When I started this little sequence of posts on Scots of note, I already knew: Tilda Swinton is a must!
I was prepared to do the Swinton post today. And guess what I came across in my favourite German newspaper, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, this morning? A feature on Tilda Swinton on occasion of her nomination as President of the International Jury at the Berlinale 2009.
Tilda Swinton was born in Durnfermline in Scotland. She has taken part in more than 40 films, and acted in a wide range of roles, female as well as male, in arthouse productions as well as blockbusters.
She has received numerous awards for her work, including an Oscar for Best Supporting Acress in „Michael Clayton“. Swinton started out in 1986 in Derek Jarman’s „Caravaggio“. The real breakthrough came with „Orlando“, where she played an Elizabethan courtier who lives for 400 years while changing sex from man to woman.
I’m fascinated by her versatileness, her radical and quick change of expression and looks, her androgyny and her overall intensity.
I've only seen Orlando, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Broken Flowers. Her latest appearance is in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which I hope to see this week.
There’s an Interview with Tilda Swinton where she talks about her films and about her unusual private relationships.
Here’s a star interview on Youtube with Swinton.
Excerpt from Orlando
Trailer of Michael Clayton
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
2/02/2009
2/01/2009
Scots of Note - Dame Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark (1 February 1918 – 13 April 2006) was born in Edinburgh, later moving to Africa, London, New York, and Italy, places which all provided material for her novels. In her opionion, her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1954 had a crucial influence on her further writing.
She won lots of literary awards, among them the TS Eliot prize in 1992 and the British Literature Prize in 1997.
I read only five of her novels, „The Comforters“,, „Memento Mori“, „The Ballad of Peckham Rye“, The Girld of Slender Means“, „The Prime of Miss Brodie“, and her autobiography, "Curriculum Vitae". What intrigues me is her sketching of characters, her observations of the dark and inexplicable sides of human beings, her sharp sense of humour. She’s always a challenge to the reader and fun to read.
As a teacher, I was and still am enamoured by “The Prime of Miss Brodie“ which is probably one of the best English novels ever. Miss Brodie is an Edinburgh spinster living in the 1930s and teaching at Marcia Blaine school. Her teaching methods can be called „progressive“, as she provides „her girls“, the „crème de la crème“, a chosen set of outstanding talents with details of the real life, such as skin care, the ‚fascisti’, her own love life, and more.
Quote Miss Brodie: One's prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must live it to the full.
Below you can see a part of the film made by Ronald Neame, starring Maggie Smith.
She won lots of literary awards, among them the TS Eliot prize in 1992 and the British Literature Prize in 1997.
I read only five of her novels, „The Comforters“,, „Memento Mori“, „The Ballad of Peckham Rye“, The Girld of Slender Means“, „The Prime of Miss Brodie“, and her autobiography, "Curriculum Vitae". What intrigues me is her sketching of characters, her observations of the dark and inexplicable sides of human beings, her sharp sense of humour. She’s always a challenge to the reader and fun to read.
As a teacher, I was and still am enamoured by “The Prime of Miss Brodie“ which is probably one of the best English novels ever. Miss Brodie is an Edinburgh spinster living in the 1930s and teaching at Marcia Blaine school. Her teaching methods can be called „progressive“, as she provides „her girls“, the „crème de la crème“, a chosen set of outstanding talents with details of the real life, such as skin care, the ‚fascisti’, her own love life, and more.
Quote Miss Brodie: One's prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must live it to the full.
Below you can see a part of the film made by Ronald Neame, starring Maggie Smith.
1/28/2009
Scots of Note
I'm turning my last post about Robert Burns and Stuart Lee Murdoch into the first of a series of Scots who make a difference (to me).
Today's person of interest is the Scottish singer Amy MacDonald.
Isn't that an impressive voice?
There's some info here.
That's her website.
Today's person of interest is the Scottish singer Amy MacDonald.
Isn't that an impressive voice?
There's some info here.
That's her website.
1/24/2009
Three Bards
When asked about his greatest creative inspiration, Bob Dylan named the Scottish 18th-century poet Robert "Rabbie" Burns.
Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birthday, and I'm sure, there'll be lots of the so-called
Burns Suppers (the Scottish way to commemorate their bard).
Want to hear Burns' Auld Lang Syne in real Scottish?
Here you find all the poems and songs.
And, who's the third bard? It's one of my favourite singers Stuart Lee Murdoch, leadsinger of the Scottish indie band Belle and Sebastian. He grew up in the same village as Robert Burns, in Ayr.
Here's Stuart and the band:
I think, it would be nice going to Scotland in summer...
Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birthday, and I'm sure, there'll be lots of the so-called
Burns Suppers (the Scottish way to commemorate their bard).
Want to hear Burns' Auld Lang Syne in real Scottish?
Here you find all the poems and songs.
And, who's the third bard? It's one of my favourite singers Stuart Lee Murdoch, leadsinger of the Scottish indie band Belle and Sebastian. He grew up in the same village as Robert Burns, in Ayr.
Here's Stuart and the band:
I think, it would be nice going to Scotland in summer...
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