Swedish Armed Forces Recruit 5

"Do you have what it takes? Solve problems by using your webcam." (http://www.thefwa.com/sotm)

http://testsoldatsjoman.forsvarsmakten.se/flash/english/?c=false

Crossing Continents: Romania

"Oana Lungescu investigates Romania's healthcare system, which is teetering on the verge of collapse. He tries to discover how an EU member country has got into such a mess.

The Romanian healthcare system is in crisis. Earlier this year the university hospital in Bucharest announced it had just 4 euros left in the bank, and it's not alone in its financial woes. Even the Romanian health minister hasn't denied that his country's medical system is facing imminent collapse. National funds were due to run out in July.

Across the country doctors complain of a lack of X-ray film and surgical thread. Operations are postponed indefinitely. Patients are being asked to pay for their own bandages and hospital infections are spreading at alarming rates. Over the last year 4,700 doctors, fed up with wages of around 300 euros a month, have left the country to earn a better living in western Europe.

It's not just a problem for Romanians. As cash for drug treatments and preventive work such as needle exchanges runs out, there are fears that the country's already high rates of TB and HIV could get out of control, with the potential to spread beyond Romania's shores.

The wealthy are going to Hungary, Germany and Austria for treatment, paying up to 900 euros a day for a hospital bed. Inside Romania a black market is growing with doctors taking back-handers to prioritise those who can afford it. Those who can't have to put up with what state treatment they can find.

It's hard to see a solution. Government coffers are empty and the economy shrank by over 7% in 2009. And in May this year, to great protest, the government announced it would reduce public sector pay and pensions by 25%.

As Romania's healthcare system teeters on the edge of collapse, Oana Lungescu, the BBC European Affairs Correspondent, returns to her homeland to find out how ordinary citizens are coping.

Producer: Ben Crighton."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tbcdr/Crossing_Continents_Romania/

Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin Waltz Op. 70 No. 1 in G flat

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto - II. Adagio

Profesioniștii (cu Eugenia Vodă, sâmbătă, la TVR 1)

"Talk-show-ul cultural cu cea mai mare audiență din România."

http://www.eugeniavoda.ro/ro/pagina-principala

The Economist

"Authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion."

http://www.economist.com/

BBC Science - Human Body & Mind

"Find out about your brain, organs, nervous system, muscles and skeleton and get to know yourself better with our psychological tests."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/

Free Rice

"FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Programme.

FreeRice has two goals:

• Provide education to everyone for free.
• Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your education can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide." (http://www.freerice.com/about)

http://www.freerice.com/

An Islamic History of Europe

"In this 90-minute documentary, Rageh Omaar uncovers the hidden story of Europe's Islamic past and looks back to a golden age when European civilisation was enriched by Islamic learning.

Rageh travels across medieval Muslim Europe to reveal the vibrant civilisation that Muslims brought to the West. This evocative film brings to life a time when emirs and caliphs dominated Spain and Sicily and Islamic scholarship swept into the major cities of Europe.

His journey reveals the debt owed to Islam for its vital contribution to the European Renaissance." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/islamic-history-europe.shtml)

http://www.sprword.com/videos/islamichistory/

Home (FR) (Dir. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, 2009)

"Yann Arthus-Bertrand is perhaps the best known aerial photographer on the planet. He has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide of his seminal photo essay Earth From Above, a decade-spanning attempt to photograph all the vistas of the planet from the sky, whether by helicopter, hot air balloon, or anything else that flies.

Arthus-Bertrand seeks to uncover the story behind the landscape, not just create a pretty picture. Indeed, his subjects are not always photogenic -- his prints show poverty and strife as well as green tranquility; and everywhere in his work is the encroaching hand of humanity and its enterprise. He keeps close track of the coordinates of his locations, so other photographers may track their progress over time." (http://www.ted.com/speakers/yann_arthus_bertrand.html)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNGDj9IeAuI

Zapping (Dir. Cristian Mungiu, Romania, 2000)

"In a shabby apartment somewhere in Romania, a man obsessively zap between his TV channels despite the wife's complaints and nagging. But where his wife fails, a little man inside the TV will appear and tell Sotul a thing or two about the true mechanics of television zapping..." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284678/plotsummary)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4rn8a_zapping_shortfilms

100+ Free Websites to find out about Anything and Everything

"This is an alphabetical list of websites which provide information and/or instruction about a wide range of subjects. The websites cover a wide range of informational and educational topics and include general reference resources, how-to guides, wikis, how-to videos, podcasts, courses, lessons, tutorials (including open courseware), e-books as well as other reference resources and places to ask questions both online and on your mobile.

The resources are suitable for learners of all ages: students as well as workplace learners and lifelong learners - as well as teachers, educators and trainers."

http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/Showcase/100anything.html

Why Europe's Roma stay poor

"For Assignment Nick Thorpe travels to Romania to investigate efforts to tackle poverty among the Roma minority there."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00b2rgj/Assignment_Why_Europes_Roma_stay_poor/

Breakfast BBC 3

"Radio 3's flagship breakfast programme with great pieces, great performances - and a few surprises!"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tmr6

Telefon in strainatate (Dir. Hano Hoffer, Romania, 1998)

Hidden treasures - Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz - Concerto for Harp & Orchestra (1777) - II Adagio

Rebel, Les Elemens

"The thunderous dissonance which opens 'Les Elemens' is probably the most shocking and original single bar of music composed up to that time. How much more extraordinary to reflect that it was written by a 71 year old pensioner whose music had been previously praised for its 'Wisdom, Taste and Tenderness' and its avoidance of the 'Frightening and Monstrous'!

