Oscar Winning Movies 2014: The stories with a difference

A memoir of the struggles of a nineteenth century slave, a man who falls in love with his computer, an insight into the life of backup singers, the story of a lady who took to recreation at the worst of times, an old-time novelist going down the memory lane on a walk down the road, a positive attempt at treating an impossible human condition, and an account of an AIDS patient fighting out his tough times. Such are the themes of the Oscar winning movies of 2014-the ones that made it large at this year’s Academy Awards.

What is the most striking is the range of offbeat films we get to know about every year. Thanks to the Oscars! In fact, many people who claim to have fine tastes and do not have time every Friday to watch the most widely anticipated film of the week, just wait for the list of the Academy Award winning movies or at least have a look at the Oscar nominations movies to choose their brand of picks to invest time on. Not that those who use this method don’t miss out on some really good movies, but such is the trustworthiness and reliability of the selections of the Academy Awards.

Another common aspect with all the Oscar winning movies was the fact that most of the movies that got recognition were based on real life events. Filmmakers are now turning to reality rather than fiction for inspiration. Most of the films portrayed powerful characters, their strength and courage to fight through tough situations.

All the stories were unconventional and not the usual happy-go-lucky kind of fairy tales that mass audiences would enjoy. Here’s a  brief look at the award winning movies and the themes they are based on.

(1) 12 Years a Slave, the movie that won the best film award this year, is a true story based on the life of Solomun Northup, a New York negro, who is trafficked and sold to a New Orleans plantation owner to work on his estate. The film focuses on his 12 year-long struggle before he finally gains independence and returns to his family. With music by the legendary Hans Zimmer, the movie turns out to be a gripping account of the miseries of racism at its peak.

In a world freer and more democratic than ever to sit back and look at such issues of the past, the makers of the film ensure that the presentation is good and the fine treatment of such a delicate issue is why I’d suggest you to watch it rather than just read this. The film also won Lupita Nyong'o the award for best actress in a supporting role and best Writing – Adapted Screenplay for John Ridley.

(2) Her, which won the award for best original screenplay, indeed boasts of a unique story, in which a man who is a master of an intelligent computer falls in love with its operating system and its female voice. This film proves that with the evolution of technology and the scope of human imagination widening, man will have enough places to find love in the future.

(3) 20 Feet from Stardom, which won this year’s best documentary, focuses on the lives of background singers, the ones who really matter, but whose efforts often go unnoticed and names get lost forever in the background.

(4) The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, which won the best short subject documentary, is based on the life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the world’s oldest holocaust survivor and pianist. The film emphasises on the power of music and its influence on the lives of people, how it started as something that would save her life to something she couldn’t live without. The great lady died just a week before the ceremony, but this recognition has certainly made her immortal, if she wasn’t already.

(5) The Great Beauty, an Italian film which won the best foreign language film, is based on how a once-famous author walks down the lanes and looks back at the most precious moments of his life, reliving each of his memories to the fullest.

(6) Helium, which won the award for the best live action short film, is another inspirational story of a man who helps a child dying in the final stages of his life to look at things positively by filling his mind with an imaginary world filled with balloons, to the extent that the boy spends the last moments of his life imagining himself as indeed a part of this imaginary world.

(7) Frozen, which won the award for best animated feature film and best original song, is the story of a princess who fights all odds in a kingdom cursed with eternal winter to rescue her sister with the aid of her friends and others who help her in this mission. The story shares elements with Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen.

(8) Mr. Hublot, which won the best animated short film, is a futuristic film that again shows how odd characters develop an attachment for each other, and I better not write more, else I might take more time than you would to watch this 9-minute movie.  

Other Oscar winners including acting performances also brought the stories with a difference to the forefront. Here’s a look at them:

(1) Dallas Buyer’s Club, which earned Matthew McConaughey a best actor award, is based on the life of Ron Woodroof, who is diagnosed with AIDS and takes to all sorts of desperate measures to cure or rather prolong it. In the process, the brash and boisterous cowboy develops sympathy towards people of various sexualities, and runs a club where he sells the same drug that cured him, though against law.

