It really moved me, since it four times now. Showed it to my wife, and she was blown away. Amazing what people can do with the simplest things. Several years ago my wife and I went to a show of international puppetry at the Center for Puppetry Arts here in Atlanta. (Awesome place). One of the acts was a husband and wife team from Central America--Peru, I believe. We sat stunned as they went to work, using their hands, feet, elbows, and knees to create a story about the life and death of a man. Their body parts, assisted with minimal clothing props, melded together in an astonishing way to give life to this "puppet", even allowing for facial expressions. We watched as he was born, followed his young, vibrant life, then the transition to middle age, and finally, the slow, graceful slide to old age, infirmity, and death. It was so touching that my mouth literally hung open the whole time. As he lay down for the final sleep, I was saddened.
Never been moved that much by a performance not involving real life characters--until now. Oh--and the opening moments of Pixar's "Up", told in silent flashback, got me too. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Baxter" <truthseeker...@hotmail.com> To: "SciFiNoir2" <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 7:31:56 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] From the "Wow" Files: Ukrainian Wins Contest with Sand Art I'm breathless. "If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:05:52 +0000 Subject: [scifinoir2] From the "Wow" Files: Ukrainian Wins Contest with Sand Art I rarely send out those "you've got to see this!" e-mails, but it applies here. Simonova is the winner of the game show "Ukraine's Got Talent" for her transcendent skills drawing images in sand. You have to see to believe her skill moving the sand over the glass. Sometimes the transitions in scenery and profiles are quick and breathtaking: don't blink! The story--the German invasion of Ukraine during WWII--is moving. I've included a brief summary below to fill in some details of what Ukrainians call "The Great Patriotic War". Understanding the historical context of what Simonova is depicting helps explain why the audience is moved to tears. The music fits, especially the string rendition of "Nothing Else Matters" at the end. Amazing stuff. I can only imagine what she does with sand in 3D. Please give this a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo [Some background on the story] Simonova’s winning real-time animation depicted the Nazi invasion of Ukraine in World War Two. It’s a poignant — and politically charged tale to relate on a talent show. One in four Ukrainians died by the end of that war. Simonova’s story begins with a couple sitting on a bench, holding hands. Soon warplanes appear and the idyllic scene is destroyed. Simonova replaces the scene with a woman crying. Then warplanes arrive again. A weeping widow morphs into a monument to an Unknown Soldier. The final picture she creates is of a mother and child bidding a sad farewell to a man with his hands pressed against the glass...She moves the judges to tears as she subtitles the final scene "you are always near". Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now
