Albert Camus : The Madness of Sincerity - Un combat contre l'absurde - 1997

Opening with a childhood story from his life, the documentary above, Albert Camus: The Madness of Sincerity, tells us that the philosopher/journalist/novelist’s first love was “the howling and the tumult of the wind.”

A French/English documentary produced by ARTE, the French-German cultural channel which provides innovative programming for the European community. This documentary examines the life of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Albert Camus and includes interviews with Camus's family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as home movie footage. Also featured are readings from some of his most celebrated novels, including The Stranger also published in English as The Outsider (1942), "The Plague" (1947), "The Rebel" (1951), and "The Fall" (1957). Topics discussed include the following, among others: the way he charmed and befriended women immediately; the mysterious and intriguing aura that surrounded him; the reason he was not ashamed of his womanizing; the way he treated his various lovers; his daily editorials for "Combat," the newsletter which grew out of the French Resistance in 1944; the way he met and felt love for young Maria Casares while he was happily married; the reason the entire community knew of his relationship with Casares, despite efforts to keep it a secret; the way people in the U.S. responded to him and his literary work; why reviews of "The Rebel" were extremely harsh, considering the subject matter and the escalation of the Cold War; the reasons he became involved in the theater as a respite from writing novels; how he was persuaded to appear on television to promote the play, "The Possessed," which he was directing; the way his wife's mental health began to deteriorate as they spent more and more time apart; his difficulty in comprehending the fact that his wife was having trouble dealing with their unfaithful marriage, even though from the start they had agreed to permit extramarital liasons; what receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature for "The Fall" was like; his ostracization for several years, after receiving the Nobel Prize, due to his strong views against communism; the reason he decided to live almost in exile during the late 1950s; the sort of relationship he had with his children; why a reader can understand Camus from his posthumously published novel, "The First Man"; and his portentous decision to write sentimental letters to his many lovers just days before the car accident that killed him in 1960.

Cataloging of this program was made possible by ARTE, The Cultural Services of the French Embassy, and the Goethe-Institut New York/German Cultural Center, 1997.

"The Center Street Cut-Ups"

"The Center Street Cut-Ups" is the abbreviated title of the latest Third Mind Books original presentation, "HAVE A PLEASANT TRIP... 210 Center Street NYC 1965: the Cut-Up Life of William S. Burroughs," -- crafted with monocle at the ready by TMB founder & Ann Arbor eminence, Arthur S. Nusbaum with the assistance of Joe Provenzano (VP of Operations at Third Mind Books, and Nusbaum's protégé in life and literature). 

The focus, here as elsewhere is on WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS -- the Patron Saint-Demon of Third Mind Books -- and even more specifically, on a tranche of documents acquired at auction belonging to the painter, David Prentice. Prentice was a close, personal friend to Burroughs and his Papers document

document a very key time in the development of the Cut-Ups as both a literary technique and original philosophic contribution. 

The presentation was first delivered at the European Beat Studies Network Conference (ebsn.eu) in Paris, France in September of 2023, and was re-recorded with narration by the author in December of that same year.

Text & Narration by Arthur S. Nusbaum

Original Research by Arthur S. Nusbaum & Joe Provenzano

Paper/Research, PowerPoint & Film © Third Mind Books, 2023

Colin Wilson : Strange is Normal

One of the original Angry Young Men along with luminaries such as John Osbourne (see Thomas Maschler's book Declaration), Colin Wilson (1931- 2013) first tasted fame with his book The Outsider, a treatise on outsider genius. As is the way, the mainstream elitist press turned on this working class self taught prodigy and hounded him out of London's class based literary scene.

He fled to the West Country and London's loss was Cornwall's and The World's gain. For over 50 years and 150 books he led us through science fiction (Mind Parasites) and esoteric knowledge (The Occult Trilogy). Truly a man before his time, in the age of The Internet, his philosophy will inform us for centuries to come. Strange is Normal is a late documentary containing interviews from his home in Cornwall with himself and his wife Joy.

Fellini's Casanova (1976)

Fellini's Casanova (Italian: Il Casanova di Federico Fellini, lit. 'The Casanova by Federico Fellini') is a 1976 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini from a screenplay he co-wrote with Bernardino Zapponi, adapted from the autobiography of 18th-century Venetian adventurer and writer Giacomo Casanova, played by Donald Sutherland. The film depicts Casanova's life as a journey into sexual abandonment, and his relationship with the "love of his life" Henriette (played by Tina Aumont). The narrative presents Casanova's adventures in a detached, methodical fashion, as the respect for which he yearns is constantly undermined by his more basic urges.

