Dogtooth

Many may argue that this film is not for everyone. It's probably true; it's disturbing, graphic, gory and claustrophobic. At the same time though it's one of the few recent films that can actually lead to an interesting conversation or get you thinking. And even more surprisingly, its one of the few Greek films that deserve to be commended for everything from cinematography to writing and acting. It's one of those films that might for a second cause you to be proud and optimistic about the resurgence of Greek cinema. I sound like a smitten 14 year old going on and on about how amazing this film is, but I'm not the only one smitten; apparently, after the attention it got at Cannes, Dogtooth earned a nomination for an Academy Award. I don't plan to discuss the plot here, there are plenty of sites who do just that. I plan to recommend watching it.

Watch it. Grab a shot of tequila if you're a bit fainthearted. Watch it. With an open mind, thinking of all the possible meanings and symbolisms. Watch it. Let it shock you. Watch it. Let it impress you with the brilliant ending.

I'm not saying it is the best film ever made. That concept isn't even plausible. But it's a raw, brilliant and shocking depiction of a paranoid microcosm centred around the control of everything. And when that microcosm is a family living in the isolation of the country, things can get more deranged than one would expect.

Care to Judge?

We all judge people. It’s one of the ways we use to make sense of the world and others, I guess. Typecasting them, stereotyping them, judging the things they say, do or wear. Anyone who proclaims to have never judged anyone is a liar. Unless you’re Gandhi, at some point in your life you judged. It can be argued that judging someone is some sort of a healthy outlet of one’s fear of the unknown, jealousy or general feeling of uneasiness. It can even be a link between you and someone else. And besides, it’s fun to sit on a pedestal and point the finger at people, since it makes you forget about the things you’ve done wrong. The things you do that deserve or might lead to you being judged.

I struggled with the whole concept of judging for a while. I certainly have done it, and I bet other people have most certainly judged me. And what I came to realize is that in essence, it’s not a healthy outlet. Not by a long shot. It’s just one more of the things in one’s life that only bring about negativity, and I don’t just mean towards others, but towards us too. In reality, while judging others might give us an endorphin fix for a couple of seconds’ time, in the long run it just makes us feel shitty. Not because of remorse, but because we’ve filled ourselves up with negativity, whininess and vindictiveness. Truth be told, judging is a pointless and vapid pastime that only drains us. If someone is so annoying, unlikable and mean he shouldn’t be judged, because through judging he is awarded a huge chunk of attention that he doesn’t deserve. Flat out don’t include him in your thoughts and conversations; it only drains you of energy and good humor. And as for the people one holds dear and loves; well, they should never be judged. Even when we might not agree with what they do, even when they’ve got it wrong, even when they’ve pissed you off so bad that you fantasize about them fed to piranhas – you don’t judge the people you love. You support them, help them, and warn them. Hell, you just love them no matter what shit they pull (as long as they’re not serial killers or something). They’ll do the same for you, that’s what they’re there for.

We’re just human, and oftentimes we fall into patterns which we might not necessarily like, say things we don’t mean and do things we wish we hadn’t done. What I’d like though is to take all the redundant judging out of my life. It’s useless. Hell, it doesn’t even make me feel good. And as for being judged by someone; ignore it. Don’t even give it the time of day – don’t even let it bother you. If someone cannot accept you, love you and appreciate you the way you are or if you don’t feel comfortable being yourself around someone because you’re afraid you might be judged, then the hell with him. He can go whine somewhere else.

Why don’t we just keep the things that make us feel good and discard the ones that drain us? How’s that for a suggestion?

The British Food Challenge

Before moving any forward, lets get one thing straight. I am one of those people. The gluttonous and incorrigible ones who live and breathe food. I love everything about it, cooking it, reading about it, talking about it, eating it and sharing it with the people I care about. Try talking to me about food – my face will light up, my mouth will open and close at unthinkable speed and you will be my friend forever.

To bring the cliché back on the table, as a New Year’s resolution, I said I would fill my days with things I love doing. So, I put myself on a mission, named “Explore British food and report back to the people reading my blog” (a.k.a my mum). When I say British food, I in no sense mean eating at the 2336^th mediocre Italian restaurant in London. No friends, I mean hard-core dwelling in the day-to-day comings and goings of traditional, contemporary and really fatty British food and produce.

Coming from a place where olive oil doubles as water, tomatoes can be eaten as apples and tangerines smell from a 100m distance, British food is the polar opposite of Greek cuisine. English cuisine generally comprises of roasted and stewed meats, meat pies, boiled vegetables and broths as well as many dishes whose roots can be found in Indian cuisine. And of course, one shouldn’t forget the British pastry making tradition, but all of these will be getting their own individual posts.

Fancy reading the documentations and reactions of a hungry Greek girl, ready to try all sorts of tasty, bizarre, fried and meaty British culinary eccentricities?

Brace yourselves; we’re about to go on a culinary trip across London (and possibly Britain.)