Accédez à une sélection d'ouvrages choisis en coup de cœur par les collaborateurs de la Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg.
Découvrez mensuellement les sélections de la Médiathèque et du fonds non luxembourgeois. Les sélections de Luxemburgensia et de la Réserve précieuse sont régulièrement mises à jour en fonction des coups de cœur de leurs collaborateurs.
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Erwin Wurm : der Künstler der die Welt verschluckt
Regie Laurin Merz«Der österreichische Bildhauer und Aktionskünstler Erwin Wurm zählt zu den bedeutendsten Künstlern unserer Zeit. Der Schweizer Filmemacher Laurin Merz hat den Erfinder der "One Minute Sculptures" und der "Fat"-Skulpturen vier Jahre lang rund um den Globus begleitet und sein Leben und Schaffen mit der Kamera dokumentiert. So wird das Entstehen eines Kunstwerkes von der Idee über die ersten Skizzen und die Fertigung bis hin zu ihrer Ausstellung gezeigt. Einem Mann steckt er Spargel in die Nase, einem zweiten klemmt er Bananen unter die Achsel, dem dritten rammt er einen Labello in den Mund. Eimer kommen auf Köpfe, Gurken zwischen Zehen, Blumenvasen in die Hand, Besen untern Hintern. Was geschieht vor, in, hinter diesen Augen, die die verwendete Welt wenden, biegen, beugen, knicken und verrücken? Wie sieht so einer aus, der die Welt als kafkaeske Chaplinade abbildet? Ein Witzbold? Er lacht viel im Porschetempo des Gesprächs aber. Zu frisch der Furor, zu fett die Furcht seiner Erfahrung, die sein Lachen drosseln. All die Gefährdung der leichtgewichtigen Gestalt spielt sich ab im Blick. Er spricht über seine Kindheit und Jugend in der Steiermark, wo seine kleinbürgerliche Familie sich nur schwer mit seinem Wunsch, Künstler zu werden, abfinden konnte.»
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To have and have not = Le port de l'angoisse
dir. by Howard Hawks«To Have and Have Not (1944) was director Howard Hawks' wartime adventure masterpiece - a minor film classic loosely based upon part of Ernest Hemingway's 1937 novel of the same name. Jules Furthman and William Faulkner partnered their talents to write the screenplay, retaining some of the sharp dialogue from the book. Warner Bros. Studios decided that it needed a sequel in an exotic locale to follow up their earlier success of Casablanca (1942), so they chose this similar vehicle with comparable ingredients: an exotic locale in the Caribbean (WWII Martinique), an unmarried ex-patriate American (a charter-boat captain who is tough, sardonic, and politically apathetic - at first), a romantic love interest to create on-screen electricity, Free French (Gaullist) resistance fighters, a Vichy/Gestapo police captain, a cafe/bar and a piano player. And this film paired an unhappily-married Humphrey Bogart and young Lauren Bacall for the first time (this was Lauren Bacall's startling movie debut at 19 years of age), leading to one of Hollywood's most enduring romances. The couple actually fell in love together while making the film - and were married shortly afterwards in 1945. Taglines advertised Bacall as a self-reliant lead who could play opposite Bogey: "The only kind of woman for his kind of man." Bacall walks with feline grace in “To Have and Have Not,” and part of what makes her so distinctive and touching in that movie is the just noticeable strain she is under to perform and act more than her age. She manages all of that with style, with aplomb, and the picture was a triumph for her.»
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Lugares comunes = Common ground
Adolfo Aristarain et Kathy Saavedra"Acclaimed director Adolfo Aristarain's COMMON GROUND provides a compelling mix of family drama and biting social commentary. When his university suggests that aging Literature professor Fernando Robles (Federico Luppi) retire, they intend it as more than mere suggestion. The downward-spiraling economy plaguing Argentina in the early 21st century caused mass unemployment, and the middle-class could not count themselves as secure in their economic status. Fernando and his wife Lili (Mercedes Sampietro) confront this reality pragmatically, but the stress and conflict greatly test their marriage. The family's economic worries also take their toll on Fernando's relationship with his son Pedro (Pablo Rago). Though Fernando refuses assistance, he resents his son for moving away from Argentina when it most needs resourceful citizens. The drastic changes that Fernando and Lili must make resonate universally, and illustrate the difficult balance struck between government, industry, and individual well-being."