Jean-Féry Rebel enjoyed a long and productive career as one of Louis XIV favoured musicians. He was presented at court at the age of 8 by his father, a royal musician, where he reportedly astonished the King with his virtuosity on the violin. He was encouraged by Lully and rose through the ranks to eventually direct the 24 Violons du Roy. When he stepped down from conducting the Concert Spirituel in 1735 he had a long series of successful instrumental works and ballet scores to look back on (although his one Opera; Ulysse, was a failure) However, he was soon tempted out of retirement by Prince Carignan to write the score that has become his most famous: 'Les Elemens'. The work was premiered in 1737 without the opening movement Le Cahos. The "Mercure de France" reported,

'On the 27th of September the Royal Academy of Music played, after the Opera 'Cadmus' a new symphonic work, by Mr. Rebel Senior (Rebel's son was also a prominent musician) entitled 'The Elements', danced by Mlles. Salle and Mariette and by Ms. Dumoulin, Dupre, Malter and Javilliers. This Divertissement, which was perfectly executed, and much applauded, is adorned with a set which characterized the Elements and made a very grand effect.' " (http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-les-elemens--marais-and-rebel-sacd.aspx)

http://www.youtube.com/user/OedipusTyrannus#p/c/D6ECD2E84C67B4D6/0/2GsafGwqmeg

Pe Aripile Vinului (Dir. Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania, 2002)

The Yellow Smiley Face (Dir. Constantin Popescu / Romania / 2008)

Synesthesia (Dir. Terri Timley / USA / 2009)

The Black Hole (Phil and Olly / UK / 2008)

Terminus (Dir. Trevor Cawood / Canada / 2008)

Beethoven, Choral fantasie in C minor

"The Fantasia op. 80 (or “Choral Fantasy”) was first performed at the Akademie (benefit concert) of 22 December 1808, which also saw the premières of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies as well as a performance of portion of the C major Mass. To conclude this memorable concert program, Beethoven wanted a “brilliant Finale” that would unite in a single piece the different musical elements highlighted in the concert night: piano solo, chorus and orchestra. The Fantasia op. 80, written shortly prior, was thus written expressly to fulfill this role.

Beethoven himself played the piano part and the opening solo offers an example of his improvisational style (at the première he did, in fact, improvise this section). The piece, however, is best known for an early version of that simplice theme that Beethoven would later use as the melodic line for the Ode to Joy theme in the Ninth Symphony. The text was provided by the poet Christoph Kuffner with Beethoven's input. The theme – universal fraternity with the meetings of arts – also foreshadows Schiller's "Ode to Joy". This, along with the strong musical similarities, means there is an obvious connection between the Fantasia op. 80 with the finale of the 9th Symphony (...)." (http://hr.cantorion.org/music/1853/Choral_Fantasy_in_C_minor_Full_Score)

http://www.youtube.com/user/OedipusTyrannus#p/c/40D5C98762917CBF/0/o-NCAIwSN3U

Burma VJ

"Burma VJ -- for video journalist -- is filmmaking at its most fearless, with Ostergaard creating a suspenseful, harrowing account of his original key subject, known only as "Joshua," whose face is never seen, and his colleagues risking their lives to record the "Saffron Rebellion" and its dire consequences in order that the whole world could see for itself a brave attempt to challenge one of the most brutal and repressive military dictatorships on the planet." (http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/29/entertainment/et-capsules29)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEwPqNMZIhg

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) 1/9

The Human Voice

"The great oral historian Studs Terkel was an inspiration to StoryCorps, and he was also an early participant in the project. In this animated short, he speaks out on what has been lost in modern life and where he sees hope for our future. "

http://vimeo.com/14772588

The Icing on the Cake

"Blanca Alvarez and her husband risked crossing the border to immigrate into the U.S. and then struggled to make ends meet. They hoped to shelter their children from these harsh realities, but Blanca's daughter Connie reveals how much children can really see of their parents' lives—and the inspiration they draw from their struggles."

http://vimeo.com/14775138

The history of Italian opera, beginnings

Germans in the Woods

"Joseph Robertson was an infantryman in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. The stark black and white images in this short haunt the viewer, just as Robertson is haunted by his memories from that battle."

http://vimeo.com/14554974

Q&A

"Joshua Littman, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome, interviews his mother, Sarah. Joshua’s unique questions and Sarah’s loving, unguarded answers reveal a beautiful relationship that reminds us of the best—and the most challenging—parts of being a parent."

http://vimeo.com/11305685

Danny & Annie

"Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, came to StoryCorps to recount their twenty-seven-year romance. As they remember their life together from their first date to Danny’s final days with terminal cancer, these remarkable Brooklynites personify the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of everyday people when we take the time to listen."

http://vimeo.com/12562270

Itzhak Perlman and Isaac Stern play Bach Double Concerto (part 1)

Composer of the week on BBC Radio 3

"Exploring the life and works of composers."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnxf

A. Vivaldi: La Notte, Op. 10 n. 2 - Concerto for flute, strings & b.c. i...

The Perfect Home (III)

The Perfect Home (II)

The Perfect Home (I)

"The book The Architecture of Happiness was turned into a 3 hour documentary, titled The Perfect Home." (http://www.alaindebotton.com/pages/about/index.asp?PageID=110)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9iiaC7UOWk

Beethoven - Appassionata Sonata 23 Opus 57

Apocalypse Now...and Then

"A look at the West's enduring obsession with the end of the world, from old testament prophesies to SARS and the Millennium Bug. Since the 1960s, scientists and preachers have combined to perpetuate the idea that Armageddon is always just around the corner. This programme reinterprets each successive doomsday panic to see its inspiration and effect on those who both predicted and believed in its inevitability." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074pml)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4as2aBU8CM4

Vivaldi, L´estro armonico, Op.3 Concerto No.10

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Series 1. Episode 6. Nietzsche on Hardship

"We all face difficulties in our lives. But there's one philosopher who has particularly inspiring advice on how to deal with them.

