Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Krzysztof Kieślowski: Three Colors





Models: Brandy, Jemme, Tanya Films: Fuji Pro 160, Velvia 100


Krzysztof Kieślowski died aged 54 on March 13, 1996, during open-heart surgery following a heart attack, and was interred in Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.


I enjoy and admire many creators in various fields...from artists, musicians, film directors to authors, philosophers, etc. but he is probably the only person which I feel very close to, not only in his points of views towards art, cinema and life but also the way he used every little technical means to his advantage in telling his stories.


...there was a reason behind every used element in Kieslowski's films and yet the technical parts and concepts were not consuming the context...they were all being used in a magical, meaningful harmony....silences, colors, light, pauses, camera angles, editing, times of day, scars, tears, broken hearts, hopes, happy endings, sad endings, ambiguous endings and everything in between....and colors...colors...colors.


During my life, I have witnessed many sad and real life dramas...from fathers selling their own under age children to use the funds to save the rest of family in war zones, to very untimely death of lovers to other things that can break your heart even imagining them....and yet the sadness of Kieslowski's untimely death is right up there among those and not less important than many other human tragedies in my humble opinion.
Although I have to say...personally I would've died a very happy and fulfilled man if I would've made only "Blue" and "Red" before my death.


Kieslowski said the following in an interview:


It comes from a deep-rooted conviction that if there is anything worthwhile doing for the sake of culture, then it is touching on subject matters and situations which link people, and not those that divide people. There are too many things in the world which divide people, such as religion, politics, history, and nationalism. If culture is capable of anything, then it is finding that which unites us all. And there are so many things which unite people. It doesn't matter who you are or who I am, if your tooth aches or mine, it's still the same pain. Feelings are what link people together, because the word 'love' has the same meaning for everybody. Or 'fear', or 'suffering'. We all fear the same way and the same things. And we all love in the same way. That's why I tell about these things, because in all other things I immediately find division.


Must see Cinema by him:


The Decalogue (Dekalog) (1988)

A Short Film About Killing (Krótki film o zabijaniu) (1988)

A Short Film About Love (Krótki film o miłości) (1989)

The Double Life of Véronique (La Double vie de Véronique/Podwójne życie Weroniki) (1991)

Three Colors: Blue (Trois couleurs: Bleu) (1993)

Three Colors: White (Trois couleurs: Blanc/Trzy kolory: Biały) (1994)

Three Colors: Red (Trois couleurs: Rouge) (1994)


The above images are part of a series which has been mildly inspired by Three colors: "Blue" , "White"and "Red". It is a work in progress and a long way from being complete. I have to thank the wonderful models who have participated in this project so far... Brandy, Jemme and Tanya.


Cheers


Wolf189


Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, New York City

3 comments:

Lin said...

Awesome pictures! And thank you for introducing me to Kieślowski. I hadn't heard of him before, and I've just discovered a whole new world :-)

Wolf189 Photography said...

Thank you very much dear Lin.

I appreciate it.

I hope you enjoy his work...a bit of patience is in order while watching his films.

Cheers

Wolf

Tanya said...

Wolf,
Thank you for letting be be a part of a project hat means so much to you, and for also introducing me to Kieslowski's work as well, I really enjoyed the trilogy, and more that than was really impressed with his creativity on top of the stories.

Not to mention i love that you gave me homework pre shoot.

I guess were fortunate to have the few creations he left behind before his departure.