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Chasing ice
dir. by Jeff Orlowski«Acclaimed photographer James Balog was once a sceptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. In this documentary, Balog deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate.Travelling with a team of young adventurers across the brutal Arctic, Balog risks his career and his well-being in pursuit of the biggest story facing humanity. As the debate polarises America, and the intensity of natural disasters ramps up globally, CHASING ICE depicts a heroic photojournalist on a mission to deliver fragile hope to our carbon-powered planet.»
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Written on the wind
dir. by Douglas Sirk«Written on the Wind (1956) is generally regarded as the best of director Douglas Sirk's 1950s lush, vibrantly colorful melodramatic masterpieces. His absorbing, flamboyant films were noted for their glossy and excessive style, film noirish characteristics, and exaggerated and overheated emotions. This film provides Sirk's clear commentary and critique of the underlying hollowness and shallowness of American society in the placid 1950s, and misfit lives stunted and corrupted by mental anguish, alcoholism, frustration, and corruptible materialistic wealth. This is a perverse and wickedly funny melodrama in which you can find the seeds of “Dallas,” “Dynasty,” and all the other prime-time soaps.»
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Murder on the Orient Express
dir. by Sidney Lumet«Pendant son trajet de trois jours à travers l'Europe, le célèbre Orient Express est subitement immobilisé suite à de nombreuses chutes de neige. Le détective Hercule Poirot est réveillé par un gémissement dans la cabine voisine. Le lendemain matin, un homme est découvert mort, frappé de plusieurs coups de couteau. L'assassin est toujours à bord pris au piège par la neige. Un Oscar du meilleur second rôle à Ingrid Bergman. Ours d'Or au Festival de Berlin.» Hommage à Lauren Bacall: L'icône américaine du cinéma Lauren Bacall, surnommée « the Look » au sommet de sa carrière pendant l'âge d'or d'Hollywood, est morte le 12 août à l'âge de 89 ans.
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Treme [Film]
created by David Simon, Eric Overmyer"After delivering arguably the best television series ever made in "The Wire ", Simon has again delivered a series unlike anything you've seen on television before. He has gone into yet another downtrodden, forgotten city - this time, New Orleans in place of Baltimore - in search of the heart that keeps it alive. Unlike "The Wire", it brims with an unrelenting optimism. "Treme" focuses on New Orleans post-Katrina, with particular emphasis on the musicians who live and play there, particularly in the musically important Faubourg Treme neighborhood. There's Dixieland and zydeco, natch, but also hip-hop and rock; there are NOLA stalwarts like Dr. John, Ernie K-Doe, Lee Dorsey, and the Meters (as well as appearances by Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, and others), but plenty of younger, lesser knowns, too. Whether we hear it in the street, in a club or a recording studio, at home, or anywhere, music is the lifeblood of the city and this series, and it's handled brilliantly. Treme has a lot of characters and their stories to keep up with. There's trombonist Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce), a wonderful player but kind of a dog, especially to his current baby mama and his ex-wife, LaDonna (Khandi Alexander), a bar owner who's desperately searching for her missing brother. There's Creighton Bernette (John Goodman), a writer preoccupied with telling the world what's really going on in the city, and his wife Toni (Melissa Leo), a lawyer and thorn in the side of the authorities. There's Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn), a well-meaning but annoyingly clueless radio DJ, his occasional girlfriend Janette (Kim Dickens), who's struggling to keep her restaurant open, and Albert Lambreaux (Clarke Peters), who returns from Houston, finds his house in ruins, and sets about rebuilding it. Simon and Overmyer, who has lived in New Orleans on and off for more than 20 years, have set out to make this an authentic portrayal of the cultural stew and the varied peoples of the city."
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The Maya Angelou poetry collection [Enregistrement sonore]
"Grace, dignity, and eloquence have long been hallmarks of Maya Angelou’s poetry. Her measured verses have stirred our souls, energized our minds, and healed our hearts. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. With the guidance of her friend, the novelist James Baldwin, she began work on the book that would become I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Published in 1970, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published to international acclaim and enormous popular success. The list of her published verse, non-fiction, and fiction now includes more than 30 bestselling titles. President Clinton requested that she compose a poem to read at his inauguration in 1993. Dr. Angelou's reading of her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" was broadcast live around the world."
