Lost Girls

Lost Girls resembles a made-for-TV-movie more than a feature film. Working class single mom, Mari Gilbert, played by Amy Ryan of The Office, tries to reach out to her estranged daughter. The girl goes missing and  when numerous bodies are discovered in Long Island, Mari presses the police to find her daughter. The first officer in charge sees Gilbert as an annoyance. He’s got a smarmy demeanor and seems fishy. Gilbert’s only help is the Police Captain played by Gabriel Byrne, yet Gilbert doesn’t trust anyone.

Based on a true story, Lost Girls is a moving story, but there’s nothing that distinguishes it from say a Law and Order: SVU. 

Seen at Sundance

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The Cave of the Yellow Dog

Filmed in Mongolia, The Cave of the Yellow Dog is a simple and powerful film that captured my heart. The actors aren’t professional. They’re real nomads who live in a yurt and live off the land.

The oldest daughter Nansal, age 6 or 7, returns from the city where she’s going to school and while exploring finds a black and white dog that she brings home. Her mother allows her this pet, but her father later objects. He’s worried that since the dog was living in a cave, he may have lived with wolves and could attract them. Namsal does everything in her power to keep this dog, even though wolves have been a threat to the flock, which is the family’s source of life.

The film was a marvelous look at a culture that I know little about. It’s colorful and compelling. I was amazed at how much autonomy and responsibility these young children had to look after each other and after the herd.

Many thanks to the librarians at Skokie Public Library for challenging me to watch The Cave of the Yellow Dog. I think you’d like this family-friendly film too.

If you like The Cave of the Yellow Dog, you’ll probably also like director’s first film The Story of the Weeping Camel. 

 

Sepia Saturday

This week we’re prompted to post on farmers, agriculture or harvest. I descend from city folk, none with a green thumb that I know of so I’ll dig through the Library of Congress and Flickr Commons to find some images of Irish farmers since I’ve got a lot of Irish blood.

To see more Sepia Saturday posts, click here.

Ireland, 1920, National Library of Ireland, Flickr Commons

Harvesting, Ireland, 1899, National Library of Ireland, Flickr Commons

National Library of Ireland, Harvest, 1897

Here’s one from the U.K., since I’ve got some British blood and I’ve never seen an oyster farm:

Report on Oyster Cultivation, U.K., ca 1870, Flickr Commons

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Happy

Subway, Taipei

Jinan, Silver Plaza

Renoir, Art Institute of Chicago

Pearl Market, Beijing

Each week Cee of Cee’s Photography challenges bloggers with a fun prompt. This week we’re to find photos of subjects that depict. the concept of happiness.

If you want to see more fun photos, click here.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

Alone & smiling

Each week Cee of Cee’s Photography challenges bloggers with a fun prompt. This week we’re to find photos of subjects that depict. the concept of alone.

If you want to see more fun photos, click here.

Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday Theme Image 394

A lady with a basket of flowers portraying grace, elegance and peace, a great inspiration.

From the Library of Congress, 1910

Miami Museum

Bertha Wit, Royal Library of Denmark, n.d.

 

Sepia Saturday

When I saw this darling girl interrupted from her writing, I knew I wanted to find some good photos of people at their writing desk. It’s crucial to have a good place to think and write. Here’s what I found on Flickr Commons.

Constantin Dumba, 1910, Library of Congress

Miss Young, 1926 from Musée McCord

G. Polacco, 1915, Library of Congress

“Hygiene of the Schoolroom,” 1910 The Internet Archive

“Hygiene of the School House,” 1910, Internet Archive

Sepia Saturday

This week’s prompt urges Sepia Saturday bloggers to find and post images of old advertisements (or those with horses or carriages). I can’t resist the charms of vintage ads.

If you need a cheap suit

tied for my favorite

my other favorite

Vermeer’s Music Lesson

Vermeer’s The Music Lesson

This is the painting by Johannes Vermeer that Tim Jenison tries to replicate in Tim’s Vermeer.