Sunday, May 24, 2020

Photographer Zana Briski

In the late 1990s, Zana Briski, a London-born Cambridge University theology student turned photographer, ventured to India to document, as she puts it, the particular hells that women can go through; sex-selective abortion, dowry deaths, the treatment of widows, child marriages. It was never her intention, she says, to photograph prostitutes until she was introduced to Sonagachi, the red light district of Calcutta. When I entered the red-light district I had a very strong feeling of recognition and I knew that this was why I had come to India, she says in an e-mail interview. I spent two years gaining access - it took me that long to be offered a room in a brothel so I could live there. I photographed the women when conditions allowed and spent day after day just hanging around, watching, listening. Fate took yet another turn when Briski began interacting with the children of the prostitutes. I would play with the children and let them use my camera. They wanted to learn photography - that was their idea not mine. So I bought point-and-shoot film cameras and chose several kids who were most eager and committed and started to teach them in formal classes, she says. From the very first class, she adds, I knew something special was happening and that I needed to film what was going on. I had never picked up a video camera before, but I bought one and started filming as I was teaching the kids and living in the brothel. Eventually, Briski persuaded her friend, filmmaker Ross Kauffman, to join her in India. Over the next two years, the pair documented Briskis efforts not just to teach the children photography, but to get them into good schools where they might have a chance at a more hopeful future. The result was Born Into Brothels, a gritty and poignant account of Briskis time with the red-light kids of Calcutta, as they came to be known. At turns joyous and heartbreaking, the film focuses on eight of the kids in particular, including Kochi, a painfully shy girl who almost certainly faces a life in prostitution unless she can escape the poverty and despair of Sonagachi and gain admission to a boarding school; and Avijit, the most gifted of Briskis students who nonetheless nearly gives up on photography after his mother is murdered. With the kind of eloquence that comes only from children, Avijit tells an interviewer early in the film, there is nothing called hope in my future. Shot on a shoestring budget, in a setting light-years from Hollywood, Brothels might have languished in obscurity. But the film not only garnered raves from critics; it won the 2004 Academy Award for best documentary feature. Meanwhile, a book of the childrens photos was published and Briski set up a foundation, Kids With Cameras, to help pay for their schooling. Sadly, fairy-tale endings are all-too-rare. Even with funding and encouragement not all of the red light kids, now young adults, have fared well in the intervening years. Briski confirmed a BBC report that one of the girls featured in the film later became a prostitute. She did so by choice and I respect her choice, Briski says. I dont consider that a failure or a shame. I trust she knows what is best for her. Many of the other children did go on to school in India, some even in the United States. Briski said Kochi studied at a prestigious school in Utah for several years before returning to India to finish her education. And recently Avijit, the child prodigy in Brothels, graduated from NYUs film school. Amazing, Briski says. I am so proud of him and all he has accomplished. Most people, having won an Oscar for their very first film, might be expected to continue on that path. But Briski felt pulled to return to her first love, photography, and a project called Reverence, in which she photographs insects around the world. Asked why she chose not to continue with filmmaking, Briski, 45, says even after winning an Oscar: I do not consider myself to be a documentary filmmaker or a journalist. I move through the world in an open way and I respond to what is around me. Born Into Brothels and Kids With Cameras were not planned in any way. They were a response to what I discovered in the world. Photography is my medium, she adds. I am a traditional black-and-white photographer and I still shoot film and work in the darkroom. Reverence, Briski says, came to her through dreams of a praying mantis. The experience was so strong that I had to pay attention. Strange praying mantis coincidences would happen and I began to follow the clues - clues that have taken her to 18 countries to photograph and film mantids and other insects over the past seven years. Currently shes photographing jaguars in Brazil. If all goes as planned, the culmination of Briskis work will be a traveling museum with large-scale photographs, film and music. The project, which Briski hopes to open when she receives enough funding, is about respect of all life forms and changing our point of view. Not so different, she adds, from what I did in the brothels - bringing attention to those who are feared, ignored, abused, from their point of view.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The Byronic Hero And Satire - 1448 Words