Jared Leto, who played a transgender woman in the film, won best actor in a supporting role. The film also won an award for best makeup and hairstyling.

(2) Gravity, the space fiction starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, is a depiction of how astronauts stuck in space post a mid-orbit destruction try fighting their way back to earth. The film ended up with a majority of the technical awards and ended up as the film with the maximum Oscar wins this year, including a best director award for Alfonso Cuarón.

(3) Blue Jasmine, the film that won Cate Blanchett a best actress award, is a princess to pauper story of a girl, the challenges she faces in this phase and how differently she starts looking at life.

(4) The Great Gatsby, a period drama based on the life of a highly-inspiring business magnate and his influence on other’s lives, rightly won the award for best costume design and best production design.

What does a book mean to you?

What does a book mean to you? For me its something that links you to past. It’s a window to peep at a different world. A friend of yours who knows you inside out. And something that appeals to your emotions makes you smile, makes you cry, makes you angry, makes you happy, shocks you and surprises you. You will have a book for any topic and on every topic. There can never be a dearth of books. To put in another words, Not every book is here for everyone but everyone has a book.

There won’t be any city in the world without any bookstore or library. Whether you like fiction novels or a non-fiction one, romantic novels or tragic one, books on sports or on business, the choice of reader varies from one another but they get what they want in plenty. Neither is there any dearth of readers nor of writers. Let’s discuss some group of readers and the kind of books they like to read.

• Sportsman: How can you expect a sportsperson to read books amid his busy schedule? When should he read the book while running or while lifting the weight? Jokes apart! To be a successful person you need to find someone who has already achieved what you are aspiring for. An Athlete would definitely like to read books based on legendary sports persons to seek inspiration or to achieve that position.

  

  Seek inspiration!

• Teens: Sports?? Science?? Entertainment?? Politics?? Whether a boy or girl, the teen today is very curious and wants each and every answer right at the moment the question arises. They satiate themselves with the satisfactory answers via books. They generally prefer reading books on each topic mentioned above starting from story books to science-fiction, General knowledge to entertainment. Funny novels to Inspirational one.

  

  Know about everything!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Adults: If you are an entrepreneur, you would definitely like to read books based on business, businessman or books by business man. If you are an aspiring writer, you would definitely like to have books all-around you from all the corners of the world. If you are an artist for example: an aspiring singer you are going to read books related to music and great musicians.

  

  Get the whole world!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Kids: How can we forget kids in this approach. Although kids don’t like to read anything. In fact, they consider books as their greatest enemies. However, the moment they see a comic book it becomes hard to detach them from the very enemy.

  

  Kids have their own taste!

Literature is a medium where different cultures converge, where you get to see the reality of times you were not present. Books become voice of many suppressed voices and they find their readers the moment they come out. A curious reader looks for the new books of his choice in various bookstores. The busy ones download the books to read it on the go. They attend many literary fests to hear some words of wisdom from great authors, novelists, professors, artists and also to participate in many literary activities.

Well, here is your opportunity to attend one of the much awaited literary fest that is, “Huddersfield Literature Festival”. It’s going to be there till 16th March. This time the festival is all set to cater to the needs of all kind of readers. And ,of course, the entertainment part is going to be there to edutain you!

Reading Is To The Mind What Exercise Is To The Body

It is very well said that reading is dreaming with open eyes. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. It gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are. Books has a whole world in itself. We can fantasize of having a ride on the world’s biggest roller coaster, visiting our prince charming who comes riding on the white horse, diving into the deep blue ocean, swimming in gold coins, tasting the best world cuisine and what not..This is what a book does to us. There are various reasons why reading is considered as the best hobby ever. Books are the only best friends who will never leave us alone even on an isolated island.

