Good afternoon and welcome. Here’s your weekly dose of 5BF:
things from which I learned in the past week.
1: Movie Recommendation of the Week:
Taxi (2015) – this Iranian movie is directed and played by
the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. The movie is basically Panahi driving a
taxi with a front-mounted camera, picking up acted passengers as he goes. True
to Irani cinema, it’s a very simple premise – but what makes this movie so
great is the subtle messages throughout the movie. From discussions on the hanging
of the thieves, to bans on Western movie DVDs; from superstitious beliefs, to
acts of forgiveness; from small topics of self-denial to big ones where realities
become conspiracies… this movie is masterful!
2: What I Read:
Arthur Schopenhauer: Essays and Aphorisms – " Schopenhauer’s relentless and cheerful pessimism, brute commentary, and persuasive writing makes this book not only one of my favorites, but one to which I shall lean on in difficult times – for in such times only the pessimist’s company and optimism, if any, is the one to seek and trust. "
3: Documentary Recommendation:
Totally Under Control – in one scene in this documentary on
how US mishandled the COVID-19 breakout, you’ll see Trump in a press conference
waving his and saying, ‘This virus will just go away one day just like that.
Like magic.’ This should give you an idea why US suffered so greatly from this
pandemic. And to get the full picture on the horrifying facts such as ‘The Lost
Month’, ‘The Struggle for PPE’, ‘The Chloroquine Treatment’ you must watch this
incredible documentary.
4: Podcasts (finally!)
Throughout the 6,7 months of the pandemic, I hardly listened
to some 10 podcasts, which included BBC 4’s ‘In Our Time’ (episodes on: Emily
Dickinson, Al-Ghazali, Bergson, and Hamlet) and ‘Poetry Unbound’ by the On
Being studios. Well, in the past week, I tried and got back to listening
podcasts, and here’s a couple of recommendations:
The Trump Years: America First (Vox’s Today Explained) – in this
episode of the series ‘The Trump Years’, people at Vox talks about how Trump’s ‘America
First’ policy has worked both domestically and internationally. Refugee crisis,
travel bans, Muslims bans, and controversial international acts, this episode
will alarm you more about the incompetency of Trump and what havoc he has
created in past four years.
Poetry Unbound: Season 2 – simple, beautiful, and calming.
5: This Week's Quote:
"For the Creator created not only the world he also created possibility itself: therefore he should have created the possibility of a better world than this one."
- Schopenhauer