George Noel Gordon, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley were two poets who wrote during the Romantic and Victorian eras, but are still world-renowned today. Although Byron and Shelley were friends, their writing styles differed greatly. Byron wrote his poetry based on the idea of negative romanticism, which sought to reject the fixed views of the previous era. Negative romanticism is negative, critical, cynical, and anti-Platonism. Byron’s negative romanticism looked to the past and was manifested in the use of the Byronic hero and satire. In contrast, Shelley wrote his poetry based on the idea of positive romanticism, which tried to find something to build up what Byron tore down through his negative romanticism. Positive romanticism focused on a new orientation, new metaphors, a new world picture, and new myths, which were rooted in Platonism. Byron and Shelley were complete opposites of each other, but seemed to balance each other out, similarly to the yin and yang. When consideri ng Byron’s poetry, one must understand the Byronic hero. The Byronic hero is an anti-hero that has various negative and positive aspects, such as being both remorseful and unrepentant, alienated, exiled, a wanderer, guilt-ridden, estranged, and both proud and aloof. Furthermore, this character is faithful to a lofty ideal and freedom-loving. Byron’s poem, â€Å"Prometheus† is a perfect illustration of the use of the Byronic hero as a manifestation for negative romanticism. This poem is based on the GreekShow MoreRelated Journal Analyzing the Byronic Hero and Lord Byron’s Writing Styles3002 Words   |  13 PagesA Journal Analyzing the Byronic Hero, Those who Closely Resemble the Hero, Byron’s Writing Styles and Literary Criticism (Journal entry 1, Defining the Byronic Hero) The Byronic Hero is a term derived from the poetic narrative, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, by Lord Byron. Though the idea of the Byronic Hero originated with the creation of Byron’s characters, Byron himself possessed the physical features associated with the Byronic Hero. These features include dark brooding eyesRead MoreLord Byron Analysis1215 Words   |  5 PagesSatire mocks a person or an event by using humor, irony, and exaggeration for the purpose to expose the true identity of someone or something. In the early 19th century, Lord Byron, also known as George Gordon, a leading figure in the Romantic Movement was heavily involved in satire because he saw great poets such as Walter Scott, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and William Wordsworth betraying their principles. The poets also lost their passion towards the Romantic Movement. In addition, the usage of satireRead MoreAnalysis Of Byrons Poem1306 Words   |  6 Pages One such work is Byron’s, Don Juan. The poem follows the adventures of the Spanish hero Don Juan. He travels around the world and gets involved in bizarre situations, usually due to a romantic interest. The poem seems to share more similarities with the epic tradition than Wordsworth’s. Don Juan’s titular character, like many heroes in other epics, pre-existed the Byron poems. The story is vast in scale; it follows Don Juan’s adventures in love and travel. Juan’s adventures pull him from situationRead MoreRomantic Era Poets: Lord Byron777 Words   |  3 Pagesof the major Romantic poets of the Romantic era. Lord Byron was not only one of the leading Romantics in the Romantic era but he also a revered politician. He made a great literary contribution to the romantic era through poems, stories and the â€Å"Byronic Hero†. His work and life were adventurous. This only aided him in creating his literary pieces. Lord George Gordon Noel Byron (1788-1824), better known as Lord Byron, was born, with a clubbed right foot, in 1788 on 22 January and passed on in 1824,Read MoreEssay on The True, the Beautiful and the Good1967 Words   |  8 PagesHis representative work, Don Juan, the embedded inspection to capitalism, is very thought-provoking. In Europe, Byron has become a kind of cultural phenomenon, which people often label the lonely and tragic person who upholds personal revolts as â€Å"Byronic Hero†. Although these romantic poets are known for the colorful imagination in their works, the source of their inspiration always came from reality, which is embodiment of the True. To begin with, William Blake’s Songs of Innocence, majorly praisingRead More Use of Irony to Portray Morality in Lord Byrons Don Juan Essay2516 Words   |  11 PagesGeorge Gordon, Lord Byron, diverges from his name-sake characterization with an un-Byronic hero, Don Juan. The poem has been viewed as nihilistic and immoral. Actually there is plenty present in the first canto to show morality and hope for humanity. The poem should be viewed as the author intended: a satire on abuses of the present state of Society, an not an eulogy on vice... (Bostetter 9). Don Juan is a satire and therefore the morals present are shown in an ironic way. If fact, he wrote in suchRead MoreEssay about British Romanticism1831 Words   |  8 Pagespieces such as Don Juan and Childe Harolds Pilgrimage (George Gordon Byron). Harold from Childe Harolds Pilgrimage was the first Byronic hero, a creation of Lord Byrons that was quite different from the standard protagonist seen in most literature of the time. These Byronic heroes were not uniform, but incredibly diverse. They were referred to as Gothic Hero-Villains, Heroes of Sensibility, and Noble Outlaws (George). These heroes often portrayed traits such as romantic melancholyRead MoreRomanticism versus Neoclassicism2775 Words   |  12 Pagesrevolution could be characterized as a religion of the heart. Neoclassical writers imitated great poems of the past because of the belief that men had agreed on certain, fixed ways of writing across the centuries. Rules for pastoral poetry, the satire and the epic were respectfully followed. A Neoclassical poets philosophy argued that the best way for humans to communicate effectively and thus move forward in better understanding the world was to agree upon certain conventions. Romantic writersRead MoreA Brief Biography of Lord Byron Essay2200 Words   |  9 Pagesnarrative works. He is famous for writing eight diverse plays, despite the the fact they were not designed for stage, on very speculative and historical subjects. Through his writing style, he fashioned a â€Å"brooding and defiant personna,† called the Byronic Hero (Snyder 40). Lord Byron remains a well-known poet to this day because of his unique literature, which includes themes of squandered fortune, ambiguous sexuality, and his intense political convictions. Lord Byron was largely successful in influencingRead More Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church2264 Words   |  10 PagesDramatic Monologue in Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church The general public knows Robert Browning as the writer of â€Å"The Pied Piper† a beloved children’s tale, and the hero of the film The Barrett’s of Wimpole Street. Most recognize him for little else. The literary world recognizes him as one of the most prolific poets of all time. However, his grave in Westminster Abbey stands among the great figures in English history. At his death