Books expand our horizon. Every time reading adds something new to life with perfect blend of diverse subjects. Start by picking up the book on the subject of your interest and then slowly climb the stairs of complex subject. There are different genres of books available today. These are Science, Fiction, Satire, Drama, Romance, Mystery, Horror, Self help, Guide, Travel, Children's group, Religious, History, Mathematics, Anthologies, Poetry, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Comics, Art, Cookbooks, Diaries, Journals, Prayer books, Series, Trilogies, Biographies, Autobiographies, Fantasy etc. Whether we are reading fiction or reality, books can never bring boredom.

Books broaden the outlook and enable mind to grasp new concepts easily. It increases the power and extent of imagination and gives us creative ideas. Reading is very healthy for the brain and keeps it active 24*7 hours. Not only theory, but the practical part can be well achieved through reading. Reading at early age sharpens the mind. It increases our vocabulary and improves pronunciation. We get to learn number of new words plus their meaning. We start framing better sentence structure with proper tenses, prepositions, adjectives and conjunction. It is very well said reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Reading is a complete package of fun with learning.

In the hustle bustle of the world, peace is something we all need. Reading is a very peaceful hobby. We can enjoy reading books in complete silence either on our bed, sofa, in the garden or while traveling. We enjoy reading any where, any time and any place for that serene and tranquil atmosphere. Books take us to the journey of inner thoughts. Books can take you to any decade from ancient time to medieval period or modern time. Similarly it can take you to the place you have always fantasized for. Your thirst of traveling can be very well quenched by reading books. Do you know anything else that offers such enjoyment?

William Jones Orientalist - Great Works and Controversies

Sir William Jones a great scholar, a historian, a lawyer, an orientalist and a linguist is remembered not only for his great works but also for the controversies which some of his great works generated. As a western scholar, he had contributed immensely to the Indo-European languages. He is widely acclaimed for the development of comparative linguistics. William Jones is regarded as one of the greatest of the Orientalists. He holds the reputation of adding hugely to the body of Oriental studies.

 

Works of Sir William Jones

 

William Jones knew sea of languages such as Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish and Persian. His command over vast number of languages was unparalleled and unmatched. Under the commission of the king of Denmark, he translated into French, the history of Persian Conqueror, Nadir Shah. This goes as his first published work. His another ground-breaking work was the “Grammar of the Persian Language”(1771).

William Jones mastery in Sanskrit makes him one of the greatest western scholars in Indian History and laws. It all began when Jones got an Indian post in 1783. He landed in Calcutta with the designation of a judge at Bengal Supreme Court. Though he was a great scholar but his persona cannot be disassociated with his colonial connection. As a judge at Bengal Supreme Court, he had to promote colonialism. Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He studied sanskrit to understand Hindu laws.

Jones tremendous mastery over Sanskrit made him delve into the Indian literature and study history, society, culture and tradition in India. His practice and skills in law as a jurist and his scholarship in sanskrit sailed him all the way in the realms of Hindu laws which formed the backbone of Indian society. Jones served as a great British diplomat. Critics say, he interpreted the Hindu laws to support the colonial legacy in India.

Jones translated the Manusmriti (the Hindu code of Law). Manusmriti, a discourse given by ancient Indian law-giver Manu, is regarded as the code of law that governed the ancient Indian society. He became the first to translate this Hindu scripture. Jones reached new heights of acclamation with his translation of Manusmriti. But at the same time his translation drew controversy.

Indian critics of Jones said that that Jones’ interpretation of Manusmriti was to justify the presence of British colonial rule in India. The British tried to portray India’s social and economic conditions in poor light to justify their presence. Jones translation of the verse in Manusmriti which says that a woman is never independent but are dependent first on parents, then on husband and later on son showed women were oppressed in ancient India.

The subjugation of women in Jones translation reflects the the rights denied to Hindu women. Many Indian nationalists criticized Jones for portraying miserable plight of ancient Indian women to support British rule. They argued that the British tried to present themselves as rescuers of Indian women from the clutches of patriarchy in India.

