Oktapodi (2007) – Oscar 2009 Animated Short Film

In Oktapodi – a 2007 short film – you will watch the story of two cute octopi help each other escape the clutches of a tyrannical restaurant cook. But, even once they are out of the kitchen, their battle to stay together is not over.

The scene takes place in an animated setting that looks like the Island of Santorini in Greece. The two octopi seem to be a couple in love, and they watch over eachother when one is in danger. It is not clear which octopi is male and which is female… or whatever!

Oktapodi is actually a graduation film created at Gobelins l’école de l’image by which were then students 5 third year students with the collaboration of a UCLA music graduate.

The story of stuff is a twenty minute documentary that was released on the internet, criticising the ways used of producing and selling goods and services, and the effects of the life-cycle on the environment. It was released on Decembre 4th 2007, and is hosted by Annie Leonard, a graduate degree and a critic of international trade.

I previously talked about how Beyoncé’s Single Ladies video became a hit because of its original dance moves. I even put together in a post some videos from Youtube of how some people like me and you were able to get the choreography very well. But now, in London, 100 Single Ladies did a stage performance, that kind of feels spontanious at first, of that same famous dance from Beyoncé’s. The event was held in Piccadilly Circus, to celebrate the announcement by Trident of its free Beyonce gig in November. Here’s the clip:

Here’s the 2006 TV Commercial for Dance4Life that encourages people towards Unity, to start dancing and to stop AIDS.

HIV and AIDS facts and figures

• Young people are most at risk of getting HIV and AIDS.
• Of the 6,800 people newly infected with HIV every day, more than half are under 25 years old.
• About 1,200 of those who become infected on a daily basis are under the age of 15.
• Every thirteen seconds a new infection takes place.
• 6,800 people die every day of AIDS related causes.
• Thousands of children lose their parents to AIDS.
• Only a small proportion of those in need of AIDS inhibitors actually get them.
• 25 million people have already died of AIDS.
• According to the United Nations, this figure will be 280 million in 2050 if we do not act now.
• In 2007 2.1 million people died of an AIDS-related illness.
• 2.5 million new infections in 2006 with 1.7 million of these in sub-Saharan Africa.
• More than two thirds of people living with HIV live in countries of the Global South.

Something wonderful happened on January 15th 2009 in Liverpool Street Station. As people were rushing to go to work, music started playing and everybody got into it. They suddenly started dancing, young and old, doing the same steps, the same arm moves, all in harmony!

This is probably a mobile phone advertisement, but wouldn’t be cool if things like that happened in real life!

I received this present and decided to pass it on and share it! Merry Christmas!

Beyoncé Knowles impressed all her fans when she showed remarkable dance moves in her video Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it). The black and white setting features Beyoncé herself with two other female dancers. All three of them were dancing non-stop and energetically using original sets of moves which include a mix of pop, hip hop and a touch of disco. Here’s the original video:

Now this video has been a source of inspiration for numerous musical and dancing fans. Some have even tried their own version of the dance and actually filmed it to show the whole World what they can do! I selected of a few of those videos which I found on YouTube. Which one is your favourite?

Shane Mercado
 

Cubby

Angel

Platnium Bridges

Devorne