Shot entirely at the Cinecittà studios in Rome, the film won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, with the Oscar going to Danilo Donati. Fellini and his co-writer Bernardino Zapponi were nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. The film also won BAFTA Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, and a David di Donatello for Best Score.

Oscar Wilde Vs Charles Baudelaire - Dandies of Darkness

Two literary rebels. Two unforgettable lives.
In this documentary, we explore the brilliant yet turbulent journeys of Oscar Wilde and Charles Baudelaire—two iconic writers who defied convention, embraced beauty, and paid a heavy price for their genius.

From Baudelaire’s provocative Les Fleurs du mal and his battle with censorship, to Wilde’s meteoric rise in Victorian society and his tragic downfall, this video delves into their personal struggles, controversial works, and the cultural legacies they left behind.

Alice in Wonderland (1966)

With music by Ravi Shankar. Alice in Wonderland is a 1966 BBC television play, shot on film, based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It was adapted, produced and directed by Jonathan Miller, then best known for his appearance in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe. Miller's production is unique among live-action Alice films in that he consciously avoided the standard Tenniel-inspired costume design and "florid" production values. Most of the Wonderland characters are played by actors in standard Victorian dress, with a real cat used to represent the Cheshire Cat. Miller justified his approach as an attempt to return to what he perceived as the essence of the story: "Once you take the animal heads off, you begin to see what it's all about. A small child, surrounded by hurrying, worried people, thinking 'Is that what being grown up is like?'"

The Quiet American (2002)

 

The Quiet American is a 2002 political drama film directed by Phillip Noyce, and stars Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, and Do Thi Hai Yen. The screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Robert Schenkkan is adapted from Graham Greene's bestselling 1955 novel of the same name set in Vietnam.

In contrast to the prior 1958 film version, which abandoned Greene's cautionary tale about foreign intervention in favor of anticommunist advocacy of American power, the 2002 film is faithful to the source novel, illustrating the moral culpability of American agents in arranging terrorist actions aimed at the French colonial government and the Viet Minh. Going beyond Greene's original work, the film utilizes a montage ending with superimposed images of American soldiers from the intervening decades of the Vietnam War.

Miramax paid $5.5 million for distribution rights in North America and some other territories, but the film was shelved after test audiences perceived it as unpatriotic in the wake of the September 11 attacks.[1] The film finally received an Oscar qualification release in November 2002 and went on to gross US$12.9 million in limited theatrical release in the United States. The film received positive reviews from critics and Caine was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

The Quiet American (1958)

The Quiet American is a 1958 American drama romance thriller war film. It was the first film adaptation of Graham Greene's bestselling 1955 novel of the same name, and one of the first films to deal with the geo-politics of Indochina. It was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and stars Audie Murphy, Michael Redgrave, and Giorgia Moll. It was critically well-received, but was not considered a box-office success.

The film flips the plot of the novel on its head; it turns a cautionary tale about foreign intervention into an anticommunist advocacy of the use of American power abroad. In writing the script, Mankiewicz received uncredited input from CIA officer Edward Lansdale, who was often said to have been Greene’s inspiration for the American character he had called "Pyle" in the novel. (In the 1958 film, this character, though unnamed, was played by Murphy). However, in fact, Greene did not meet Landsdale until after completing much of the novel. According to Greene, the inspiration for the character of Pyle was Leo Hochstetter, an American serving as public affairs director for the Economic Aid Mission in Indochina who was assumed by the French to “belong to the CIA”; they had lectured him during the “long drive back to Saigon on the necessity of finding a ‘third force in Vietnam.’”

The film stirred up controversy. Greene was furious that his anti-war message had been excised from the film, and he disavowed it as a "propaganda film for America."

Click on the image above for the entire film.

Count Dracula (1977)

Count Dracula is a British television adaptation of the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Produced by the BBC (in the then standard video/film hybrid format), it first aired on BBC 2 on 22 December 1977. It is among the more faithful of the many adaptations of the original book.

Aldous Huxley, The Gravity of Light

Aldous Huxley: The Gravity Of Light incorporates rare archival footage, computer rendered 3D animation, speculative fictions, and selections from his essays. The film begins by reflecting upon that crucial, prophetic work "Brave New World" (1932, Aldous Huxley) and then moves to a further inquiry into the human ramifications of current technological change. The film also recalls the impact of Huxley's LSD-25 and mescaline experimentations and writings for a generation of youth and examines the utopianistic impulses associated with the Rave scene.

Paul Bowles-An American in Tangier (1993)

Paul Bowles-An American in Tangier (1993)

Paul Frederic Bowles (/boʊlz/; December 30, 1910 – November 18, 1999) was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator. He became associated with Tangier, Morocco where he settled in 1947 and lived for 52 years to the end of his life.