Friedrich Nietzsche believed in a philosophical version of 'no pain, no gain': that any worthwhile achievements in life come from the experience of overcoming hardship, and that a comfortable, painless existence wouldn't be worth living.

Alain travels to Nietzsche's home in the Swiss Alps to tell the story of the philosopher's tormented life, before putting Nietzsche's theories to people who have faced difficulties or setbacks in their own lives."

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Series 1. Episode 5. Socrates on Self -Confidence

"Why do so many of us go along with the crowd and fail to stand up for what we truly believe?

Partly because we're too easily swayed by other people's opinions - and partly because we don't know when to have confidence in our own.

Alain shows that the ancient Athenian philosopher Socrates can help give us all the intellectual self-confidence we need to work out what we really think and believe.

He visits Athens to tell the moving and inspiring story of how Socrates - a man who famously died for his beliefs - can help us stand up for our own." (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/philosophy-a-guide-to-happiness/episode-guide/series-1/episode-5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2rsiER-OnU&feature=related

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Series 1. Episode 4. Montaigne on Self-Esteem

"Why do so many people suffer from feelings of low self-esteem?

Alain De Botton looks at the problem through the eyes of the French 16th century philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who singled out three main reasons why we might feel bad about ourselves - and offered practical solutions for them all.

Alain takes us on a personal journey from Montaigne's home near Bordeaux, to his own university, Cambridge, where he finds that people could still benefit from the lessons of Montaigne's philosophy." (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/philosophy-a-guide-to-happiness/episode-guide/series-1/episode-4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrSCoG2GY1M

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Series 1. Episode 3. Epicurus on Happiness

"The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus believed there were just three simple things we needed in order to be happy - and money wasn't one of them.

Alain reveals what those things were, in a journey that takes him to the ruins of the ancient city of Oinoanda in south-western Turkey.

The answers he finds there help him to look at consumer society through Epicurus' eyes and he discusses the philosopher's beliefs with unhappy shopaholic Stephen Perry." (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/philosophy-a-guide-to-happiness/episode-guide/series-1/episode-3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20LTTRQcZ8c

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Series 1. Episode 2. Schopenhauer on Love

"Surprisingly, perhaps, given how important it is to the rest of us, philosophers haven't tended to talk much about love.

An honourable exception was the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who believed that love was the most important thing in life.

Alain shows how the ideals of a man he calls 'philosophy's Dr Love' explain the mystery of why we fall in love with the people we do.

He believes that Schopenhauer's philosophy is particularly consoling to anyone who's been rejected, and he talks it over with Michele Hutchinson, whose boyfriend recently jilted her." (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/philosophy-a-guide-to-happiness/episode-guide/series-1/episode-2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeFQsF-umH0

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Series 1. Episode 1. Seneca on Anger

"Written and presented by Alain de Botton, this series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded" (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/philosophy-a-guide-to-happiness)

"De Botton starts with anger and the philosopher Seneca who refused to view anger as an irrational outburst and thought it flowed from our surprise when things do not turn out the way we expect them to.

De Botton puts Seneca's advice to angry van driver Wayne Allingham and stressed-out executive Venetia Butterfield. How will they respond to the theories of a philosopher who died 2,000 years ago?" (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/philosophy-a-guide-to-happiness/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ0g7IKWG7E&feature=PlayList&p=3AB2124A01423D7E&index=0&playnext=1

E=mc2 - Einstein and the World's Most Famous Equation

Beethoven

"A three-episode TV mini-series produced by the BBC, Beethoven is a very powerful and moving docudrama based on the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Fantastically written and beautifully directed, the series constitutes a thorough and accurate reconstruction of Beethoven's life, from his troubled childhood to his death at the age of 56. Paul Rhys's masterful portrayal of Beethoven is particularly noteworthy, doing well to convey in vivid colour the natural genius of the Great Man and the isolation, turmoil and despair he experienced throughout his eventful life. Insightful narration from the popular conductor, composer and presenter Charles Hazlewood does well to add a sophisticated educational dimension to the series, as well as to encourage a seamless and comfortable flow of the story. This is an absolute must-watch!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67pKZrxgv4Y

The Genius of Mozart

Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and... the football

"How has the Beautiful Game played into fascist ideology? BBC Four explores how the 20th century's three most prominent fascist dictators, Mussolini, Hitler and Franco, seized upon football's massive popular appeal and ruthlessly exploited it as a vehicle for propaganda.

