Play Time poster | Credit: Dan Shalev

Masterpiece with a Price

Monday (May 7, 2012), “Play time”, a critically acclaimed movie by comedic actor and film director Jacques Tati will run for all to see at USJ. It took nine years for the French creative professional to create his brilliant masterpiece, and it came with a cost. Come watch what he concocted with us. It will be shown in the Architecture Studio in Room CO2 (in Nape 2) and will be commented on by our own USJ Professor Yves Sonolet.

Time: 6:30 – 8:30

Place: Nape 2, Room C02

Movie Title: Play Time

About Play Time

Considered by many his masterpiece, Play Time (1967), shot in 70mm, was to be the most ambitious yet risky and expensive work of Tati’s career; it would end up bankrupting him. It took nine years to make, and he had to borrow heavily from his own resources to complete the picture. For Play Time, Tati fabricated a set (dubbed “Tativille”) on the outskirts of Paris that emulated an entire modern Paris.

In the film, Hulot and a group of American tourists lose themselves in the futuristic glass and steel of the Parisian suburbs, where only human nature and a few views of the city of Paris, itself, still emerge to breathe life into the city. Play Time had even less of a plot than his earlier films, and Tati endeavored to make his characters, including Hulot, almost incidental to his portrayal of a modernist and robotic Paris. Though Play Time was a critical success (François Truffaut praised it as “a film that comes from another planet, where they make films differently”), it was a massive and expensive commercial failure, eventually resulting in Tati’s bankruptcy.

About Jacques Tati

Jacques Tati | Credit: Wikipedia

Jacques Tati was a French comedic actor and film director who starred in all six of his feature films. He is well-remembered for his signature character, Monsieur Hulot, a gentle, pipe-smoking man who appeared in four of his films, including Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot. His humor hangs on vignettes that play on timing and mannerisms which illuminate the humor of a mechanized modern world.

About Yves Sonolet

Yves Etienne Sonolet is born in Paris and graduated with honors from l’Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse (France) before settling in Macao in 2008. He has participated in group exhibitions in several institutions including the Macau Art Museum as well as organized art demonstrations in public space. Using multimedia, video and painting as mediums his main field of interest is questioning the urban environment in its mutation.

Yves Sonolet is the Lead Lecturer of Digital Photography and Video of the program of Architecture and of Communication & Media at the University of Saint Joseph.

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遊戲時間 | 有關本片

 「遊戲時間」（以七十亳米菲林拍攝）是雅克．塔蒂的所有作品中最富野心的，成本也是最昂貴的一部。這部電影用了整整九年時間拍攝，而成本之高，則令到他需要變賣他的財產，以及借貸才能維持到整個製作。在「遊戲時間」中，他創造了一個新的手法TATIVILLE來拍攝一個現代的巴黎。

在電影中，HULOT跟一班來自美國的遊客發現他們在巴黎的郊區迷路了，那裡只有數個人，遠遠望去可以看到巴黎市區。「遊戲時間」中的情節比他以往的電影還要少，而塔蒂以他生活上的寫照創作本劇的角色。

雖然「遊戲時間」是一部成功的電影，但因為龐大的製作成本，最終令到塔蒂破產。

有關雅克．塔蒂

雅克．塔蒂是一位法國喜劇演員以及導演，他參演了他所執導的全部六部電影。他最引人注目的角色為MONSIEUR HULOT，這是一個曾經出現在他其中四部電影的角色。他的幽默感，照亮了當時機械化的世界。

有關Yves Sonolet

Yves Sonolet出生於法國巴黎，他於法國l’Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse取得榮譽學位，於二零零八年定居澳門。他參加了數個展覽會，包括於澳門藝術博物館的公共地方展示藝術。他主要使用多媒體、影片及油畫來展現城市環境的變異。

他現為聖若瑟大學建築系「數碼攝影及影片製作」課程的主要講師。

Gino, year 2 Communication and Media

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“Play Time”

Considerado por muitos a obra prima de Tati, “Play Time” (1967), filmado em 70mm, era para ser o trabalho mais ambicioso – contudo arriscado e caro – da sua carreira, o que acabaria por o levar à falência. Demorou nove anos para o realizar e no entanto teve de pedir emprestados recursos para completar as filmagens.

