One of John Cassavetes’ greatest friends and actor in several of his films, Ben Gazzara has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. Some of his performances—I’m thinking The Killing of a Chinese Bookie or Opening Night—are memorable examples of the best of American cinema-vérité.

This wonderful interview, created for Cinéma Cinémas is shot in New York City at 42nd Street and 9th. Gorgeous light and so much noise!

We’ll be seeing you, Ben.

TO UNDERSTAND IS TO PERCEIVE PATTERNS from jason silva on Vimeo.

This 26-second NASA video needs to narration.

I am traveling to sanctuaries across the country to photograph animals that are elderly or at the end stage of their lives. I began this series shortly after I had spent a year in New Jersey helping my sister care for my mother who has Alzheimer’s disease. When my mother got ill, I made a conscious decision to not photograph her. However, caring for her had a profound impact on me and I knew the experience would influence my photography. Shortly after I had returned from New Jersey, I encountered a blind elderly horse that was living on a relative’s property. I was mesmerized by this animal and spent the afternoon photographing him. After reviewing my film, I realized I had found a project that would enable me to sift through my feelings around my mother’s illness.

Elderly Animals: Photographs by Isa Leshko from Mark & Angela Walley on Vimeo.

APRICOT — A Short Film by Ben Briand from Moonwalk Films on Vimeo.

Surviving Progress explores, amongst other things, the distinction between good and bad progress. Inspired by Ronald Wright’s bestseller A Short History of Progress, this thoughtful, dense documentary is calling upon us to not only revisit the priorities we set for technological development but also to reset our moral compasses. That humans fail to learn from their past is obvious and should lead us to realise that, if left unchecked, our current behaviours will lead to our own demise.

The film explores Wright’s premise whereas “Things are moving so fast that inaction itself is one of the biggest mistakes. The 10,000-year experiment of the settled life will stand or fall by what we do, and don’t do, now. The reform that is needed is not anti-capitalist, anti-American, or even deep environmentalist; it is simply the transition from short-term to long-term thinking. From recklessness and excess to moderation and the precautionary principle.”

But this rational approach is being blocked by vested interests: financial and energy lobbies, so-called special interests group that are so powerful, wealthy and diverse that they have the ability to paralyze governments, countries and halt—or at least hinder—progress of the good kind.

If the Occupy movement stands for anything, it seems to me to be about exactly this: trying to find a new way to loosen the deadly grip of the greedy on our institutions and leaders.

After its successful festival run, Surviving Progress is being released in Québec on 4 November with Canada-wide dates to be announced soon.

It screens Friday 2 December at 7pm at the Rio in Vancouver.

“We are awakening from the false dream we have been relentlessly sold, and have relentlessly bought. It is, in fact, a nightmare paradigm of a commodified world, a lifeless world of objects, separation and scarcity. We are awakening to a new possibility, where the true abundance of this Earth is no longer hoarded. Where relationships are not transactions. Where your well being is my well being is the planet’s well being. That old dog eat dog eat dog story is a myth. We are celebrating a new story that is as old as life.

Collaboration is where it’s at. Co-operation has created this incredible complex ecosystem called Earth that sustains and delights us. The competitive aspect of evolution is for the juvenile species. It’s time we grew up. It’s time we learned to share. From rainforests to coral reefs to human communities, we are inextricably intertwined in gorgeous webs of interdependence. This is what democracy looks like; planet to person, person to planet.
—Velcrow Ripper

Nothing To Fear from Nothing To Fear on Vimeo.

Beautiful animation work by Simon Russell. Friday morning diversion. Then some of his commercial work. Wow.

Particles and Mograph Reel from Simon Russell on Vimeo.