CUP OF COFFEE, NEW SHOES ON
WILL MAKE YOU FEEL THANKFUL
Since Hollywood is still celebrating Thanksgiving, I thought I could show you something from Europe that will really make you count your blessings and feel
thankful for all the little things you are probably taking for granted. Albanian drama A CUP OF COFFEE AND NEW SHOES ON is currently competing over at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
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| The movie had world premiere in Tallinn |
This year's Albanian Oscar entry is a deeply emotional drama, set in
the capital of Albania - Tirana. Agim and Gëzim, identical and
inseparable twins in their thirties, have a strong bond of brotherly
love. They are both deaf, but this doesn’t get in the way of their
everyday life. One day they receive the diagnosis that they will also
lose their sight, and they are confronted with their changing
relationship to the world.
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| It is this year's Oscar Entry from Albania |
Two leads, Portuguese twins Edgar and Rafael Morais, who are not really deaf, spent six months learning Albanian sign language. They've got the roles after an extensive international audition. The film was inspired by the story of two real Belgian twin brothers, both 45-year-old shoemakers from the town of Putte, who back in 2013 put on a new pair of shoes and had a cup of coffee with their relatives before saying goodbye to them and leaving to get euthanised after finding that they will become blind too after already being deaf. The movie is a co-production between Albania, Greece and Portugal.
Oh man, that sounds emotional. I can't even imagine being faced with something like that.
ReplyDeleteIt is absolute darkness, no sound, no picture, what is there left?
DeleteI understand the strong bond between the twins, but sleeping together like that is beyond my understanding..
ReplyDeletePsychologically I think it is perfectly normal and even beautiful. Their bond is different than any other bond, they are usually connected on all possible levels, so she accepts that and acts accordingly. When you are with a person who has a twin you know that bond will always be stronger than the one that person has with you. I think it is beautiful how she accepted his brother and the naked part is also lovely to me, nothing weird there.
DeleteHow incredibly sad to have to make that choice. Though I wish we all had the freedom to make the choice on when it's time to end our lives. Def and told I'd be going blind as well? Yep, I'd make that decision to leave this world too.
ReplyDeleteAt first you are shocked, but then when you think about it, really, what kind of life is that?
DeleteI'd say none at all, but those who were inspired by Hellen Keller would probably say differently. Then again, born def and blind would probably be easier to handle than being def and then having your sight stripped away later. That's a loss that I probably wouldn't be able to handle on top of the deafness.
DeleteEspecially as they were ordinary people, shoemakers, not, I don't know, scientists, or writers or philosophers or something, but even then it would be a life in silence and darkness.
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