William Jones translation of Manusmriti brought both acclamation and criticism from all quarters and circles. His translation of Manusmriti became controversial and fuelled debates. But this does not overshadow Jones scholarship in languages and his great contribution to Oriental studies. His other renowned works include translation of Indian dramas Sakunta or the The Fatal Ring (1799) by Kalidasa and Gita Govinda by Jayadeva (1789). Jones has made immense contribution to history and establishing the family of Indo-European languages. Sir William Jones can rightly be called one of the founding father of comparative linguistics.

Importance of Music Education

It is very well said, “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flights to the imagination and life to everything.” If music is really our passion, putting our hobby into profession and realizing the importance of music, is the motto. Music training helps in the development of brain and gives boost to our language, reasoning and esthetic sense. The first and foremost step is definitely to go for music training from the very childhood since children grasp everything very quickly.

It is not only that students of art are only creative but the hair raising effect of listening to the music and tapping to the rhythm denotes that we are ready, keen, passionate and understand importance of music. Music theory beginners are considered as lucky ones so as to put their creativity right into their profession. Music theory is a kind of journey that is full of excitement, fun and challenges. Starting may be a bit difficult but when once you are in it, you are on it. Music can never be learnt by force. Excelling in music involves following:-

• Finding the right place to start with real sound professionals.
• Gathering the resources that can boost our skills.
• Understanding the music theory textbooks.

First of all have a look at the music theory basics page for over-viewing the basic articles to understand the importance of music. This will cover up the major elements of music theory.

• The first chapter will consist of music alphabet. This will build up your base in the music notation systems. It also gives an idea about the working of music scales. In music, a scale denotes any set of musical notes that is ordered by pitch or fundamental frequency. This is really helpful and very easy to learn.

• The second thing we must learn is scales. Scale gives us an idea as to which direction we are heading to. Scales are often supported by real life examples.

• The very next step is “reading music”. There is absolutely nothing to worry about since it is as simple as learning a new language. And then get set go…

Learning Letters With Diacritics

It takes only a few steps to learn a new language if you get a good hold on its alphabet. But learning alphabet of any language is not as simple as learning the 26 letters of English. The advanced Latin script as used in Languages like French, Spanish, English, etc. comprises of 26 letters but the number varies in many other languages. What leads to differ these numbers is the use of ‘Diacritics’. Diacritics indicates some sort of modification in the base letter to aid its pronunciation. Such modifications are required if the language uses such sounds that were not there in the Latin one. Thus, varies the number of letters.

For those who are not aware as to what this diacritics is? It is simply a mark or sign that is placed through a letter that guides its pronunciation in a particular manner. It seems as if English is the only language which makes use of a "Neat" Latin alphabet, i.e. there is no use of special letters of any kind. The 26 letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z are considered the standard European alphabets. But their pronunciation changes from place to place and to mark those changes, we have diacritical marks with us. One can see the most prominent use of diacritics in languages like Spanish, French, Czech, Romanian, Danish, Polish, Hungarian, etc.

Learning Diacritics!

For example, see the alphabets of Czech a, b, c, č, d, e, f, g, h, ch, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, ř, s, š, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, ž. The alphabet has got 30 letters. After this elaborate introduction of the diacritics, let us see how these marks or signs look like and how these are utilized by different languages. There are some marks that are prominently used in the languages other than English, some of them are:

• à, this mark here is called grave that indicates a low tone. E.g. ‘scold’
• á, this mark here is known as acute and it indicates the high tone. E.g. ‘what’
• â, circumflex, a mark that signifies a falling tone. E.g. ‘escape’
• ā, Known as macron the sign indicates an extra long stress. E.g. ‘day’
• ă, Known as breve it denotes the short stress that is given to a word. E.g. ‘cat’
• ǎ, háček, indicates a rising tone. E.g. ‘really’
• ą, also known as nasal hook, ogonek. E.g. ‘dome’
• a̓, known as glottal, the letters with the shown sign are vocalized with the glottis. E.g. ‘harm’

Thus, we get to know that diacritics basically decides the intonation of a letter, it also indicates as to which part of the mouth is stressed more while articulating those letters. For instance, the articulation of the letter ‘p’ is bilabial since it needs coming together of both upper and lower lips. Whereas, when you utter a letter like ‘g’ and ‘h’ you feel a kind of vibration in your throat because these letters are glottal since they are produced through glottis.

