor has been tainted. What ensues is shocking, tragic and all too real.

Justine Bieber – Never Say Never **1/2    I thought this teenage singing phenomenon was just another fabricated, fluffy-haired flash-in-the-pan, until I saw the film. The kid is really talented and knows how to put on a show, which culminates in Madison Square Garden. He’s adorable, clean-cut, loves his family and is a good influence on his myriad young fans. Check him out.

Neptune Ravar Ingwersen

May 2011 AU CINEMA

Superb ****

In a Better World (Revenge)  **** (vo Danish, English)  Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar, here’s yet another outstanding, universal film from Susanne Bier of Denmark. Covering two families, each with their own losses and sorrows, it follows the evolution of their two troubled sons who become friends in school. There is the father who helps as a doctor in Africa, marital problems and bullies of all sorts. It’s a rich and comprehensive kaleidoscope of today’s world, in all its aspects.

Wasteland (De la poubelle au musée) **** (vo Portuguese and English)   If art is transformation, this is the core of its creation – as Brazilian artist Vik Muniz turns garbage into works of art. Or rather, takes amazingly gentle, noble and wise garbage pickers in the biggest landfill in Brazil and transforms them and their lives into something very moving and beautiful. Director Lucy Walker deserves all the awards for her documentary, a true work of art, for it also transforms us.

127 Hours ****   PUT ASIDE your disgust at his cutting off his own arm to escape! That is only two minutes of this exhilarating true story. The rest is riveting, innovative drama, brilliantly directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and a celebration of life, family and survival. Trust me.

Neptune Ravar Ingwersen

To “mothers” of all ages

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY !

Today Age Esteem celebrates each of you. – Mothers, aunts, Godmothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, sisters and friends.

We are thankful that you have nurtured, loved, guided, prodded, mentored, and led another to grow into a better person and to become independent and capable of loving and nurturing others.

Being a mother or a mother figure in the life of another person is one of the most precious roles life offers.

I am forever grateful for the women, known and unknown, who have grown me into the woman I am and continue to accompany me on my journey.

Thank You!

Bonnie Fatio

Who are these two people?  What were their life journeys like?  Where did they come from?  How did their lives evolve?

No matter who they were, our lives are somehow interrelated.  Their lives, like ours, represent lessons learned, events experienced, roads traveled and relationships built. – All of this was part of their own age esteem; it is part of the legacy of life’s lessons that they passed on to others.

In AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging I share a chapter “My Legacy of Wisdom” which suggests how you might leave your own Legacy of Life’s Lessons.  Why not begin doing this now?  Then when future generations look at your picture, they will know the answers to the questions we asked about the couple pictured above.

• What are some of the lessons that you have learned through experience?  For examples see “Put More Energy Into Your Age Esteem“.
• Keep a diary of these lessons as they come to mind.
• Rewrite these lessons to share with others.  You may wish to make a book of these lessons, design them into a collage, or put them into the form of a will.

Being able to use the past with its experience of living is a gift I have to share. –  Bonnie Fatio

Amy Balderson and Bonnie Fatio

Filming for Legacy®

Your life story is an  important dimension of your age esteem.  Have you shared with others of all ages your values, experiences and lessons learned?  No two people live the same experience even though they may live the same event at the same moment.   This is why it is important to write your memoirs or record your story on audio or visual, or all three!  Each of us has a unique journey to share.

For a special project for Legacy® in Versoix, Switzerland I was asked if I would take part in filming that project.  Since I have donated my own story to Legacy®, I know the organization well and was pleased to accept.

Legacy® records and collects in-depth audiovisual interviews of the life stories of people who shape our world in order to preserve them for future generations. I believe strongly in the importance of capturing the stories of personalities alive today and to make these stories accessible to those who will never have an opportunity to meet them in person.   They become our virtual mentors.

Perhaps you will be contacted in the future to donate the story of your journey.  When this happens, I hope you will respond with a resounding age esteem, “Yes”.

P.S. Here are some extraordinary photos of Versoix where Legacy has its headquarters.

Bonnie Fatio

The Best Days For Living

If you esteem others’ age, and your own,

Your Life’s meaning will have gracefully grown!

You will make every moment a specialty feat

And you’ll take time to froment each day as a treat.

Why linger on aging?  Think, it’s bound to become.

The best days for Living, for Loving, for fun!

Written by Alexandra Taylor for AgeEsteem.

When is the last time you spent 12 hours non-stop and still had energy to spare?  Yesterday?  Ten years ago?

Our age esteem soars when we are full of energy and vitality.   We feel good about ourselves when our energy seems boundless.  We are happier and healthier.

On my hour drive home from playing with my two little granddaughters ages 2 and 4 for ten hours – after my early morning drive to their home – I was still bubbling with energy.  I felt exuberant.

Why would I feel energized after such a long day?  One reason is that I did not babysit.  Instead, I played!   We spent the whole day having fun, doing what we enjoyed.  It was a powerful lesson on how to put more energy into your age esteem.

• Build into your day activities that you enjoy.  Roll in the grass.
• Find ways to make activities that you must do enjoyable.   Sing to your spinach.
• Change activities when your attention span tires and move onto something else.  Make cookies and then paint or draw.
• Move and use all parts of your body.  Dance with abandon.
• Create a balance between quiet activities and active ones.  Read a book and then play tag.
• Take a break in your day to nap or meditate.  Go to sleep after lunch.
• Drink often and have a small snack in the morning and again in the afternoon.
• Laugh with abandon.
• Hug others as often as possible.  This includes animals and stuffed toys.

If you practice the above you will put more energy into your age esteem and feel happier and healthier.  Enjoy!

Bonnie Fatio

YES!

All you need to do is think ahead;
Turn your thoughts away from gloom and dread.
Every time you rise up out of bed,
Follow Age Esteem’s path with every tread.
Don’t say “No, I can’t”, say “YES, I will!” instead.

Written by Alexandra Taylor after the chapter “Personal Talk” in the book
AgeEsteem: Growing A Positive Attitude Toward Aging
by Bonnie Lou Fatio