(...) The documentary uses rare archive footage, eminent historians and trenchant contributions and testimonies from world-class players, past and present." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/fascism-and-football.shtml)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ6Dg7A_INY

Discovering Tchaikovsky

"Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky was the author of some of the most popular themes in all of classical music. He founded no school, struck out no new paths or compositional methods, and sought few innovations in his works. Yet the power and communicative sweep of his best music elevates it to classic status, even if it lacks the formal boldness and harmonic sophistication heard in the compositions of his contemporaries, Wagner and Bruckner. It was Tchaikovsky's unique melodic charm that could, whether in his Piano Concerto No. 1 or in his ballet The Nutcracker or in his tragic last symphony, make the music sound familiar on first hearing." (http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/3448.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ3LHWp4gtk

Do You Know What Time It Is?

"Particle physicist Professor Brian Cox asks, 'What time is it?' It's a simple question and it sounds like it has a simple answer. But do we really know what it is that we're asking?

Brian visits the ancient Mayan pyramids in Mexico where the Maya built temples to time. He finds out that a day is never 24 hours and meets Earth's very own Director of Time. He journeys to the beginning of time, and goes beyond within the realms of string theory, and explores the very limit of time. He discovers that we not only travel through time at the speed of light, but the experience we feel as the passing of time could be an illusion." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fyl5z)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3aYKAJEVfQ&feature=related

Jesus Camp (2006, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady)

"Imagine a place where focused, precocious kids pledge allegiance to a holy text and train as ideological warriors — even, yes, martyrs. You're imagining America — specifically, Kids on Fire, an evangelical madrassa devoted to fomenting a religiopolitical Children's Crusade. 'This world, all it feeds you is trash,' says 12-year-old Levi. 'I want the meat.'

As a documentary, Jesus Camp could lose its haunted-house score and contrapuntal Air America refrains and still deliver its message: that, here and elsewhere, fundamentalism is no longer content with a separate peace. It wants the meat." (http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1542503,00.html)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOqGhcwwE1s

One in 8 Million - New York Characters in Sound and Images

Everyone has their own story. When I was a child, I used to pay attention to the lights my neighbours tourned on as the evening arrived. This made me realise, with a little bit of sadness, how many stories remain unknown.

The New York Times introduces the so-called "ordinary people", those who have extraordinary stories "of passions and problems, relationships and routines, vocations and obsessions."

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/

Children Underground (2001, directed by Edet Belzberg)

I just saw this extremely disturbing documentary, which follows five children living in a subway station in Bucharest. As a Romanian, I am profoundly ashamed of the lack of interest shown by the authorities of my country regarding this issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrVId0cXaro&feature=related

Cidade de Deus (City of God, 2002, Directors: Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund)

I would have carried on posting Wong Kar-wai's films but, unfortunately, I didn't find any acceptable versions. I did find Happy Together and Eros but both of them were either amputated or dubbed. That's why today I'll change the film register and I'll post Cidade de Deus (City of God, 2002), a Brazilian movie that really shocked me the first time I saw it. Its narrative structure and the admirable performance of the young actors impress me every time I watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk7JuMMXIiA

Days of Being Wild (1990, Wong Kar-wai)

Catalonia says no to bullfighting

"Catalonia's regional parliament has voted to outlaw bullfighting in the Spanish region - making it the first area on the mainland to initiate a ban."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10780480

Chungking Express (1994, Wong Kar-wai)

In the Mood for Love

I should have begun this Wong Kar-wai cycle with its most famous film: In the Mood for Love. 2046 is its sequel.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5mR7NNut7s

2046

Wong Kar-wai's movies are subtle and very stylized. I fell in love with them some years ago when I had the chance to participate in a university course about the Chinese cinema. 2046 is the first movie of this briliant director that I will post on my blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNKn5O_XmwA

How can this be true?

Some days ago I discovered this website. It is a project that aims to open our eyes to child abuse. Although it focuses on what happens in the Netherlands, this problem exists everywhere and it should make us think about it.

http://www.kinderenindekou.nl/index_en.asp

In The Mood For Love (Sequences)

Summer is here

"With the summer solstice now two weeks gone, the northern hemisphere is heating up. High temperatures in some places have made working difficult and have taxed power grids as usage of electricity neared record levels in the U.S. This past weekend, the United States celebrated its 234th birthday on July 4th, with fireworks, parades and many other outdoor activities. Collected here today are a handful of recent photographs of people (and animals) either trying to beat the heat, or just enjoying a sunny summer's day. (40 photos total)"

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/summer_is_here.html

Zbigniew Preisner

"Zbigniew Preisner (b. 1955) is Poland's leading film music composer and is considered to be one of the most outstanding film composers of his generation. For many years Preisner enjoyed a close collaborationwith the director Krzysztof Kieslowski and his script-writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz. His scores for Kieslowski's films Dekalog, The Double Life Of Veronique, Three Colours Blue, Three Colours White and Three Colours Red have brought him international acclaim.
Preisner currently lives in Poland and Switzerland.

During the last twelve years Preisner has scored many international feature films including Hector Babenco's At Play In The Fields Of The Lord, Louis Malle's Damage, Luis Mandoki's When A Man Loves A Woman, Agnieszka Holland's The Secret Garden, and Charles Sturridge's Fairytale: A True Story.

