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********************      The Week In TV Movies      **********************
*********     Select Films for Week Ending August 8th, 1998     *********** 
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Even though Leni Riefenstahl made only four films as a director (_The Blue
Light_, _Triumph of the Will_, _Olympia_, _Tiefland_), her second film
made an enormous impact in the history of world cinema.  For many,
_Triumph of the Will_ is seen as the ultimate form of (Nazi) propaganda. 
And, her association with the National Socialist party would be a stigma
for the rest of her life.  From an artistic vantage point, Riefenstahl was
a perfectionist with an incredible eye for beauty.  The 1993 documentary
_The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl_ focusses on her life
from her beginnings as a dancer to working on the mountain films with Dr.
Arnold Fanck to her career as director.  The film also covers her
post-WWII life when she lived with her mother, then travelled to Africa. 
And, it covers the present day - where at 90+ years of age, she's in the
process of making an underwater film.  Seeing interviews of her regarding
the makings of her films and the impact it has on herself is highly
revealing.  A must-see for German cinema students.  Wednesday at 10 PM on
TVO.  


The 1993 Oscars saw quite an Asian dominance in the Foreign Film
category.  Hong Kong was represented by the Cannes' Palme D'Or co-winner
_Farewell My Concubine_.  Taiwan was represented by _The Wedding Banquet_,
a comedy which actually took place in New York City.  Finally, Vietnam was
represented by _The Scent of Green Papaya_, a simple little film driven by
slow takes and wonderful cinematography.  Winner of the Camera D'Or (for
Best First Feature) at Cannes, the film is about a young servant girl who
falls in love with her master.  _The Scent_ is divided into two parts: 
The first part shows the character as a young girl.  The second as a young
woman whose master is in love with another woman.  A very quiet and subtle
film.  And to think _Belle Epoque_ won...  Late Wednesday at 11:55 PM on
CBC Toronto.  


Another Disturbing Thought:  CBC Toronto airs a wonderful
art-film like _The Scent of Green Papaya_ one night, then airs cornball
comedy _Pure Luck_ with Martin Short two nights later.  I don't get it... 


All that I can say about Pedro Almodovar's _Kika_ is that, prior to seeing
this film in the theatres, I heard of some slight controversy regarding a
rape scene (which has to be the longest of such scene) and that something
fell out and it landed on a reporter.  Call me perverted, but I expected a
goodly splash to come out of it - it seemed more like a dot of Liquid
Paper.  And the smile she had...  Features Victoria Abril as a tabloid TV
reporter - her depiction of these kinds of reporters is rather
frightening.  Late Friday night at 1:30 AM on Showcase.  


Emily Watson quickly gained international attention for her startling
performance as an extremely naive country girl in Lars Von Trier's highly
acclaimed _Breaking the Waves_.  Watson plays Bess, a Scottish girl who
marries an oil rigger (played by Stellen Skarsgard of _Good Will
Hunting_).  Believing she can talk to God, she constantly prays for her
husband's safety.  One day, however, she finds that her husband has been
injured, leaving him paralyzed.  Unable to sexually fulfill her, he
suggests that she engage in sexual activity with other men, then come back
and tell him about it.  The high price that she pays is that she would be
ostracized by the town.  This 2.5 hour long film is quite engaging, with a
stellar performance by Emily Watson, who earned a well-deserved Oscar
nomination in a year that was brimming with other great female
performances such as Brenda Blethyn and Frances McDormand.  Saturday at 11
PM on Showcase.