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Contemporary Australia: cinema, books and conferences    Australian Rules Breaking the Waves: Flawed fatherhood and fraternal rivalries in Russell Mulcahy's Swimming Upstream by Rose Capp Australian cinema's recent instalment into the study of domestic ties, fraught masculinity, and coming-of-age. The Rules of Being Australian by Anna Daly This discussion of the recent film Australian Rules explores the complexities of 'representation' in both art and politics. The Young Desire It: A Review of The Devil's Playground by Christos Tsiolkas by Jake Wilson The first in the Australian Screen Classics series by Melbourne novelist, playwright, commentator and filmmaker, Christos Tsiolkas, is here reviewed. The 2003 Australian International Documentary Conference - A Report 1 by Philippa Campey Aspiring documentary maker 1, Philippa took away inspiration and enlightenment from this conference - a forum for issues concerning the art and business of documentary filmmaking.    Gangs of New York The 2003 Australian International Documentary Conference - A Report 2 by Kerry Sunderland Aspiring documentary maker 2, Kerry also regarded the conference as a success for its unifying and strengthening of the documentary community and its support of emerging filmmakers. Film in the Eye of History The Remaining Second World: Sokurov and Russian Ark by Benjamin Halligan Halligan's rich discussion of Sokurov's Russian Ark weaves together analyses of history, politics and art. Orphans of the Storm: Scorsese's Gangs of New York by Maximilian Le Cain Max celebrates Scorsese's latest offering, an event in contemporary cinema, in particular its electrifying, visceral re-telling of history.    Far from Heaven The Last Place in the World... A review of Far from Heaven by Gabrielle Murray Though Haynes' re-make of '50s Sirkian melodrama is authentic, Gabrielle suggests the block on individual characters' desires and passions is at odds with the original. London calling Letter from London by Chris Darke Part of a series of Letters commissioned by Trafic about national cinemas around the world, Chris Darke's contribution considers the UK's culture of surveillance. Limelight & Charlie Chaplin Cineteca di Bologna, a film archive, library and coordinator of the annual film festival Il Cinema Ritrovato, has been assigned The Chaplin Project by the Chaplin heirs and the Chaplin Association in Paris. The Chaplin Project includes the cataloguing and digitising of all paper documents left by Charlie Chaplin, to be finally presented as an online database for researchers and scholars worldwide. It also involves the restoration of Chaplin's films, including features and shorts; so far, Modern Times, The Kid, and Monsieur Verdoux have been restored. And the publishing of a series of monographs, of which Limelight is the first. Two essays from the monograph are published here. Portrait of an Artist as an Old man by Peter von Bagh Peter von Bagh's essay is the introduction to Limelight, the first in a series of monographs on Chaplin's films published by Cineteca di Bologna. Calvero's Death by Edgardo Cozarinsky An informed, nuanced appreciation of Chaplin's last American film.    À nos amours Maurice Pialat (1925 - 2003) - A Tribute contributions by Fabien Boully, Noël Herpe, Maximilian Le Cain and Glen W. Norton Pialat's cinema is the prototype for a specific brand of realism, which includes such descendents as Cassavetes, and which deserves greater recognition and celebration. His recent passing is here marked by way of four heartfelt contributions. André de Toth (1913 - 2002) - A Tribute Play Dirty  André de Toth - An Interview by Alain Silver In this chatty, lengthy interview, de Toth discusses his films, issues of casting, working with actors and producers and his career in America. André de Toth, Luke Short, Ramrod: style, source, genre by Rick Thompson A rich, multi-layered study of de Toth's landmark Western, Ramrod, considering it to be a turning point in film noir. Driftin': In Tribute to André de Toth by Adrian Danks In this overview of de Toth's cinema, Danks