Well, gang, Xmas is upon us. I know it aint the proper thing to buy prezzies for yourself at this time of year, but, come on, I'm sure some of you have. List them here (I promise not to tell!) Anyway, my purchases:

First some DVDs:

Solaris (region 1) - this is the 1972 Andrei Tarkovsky version NOT the crappy remake featuring Clooney. No, this original version is a landmark of Russian cinema: a 3-hour meditation on the meaning of existance and love (think of 2001: A Space Oddessy meets Blade Runner). One of the more lyrical sci-fi films, it is the furtherest away from a George Lucas special effects-extravaganza as you could imagine. Beautiful.

Andrei Rublev (region 1) - another Tarkovsky film, this one made in 1966. Another long one - it's about 3.5 hours in length: a medieval epic centred on the life and times of Russia's greatest icon-painter, Andrei Rublev. Another slow-moving film, but punctuated by some rather grisly scenes (some involving animals - eat your heart out Walkabout!) and moments of exhiliration (the Tartar invasion on a small town). Their are some passages of great beauty though - some of which are the closest things to poetry that cinema can achieve, even in black and white. Tarkovsky was a genius. Check him out!

Gajo Dilo (region 4) - I saw this charming little film on the Sundance channel long ago and fell in love. Finally, a DVD edition has been released by Madman Australia. It's a simple, documentary-type film about a young Frenchman who happens upon a Gypsy village in Romania on his search for a particular singer. He prolongs his stay at the village, becomes emersed in the culture and falls in love with a ravishing dancer. A raw, bawdy and tender exploration of a dying culture.

A Short Film About Love (Region 2 DVD): This is an expanded version of the sixth instalment of Kieslowski's Dekalog, the set of ten films based on the ten commandments that he made for Polish TV in the late 80s. It did quite well at Cannes, I believe.

And books:

V.S. Naipaul - India: A Million Mutinies Now - the last volume of his "Indian Trilogy", a set of travel books, each written after a trip to India: one for each decade from the 60s to the 80s. I've read neither yet, but you can't go wrong with Naipaul.

I probably also purchased some food, but I don't remember everything I eat. Sorry.