Preisner's soundtrack album for The Double Life Of Veronique and the three CDs of the soundtracks for Three Colours Blue, White and Red have sold more than two million copies around the world. The Double Life Of Veronique CD -originally released on the Sideral label in 1991 and re-issued on Virgin in1998 - was awarded a Gold Disc in France in 1992. Preisner's Music, the live recording of the suite drawn from the music he has created for films, achieved Platinum Disc status in Poland (more than 80,000 copies sold)."

http://www.preisner.com/

"In every life we have some trouble. But when you worry you make it double." (Bobby McFerrin, Don't worry, be happy)

Mozart's The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) directed by Kenneth Branagh,with English libretto and dialogue by Stephen Fry and conducted by James Conlon

Concierto en do mayor para flautín, cuerdas y bajo continuo RV 443. Antonio Vivaldi. Giovanni Antonini solista

Roberto Alagna sings "E Lucevan Le Stelle"

Hans Rosling on global population growth

"The world's population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years -- and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can we check population growth. This is the paradoxical answer that Hans Rosling unveils at TED@Cannes using colorful new data display technology (you'll see)."

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html

Filme Romanesti -arhiva-

"Prin intermediul acestui site vrem sa readucem in fata cititorului creatii cinematografice romanesti populare, dar si filme inedite, rar sau deloc difuzate."

http://filmele-copilariei.blogspot.com/

Valuri (Waves) - Adrian Sitaru

"Adrian Sitaru

Thirty-seven-year old Adrian Sitaru, born in the Transylvanian town of Deva, made a name for himself when his short film Waves won the Leopards of Tomorrow section of the 2007 Locarno International Film Festival."(http://www.icrny.org/c2-13-Our_creative_cluster.html)

http://filmeromania.blogspot.com/2009/09/valuri.html

Bricolatge emocional

"La bona sort

La bona sort no és que ens toqui la loteria; això és atzar, i l'atzar no el podem controlar. És per això que, en aquest capítol del "Bricolatge emocional", treballarem aquest nou concepte, que, en definitiva, fa referència a la voluntat i l'esforç personal que contribueixen a assolir objectius determinats. Els especialistes ens donaran eines per aconseguir les nostres fites."

http://www.tv3.cat/videos/2993810/La-bona-sort

Symphony No. 25 (Mozart) - Wiener Philharmoniker and Karl Bohm

Un cartuş de kent şi un pachet de cafea (Cigarettes and Coffee) - Golden Berlin Bear (Best Short Film, 2004)

"Cristi Puiu’s debut as a director was in 2001 with the low budget road movie Stuff and Dough (Marfa si Banii) starring Alexandru Papadopol and Dragos Bucur. The film received several awards in international film festivals and competed in the Quinzaines des Realisateurs section of the Cannes Film Festival. He continued with a short film, Cigarettes and Coffee (Un cartus de Kent si un pachet de cafea, 2004), which was awarded the Golden Bear for best short film at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival.
His second film, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Moartea domnului Lazarescu, 2005), features the drama of an old man who is carried by an ambulance from hospital to hospital all night long, as doctors keep refusing to treat him and send him away. The film was a critical success, being awarded with Prix Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and numerous awards at other international film festivals. Year 2006 brought 47 prizes for his film The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Moartea domnului Lazarescu). —World Cinema Foundation" (http://mubi.com/cast_members/13563)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x58ss_un-cartus-de-kent-si-un-pachet-de-c_shortfilms#from=embed?start=2

Buster Keaton in "The General"

Jacques Brel (1929-1978)

"Le "galérien des galas" abandonne sa carrière au sommet de sa gloire en 1966. Le Grand Jacques enflammait les salles, habitait ses personnages, gesticulait, suait... Ses spectacles étaient de véritables marathons. Rarement un chanteur aura exprimé ses rages et ses passions avec autant de sincérité et de gravité que Jacques Brel." (http://www.rfimusique.com/sitefr/biographie/biographie_8932.asp)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNeR0HkDMks&feature=PlayList&p=AF6F01A70B30A70F&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

Gagarin - Short Film Palme d'or in 1995

Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concertos

"The autograph score of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos is dated 24 March 1721. In an elegant French dedication Bach explains that the collection of six concertos was the result of a commission from Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, whom he had met two years earlier - probably while in Berlin to collect a new Mietke harpsichord for his employer Prince Leopold of Cöthen. Musicologists and performers have always found it impossible to explain the wayward variety of the Brandenburg Concertos, often concluding (in desperation) that the diversity of the pieces must be the very quality which binds them together. The fact that Bach presented the Margrave with a score rather than parts is in itself significant, and the works were in any case unsuitable for the Margrave's small musical establishment. There is no evidence that the Margrave either thanked Bach or paid him a fee for the commission." (http://www.recorderhomepage.net/brandenburgs.html)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpf38dQpMzk&feature=PlayList&p=0B8C370A1754F355&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

Une belle interprétation du Concert pour piano n° 20 de Mozart

Trafic - Short Film Palme d'or in 2004

"Traffic

Directed by Catalin Mitulescu
With Maria Dinulescu, Andi Vasluianu
Romania 2004, 35mm, color, 15 min.
Romanian with English subtitles

An enigmatic episode in a seemingly average day of a disaffected Romanian business. Caught in Bucharest traffic and fragmentary conversations with his four year old daughter, his mind and eyes begin to wander. Mitulescu’s haunting short was winner of the 2004 Palme d’Or for Short Films at Cannes." (http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2007fall/romanian.html)

http://www.trilulilu.ro/omufaranick/aca72a8ccf18b3

Sniffer - Short Film Palme d'or in 2006

El Héroe (Palme d'or du meilleur court métrage en 1994)

The Lunch Date (Short Film Palme d'Or, 1990)

Nicolae Ceausescu and the Nationalism

L'Homme Sans Tête (The Man Without a Head)

The word "fuck"

WC - Love

Romania in photos

http://silviu.dap.ro/

No comment

The music of a war child

"For five years, young Emmanuel Jal fought as a child soldier in the Sudan. Rescued by an aid worker, he's become an international hip-hop star and an activist for kids in war zones. In words and lyrics, he tells the story of his amazing life."

http://www.ted.com/talks/emmanuel_jal_the_music_of_a_war_child.html

The Sun

"The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm, but are continually monitoring our closest star with an array of telescopes and satellites. Seen below are some recent images of the Sun in more active times."

