Anne & Daniel - Sneak Peek!
in Photography
Yesterday, Debora and I had the honor of documenting the nuptials of the lovely Anne and Dan. What a wedding! What a couple!
The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ridgewood, followed by a reception at the Valley Regency in Clifton. Dan and Anne were an absolute joy to work with. It made my heart happy to see them together.
Here's a sneak peek of their day, photographed by Debora and I:
The album cover of Undercurrent, photograph by Toni Frissell.
Undercurrent - Bill Evans and Jim Hall (1962)
in music
Undercurrent, a collaboration between Bill Evans and Jim Hall, is a beautifully telepathic marriage of piano and guitar. I connect very deeply with the music of Bill Evans and this album in particular. A poignant collection of jazz ballads, Undercurrent was recorded not quite a year after the tragic death of bassist Scott LaFaro, a member of Bill Evans' trio. Deeply devastated by LaFaro's death, Evans took a several month hiatus from his career and was left "like a ghost" according to drummer Paul Motian.
The cover photo, one of my absolute favorite photographs all time, is called 'Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida' by the incomparable Toni Frissell.
Agata Trzebuchowska as Ida Lebenstein/Anna
Ida (2013)
in movies
So rarely do I see a movie that feels truly seamless and complete. From Poland, Paweł Pawlikowski has given us Ida.
Art films are a mixed lot. Some are exquisitely stirring—teetering on the sublime even, but many are too deliberate, too pithy. I tried to endure Melancholia on two (maybe three?) separate occasions before writing it off. It was too painful to watch.
Set in 1960's Poland, Ida tells the story of a novice nun as she prepares to make her perpetual vows. Orphaned during the late German occupation of Poland, the young novitiate is reconnected with her only living relative and together they embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their past.
As essential as the historical framework is to Ida, the story transcends its setting, appealing to universal human truths. It fundamentally feels like a bildungsroman. The film is only 82 minutes long but it unravels slowly; its progression is natural and unforced.
I am always a bit wary of modern movies draped in all back and white. Adhering to a strict black and white palette is a challenging endeavor, especially when it comes to filmmaking. It is quite easy for moving subjects to be washed out, making an otherwise appealing movie feel dull and lifeless. The composition of Ida, however, is so precise and utterly flawless, not so unlike the meticulous work of the legendary Stanley Kubrick. Ida is just as compelling visually as it is emotionally.
Ida is by far the best film and sensory experience I've had in a while. Poignant, unobtrusive, masterfully executed; absolutely brilliant. A profoundly impressive debut for Agata Trzebuchowska, who is new to acting and was literally plucked off the streets for the role. Ida is a testament to the artistic legitimacy of cinema; a formidable challenge to the notion that 'a good book is always better than a great movie.'
View the official trailer here. IMDB page. Ida is also currently available to stream on Netflix.