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La Vénus à la fourrure [Film] = Venus im Pelz
réal. Roman Polanski"Par une journée orageuse, une actrice débarque dans un petit théâtre parisien pour une audition. Trempée de la tête au pied, le metteur en scène, encore présent, lui annonce que les auditions sont terminées. Elle s’impose tout de même, revêtant un costume de gente dame, empêchant ainsi le metteur en scène de s’échapper. Au premier abord vulgaire et culottée, il l’écoute, puis va se laisser emporter par son jeu et ses réflexions sur l’amour sado-masochiste que se portent les deux personnages du roman de Sacher-Masoch… Après "Carnage", Polanski réitère dans l’adaptation d’un huis-clos, grâce au roman de Léopold von Sacher-Masoch, La vénus à la fourrure. Ici, il enferme ses deux uniques personnages dans un théâtre, en pleine nuit. Il va d’abord les laisser se découvrir, puis s’apprivoiser, pour finir par dévoiler ce qui les anime vraiment, savamment dissimiler derrière leur masque de metteur en scène intello et bourgeois et d’actrice désespérée faussement idiote. le personnage joué par Emmanuelle Seignier va petit à petit amener Thomas à la soumission, remettant en cause son pouvoir masculin de domination. Et bien au-delà de la magie qui se dégage des échanges entre les personnages, Polanski réussit à livrer une comédie rythmée, surprenante et jouissive, faussement légère. Un film sur la lutte pour le pouvoir dans les rapports amoureux, aux antipodes de ce qu’aurait fait l’analytique Woody Allen ou de ce qu’on pourra voir dans l’adaptation à venir du roman SM pour mémère au foyer, 50 Shades of Grey."
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It might get loud [Film]
by Davis Guggenheim"Three generations of rock guitarists come together for It Might Get Loud, a 2009 documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth). These are not just your garden-variety guitar gods: Jimmy Page, in his mid-'60s at the time of the film, founded Led Zeppelin, who dominated the 1970s following the breakup of the Beatles. As a member of U2, 48-year-old David Evans, better known as the Edge, created one of the most distinctive and influential sounds of the past quarter century. And 34-year-old Jack White (of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather) was described by one music publication as "the most significant rock 'n' roll figure of the past ten years." Guggenheim, who followed the three around for the better part of a year, takes us into their individual lives, past and present. There are shots of Page as a young London session musician, with the Yardbirds and Zeppelin, at Headley Grange (the estate where much of the fourth Zep album was made), and at home with his record collection. The Edge takes us to the Dublin classroom where U2 first rehearsed, as well as to the practice room he uses now (never a virtuoso soloist, he developed a style based on texture and a mind-boggling array of effects); and White, whose insistence on authenticity is admirable but perhaps a tad self-conscious, constructs a "guitar" from a plank of wood, a piece of wire, and a Coke bottle (he also plays a recording by the primitive bluesman Son House, featuring just voice and handclaps, that White says is still his biggest inspiration). The three also converge on a Hollywood sound stage, where they chat and a do a little jamming on Zep's "In My Time of Dying" (with all three playing slide guitar) and the Band's "The Weight." It's hard to say if the film's appeal will extend beyond guitar freaks and fans of these particular bands, but at the very least, It Might Get Loud offers some interesting insight into the soul and inspiration behind some of pop's best and most popular music."
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El viaje de Carol [Film] = Carol's journey
guión de Ángel García Roldán, Imanol Uribe ; dirigida por Imanol Uribe"Twelve-year-old Carol (Clara Lago) is accompanying her mother Aurora (Maria Barranco) to Spain to visit her mother's native village as the Civil War is tearing the nation apart. Carol's life is an emotional roller coaster, as her American-born father -- with whom she is extremely close -- has been away for quite some time, serving as a pilot in the International Brigades. Furthermore, Aurora recently received a terminal diagnosis for the illness she has been battling and could die at any moment. As Carol struggles with these issues as well as the acceptance of the new environment she has been cast into, she gains perspective from her gentle grandfather Amalio (Alvaro de Luna) and the village teacher Maruja (Rosa Maria Sarda), as well as an unexpected first love with local boy Tomiche (Juan Jose Ballesta). Adapted from Angel Garcia Roldan's novel A boca de noche, Carol's Journey was an official selection to the 2002 Montreal World Film Festival. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Berlin International Film Festival, Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain, Goya Awards, Montreal World Film Festival."
