• Home
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Date/Time
  • Login
  • Subscribe

logo

  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Subscribe
  • Events
Home
  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Subscribe
  • Events
  • Home
  • Arts & Books

Kids flicks for Wittgenstein

by Jonathan Rée / February 21, 2012 / Leave a comment
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

"Mustafa's Sweet Dreams" is one of a new wave of films featuring naturalistic performances by children

In Cambridge in the 1930s and 1940s, Ludwig Wittgenstein loved going to “the flicks”—any films at all, provided they were not self-consciously starry or arty or (worst of all) posh-literary. His ideal was the run-of-the mill American western. He liked it because the actors, like the horses, seemed to get on with being themselves rather than putting on an act for the sake of the camera.

Westerns are not what they used to be, but in the past few years a new form has made a space for itself in world cinema. It would have fitted Wittgenstein’s requirements perfectly: the children’s film. I don’t mean high-budget glitz like the Harry Potter films, but the kinds of children’s films that are exhibited every year in the cheap and wonderful Kinder Berlinale, which runs in parallel with the annual Berlin Film Festival.

This year’s Kinder Berlinale happened to coincide with last week’s English school holidays, and it provided a fabulous banquet of education and entertainment for a little band of ten-year-olds, plus me. Gattu, which tells the story of a poor orphan in an Indian city who wants to fly a kite, struck a chord with all of us; Punch was a bit more challenging, with its tale of a boy who battles with violence and discrimination in a school in Seoul; but we were soothed by Mustafa’s Sweet Dreams, in which an apprentice baklava-maker from rural Turkey seeks his fortune in Istanbul. Isdraken was sharp and funny, with its focus on a bunch of kids in northern Sweden and their battles with social services; and there was melancholy beauty in The Mirror Never Lies which depicts the anguish of a little girl in an Indonesian fishing village who cannot come to terms with the death of her father.

YOU'VE HIT THE LIMIT

You have now reached your limit of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
But don't worry! You can get another 7 articles absolutely free, simply by entering your email address in the box below.

When you register we'll also send you a free e-book—Writing with punch—which includes some of the finest writing from our archive of 22 years. And we'll also send you a weekly newsletter with the best new ideas in politics and philosophy of culture, which you can of course unsubscribe from at any time

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.

DEBUG messsage: regular

Related articles

What is it like to live in Pyongyang?
Owen Hatherley / November 16, 2017
Architects and urban planners met in Seoul to discuss the North Korean capital—and...
Share with friends
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

Comments

No comments yet

Prospect's free newsletter

The big ideas that are shaping our world—straight to your inbox. PLUS a free e-book and 7 articles of your choosing on the Prospect website.

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.

This Month's Magazine

Perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus.

Time to rip up the economics textbook and start again? Howard Reed says the discipline needs rebuilding from first principles. Also: Sonia Purnell on Jacob Rees-Mogg's chance of cracking No 10; Will Self on his first acid trip

Subscribe

Most Popular

  • Read
  • Commented

Rip it up and start again: the case for a new economics

In defence of the economists

Back to school: top economists on what their subject needs to learn next

Britain is not ready for exit now and it won’t be in six months—let’s extend Article 50

In defence of the economists

5 Comments

Brexit will no longer be a significant event

3 Comments

Why I won’t be leaving Labour over anti-semitism

3 Comments

Voters think Brexit is being badly mishandled—so why do they still support it?

2 Comments

Why the government should encourage veganism

2 Comments

About this author

Jonathan Rée
Jonathan Rée is a freelance philosopher
More by this author

More by Jonathan Rée

Breaking the Enlightenment spell
June 18, 2015
Schubert: the secret of song
October 21, 2014
Hannah Arendt: she couldn't stop chuckling
October 16, 2014

Next Prospect events

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Jesse Norman

    London, 2018-07-16

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Henry Marsh

    London, 2018-06-18

  • Details

    HowTheLightGetsIn 2018

    Hay-on-Wye, 2018-05-25

See more events

Sponsored features

  • Supporting UK businesses trading overseas

  • The Commonwealth has put vision for everyone on the world’s agenda— now we must act

  • Brexit and the future of industry

  • Seeing Clearly

  • Meet the brains behind Exo

PrimeTime

Prospect was originally founded by Editor David Goodhart and Publisher Derek Coombs, as a home for intelligent debate. The magazine is owned and supported by the Resolution Group, as part of its not-for-profit, public interest activities. The aim is to tackle the big challenges confronting society, through rigorous thinking and fine writing.

Follow us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • RSS

Editorial

Editor: Tom Clark
Deputy Editor: Steve Bloomfield
Executive Editor: Jay Elwes
Managing Editor (Arts & Books): Sameer Rahim
Head of Digital: Stephanie Boland
Deputy Digital Editor (Political Correspondent): Alex Dean
Design: Mike Turner
Production Editor: Chris Tilbury
US Writer-at-Large: Sam Tanenhaus

Commercial

Commercial Director: Alex Stevenson
Finance Manager: Pauline Joy
Head of Marketing: Paul Mortimer
Marketing and Circulations Executive: James Hawkins
Head of Research and Engagement: Saskia Perriard-Abdoh
Events Coordinator: Oliver Ward
Head of Advertising Sales: Adam Kinlan 020 3372 2934
Senior Account Manager: Sophie Ryan 020 3372 2927
Senior Account Manager: Dominic Slonecki 0203 372 2972
Account Manager: Scott Smith 020 3372 2931

  • Home
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Acceptable Use Policy
© Prospect Publishing Limited
×
Login
Login with your subscriber account:
You need a valid subscription to login.
I am
Remember Me


Forgotten password?

Or enter with social networking:
Login to post comments using social media accounts.
  • With Twitter
  • Connect
  • With Google +
×
Register Now

Register today and access any 7 articles on the Prospect’s website for FREE in the next 30 days..
PLUS find out about the big ideas that will shape our world—with Prospect’s FREE newsletter sent to your inbox. We'll even send you our e-book—Writing with punch—with some of the finest writing from the Prospect archive, at no extra cost!

Not Now, Thanks

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.

×
You’ve got full access!

It looks like you are a Prospect subscriber.

Prospect subscribers have full access to all the great content on our website, including our entire archive.

If you do not know your login details, simply close this pop-up and click 'Login' on the black bar at the top of the screen, then click 'Forgotten password?', enter your email address and press 'Submit'. Your password will then be emailed to you.

Thank you for your support of Prospect and we hope that you enjoy everything the site has to offer.

This site uses cookies to improve the user experience. By using this site, you agree that we can set and use these cookies. For more details on the cookies we use and how to manage them, see our Privacy and Cookie Policy.