the earth is blue like an orange

The Chorists is a french film realised by Christophe Barratier, issued in 2004. It has been a succes in France despite the simplicity of the production.French actor, Gérard Jugnot acts as a supervisor, Clément Mathieu, in a boy’s boarding school after the WWII. The pupils are troubled boys, some of them no more than shy and lonely, others violent. The disciplin is strict and rough. The director acts more as if he were in charge of a prison and doesn’t seem to care for the children. His only obsession is discipline and rules. In this hard atmosphere, Mathieu, who has been through lots of insuccesses, will not accept to play his part in such a game. He is a sensitive and good man who can’t desist to trust the boys if they are given a chance to improve. As a musician he will introduce them to music and forms a choir, convinced it could be a way of « salvation » for them. And the miracle will occur. In spite of the scepticism of the director and the others teachers, he will manage to change the atmosphere of the school because of the boys’ involvement.After many ups and downs, Mathieu is dismissed, soon after the director is also dismissed, Pierre Morhange, the famous soprano of the choir, leaves the school, Pépinot, the youngest pupil who desesperatly wants a home, goes with Mathieu.The happy end of the tale still exists : Morhange, introduced to the music by Mathieu, will become a great conductor, Pépinot will find affection with Mathieu. Mathieu will have the simple life of a good man attentive to the others. I agree with reaction of the public and I liked this film very much. In our world of individualism and competition, this film is just like a ray of sunlight in the fog. It defends some kind of anachronistic values : the kindness, the lack of pretention, the humility, the faith in the others’ abilities, the dedication…Last but not least, the music and the boys’ voices are a real pleasure.

Barry Lyndon is a film by Stanley Kubrick. It tells us the tragic story of Barry, a young and gentle Irish boy, whose father died in a duel, and therefore who must take care of his mother.He thinks he has found the perfect woman, until he discovers she is attracted by a man by far older than her, but who has the unquestionable advantage of being quite rich. Barry challenges him to a duel, in which he kills the suitor. He must flee, and after being robbed, he join the English army. After a few time, he desert, however he is caught by the Prussians and  recruit in their army. He save the life from one of his superiors, and obtain to be appointed in the police after the end of the war. He is used as a spy to keep an eye on an Irish gambler, but soon he becomes the Irishman’s spy. Both of them manage to flee, and start to travel through Europe, and they earn money playing cards (and cheating, obviously).After all theses experiences, the loyal, kind, naïve and honest boy becomes a traitor, deserter, cheat, violent person.Barry meets a beautiful and rich woman, the countess of Lyndon, whose old husband dies a few time after. The countess, who has already a son, falls in loves with Barry, who marries her only because of her fortune and title. The day the wedding is celebrated, Barry, who was gentle with the countess, becomes abject. He betrays her without hiding.He has with his woman a son, that he loved  without limits, while he can’t bear the other son of the countess of Lyndon. He tries to obtain a title, but fails. He reaches his apogee. From that moment, his life starts to change. His loved son dies, his woman becomes mad of sadness and tries to commit suicide, …

ro hear the soundtrack : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyqE77jbqmM

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , also called CBC, is a Canadian national public radio and television broadcaster. It is currently offering a file about work, that joins many testimonies about different aspects of the theme “The Way We Work”: Disappearing Jobs, Looking for Work, No More 9 to 5, Work Vs Life, Where We Work and Work Culture.Work culture is about what work is about what work is and what it implicates.

“Working against the system” is a very interesting testimony about volunteer work. The author, Marguerite Pigeon, tell us about her actual experience in Honduras, in the city of La Esperanza. She is conscious of being, like everyone in our economical system, a victim of the will for more money, more comfort. But as she tries to defend an indigenous group’s rights, alongside the association COPINH (Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras), she understood that the volunteered work, though it’s not paid, brings much more than the «normal» work. It gives the impression of fighting for something higher than the wheel.

“The rhythm of work” is about Peter Adamo’s business. He is a Toronto’s greengrocer who works for the company North American Produce. He has to accept the constraint of a greengrocer : fruits and vegetables are perishable goods, and must be sold before they are rotten, even if the seller has to offer low prices. Concurrence is severe, and no help can be expected from the other sellers. There is no solidarity. An other problem is the supplier’s punctuality: when a product arrives late, the buyer aren’t here any longer and the seller loose his day. Peter has to lead with the “Tyranny of time”.

The cost of work compares the cost of the clothes, the incomes, the cost of the transportation… for different jobs, different cities. For instance, a business woman clothes cost $490 while an astronaut space suit costs… $3,15 millions.

I think that work is a real value: what are we supposed to do with our time otherwise? Work should be a way of improving our social status, but not only or not necessary that. It must lead to a greater goal: helping the other. It can be doing volunteer work for an NGO, or trying, as expanding a company, to offer jobs for the ones that need them. Work is actually the reflex of our society: a world of elitism and rivalry, while it should be a way of fulfilling our potential, using wisely our capacities for the benefits of humanity and improving the world.