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Searching for sugar man
Malik Bendjelloul"In telling the tale of Sixto Rodriguez—a Mexican-American balladeer from Detroit who cut a couple of tepidly received LPs in the late '60s, vanished amid hazy rumors of onstage suicide, and subsequently became an Elvis-size rock god in South Africa—the Swedish filmmaker Bendjelloul interviews pertinent Rodriguez-saga parties in standard rock-doc style, including the hilariously combative former Motown bigwig and Sussex Records (Rodriguez's label) founder Clarence Avant, as well as the singer-songwriter's charming, touchingly loyal grown daughters."
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Gegenschuss: Aufbruch der Filmemacher
Dominik Wessely, Laurens Straub"Die Macher des Neuen Deutschen Films wie Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder und Wim Wenders stehen für das junge, rebellische Kino der Post-Adenauer-Zeit. Die Dokumentation Gegenschuss - Aufbruch der Filmemacher beleuchtet nun die Geschichte des Gravitationszentrums der Bewegung: des Filmverlag der Autoren. Mit Zeitzeugnissen, Interviews und Filmausschnitten erzählen der Regisseur und Produzent Kölmel von einem faszinierenden Stück deutscher Filmgeschichte. Die Mitglieder des legendären Filmverlag der Autoren hievten das deutsche Kino wieder auf internationales Niveau. Heute orientieren sich junge Filmemacher an dieser Rebellion der Filmemacher."
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The world according to Irving
André Schäfer"John Irving gilt als einer der bedeutendsten amerikanischen Autoren unserer Zeit und ist berühmt für die eigentümlichen Charaktere in seinen Romanen, z.B. in "Garp und wie er die Welt sah" oder "Gottes Werk und Teufels Beitrag". Die Dokumentation begleitet den Autor bei seiner Lesereise nach Europa sowie in seinen privaten Alltag in Vermont. Dabei ist Irving bei seiner täglichen Arbeit, z.B. bei der Entwicklung seiner Romanfiguren, zu sehen, aber ebenso beim Kochen oder Fitnesstraining. Anlässlich des 70. Geburtstags des Weltliteraten wird erstmals ein Bild von dem Menschen ermöglicht, der sich hinter all den kreativen Charakteren verbirgt. Der Zuschauer erlebt einen sympathischen und allzu menschlichen Künstler, der sein Publikum mit Worten verzaubert. Regisseur André Schäfer lässt jedoch nicht nur die Romanhelden selbst zu Wort kommen, sondern auch deren leibhafte Vorbilder wie etwa Ärzte, Tätowierer, Prostituierte, Polizisten u.v.m., die ebenfalls in ihrer aktuellen Lebenssituation beleuchtet werden."
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On golden pond
Mark Rydell"The loons are back again on Golden Pond and so are Norman Thayer, a retired professor, and Ethel who have had a summer cottage there since early in their marriage. This summer their daughter Chelsea -- whom they haven't seen for years -- feels she must be there for Norman's birthday. She and her fiance are on their way to Europe the next day but will be back in a couple of weeks to pick up the fiance's son. When she returns Chelsea is married and her stepson has the relationship with her father that she always wanted. Will father and daughter be able to communicate at last?"
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Beware of Mr. Baker
Jay Bulger"Award-winning documentary about ex-Cream and Blind Faith drummer, Ginger Baker. Over his tumultuous career in the music industry, Baker has lost as much as he has gained. Credited with introducing African beats and world music to Western audiences, he has become one of the most influential musicians of all time due to an unparalleled ability on the drums. Writer and filmmaker Jay Bulger speaks to the man himself and is granted access to the 80-acre property in the South African compound he now shares with his present wife. He also speaks to Baker's ex-wives, his children and many of the musicians he has worked with and influenced over the years, gaining an insight into the legend of a man as much hated as he is loved."