Para “Play Time”, Tati criou um cidade (apelidado de “Tativille”) nos arredores de Paris imitando a mesma Paris moderna.

No filme, Hulot e um grupo de turistas Americanos perdem-se nos vidros e aços futuristas dos subúrbios Parisienses, onde a natureza humana e apenas algumas vistas da cidade ainda emergem para lhe dar vida.

“Play Time” teve ainda menos intriga que nos filmes anteriores, com Tati a esforçar-se para criar as suas personagens, incluindo Hulot, de forma quase incidental, qual retrato de uma Paris modernas e robótica.

Apesar de “Play Time” ter sido um sucesso crítico (François Truffaut elogiou-o como “um filme que veio de outro planeta; de um lugar onde se fazem filmes de forma diferente”), foi um enorme e dispendioso falhanço comercial, o que resultou na falência do realizador.

Sobre Jacques Tati

O Francês Jacques Tati foi um actor de comédia e realizador que actuou em todos os seus seis filmes de longa metragem. Ele é bem recordado pelo carácter exclusivo de Monsieur Hulot, um homem delicado, fumante de cachimbo, que apareceu em quatro dos seus filmes, incluindo “Les Vacances”. O seu humor paira sobre vinhetas que jogam no tempo e maneirismos que iluminam o humor de um mundo mecanizado moderno.

Sobre Yves Sonolet

Yves Etienne Sonolet nasceu em Paris e foi graduado com louvor na Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Toulouse (França) antes de decidir fixar-se em Macau em 2008.

Sonolet tem participado em exposições em grupo em várias instituições, incluindo no Museu das Artes em Macau, tendo igualmente organizado demonstrações de arte em espaços públicos. Usando multimédia, vídeo e pintura como meios, as suas principais áreas de interesse são questionar o ambiente urbano e a sua mutação.

Yves Sonolet é o Professor de Fotografia e Vídeo Digital do programa de Arquitectura e de Comunicação e Media na Universidade de São José.

Jerusa Antunes, aluna de Comunicação e Media do 3. ano

USJ MGM Fund Raiser

The revered Alumni association of the University of Saint Joseph had, on April 27, gathered at the fancy MGM ballroom to convene about and work towards its future feats as well as bided upon precious commodities donated by former University of Saint Joseph rector Professor Ruben Cabral and Macau’s own Bishop Mr. Jose Lai. Apart from bidding on items and the raising of a budget for future scholastic scholarships, the night included dancing and signing by one of USJ’s own students as well as a full course dinner. The event was successful in bringing the Alumni together and aid in promoting the association’s goals and agenda.

Dan Shalev Communications & Media Yr.1

Below is the video highlight reel of the event:

Thursday evening, April 26, 2012, our university held the Lecture Recital “Art, Science, and Friendships: Peeking Through a Composer’s Survival Kit” at the Speaker’s Hall. Our Voice reporters, having experience the event first hand, have written the following articles (Dan in English, Gino in Chinese).

Music as a Source of Inspiration

Wielded by the right maestro music is a powerful tool with which compelling stories are told and emotions expressed. The University of Saint Joseph-held concert performed by renowned composer Ms. Wendy Wan-Ki Lee mesmerized the audience with its compelling theme of the quest for inspiration. Vocally paraphrasing Roger Session’s book Questions About Music, Ms. Lee explored the themes of arts and science in her composition and delighted all the audience with a night to remember.

Mrs. Lee explored the theme of human inspiration in her presentation, quoting famous influential historical figures including Thomas Edison and Roger Sessions. Quoted in her presentation and projected in her performance, Mrs. Lee both explored and performed Thomas Edison’s famous “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” in a unique and refreshing way. Mrs. Lee inspired the student audience present and to some of their scholastic hardships through passing on what she calls a ‘survival kit’, which she uses to excel in her studies. The survival kit essentially contains several musical compositions including Japanese Kirie that, when played, aid in the stimulation of the brain and ultimate regeneration of inspiration.

