Aussies against India

In this sport obsessed nation the eyes are now on the second semi-final of the World Cup - India vs Aussie and all the tellies are on this game tonight. Including ours as well, which is streamed from the internet via IndIa, which Sonny has of course organised. 

I watched a half hour with him on my return from a swim at Freyberg Pool where afterwards we went for a drink at the bayside restaurant called the Bluewater Grill. One day I might try the fish'n chips there but I don't think it has a great reputation.

Seeing that Oz is going to win I have decided to quit the tellie and am now in my bedroom with my radio tuned in to hear the probable Aussie win. Sunday will now be the biggest cricket event of the year for New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Holy Grail of the cricketing world and the whole country will watching.

Evening light on the bay

Also on the balcony...

An extension of the light.

Today I also caught a classic French movie at the Festival, the digitally restored edition of Jean Renoir's  'La Grande Illusion'. First appearing in 1937, with unrest in Europe creating a fertile ground for this political movie showing the futility of war against the backpdrop of POW camps and showing the class relations which existed at the time, the aristocracy being shown the door by the more working class population which was actually fighting this awful bloody war. Antisemitism is also given swipe in the sympathetic non-stereotypical rendition of a Jewish French soldier.

This is indeed a great movie, the luminous Jean Gabin in full stride with an excellent supporting role of the German officer played by Erich Von Stroheim. The Great War, which should never have been repeated, was related in a unique way of showing  French and German soldiers fighting a war not of their choice and who didn't really want to be there at all. It was a great indictment of the ugliness of conflict, and as such is a reminder of what an amazing social commentator and powerful director Jean Renoir was. I really enjoyed and it played to a full house at the Embassy - the Kiwis love a good movie, especially a French one. 

Tomorrow I hope I will enjoy the final choice I have made in the festival, quite a different one from all the others I have seen, called 'May Allah bless France' it is a search for tolerance.