 Following a cultured middle-class upbringing in New York City, during which he displayed a talent for music and writing, Bowles pursued his education at the University of Virginia before making several trips to Paris in the 1930s. He studied music with Aaron Copland, and in New York wrote music for theatrical productions, as well as other compositions.

He achieved critical and popular success with his first novel The Sheltering Sky (1949), set in what was known as French North Africa, which he had visited in 1931. In 1947 Bowles settled in Tangier, at that time in the Tangier International Zone, and his wife Jane Bowles followed in 1948. Except for winters spent in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) during the early 1950s, Tangier was Bowles' home for the remainder of his life.

He came to symbolize American immigrants in the city. Paul Bowles died in 1999 at the age of 88. His ashes are buried near family graves in Lakemont Cemetery, in upstate New York.

The Tempest (2010)

The Tempest is a 2010 American film based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, featuring Helen Mirren in the principal role of Prospera. The film is directed by Julie Taymor and premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2010.

Although The Tempest received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, Sandy Powell received her ninth Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. Shakespeare's epic play is translated from page to screen, with the gender of the main character, Prospero, changed from male to female.

Apart from Russell Brand's over acting I think it is a fine work, comparable to Peter Greenaway or Derek Jarman but done with a greater attention to the fantastic possibilities of magical space.

Quiet Days in Clichy (1970)

A Danish production of an adaption from 1970 of the famous novella by Henry Miller (published 1956 but set in the early 1930s) with fine music done by Country Joe MacDonald (of Country Joe and the Fish fame). It is a minimalist production, with all the exuberance and profanity of Miller, filtered through the lens of the then contemporary counter culture with its masculine sexual politics. The film comes across as very dated today, but it is nonetheless interesting as a document and work of creative art.

If you are offended by profanity, strong sexual imagery (with very hairy people) and rampant chauvinism, you should avoid this film. The film was banned in the United States for many years. 

This was filmed simultaneously with another Henry Miller adaptation, Tropic of Cancer (1970). Both were filmed (at least partly) in Paris and Miller himself would drop by the sets of both films. At times, filming locations were only a quick walk away.

Not so quiet, Joey and Carl's days in Clichy... The two men, living in a small apartment, are penniless writers, with not enough to eat, which does not prevent them from enjoying life. One of their main interests is to get laid with women of various ages, physical appearances and nationalities. Among them, a neighbor in need, a fourteen-year-old half-witted girl, an American newspaper vendor who tends to smash up everything before making love, a Danish woman who mourns her late husband..., all being merely sex toys they play with

The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima - 1985 - BBC - Arena - documentary

This BBC produced documentary about Yukio Mishima highlights the many known major aspects of his life and personality. Mishima was a pen name he adopted en route to his chosen life as a writer. He eventually became recognized as one of Japan's most prolific post-World War II writers, producing stories, plays and novels. He became tortured by his bisexuality/homosexuality and shyness around people as a young man. Both of these played a role in his work as did many other eventful occurrences throughout his life. Mishima had an admirable dedication to the forgotten samurai way of life and ideals, which later turned into an unhealthy obsession, culminating in the storming of a general's garrison on November 25, 1970. It was Mishima's way of combining beauty, art, and action; ultimately the garrison forced to assemble and listen to his speech on that day rejected him. Mishima gave his life for his ideals, however misguided and twisted one might think him to be. His literary output of 40 novels, 18 plays (both for Noh and Kabuki theater), 20 books of short stories, 20 books of essays, and a film remain a testament to his talent despite his simultaneous tendency, at times, to be commercial, controversial, and unconventional.

Yukio Mishima (三島 由紀夫 Mishima Yukio?) is the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡 公威 Hiraoka Kimitake?, January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970), a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, and film director. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century; he was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and was poised to win the prize in 1968 although lost the award to his fellow countryman Yasunari Kawabata, presumably because of his radical right-wing activities. His avant-garde work displayed a blending of modern and traditional aesthetics that broke cultural boundaries, with a focus on sexuality, death, and political change. He is also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état attempt, known as the "Mishima Incident".

The Romantics - Liberty (BBC Documentary)

“Teach him to live rather than to avoid death: life is not breath,
but action, the use of our senses, our mind, our faculties, every
part of ourselves which makes us conscious of our being. Life
consists less in length of days than in the keen sense of living.
A man maybe buried at a hundred and may never have lived at all.
He would have fared better had he died young.” ― Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Peter Ackroyd reveals how the radical ideas of liberty that inspired the French Revolution opened up a world of possibility for great British writers such as William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, inspiring some of the greatest works of literature in the English language. Their ideas are the foundations of our modern notions of freedom and their words are performed by David Tennant, Dudley Sutton and David Threlfall. The Romantics - Liberty (BBC Documentary) Category

John Berger and Susan Sontag / To Tell A Story (1983)

The power of stories, as modes of representation, as ways to understand ourselves and that which we experience as reality, including other people, is discussed in this highly engaging meeting between John Berger and Susan Sontag. Both of these thinkers and writers are now sadly no longer with us on this plain of reality. John Berger died two days ago, and Susan Sontag died in 2004. This discussion between them inspired so many thoughts in me, having found it on the wonderful Open Culture blog, I uploaded it here. Just so I know where it is if I ever need it...and I probably will from time to time.

