Intuitive souls of two young adults ignite in romantic drama

    

Before Sunrise, released in 1995, the first of a series of three films to date, is an unconventional love story. Directed by Richard Linklater, the story revolves around Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), a young man and a woman who find themselves sitting near each other on a train going to different countries in Europe. Jesse is an American who is returning home from Madrid and he plans to get off the train in Vienna to catch a flight back to the U.S. while Celine, a French student, is on her way home to Paris after visiting her grandmother in Budapest.

The pair strikes up a conversation and immediately form a connection. They discuss their perspectives on life and society and how they were brought up. In a moment of total spontaneity, Jesse urges Celine to depart the train at Vienna with him. The pair spends the first couple of hours taking in the sights of Vienna including old churches, statues, and the Danube River.

As Jesse and Celine spend the entire afternoon and evening together, they share deeper, intimate thoughts. For instance, they both agree that rebellion is natural and that it’s instinctive to want to do the opposite of what their parents, or society want or expect from them.
Jesse and Celine defy convention in one major and obvious way: they agree not to exchange phone numbers or addresses or stay in touch with each other. With their lives being so different, living on opposite sides of the world, it is very likely they will not be able to see each other again. So they choose not to converse because it would be too difficult to remain friends because they will be reminded of the unfulfilled longing they have to see each other.

 What makes Jesse and Celine’s relationship special is they value true, old-fashioned romance where it can only happen for one moment in time; a chance meeting leads to a once in a lifetime opportunity. The idea that they won’t see each other or stay in touch adds an element of intrigue making their experience that much more valuable.

In this day and age, the temptation to contact the other would be harder to resist today with technology so readily available at our fingertips with outlets like email, social networking sites, and smart phones to make communication faster.

Linklater does a very good job illustrating how spending a day with someone can be quite romantic, even with the knowledge that they very well may never see or hear from each other again. It’s about cherishing those rare special parts of life keeping it intriguing and enriching. The story of Jesse and Celine continues in films that are released in nine-year intervals, with Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).

The dilemmas Jews face today examined in Off-Broadway show

Bad Jews, written by Joshua Harmon and directed by Daniel Aukin is an intelligent and insightful Off-Broadway play that many people, Jewish or not, can relate to. The play explores the significance of Jewish history, customs and values and what it means to be Jewish today. All four actors deliver realistic portrayals of the trials and tribulations their characters face as they are learning how to keep Judaism alive and relevant in this day and age.

The story begins with Daphna (Tracee Chimo), a college girl who values her Jewish roots to the core. She cherishes these roots even more after the recent passing of her grandfather, “Poppy,” a Holocaust survivor. Daphna is an example of an ideal “chosen person” whose religious ethics starkly contrast with those of her cousins, Jonah (Philip Ettinger) and Liam (Michael Zegen).

Daphna is visiting Jonah’s Manhattan studio apartment after the funeral, and Liam comes home with his new girlfriend Melody (Molly Ranson), a true shiksa (the Jewish word for a woman who hasn’t been one of the chosen), in every sense.

Melody’s naïveté of Jewish customs is evident and proudly displays a tattoo of a musical note on her leg to Daphna’s shock. Unbeknownst to Melody, tattoos are forbidden according to Jewish law. The only tattoos that some Jews have are those found on the arms Holocaust survivors that were forced upon them after being placed in concentration camps.

The most heartbreaking point for Daphna comes upon discovering that Liam has gotten a hold of her grandfather ‘Poppy’s’ gold ring, which she says is very precious because he used it to propose to their grandmother after they survived the Holocaust. As if this weren’t appalling enough, Daphna learns that a completely non-Jewish girl will be wearing that ring, as Liam had planned to propose to her in Aspen. The thought of a shiska forever displaying a piece of jewelry with religious significance is too heartbreaking to bear.

Obviously, Liam realizes how valuable this family heirloom is, because he chose to use it to symbolize an eternal love between him and Melody. He shares with Daphna the awareness of how precious the heirloom is but doesn’t agree that she is any more entitled to inherit it than he or Jonah. Daphna’s biggest concern is that the family tree will be broken upon Liam and Melody’s union, as if they were to bear any children, the Jewish descent could potentially be lost somewhere down the line. She asks both Liam and Jonah, “Do you really want to give up being a Jew in this day and age when it’s so much easier to be a Jew?”

Bad Jews is entertaining and engrossing and all four actors pour 100 percent of themselves into their roles. Tracee Chimo’s raw and honest portrayal of Daphna stands out the most. She effortlessly generates empathy for her character and evokes a sense of neurosis and passion similar to actresses such as Judy Davis or Cate Blanchett. Joshua Harmon’s debut is perfect for its Off-Broadway audience and the small stage works well for the setting of four characters in the close quarters of a Manhattan studio apartment, which many New Yorkers, especially college students like these characters are, can identify with.

Gifted artists find creative outlet at Midtown Venue

In the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, lies an art gallery that stands out from most of the ones typically found in Chelsea or Soho. Known as the Fountain Gallery, this venue is unique in that it represents artists living with a mental illness, which is a rare find even in a well-rounded cultural city like New York. Founded in 2000, the Fountain Gallery sells original artworks including paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture.

“Our mission is basically to promote artists who happen to have a mental illness, so we do that through a membership through the gallery so we represent in any given year about 40 active artists who are living with bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, major depression,” explains director Jason Bowman.

The Fountain Gallery is owned by Fountain House, a non-profit organization that provides resources to help people cope with their psychiatric impairments by offering employment, education, and housing programs.

Many of Fountain House’s members are drawn to beauty, originality, and creativity, and the gallery provides a platform for each artist to showcase his or her talent(s).

 “All of our artists are members of Fountain House, so we work with almost a thousand members in Fountain House so when someone from Fountain House wants to work here at the gallery as an artist, they come and volunteer here for a while and can essentially submit work,” says Bowden.

The Fountain Gallery also has a visiting artists program where the work with artists who have a mental illness but aren’t members. “We put a call out for work for visiting artists once or twice a year and people strive to be part of shows,” notes Bowman.

In exposing these brilliant minds, the gallery has seen success. About a hundred thousand dollars worth of artwork are sold a year and artists and curators also participate in shows outside the gallery, including in an annual art fair, and get commission from it.

Look at Me, the gallery’s latest exhibition, is curated by Asuka Morii more than 40 pieces by 18 artists ranging from acrylic and gouache, pen and ink, collage and mixed media, woodcut, sculpture, and digital photography mediums. The works in the show include portraits of people and animals, as well as to images of ordinary objects and people in their homes and neighborhoods. 

Artist Anthony Newton has a painting in this show titled Don’t Use Me. When asked how long he’s been an artist he said “Since I had the ability to retain information.” “My art can be best described as surrealism, expressionistic.” He cites Jean Michel Basquiat, Francis Bacon as some of his influences. “He says he “Rather enjoys (creating art) and my mental illness gives him a rather artistic sense” He added his mental illness helps his creativity by giving him extra insight.”