Remembrance Sunday with Damian Lewis

flandersfields

Today is Remembrance Sunday. Also known as Poppy Day in the Commonwealth countries, Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed to remember the members of their armed forces who died in the line of duty in World War I. It coincides with Veterans Day in the US that was proclaimed first as Armistice Day at the end of the Great War and that honors all men and women that served in the United States Armed Forces. Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 in most countries because the hostilities of WWI ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month”, in accordance with the armistice signed that day between the representatives of Germany and the Entente. And, red poppies became a symbol of the day due to the WWI poem In Flanders Fields that talks about red poppies blooming over some of the worst battlefields in Flanders.

So I thought it would be appropriate to travel back to WWI today. But you may ask about what Damian Lewis has to do with WWI. Well, firstly, Damian is playing a WWI soldier in Queen of the Desert but also he participated in a WWI poetry reading in 2014 as part of the centenary commemorations of the Great War.

Continue reading “Remembrance Sunday with Damian Lewis”

Fan Fun Movie of the Month: Queen of the Desert

Gertrude Bell had a pretty unconventional life, particularly as a woman, in early 20th century. She was a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, political attaché and a spy for the British Empire in the Middle East. She played a significant role in shaping the politics of the Middle East and drew up the borders of modern Jordan as well as Iraq. Think of more or less a female Lawrence of Arabia. Queen of the Desert has her life before WWI at its center, in particular the two tragic love stories she had.  Continue reading “Fan Fun Movie of the Month: Queen of the Desert”

Throwback Thursday to WWI with Damian Lewis

flandersfields

Remembrance Day is a few days away. Also known as Poppy Day in the Commonwealth countries, Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed to remember the members of their armed forces who died in the line of duty in World War I. It coincides with Veterans Day in the US that was proclaimed first as Armistice Day at the end of the Great War and that honors all men and women that served in the United States Armed Forces. Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 in most countries because the hostilities of WWI ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month”, in accordance with the armistice signed that day between the representatives of Germany and the Entente. And, red poppies became a symbol of the day due to the WWI poem In Flanders Fields that talks about red poppies blooming over some of the worst battlefields in Flanders.

So I thought it would be appropriate to travel back to WWI in our Throwback Thursday today. But you may ask about what Damian Lewis has to do with WWI. Well, firstly, Damian is playing a WWI soldier in Queen of the Desert but also he participated in a WWI poetry reading in 2014 as part of the centenary commemorations of the Great War.

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to WWI with Damian Lewis”

Damian Lewis Brightens the Screen in Queen of the Desert *UPDATED*

Well, Damian’s most recent tweet has made this post inevitable!

While the camel is not called Werner, we know from an interview clip shown on Danish TV  that Damian has made the following impression of Werner Herzog’s description of this film:

This film is like a camel, and an elephant and a bison on top of a donkey, and I’m the donkey. But together we will make a wonderful movie.

So the camel is quite central to the movie, but, hey, it blinked, and Damian won! 😀 😀 😀 Continue reading “Damian Lewis Brightens the Screen in Queen of the Desert *UPDATED*”

Now Out on DVD: Damian Lewis
Brightens the Screen in Queen of the Desert

Well, if you missed Queen of the Desert during its limited run in movie theaters, you can now own it on DVD!

In a nutshell, Queen of the Desert is a film about Gertrude Bell who had a pretty unconventional life, particularly as a woman, in early 20th century. She was a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, political attaché and a spy for the British Empire in the Middle East. She played a significant role in shaping the politics of the Middle East and drew up the borders of modern Jordan as well as Iraq. Think of more or less a female Lawrence of Arabia.

Continue reading “Now Out on DVD: Damian Lewis
Brightens the Screen in Queen of the Desert”