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Top Gear Reviwe Free Essays

As Jeremy Clarkson explained on Twitter, â€Å"fat people singing† has been in Top Gear’s way for the past year. So it’s ironic that the programs return opened with the overweight presenter screeching â€Å"we’re back! † with all the keenness of a desperate X Factor finalist. This is where comparison between padded-out talent contestants and Top Gear end; however the free-wheeling motoring show was very nearly a full hour of fun, witty entertainment. We will write a custom essay sample on Top Gear Reviwe or any similar topic only for you Order Now Top gear was officially complained about by the Indian High Commission on its recent trip to India. Jokes about terrorism, the Nazi regime and incest in tonight’s episode suggest Top Gear’s tone remained unchanged by critics and complainers. The banter between Top Gear trio Richard Hammond, May and Clarkson just great, May was old; Hammond’s choice of clothes was laughable, Clarkson moaned about motorway signs in his usual comic way. The Homeland’s star Damian Lewis was the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’, who dropped names and great story’s (playing at Old Trafford, surviving a motorcycle accident) with genuine humour, which was much needed, because a few jokes seem a bit manufactured. Top Gear thrived outside of its dull studio. We saw Hammond yell theatrically inside a â€Å"savage† supercar: the Pagani Huayra is worth ? 800,000 and now takes its place at the top of the Power Lap Board – which set the bar high for the rest of the series. Eagle-eyed fans will have seen September’s leaked footage of May co-driving a Bentley continental GT Speed on a WRC rally stage. Tonight’s full feature was one of dramatic skies, dark forests and a tough lesson for him in rally driving (rally pace notes: directions given in hasty anticipation to the driver). â€Å"Either get it right or shut up†, growled May’s quietly, terrifyingly soiled professional driver. Pleasingly, the Bentley’s four-wheel drive dealt well with a proper thrashing. Enthusiastically, Clarkson showed us his self created ‘P45’. The vehicle (it can hardly be called a car) aims to be smaller than the Peel P50 – a 1960s micro mobile invented for city driving. Clarkson, just shy of two metres tall, was transformed into a grumpy toy robot in the weird contraption, driving along country lanes, bombing down dual carriageways and sneaking into shopping centres with pleasant hilarity. Add in some comical humour, serious cool cars and it’s like top gear never went away. How to cite Top Gear Reviwe, Essay examples