details its uniqueness and complexity. Animation: Caroline Leaf Caroline Leaf - An Interview by Nag Vladermersky Making films since the '70s, animator extraordinaire, Caroline Leaf, here discusses her films, techniques and more in this interview with fan and friend, Nag Vladermersky. The Metamorphosis of Mr Samsa Film and Affect Cinema and Embodied Affect by Anne Rutherford Rutherford's essay explores the implications of an aesthetics of embodiment for film theory. Cinema/Affect/Writing by Tim Groves Drawing on Barthes, Derrida and others, Groves explores the question of how to write about specific, personal affective experiences in the cinema. Jean Painlevé Roland Barthes Sounding the depths: Jean Painlevé's sunken cinema by Jim Knox A lively overview of the films of Jean Painlevé and his unique contribution to cinema and its possibilities. Current Releases About Schmidt: Is That All There Is? by Girish Shambu Effectively entwining humour and pathos, About Schmidt is an accomplishment for director Alexander Payne. Book Reviews L'Hippocampe Positif Fifty Years: Selections From The French Film Journal edited by Lawrence Kardish and Michel Ciment Book Review by Steve Erickson New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction by Geoff King Book Review by Michael Cohen You can order any of these books directly from Festivals and Conferences    Dolls at BKKIFF Cremaster 3 at Sundance A Report of Dreams of a Nation - A Palestinian Film Festival by Jared Rapfogel Sundance Film Festival 2003 - The Independent Body by Bérénice Reynaud Too Beautiful To Live; Too Young To Die: A Report on the 6th Bangkok International Film Festival by Brandon Wee How We Talk about Things: Report on the 32nd International Film Festival Rotterdam by Genevieve Yue 2003 Berlin Film Festival - A Report by Peter Brunette Making a Song and Dance of It - 34th Hungarian Film Week by Andrew James Horton Cinémathèque Annotations on Film The following are annotations for films screening at the Melbourne Cinémathèque on Wednesdays during February, March, April and May. Editorial Click here for information on the editors of the annotations, the Melbourne Cinémathèque and queries regarding contribution. Black Sunday    Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid by Garrett Chaffin-Quiray This film screens on Wed, February 19, 8:40 p.m. Thomas Graal's Best Film by Alexander Jacoby This film screens on Wed, February 26, 7:00 p.m. Cries and Whispers by Marco Lanzagorta This film screens on Wed, February 26, 7:55 p.m. Summer with Monika by Hamish Ford This film screens on Wed, February 26, 9:35 p.m. Mario Bava's Black Sunday aka The Mask of Satan by Christopher J. Jarmick This film screens on Wed, March 5, 7:00 p.m. The Devil Rides Out by Andrew Leavold This film screens on Wed, March 5, 8:30 p.m. The Age of Innocence    Creative Visions: (De)Constructing 'The Beautiful' in Scorsese's The Age of Innocence by Karli Lukas This film screens on Wed, March 12, 7:00 p.m. ". Only Superficially Superficial": The Tragedy of Sophistication in Madame de. by Adrian Danks This film screens on Wed, March 12, 9:25 p.m. Los Olvidados by Saul Austerlitz This film screens on Wed, March 19, 7:00 p.m. Pixote by Marc Lauria This film screens on Wed, March 19, 8:40 p.m. An Actor's Revenge by Acquarello This film screens on Wed, March 26, 7:40 p.m. Utamaro and his Five Women by Freda Freiberg This film screens on Wed, March 26, 9:40 p.m. Bob le flambeur by Brian L. Frye This film screens on Wed, April 2, 7:40 p.m. Touchez pas au Grisbi by David Boxwell This film screens on Wed, April 2, 9:30 p.m. Banquo's Chair (episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents) by Ken Mogg This film screens on Wed, April 9, 7:00 p.m. Basic Training by Martyn Bamber This film screens on Wed, April 23, 7:50 p.m. The Lady Eve by Peter Tonguette This film screens on Wed, April 30, 7:00 p.m. So this is Paris by Michael Koller This film screens on Wed, April 30, 8:40 p.m. First is First and Second is Nobody: Hoodlums and Heroines in Joseph H. Lewis' The Big Combo by Rose Capp This film screens on Wed, May 14, 7:00 p.m.