One thing that struck me personally from this conversation is that the first stories I remember were told to me orally, about members of my family that I never met. Soldiers, farmers and explorers. It then occurred to me that my mother came from an oral storytelling culture - she did not go to school until she was 13, her mother did not go to school at all. They lived on a huge cattle property in central Queensland in Australia that had been in the family for over 100 years. My father on the other hand grew up in nearest big town, (5 hours drive on the sealed roads that had been created by the time I was a child, when they were kids it took a lot longer), which was becoming a city as he came of age. He lived in books and our house was literally a library. I once packed up my father's library to move him, and it came in at 300 banana boxes. That is a lot of books. But my maternal grandmother told me the stories of the bush, and the world that she remembered from the 1920s as a child.

Photograph taken the year before my maternal grandmother was born (1911) in Taroom, the nearest settlement to where she grew up. It was an oral storytelling culture, even when she was a young adult, although they read and wrote, the spoken story was the more common vehicle.

The Romantics - Eternity (BBC documentary)

Narrated by Peter Ackroyd, this documentary examines the short radical lives of Byron, Keats and Shelley and how they would change the world. At 19, Shelley wrote The Necessity of Atheism - it was banned and burned, but it freed the Romantics from religion. Through their search for meaning in a world without God, they pioneered the notions of free love, celebrity and secular idolatry that are at the centre of modern Western culture. For them poetry became the new religion, a way of reaching Eternity. Their words are brought to life in this documentary by Nicholas Shaw, Blake Ritson and Joseph Millson.

Albert Camus - The Madness of Sincerity

Camus's writing and thought describe a possible alternative. This is the alternative to so much of the contemporary social predicament, in which indolence, indifference and a resigned lethargy in the worship of technology are so often only countered by a corrupt nihilistic violence and a hatred of the Other. Witness the bombings, the consumption, the political demagogues fostering hatred and neglect of our fellow human beings, which are increasingly becoming the hallmarks of what passes for civilization and its discontents today. We are caught in a downward spiral as money and prestige are offered up as solutions, rather than symptoms. We must resist this catastrophe and re-invent the self, rebuild our relationships with each other and the state and exclude those that would see life as either a cynical exercise in satisfaction or in a bound filial duty to a non-existent God and his egotistical and hypocritical servants on earth ("a mire of tyranny or servitude" -  "The Rebel") .

In the writings of Camus; "The Outsider", "The Myth of Sisyphus" and "The Fall" particularly (full PDF for each text from links), we can find an ethical strategy for making the bitter flax of post-modern life into a nonetheless difficult weave of individual spirit through a creative new pagan sensualism, that is sensitive to others and joyous of the self. I humbly suggest today, as we place our rampant greed before the basic laws of planetary survival and as people are increasingly turned into commodities as shoppers or surgically modified objects plugged into networks of information, that we have little choice but to listen to the absurd and the existential.

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 British-Italian romance film based on the tragic play of the same name (1591–95) by William Shakespeare. The film was directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, and starred Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (Pasqualino De Santis) and Best Costume Design (Danilo Donati); it was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture. Laurence Olivier spoke the film's prologue and epilogue and reportedly dubbed the voice of the Italian actor playing Lord Montague, but was not credited in the film.
Being the most financially successful film of a Shakespeare play during that time, it was popular among teenagers partly because the film used actors who were close to the age of the characters from the original play for the first time. Several critics also welcomed the film enthusiastically.

In 1985 I was a student at an isolated rural high school, 3 hours west by car from Brisbane in Australia. The main focus of life at Oakey High School was the school rugby league team. I was not really so interested, although I did try to fit in. Mostly unsuccessfully. My English teacher showed us this film and I was blown away. This was Shakespeare as I had never imagined it; tough, rowdy, sexy, dusty and intense. I asked to borrow the VHS cassette and watch it alone in a classroom one lunch hour, and my English teacher allowed me to. Barbara Hunter was her name. Thanks for that Ms Hunter. 

The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914)

The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914) is a silent film made by L. Frank Baum's The Oz Film Manufacturing Company. It was based on the book The Patchwork Girl of Oz.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum, is a children's novel, the seventh set in the Land of Oz. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps, and others.