Monday, May 4, 2020

Tourism for Regional Environmental Change- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theTourism for Regional Environmental Change. Answer: In the present day scenario, tourism industry is one of the major sectors that contribute towards the economic growth of the country. As it is a highly labor intensive sector, it also has a huge amount of opportunities. Efforts are constantly being made so that the tourist spots can be developed in the coming days. This will attract more number of customers and in turn will give a boost to the national income. This paper will mainly aim at analyzing the different factors that have influenced the tourism sector in some of the countries like Costa Rica, Spain and Thailand (Morales Devesa 2017). Costa Rica The Costa Rican Government has taken the tourism industry very seriously. It is considered as the strongest area for generating economic growth of the Nation. This is because it has a huge potential for generating employment. This in turn helps to boost up the rural development as well. The main area of focus in Costa Rican tourism sector is the eco tourism (Hugo Nyaupane 2016). The main focus of tourism in Costa Rica is to provide a clean, fresh and a green tourist spot for the tourists. As is seen in the present day scenario, that rural tourism is also one of the major aspects. This involves offering the tourists a break from the busy hustle and bustle of the city life into a peaceful, green and calm environment. Costa Rica is very famous for its natural beauty, its biodiversity. A good example is the volcanic mountain chain. It is richly adorned with its natural biodiversity and also uses Agro tourism as one of its main activities. Spain Spain is also one of the very well known tourist destination, with its varied resources. It has a large tourist attraction because of its coastal regions. Every year it gets a huge amount of tourists and cruises as well. Apart from this, Spain has been successful in maintaining its cultural heritage. It has a huge number of temples and monuments preserved and opened to the tourists visiting from far and wide. Church is a major attraction of Spain. There is also another good reason of visiting Spain. Apart from visiting the place just for its natural beauty and cultural heritage, tourists also visit for health benefits as well. Spain is one among the few places on Earth that is blessed with a huge amount of Sunlight. In other words, it is a good source of Vitamin D. Apart from this; it is a land of many sea beaches. All these together make Spain a very beautiful tourist attraction spot (Von Bergner Lohmann 2014). Some of the similarities between the two are that, they are richly adorned in their natural beauties (Peeters, 2013). Both Costa Rica and Spain are good tourist attraction sites that .However some difference among these two countries are-Spain mainly has concentrated on its monuments, buildings and other urbanized aspects of tourism. As Spain has given a huge stress on only construction and infrastructure, there is a huge stress on the natural environment. There is also a huge tress created on land and water as well (Von Bergner Lohmann 2014). As Spain excels in water life activities, cruises and ship, there is also a huge stress created on the marine life as well. However, Costa Rica on the other hand has focused mainly on the natural aspect of their land. They want to keep up the natural biodiversity of their land. Some of the challenges that Costa Rica might face in future are As it does not have sufficient amount of resources, there is a major chance that it may run out of sufficient financial aid. It is due to this lack of sufficient financial aid that they will not be able to keep up with the pace at which its competitors might grow in their respective tourism industry. Another important aspect that might boost up the rate of tourism development in the present day scenario is e- commerce activities (Hugo Nyaupane 2016). A huge transaction like site seeing booking, hotel bookings etc take place through online activities. This still remains underdeveloped there (Priego, Rossell, Santana-Gallego 2015). Some of the opportunities that it has are A huge amount of innovative products are available at a considerable price. It is also a very good place for bakery products, pet products. It also encourages the entry of women in the employment activities. Spain Opportunities It can work more upon its cultural aspect and strengthen it more. This will obviously attract a huge amount of customers Challenges Loss of economic viability At the same time it also has several challenges to meet. Tourism was never taken as a serious activity by the Government of Spain unlike Costa Rica (Priego, Rossell, Santana-Gallego 2015). There is a major discrepancy between investment in tourism and transport. The tourism in Spain is comparatively less because it is mostly seasonal in nature. So efforts are to be made so that this feature can be handled accordingly and the seasonal marketing of the tourist industry is reduced. Reference list Hugo, N. C., Nyaupane, G. P. (2016). Poverty Alleviation in Third World Countries through Tourism Development: A Comparison Study of Costa Rica and icaragua. Hunt, C. A., Durham, W. H., Driscoll, L., Honey, M. (2015). Can ecotourism deliver real economic, social, and environmental benefits? A study of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.Jonurnal of Sustainable Tourism,23(3), 339-357. Morales, J. M. L., Devesa, M. J. S. (2017). Business cycle and external dependence on tourism: Evidence for Spain.Tourism Economics,23(1), 187-199. Peeters, P. M. (2013). Developing a long-term global tourism transport model using a behavioural approach: implications for sustainable tourism policy making.Journal of Sustainable Tourism,21(7), 1049-1069. Priego, F. J., Rossell, J., Santana-Gallego, M. (2015). The impact of climate change on domestic tourism: a gravity model for Spain.Regional environmental change,15(2), 291-300. Von Bergner, N. M., Lohmann, M. (2014). Future challenges for global tourism: A Delphi survey.Journal of Travel Research,53(4), 420-432.