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/the_sun.html

Alberto Iglesias (1955 - )

"Alberto Iglesias, compositor español, con una formación musical que incluye estudios de piano,
composición, contrapunto y música electrónica y una larga trayectoria internacional en la creación
de bandas sonoras para cine. Sus nominaciones al OSCAR de la Academia de Hollywood, a los
GLOBOS DE ORO y al BAFTA (British Academy of Films and Televisión Arts), unidos a los 7
Premios GOYAS (Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas de España) y otros premios
nacionales e internacionales por diferentes bandas sonoras avalan su trayectoria." (http://www.albertoiglesias.net/base.htm)

http://www.mixpod.com/playlist/55453532

Hârtia va fi albastră (The Paper Will Be Blue), 2006

"The December 1989 fall of Communist Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu sets the stage for co-writer/director Radu Muntean's wry action drama following one perplexed militia's attempt to find out just who has assumed control of Bucharest once the despised tyrant has fallen. Romanian despot Ceausescu has been overthrown by a combination of military coup and civil insurrection, and now Lt. Neagu (Adi Carauleanu) has been assigned the task of maintaining the peace in a small Bucharest suburb. When Lt. Neagu and his heavily armored militia squad hear news that pro-Ceausescu forces are attempting to wrestle control of a national television station away from anti-Ceausescu counterparts, ambitious militiaman Costi (Paul Ipgate) suggests that the troupe leave to help fend off the "terrorists" who would see the feared dictator reinstated. After Costi slips away from the militia to help defend the television station, he is recruited to help defend a house full of protestors from terrorists. Inexplicably, Costi himself is accused of terrorism by the very people he was attempting to help and is forced to convince the protestors of his democratic beliefs. Realizing that Costi has deserted the militia and frightened that he will be held responsible for losing his soldier, Lt. Neagu and his squad discover that their mission is far from over after arriving as Costi's suburban home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide" (http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/361881/Hartia-Va-Fi-Albastra/overview)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecspkajLTfk&feature=PlayList&p=7A4757D91D9F05B7&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

One of the best comedies I have ever seen

Nino Rota (1911 - 1979) and his music

"His work in film dates back to the early forties. His filmography includes the names of virtually all of the noted directors of his time. First among these is Federico Fellini. He wrote all of the movie scores for Fellini's films from The White Sheik in 1952 to The Orchestra Rehearsal in 1979. Other directors include Renato Castellani, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, Mario Monicelli, Francis Ford Coppola (Oscar for best original movie score), King Vidor, René Clément, Edward Dmytrik and Eduardo de Filippo. He also composed the music for many theatre productions by Visconti, Zefirelli and de Filippo." (http://ninarota.com/ninorota/)

http://www.mixpod.com/playlist/55791746

Un producto revolucionario

Atat de frumos!

CINEUROPA - the best of european cinema

"The European Cinema Portal

Site dedicated to European cinema, films, actors, filmmakers, professionals, producers, distributors, sales agents, scriptwriters, film finance and the film industry as a whole…

The European film and television industries finally have a web site dedicated entirely to them and published in no less than four languages, English, French, Italian, and Spanish."

www.cineuropa.org/index.aspx?lang=en

A charming animated story: The Point

Infinity? No, maybe Infinities...

1001 Before You Die

"The 1001 Before You Die series is a collection of 960-page illustrated reference books originated by Quintessence Editions.

There are currently 14 titles available, with subject matter ranging from movies to wine and from paintings to inventions. Each book comprises 1001 engaging and informative articles compiled by one general editor and written by a team of experts in the field.

Packed with at-a-glance facts, intriguing quotations and arresting images, the books are great to dip into and a pleasure to read from start to finish."

1001beforeyoudie.com/

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

"At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba, who speaks at TED, here, for the second time, shares in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life."


www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind.html

Biblioteca virtuala romaneasca

"Bun venit la Biblior.NET."

www.biblior.net/

Les parapluies de Cherbourg - an amazing movie

"When she made "Umbrellas'' for the French director Jacques Demy, Deneuve was 20, and her work in this film was a flowering that introduced one of the great stars of modern French cinema. The film itself was a curious experiment in which all of the words were sung; Michel Legrand wrote the wall-to-wall score, which includes not only the famous main theme and other songs, but also Demy's sung dialogue, in the style of the lines used to link passages in opera. This style would seem to suggest a work of featherweight romanticism, but "Umbrellas'' is unexpectedly sad and wise, a bittersweet reflection on the way true love sometimes does not (and perhaps should not) conquer all." (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960517/REVIEWS/605170304/1023)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQatoXwFLHM

Cinemuzica la Radio Romania Muzical

"Filmul este cea mai tânără artă, dar în ciuda acestui fapt a ştiut încă de la bun început să lege o frumoasă prietenie cu artele surori. Aşa încât, de-a lungul istoriei cinematografului, acesta a găsit sursă de inspiraţie în teatru, balet, pictură, muzică.