If planning to learn a language, you must keep in mind the various uses of these signs and marks within that language since these signs are the ones that form an accent. And you don’t get through acquiring a language completely unless you get the right accent.

Science-Its Mystery and Mastery

Its mystery and mastery

Science! A word whenever uttered invites various expressions like wonder, amazement, suspense, surprise, shock and mystery. It brings with itself various debates too, one of the most common being “Science, a boon or a bane?” Do sci-fi movies like Her actually mirror the future? Will we be dependent on machines for emotional support as well? Can a machine ever replace man? Such are the concerns that surround the current inventions or developments in science and technology. But were the concerns same when Thomas Alva Edison lightened the world with the electric bulb or the Wright brothers gave us wings to accompany the birds up in the air? Of course, not!

These great inventions actually welcomed the life in a more comfortable and innovative future. Earlier, it used to take years to invent something but thanks to those early inventions because of which now each day an invention takes place. Footprints of science and its inventions, big or small, can be seen in every sphere of life. People of all age groups depend on technology for every good reason. Science offers an arena of solutions to a single problem. All you need to have is a smart phone. Our smart phones and tabs have become the storehouse of all the cool inventions in the form of applications.

Your Tabs and Apps

Get the right application & have a fun-filled sojourn!

Earlier, be it a vacation or a business trip, a journey used to become a matter of mystery whenever it came to learning about an unknown place and its untraversed routes. Before planning the trip one used to consider hiring a guide. But now the scene has changed completely. With your smart phones you can carry the guide within your pocket! Just a touch and you can get familiar with all the unfamiliar routes. Looking for a travel based app I got to see a word called “ExpeDiction” instead of Expedition. This interesting term led me to a pool of related apps. All were travel related and suited to the kind of traveler you might be. Just one click and a World map opens up to ensure a cheerful world trip.

Make sure that you have learned the language flawlessly!

 

Knowledge of just a single language is not enough to cope with the competitive world. But learning a foreign language is also not an easy task. Actually, it is now much simpler with many language learning apps present in the market. Such apps aid your learning through the authentic data they use along with the correct phonetics to make the word speakable for you. But there are apps like LingoDiction that provide you with audio features following which you can utter the correct word in the correct manner. Not only this, in order to improve your retention these applications offer interactive games and quizzes making it a fun app as well.

Get the best food wherever you go!

 

If you are alien to a land and not finding your cultural food there then what would be the possible solution? Experiment with your tastes buds and taste the best cuisines of that place only! But how would you get the information about the cuisines of an alien land? Again, you have your smart phone at your disposal that has the cure to satiate your taste buds.

Means, if I happen to visit Paris, France, I may not have to ask around instead just turn on the right app and find the best restaurant there. And now it solely depends on me what kind of french dish I would like to have on my plate via the cookery app. And finally, I don't need to interact with the waiter in sign language since I have got a quick fix that can aid my communication with the French waiter. Amazing!

GOOGLE IT!

Google it!

 

The day to day development in technology has made one more and more curious and an instant answer is all that one craves for. And it takes only a move to get all your answers-GOOGLE IT! Such is the influence of Google that the slow-speed of internet makes us all feel as if life itself has come to a standstill.

All such development in science and technology has brought a drastic change in the outlook of the man and his thoughts. It aids man as a “ friend in need.” One can never feel alone, lost and misunderstood in the company of such advancement in science and technology. In short, one can say that it is this development that has brought the world together irrespective of our different cultures, tastes and languages.