Ms. Wendy Lee is a prolific artist and scholar, mastering the piano and the arts of vocal composition. She currently holds the position of an Assistant Professor of Music Composition at Chinese University of Hong Kong. In addition, Ms. Lee has taught at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and State University of New York at Binghamton before landing in Hong Kong. Ms. Lee obtained her Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory from the University of Michigan, and an FTCL in Piano Performance from the Trinity College of London. 

Dan Shalev, Communications &Media Yr.1

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藝術、科學及友誼－－齊來看看一個作曲家的秘訣

四月二十六日，聖若瑟大學舉辦了「藝術、科學及友誼－－齊來看看一個作曲家的秘訣」，主講者為任教於香港中文大學的李韻琪助理教授。

李教授在開始時介紹了數個名人，如愛迪生、Roger Sessions、Igor Strawinsky等，這些名人說了一些名言，啟發了她要積極地從事音樂這條路。她認為，要做好自己的工作，必須要有自己一套的「生存技巧」。她的生存技巧分成三部分，在鋼琴方面，剪紙成為了她的工具，她透過剪紙藝術的複習性，領悟到彈奏鋼琴的美態。

另一個有關友誼的則為 My Cagey Companions, 她利用到不同的樂器來模擬動物的聲音及習性，例如狼便用大提琴來模擬，狗就用小提琴來模仿等。第三個則為 Macroautophagy，李教授以細胞的病變為例子，以細胞的特性來演繹歌曲。

最後，李教授以講座以講座開始時的啟發來作總結，她說，人如果要找尋啟發的時候，必須要主動出擊，必須要珍惜每日的經驗，以及要接納不同的文化以及對音樂的影響。而要成為一個出色的音樂家，則要找尋得到你的目標觀眾，要不停地學習新事物，以及要懂得生存。

Gino, Year 2 Communication and Media

Career Day

The yearly job-securing phenomenon has come and gone once again with much of the same pleasantries and anticipation during the event. Miniature interviews and form-filling on-the-spot were aplenty as mainly USJ students fought their way around the two rooms filled with representatives from different companies at different stalls.

A Mutually Inclusive viewpoint | A Marriage

Yesterday at USJ, the Engineer Rui Furtado gave a talk about the mutual contribution of Engineering and Architecture, provided an insight into the two worlds and gave contemporary definitions of rather old fashioned art and science terms. Titled “Architecture and Engineering: Review of a Practice” it was a lecture that the ones who attended will not forget.

Our young journalists on the USJ pr team, VOICE,  have put together articles on the event in three languages (Gino: Cantonese, Thales: Portuguese, and Dan: English). Enjoy.

In Depth Architecture

Although different in nature and application, the worlds of engineering and architecture go hand in hand and together, produce world-changing ambitious structures. The talk given by Engineer Rui Furtado at the University of Saint Joseph about the mutual contribution of engineering and architecture provided an insight into the two worlds as well as contemporary definitions of rather old fashioned art and science terms.

In addition to the rather abstract part of the presentation, Mr. Furtado discussed some of his past projects in great detail, including the planning and technical drawings of the Braga Stadium as well as the story that stood behind the idea of constructing such institution. An in-depth mathematical and logical analysis of some of Mr. Furtado’s past projects was offered as well.

Mr. Furtado graduated in Structural Engineering at the Oporto University in 1982. In 1985, he co-founded AFA, where he conciliated Structural Design and Project Management professional activities with teaching in the University. His work and contribution to the field of engineering is ample and can be observed in some of Furtado’s recent projects, including the Braga Municipal Stadium, in Braga, Casa da Música in Oporto, or, more recently, the Coaches Museum, in Lisbon.

Understanding Architecture

A handful of Architecture students at the University of Saint Joseph were interviewed post-presentation and were asked to speak of their impression of the USJ Architecture program and the USJ held conferences like the one they have attended that evening. When asked about the Architecture program itself, the students in sum replied that the program hosts’ professional lecturers who contribute to their understanding of Architecture, also because the material covered in most of the conferences is both intriguing and instrumental to their Architecture studies.

Dan Shalev, Media & Communications Yr1.