Muzica a devenit în timp un partener „strategic” al filmului, iar premiile Oscar au introdus în lista lor şi pe cel pentru cea mai bună coloană sonoră.

Mari compozitori au creat pentru filme, melodii care au rămas nemuritoare, iar musicalul, gen cinematografic pe care America l-a creat, a devenit unul de succes.

Muzica a fost sursă de inspiraţie şi pentru scenarişti sau regizori; unii dintre ei au ajuns celebri pentru producţii care au ca subiect arta sonoră, mari compozitori sau interpreţi. Relaţia s-a dezvoltat şi mai mult iar literatura, muzica şi filmul s-au întâlnit în producţii celebre.

Iată de ce Radio România Muzical propune un format care să cuprindă toate acestea şi încă multe alte surprize (...)."

www.romania-muzical.ro/emisiuni/es-index.shtml?sh=92

L'ofici de viure

"L'ofici de viure és un programa sobre creixement personal, psicologia positiva i nova espiritualitat."

www.catradio.cat/programa/1038/Lofici-de-viure

Gallica Classique

"Gallica "Classique" est une collection du site Gallica. Cette sélection permet un accès direct aux textes fondateurs de la littérature française ainsi qu'une appropriation rapide. Conçu tant pour les lycéens et les étudiants que pour les professeurs, les chercheurs ou les curieux, ce site propose des outils de recherche et de navigation (chronologies, listes de sites) ainsi qu'un mode d'emploi. Les documents y sont disponibles, comme dans Gallica, en mode image et/ou en mode texte (...). Avec cette nouvelle collection, Gallica, jusqu'à présent consacré au XIXe siècle francophone, s'ouvre à la littérature française, depuis le moyen âge jusqu'à la veille de 1914. Cette initiative s'inscrit dans la politique de la Bibliothèque nationale de France qui vise à diffuser le plus largement sa bibliothèque numérique afin d'assurer le rayonnement de la culture francophone sur l'Internet. Très prochainement, Gallica donnera ainsi accès à plus de dix millions de pages."

gallicadossiers.bnf.fr/Classique/

Shhh... You've found us. Welcome to The Auteurs. Your online cinema. Anytime, anywhere.

"Bienvenue sur le site The Auteurs, une salle de cinéma en ligne pour les cinéphiles du monde entier.

REGARDEZ des films dans des conditions exceptionnelles de définition et de qualité. Une véritable expérience de cinéma à portée de clic.

DÉCOUVREZ des films primés, films d'auteurs et classiques du cinéma dans le Catalogue. Soyez à l'écoute du monde de la Cinéphilie grâce aux Carnets.

ÉCHANGEZ avec les cinéphiles du monde entier, grâce au Forum."

www.theauteurs.com/

The Fun Theory

"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

thefuntheory.com/

Portraits d'un nouveau monde : l'émigration - un monde métissé ou cloisonné

"Portraits d'un nouveau monde : une collection documentaire multimédia qui nous raconte de Pékin à Rio, les grands bouleversements du 21ème siècle à travers des histoires particulières (...).

Chaque année, 200 millions de migrants partent à la recherche d'une vie meilleure. Favoriser le métissage ou fermer nos frontières : à quoi ressemblera notre société demain ?"

documentaires.france5.fr/series/portraits-dun-nouveau-monde-emigration

The Big Picture - Shanghai's Expo

"Officials now estimate the 6-month event, themed "Better City, Better Life", will attract up to 100 million visitors, 95 percent of them Chinese. Shanghai has spent 400 billion yuan (58.6 billion US dollars) preparing for the Expo, according to state media - more than was spent on the Beijing Olympics."

www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/shanghais_expo_nearly_ready.html

Miroslaw Balka's black hole at Tate Modern

"Miroslaw Balka’s box of darkness is disturbing in its historical echoes but beautiful as well. The Times
Miroslaw Balka's black hole at Tate Modern is terrifying, awe-inspiring and throught-provoking. It embraces you with a velvet chill. The Guardian" (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/unilevermiroslawbalka/default.shtm)

www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/unilevermiroslawbalka/explore/

The interactive story of the last great supply of fresh drinking water on Earth.

A very well designed educational website.

waterlife.nfb.ca/

Vesničko má středisková ("My Sweet Little Village", 1986)

"Here is a movie in which every moment seems to be smiling at itself. "My Sweet Little Village" tells the story of some ordinary people who live in an ordinary village in Czechoslovakia, and how they quietly triumph over a bureaucrat, who is looking for a summer cottage (...).

Menzel is one of the original members of the Czech new wave, that extraordinary generation of the 1960s that produced Milos Forman and Jan Kadar. He won an Academy Award for "Closely Watched Trains" in 1968.

In "My Sweet Little Village," he discovers some of the same gentle, ironic humor that Forman found in "The Fireman's Ball." He uses everyday life as an instrument for a subtle attack on bureaucracy and a cheerful assertion of human nature. This movie is joyful from beginning to end - a small treasure, but a real one." (by Roger Ebert / January 9, 1987, http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19870109/REVIEWS/701090301/1023)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O_oZPrNBZg&feature=player_embedded

National Geographic Image Collection

"See hundreds of photos from the National Geographic Image Collection (...)."

photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/image-collection/

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight

"Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions -- motion, speech, self-awareness -- shut down one by one. An astonishing story."

www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

History Trails (BBC)

"Articles, games, activities and quizzes that help make sense of the past and the sources that made history.

