Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge Giveaway

Dear Orbis Terrarum 2009 Challenge Participants:

With Bethany's approval, I'll be sponsoring a DVD giveaway in early March to help kick off this year's Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge. One lucky winner will receive a copy of director Marco Tullio Giordana's 2003 The Best of Youth (original title: La meglio gioventù), a six-hour Italian epic that follows the fortunes of brothers Matteo and Nicola Carati through almost forty years of recent history in the bel paese. Everybody I've shown this movie to has been blown away by it, so I hope I can continue the streak with you if you turn out to be the giveaway winner!

Although the DVD winner will be determined by a random drawing, you can increase your chances to earn up to five raffle entry points by doing one or more of the following: 1) Comment on this post to let me know that you're interested in being entered into the drawing. 2) For a bonus point, let me and Bethany know what three of your all-time favorite foreign films are in the course of your comments. 3) For three bonus points, sign up for the Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge using Mister Linky by the end of the month. I plan on holding the drawing on March 1st, the official start of the main OT Challenge and all the mini-challenges this year, so please comment and/or sign-up by the end of February to be eligible to win.

One last thing: This Best of Youth DVD is a region one DVD, which means it will only play on U.S. and Canada DVD players unless you have a multi-region DVD player or program. If you win the contest but aren't sure if you're able to play U.S. DVDs on your system, let me know if you'd prefer that I send you a copy of Giuseppe di Lampedusa's 1958 novel The Leopard (Il gattopardo) instead. Ciao!

8 comments:

beastmomma said...

I would love the chance to win this DVD! Three of my all time favorite foreign films are:
1. Life is Beautiful
2. Fire
3. Motorcycle Diaries

Eva said...

I definitely want to be entered in the giveaway!

Three favourite foreign films (this is tough):
Russian Ark
The Postman
Amelie
Pan's Labyrinth (see! It's too difficult to narrow it down!)

claire said...

Please enter me in the giveaway, thanks! The Best of Youth sounds lovely.

My top three favourite foreign films are:
1. Cinema Paradiso
2. Il Postino
3. City of God

I've signed up for the film mini-challenge!

tanabata said...

Yes, please! It sounds wonderful! I'd love to have my name entered into the drawing.

Three of my favourite foreign films (notice the wording, top 3 is too hard!):
Life is Beautiful
Amelie
The Three Colours (Blue, White, Red) trilogy

And I've signed up for the film mini-challenge. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I would love to enter the drawing. Even if I don't win it, I'll have to check this film out. I have the good fortune of working at a movie theater that often plays foreign movies, so I'm well set up to do the challenge.

My favorites from last year are:

The Last Mistress (French)
Elsa and Fred (Spanish)
Tell No One (French)

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

Don't enter me Richard, but I still want to give my three favourite foreign films!

1.) El Bola
2.) El Maestro de Esgrima
3.) Life is Beautiful (I LOVE Belini!!)

Richard said...

*Beastmomma: Congratulations on your win! I hope you enjoy your prize. I'm not familiar with "Fire," but I enjoyed the other two movies you mentioned.

*Eva: It is hard to narrow it down to three choices. That's why I didn't chime in! I'm a big "Amelie" fan too, but I'll have to check out "Russian Ark" which is new to me.

*Claire: I see you have two other Italian movies among your top three, so I hope you get a chance to see "The Best of Youth" sometime soon.

*Tanabata: I love the "Three Colors" trilogy (especially the first and the last ones)!

*Tuulenhaiven: I liked "The Last Mistress" OK, but I missed the other two movies you mention--have been watching more DVDs than movies in the theaters of late, which has its pros and its cons.

*Bethany: I haven't seen the first two films you mention, but I'm glad you "voted" anyway! Thanks to everybody for "playing"--I'm looking forward to all your reviews!

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

Gracias a ti Richard! I will have to watch this film now for sure :)