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Arquitetura e Engenharia: Revisão prática

Rui Furtado, em palestra realizada ontem na Universidade de São José, apontou que a relação da Arquitectura e da Engenharia de forma harmoniosa contribui para dar um significado contemporâneo ao velho conceito de Arte, Ciência e Técnica.

A carreira do prestigiado profissional, bem como a sua experiência na área da Engenharia, permitiu que chegasse a conclusão que “numa era onde a complexidade dos edifícios só tende a aumentar, é de suma tarefa do Engenheiro explorar a interdisciplinaridade”. Motivado em realizar a integração entre todas as componentes da construção, Rui Furtado mostrou em mínimos detalhes os seus esboços e fotografias dos projectos por ele supervisionados, como por exemplo o Estádio Municipal de Braga, a Casa da Música no Porto e o mais recente dos seus trabalhos, o Museu dos Coaches em Lisboa. Ao abordar as dificuldades e os problemas enfrentados no decorrer de cada um dos seus trabalhos Furtado referiu que que são esses mesmos obstáculos que o fazem desejar atingir níveis mais altos nos desafios da Engenharia.

Na plateia da sala, a aluna Aminatha Miguel, visivelmente interessada na palestra, referiu que “nada é impossível, mas como estudante do primeiro ano de Arquitectura, é um desafio relacionar aquilo que estamos a aprender nas aulas com os termos técnicos que são mencionados pelo palestrante”. Aminatha não nega que se sente mais inspirada e que se identifica mais com as oficinas realizadas no seio da Universidade, afirmando, todavia, que “são as palestras que mais irão contribuir para adquirir conhecimento, habilidade e criatividade para meu futuro.”

Thales Lopes, aluno do 1. Ano de Comunicação e Media

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建築學公開講座──「建築結構的美學」

四月二十三日晚上六時半，聖若瑟大學建築學系舉辦了第七場公開講座，題為「建築結構的美學」，由葡萄牙建築師ＲＵＩ　ＦＵＲＴＡＤＯ先生主講。

ＲＵＩ帶來了過往他有份參與設計的作品，去解釋建築學以及工程學在同一個建築物工程中的微妙結合。其中位於葡萄牙其中一個城市ＢＲＡＧＡ的體育館，是ＲＵＩ的事業生涯中建造得最困難的作品。

ＢＲＡＧＡ體育館設計的奧妙之處在於它的弧形屋頂，弦形的設計既簡單又複習。亦因為體育館位於兩座山之間，所以在有最後的設計方案前，建造商經已開始進行炸山以及平整土地的工作。

在建造工程展開時，ＲＵＩ以及他的工作團隊面對了多個難題，首先要面對大跨度的問題，工程師將屋頂的支撐點放在山體結構中，以岩石來支承屋頂。另外，因為體育館位於兩座山之間，風向以及其習性會隨著氣候而改變，而屋頂的設計需顧及風的問題作適量但不會過量的位移。

最後，他提到在建造這類新派的建築時，建築學以及工程學學理的結會，會起到相輔相成的作用。

Gino, Year2 Communication and Media

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Below is the Recorded Video showing a preview of the talk. Enjoy!

Professor Raquel Vasconcelos organized a visit to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, namely to the Departments of Physiology and Diagnostic Radiology. Students had the chance to meet the investigators, visit the facilities and experience hands on real data collection.

“It was like going to the Moon.”

In 1972, President Nixon visited China and shook hands with Chairman Mao. On April 19, 2012, it is still a major talking point. This timeless and world-changing event has been extensively documented since the event, but never before like this. Mike Chinoy, the distinguished former CNN Asia correspondent and USC U.S.-China Institute Senior Fellow, introduced the Assignment: China series and a segment of the series was screened. It took place in our Speakers Hall from 6:30 pm.

Below are the reports from our USJ Voice junior reporters Dan and Jerusa in English and Portuguese respectively.