Pick a trail and start your journey. "

www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/

BBC World Service - Documentaries

"Throughout the week BBC World Service offers a wide range of documentaries and other factual programmes."

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/

Free access to 3000 Live TV channels

"The ultimate guide to live TV webcasts (...). Sports, News, Movies, Entertainment and more. Watch Live TV stations broadcasting on the internet for free."

wwitv.com/portal.htm

Plus de 1100 livres audio gratuits

"Rendre accessibles à tous les joies de la littérature : tel est le but de ce site internet (...).

Nos livres audio sont gratuits et téléchargeables au format mp3 pour que vous puissiez les écouter partout, par exemple sur votre baladeur numérique (...).

Bonne visite à tous."

www.litteratureaudio.com/

Great Literature Online

"At Great Literature On-line, we are dedicated to adding free, HTML formatted e-text for your reading enjoyment."

http://classicauthors.net/

Radio 3 Net "Florian Pittis" Un Radio In Culori: 1001 Albume (1001 albums you must hear before you die)

"1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a (...) list of the best, the most important, and the most influential pop albums from 1955 through 2003. Carefully selected by a team of international critics, each album is a groundbreaking work seminal to the understanding and appreciation of music from the 1950s to the present (...). Among the critics involved in selecting the list are some of the best known music reviewers and commentators, including Theunis Bates (music writer for Time and urban editor at worldpop.com), Jon Harrington (staff writer at MTV), Seth Jacobson (writer for Dazed & Confused), as well as many others." (http://www.amazon.com/1001-Albums-Must-Hear-Before/dp/0789313715)

http://www.radio3net.ro/dbalbums/albume1001

A beautiful piano sonata: Beethoven-Piano Sonata no 8'Pathetique'op 13 (Freddy Kempf)

ARTE + 7: un service à la carte sur Internet qui permet de visionner certains programmes d’ARTE

"Forte de ses contenus à haute valeur ajoutée, ARTE se devait d'offrir à ses internautes une plate-forme d’accès gratuit en streaming (non stockable sur l’ordinateur) à certains programmes sept jours après leur diffusion : une offre éditoriale unique dans un service exigeant sur la forme et le fond.
Sur ce site vous trouverez plusieurs heures de documentaires, spectacles, fictions TV, magazines, collections... autant d'émissions emblématiques de la Chaîne en haute qualité que vous pourrez voir ou revoir directement sur votre ordinateur, voire sur votre téléviseur."

http://plus7.arte.tv/fr/1697480.html

ACCU RAdio - The Next Generation of Radio

"AccuRadio is a multichannel Internet radio station specifically designed to showcase the potential of the exciting new medium of Internet radio!"

http://accuradio.com/

We choose the Moon

"A real-time recreation of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the Moon complete with round the clock audio transmissions and 3d animations representing each step along the way, distances, etc."

Site of 2009 for the FWA (Favourite Website Awards)

http://www.wechoosethemoon.org/

Free Documentary Films

"At freedocumentaries.org we strongly believe that in order to have a true democracy, there has to be a free flow of easily accessible information. Unfortunately, many important perspectives, opinions, and facts never make it to our televisions or cinemas (you can watch movies in our media category if you want to know why)."

http://www.freedocumentaries.org/

TVE a la carta

"¿Qué es TVE a la carta?

‘TVE a la carta ( beta)’ es la nueva forma de ver los programas y series de producción propia de Televisión Española a través de tu ordenador. Sólo necesitas una conexión a Internet."

http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/

Michael Sandel (Harvard): Justice - What's the Right Thing to Do?

"Justice is one of the most popular courses in Harvard’s history, having taught more than 14,000 students over the course of two decades.

In this course, Sandel challenges us with difficult moral dilemmas and asks our opinion about the right thing to do. He then asks us to examine our answers in the light of new scenarios. The results are often surprising, revealing that important moral questions are never black and white."

http://academicearth.org/courses/justice-whats-the-right-thing-to-do

Academic Earth: free online video courses from leading universities

"Academic Earth offers free access to video courses and academic lectures from leading colleges and universities."

http://academicearth.org/

Smarthistory: a multimedia web-book about art and art history

"This site is being developed by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker as a dynamic enhancement (or even substitute) for the static Western art history textbook."

http://smarthistory.org/

Times Spelling Bee

"Times Spelling Bee - get a taste for the Spelling Bee Championship and practise your spelling with our interactive games."

http://www.timesspellingbee.co.uk/

BBC Languages

"BBC Languages - Learn languages in your own time and have fun."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

Mi Vida Loca - Spanish for beginners

"Mi Vida Loca is an inmersive video mystery set in Spain to help you learn simple Spanish."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/mividaloca/

Parla.Cat

"Parla.cat is a virtual learning space that offers all the educational materials for learning the Catalan language. The course can be done with a self-managed learning method or a method with a tutor."

http://www.parla.cat/pres_catalaenlinia/AppPHP/login/index.php

The Long News

"The Long News: stories that might still matter fifty, or a hundred, or ten thousand years from now."

http://blog.longnow.org/category/news-items-that-are-of-long-term-consequence/

TED: Ideas worth spreading

"Gather the world's leading thinkers and doers, offer them four days of rapid-fire stimulation, and the result? Unexpected connections. Extraordinary insights. Powerful inspiration."

http://www.ted.com/