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Rendez-vous chez Lacan [Film]
réal. Gérard Miller« Connaissez-vous Lacan, que beaucoup considèrent comme le plus grand psychanalyste depuis Freud ? Au-delà du mythe, des légendes et parfois des anathèmes, ce film de Gérard Miller nous permet de découvrir son œuvre et sa personnalité, grâce aux témoignages de ses patients, de ses élèves, mais également de ses proches.Né avec le xxe siècle dans une famille catholique de la moyenne bourgeoisie, psychiatre de formation, doté d’une culture encyclopédique, ami de Picasso, de Lévi-Strauss ou de Sartre, Lacan était un théoricien génial, un praticien hors pair, et il reste le plus moderne, le plus stimulant voire le plus sulfureux des psychanalystes. Le réalisateur Gérard Miller a rencontré Lacan grâce à son frère, Jacques-Alain, le plus fidèle de ses élèves, qui épousa sa fille Judith. Une relation étroite et intense qui rend ce film exceptionnel. »
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Underworld U.S.A. [Film] = Les bas-fonds new-yorkais
written and dir. by Samuel Fuller« Fourteen-year-old Tolly Devlin sees four hoods beat his father to death. Twenty years later, the killers have risen to the top of the crime syndicate and Tolly has a plan for revenge. Samuel Fuller's revenge crime thriller is shot in the same brisk and violent manner he shoots his war films. The timely crime film hopes to cash in on the public's thirst for mob stories, as it takes place after the well-covered mob gathering in Appalachin, New York ; Fuller based his film on a series of "exposé" articles in The Saturday Evening Post. Fuller's violent noir film shows the inhumanity of the soldiers in the war on crime, where neither the syndicate or Tolly react with basic human responses. Their drive to succeed overrides everything, even love. The FBI is shown as stymied without the help of the public coming forth with information or willing to act as witnesses despite the risks, but the lawmen do not play fair by not telling how dangerous it's to be a witness against the mob. »
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König der Spione [Film] : die Welt des John Le Carré
von Werner Köhne, André Schäfer« Der Schriftsteller John le Carré, vor allem bekannt für seine auflagenstarken Spionagethriller, wird in der Dokumentation von André Schäfer und Werner Köhne als streitbarer Zeitzeuge vorgestellt. Er hält vor allem den Menschen im Westen einen Spiegel vor, der die Entwicklungen und den Wandel einer ganzen Epoche wiedergibt. Doch auch die Würdigung des literarischen Werkes von le Carré kommt in dem Porträt nicht zu kurz. Die Welt der klassischen Spionage sollte beinahe einer ganzen Epoche, nämlich der des Kalten Krieges, ihren Namen geben. Dieser Name selbst schien einem Romantitel des britischen Schriftstellers John le Carré nachgebildet zu sein. 'Der Spion der aus der Kälte kam', 1963 erschienen, war literarisch ein höchst ambitioniertes Werk und mehr als ein Roman. Nach dem Ende des Kalten Krieges hat John le Carré in mehreren Romanen der Erosion der kommunistischen Systeme ebenso Raum gegeben ('Das Russlandhaus') wie dem im Nahen Osten heraufdämmernden Terrorismus ('Die Libelle'). Und nach der politischen Wende 1989 entwickelte er sofort ein Gespür für die globalen Verwerfungen der neuen Weltordnung. Terrorismus, Waffenschmuggel und Ausbeutung der Dritten Welt sind jetzt seine bevorzugten Themen, die er auch in Tageskommentaren und Gesprächen behandelt. Eine Hommage an den streitbaren Zeitzeugen John le Carré und sein literarisches Schaffen. Radikal, bösartig, analytisch, witzig und immer intelligent führt der Schriftsteller uns in seinen Werken den Wandel einer ganzen Epoche vor Augen. »
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Le cercle rouge [Film]
réalisation, scénario original, adaptation et dialogues Jean-Pierre Melville« Melville à son sommet. En filmant une fois de plus une histoire d'hommes, solitaires, réunis pour un casse dans une bijouterie, et traqués par un commissaire tout aussi solitaire qu'eux, le réalisateur du Samouraï nous livre là son film somme. On y retrouve donc toute la patte melvillienne : une distribution prestigieuse qui réunit fidèles (Alain Delon, François Périer) et nouveaux venus, impressionnants (Bourvil dans son dernier rôle, Yves Montand) ; son fétichisme pour les objets – le chapeau, l'imperméable, la voiture, le revolver – son goût pour les atmosphères masculines – les appartements vides et sans âme, le motel, la boîte de strip-tease – son filmage épuré, épaulé par une admirable photo glacée d'Henri Decae. Tout concourt à transformer ce polar à l'intrigue assez classique en un requiem pour mauvais garçons aux accents crépusculaires. Hommage au film noir américain des années 50 – on pense plusieurs fois à Quand la ville dort de John Huston ou L'Ultime razzia de Kubrick –, on voit également à travers l'avant-dernier film de l'auteur de Bob le Flambeur et de L'Armée des ombres tout ce que les cinémas de Quentin Tarantino, de John Woo et de Takeshi Kitano, ainsi que Mission impossible de De Palma doivent à ce fascinant cinéaste, exigeant et populaire à la fois. »