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A Capitalist in the Forbidden City

The political and commercial relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China took off shortly after the great revolution and the arrival of a new regime in China. American president Richard Nixon’s visit to China in the 1970’s is the first major landmark in US-Chinese history that officially marks the beginning of the linkage.  Given the fierce and unrelenting supervision of the Chinese government over local press and media, foreign press has not had its foot in the Chinese door up until Nixon’s historic arrival to Beijing. Nixon’s first-televised visit to some unique and significant heritage sites including the Forbidden City had a strong influence over the American people as well as the Chinese government, forcing both to reevaluate and reform their foreign policies. Following the visit, an unwritten national petition for more freedom of press landed on the desks of the central government in Beijing urging it to reconsider the blockade. It was a time when America had its first glimpse into long-isolated China and the American people’s first chance to establish an opinion and essentially a plan of action.

More recently, the U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California led by Mike Chinoy set out to explore Nixon’s visit to Beijing in far greater depth than what was offered in the 70’s and the years to follow in an expository documentary that includes unpublished photographs and interviews conducted by Nixon himself and his staff. In addition to the coverage of Nixon’s work in China the movie offers the insights and epistles of American journalists representing significant press organizations including the New York Times and the Washington Post who accompanied the American delegation on their trip.

Mr. Mike Chinoy is a Senior Fellow at the U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, and the creator of the Assignment China documentary series on the history of American correspondents in China.

Mike Chinoy has been incredibly prolific and involved with Asian press coverage, working in China, the Philippines and Vietnam, covering major events including the Mao Tze Dong Funeral and The People’s Power revolution in the Philippines. Prior to his documentary production, Chinoy spent three years in North Korea where he wrote his book Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.

Dan Shalev, Communications & Media Yr.1

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Come on Down

This week happens to be Communications Week here in Macau. Many students studying in Communications and Media had been hard at work learning and creating films during their course, and the fruits of their hard work and creativity will be prevalent for all to bear witness during today’s Movie Exhibition at The University of Macau, Ho Yin Convention Cernre, room HG03.

We are very proud of our students and invite you all to come to the event, see for yourselves and support your colleagues TODAY at 6pm. There will be tea time & light dinner at 6:00 PM and the exhibition will begin at 6:45 PM. If you want any more information, visit the University of Macau’s website post here, or contact Ines at 66271608. See you there!

Because Knowledge is Power

Yesterday, in Nape 3 between 4 – 6 pm, we had a “Drugs-What you Don’t Know” Seminar by  Tony Trimingham and Augusto Nogueira. They shared their insights and spoke on mainly two topic:

‘Bringing Families and Professionals Together’ and ‘Addiction Support in Macau’.

Bringing many of us to look at the issue of Drugs from another perspective, the attendees left with an enriched knowledge with more things to meditate on and an even deeper respect for the two gentlemen that touched our hearts.

What are Harmful Algal Blooms?

Last Friday, part one of the 5th International Conference on Prevention and Management of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), took place at our University. We hosted researchers and scholars from different parts of the world that came to discuss the fate of our waters and elaborating on invisible things.

The Microbes Move the People

I’m referring to the microscopic “enemy”, the Harmful Algal Blooms – A bloom of very tiny plant organisms that cause a negative impact to the ecosystem of the waters they spread out on. Like parasites from hell, they annihilate aquatic life.

HAB is the rapid amount of algae (the tiny plant organisms) growth in a body of water and it can occur in both freshwater and seawater. HAB can reach up to millions of cells per millimeter causing a negative impact to the environment by endangering the entire marine life of a certain sea area. These living cells absorbs all the nutrients from the water in order to reproduce more of its own and leaving behind a ballast of toxins. It has been proven that the climate instability and ocean warming has helped to drive this problem.

We had the privilege to have with us three different guests speakers highly trained and with a vast knowledge in the area: Dr. Donald Anderson from Woods Hole Oceanography Institution, USA, who has his own laboratory of research; Prof. Rhodora Azanza who is an Academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology and also Professor at the Marine Science Institute, Philippines; and lastly Dr. Hoe Chang, researcher of the Atmospheric and Oceanographic Research Institute, New Zealand; presenting their research and findings with possible ways of mitigation of HAB.

Every lecturer approached to the subject in different angle such as how to improve the accuracy of the forecast system and the management of Fish Kills in certain parts of the globe always referring back on how to prevent and control HAB. The talk continued in more depth the next day at the Venetian Macau. For more details on the event, view our previous post here.

Thales Lopes – Year 1, Communications and Media