Assignment 1: Howdy--Amir Abou-Jaoude

My name is Amir Abou-Jaoude, and I am passionate about film.  I first became interested in film when I took a Video Productions class in 8th grade. Since then, I've seen a variety of classic films, and some favorites include Rainer Werner Fassbinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun, Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu, Ingmar Bergman's Persona,  Robert Altman's Nashville, Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and Akira Kurosawa's Ran. For me, these films prove that movies are not simply a way to kill time on a rainy day. Instead, I feel that film can be a powerful form of artistic expression. A filmmaker can form an intimate connection with his audience and impart to them a unique perspective on the world. I believe that movies, no matter how depressing or pessimistic they are, are a celebration of life and a reminder of the diversity that exists in the world. I've learned a lot about film from the late Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert, and below is a link to a collection of his "Great Movies" reviews.

Another interest of mine is art history. I greatly enjoyed taking an art history class last year, and I find it fascinating how art can mirror political, economic, and social events. My favorite artists are the Baroque painter Caravaggio and the Japanese woodblock artist Hokusai. I've included an image of my favorite Hokusai print below. In addition to film and art history, I also admire the music of Richard Wagner. As much of a flawed man as he was, Wagner was able to suffuse his music with so much emotion and pathos.

I guess that is what "geeks" me out. In the future, I would like to become a film director and screenwriter. I was given the amazing opportunity to hone my skills as a writer this summer at the Governor's School for the Arts. This year, I would like to write and produce my own film. If I could have one superpower, it would be to capture everything at twenty-four frames per second...

Hokusai, Hodogaya on the Tokaido Road, c. 1834

Link to Roger Ebert reviews: http://www.rogerebert.com/great-movies