This is the last week of the most important film competition in Hollywood. In eight days everything will all be over. The last  edition of Academy Awards, the number 84th will be a memory and anyone with a vested interest in the award season will breathe a sigh of relief. Somehow, the 2011-12 awards season seems poised to exceed its predecessor as the most boring, predictable and unrepresentative in recent memory.

Will be there any good news? Sure. If all goes as planned, Christopher Plummer could finally take home an Oscar in a rare feat where a “career win” is also well deserved; “A Separation” could be the most deserving best foreign-language Oscar winner in a good half decade (at least). That dude from “Flight of the Conchords” could take a golden boy home for one of the many great songs from “The Muppets,” even if it comes as a result of the weirdest, smallest nominee batch ever. And depending on where you stand on the love/hate scale for Michel Hazanavicius’s “The Artist,” you could have plenty to smile about.

But for the viewers: Is there any suspense to be had? In a couple of categories, maybe. Best actor is the most high-profile horse race (Clooney, Dujardin and Pitt are all genuine possibilities), and more below-the-line categories like best documentary, best original screenplay, best cinematography and best costume design are all question marks. But that’s likely not enough to rouse even the most excitable Oscar geek.

In the end, though, the show will belong to “The Artist,” with “Hugo” reaping multiple technical and artistic nods. By the count of these predictions — which admittedly play it very safe (though considering this awards season, why shouldn’t they?) — “The Artist” takes five, “Hugo” takes four. The only other multiple winner in this scenario is “The Help,” which seems poised to win two acting statuettes.

“Beginners”

Beyond them? Singular wins for “Beginners,” “Midnight in Paris,” “The Descendants,” “Rango,” “A Separation,” “Undefeated,” “Jane Eyre,” “The Iron Lady,” “The Muppets” and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” That those 13 films could come to historically represent 2011 as a year in cinema is a considerable shame.

Who knows; maybe Melissa McCarthy will beat out the more favored scatologically tinged performance of Octavia Spencer in the best supporting actress category. Maybe Terrence Malick will take best director (even though he clearly won’t be there to accept it). Maybe an unprecedented tie will find BFFs George Clooney and Brad Pitt on stage at the same time, where they’ll profess their undying love for one another and make out while holding their matching little naked men. Maybe hell will freeze over.

Below is a quick and easy cheat sheet for those willing to trust Indiewire for their Oscar pools. Check out all the nominees and further commentary with regard to the predictions on our Oscar predictions chart.

Best Picture:

Who Will Win: “The Artist”

Who Could Win: “The Descendants”

Who Should Win: “The Tree of Life”

Best Director:

Who Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Who Could Win: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

Who Should Win: Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

Best Actor:

Who Will Win: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

Who Could Win: Brad Pitt, “Moneyball” or George Clooney, “The Descendants”

Who Should Win: Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Actress:

Who Will Win: Viola Davis, “The Help”

Who Could Win: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Who Should Win: Viola Davis, “The Help”

Best Supporting Actor:

Who Will Win: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Who Could Win: Max Von Sydow, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

Who Should Win: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Best Supporting Actress:

Who Will Win: Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Who Could Win: Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”

Who Should Win: Jessica Chastain, “The Help”

Best Original Screenplay:

Who Will Win: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”

Who Could Win: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Who Should Win: Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Who Will Win: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rush, “The Descendants”

Who Could Win: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin & Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”

Who Should Win: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin & Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”

Best Animated Feature:

Who Will Win: “Rango”

Who Could Win: “Chico and Rita”

Who Should Win: “Rango”

Best Foreign Language Film:

Who Will Win: “A Separation”

Who Could Win: “Monsieur Lazhar”

Who Should Win: “A Separation”

Best Documentary Feature:

Who Will Win: “Undefeated”

Who Could Win: “Pina,” “Paradise Lost 3″ or “Hell and Back Again”

Who Should Win: “Pina”

Best Cinematography:

Who Will Win: Robert Richardson, “Hugo”

Who Could Win: Any of the others, honestly. It’s a very tight race.

Who Should Win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”

Best Film Editing:

Who Will Win: Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Who Could Win: Thelma Shoonmaker, “Hugo”

Who Should Win: Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Best Art Direction:

Who Will Win: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, “Hugo”

Who Could Win: Laurence Bennett and Robert Gould, “The Artist”

Who Should Win: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, “Hugo”

Best Costume Design:

Who Will Win: Michael O’Connor, “Jane Eyre”

Who Could Win: Mark Bridges, “The Artist”

Who Should Win: Arianne Phillips, “W.E.”

Best Original Score:

Who Will Win: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”

Who Could Win: Howard Shore, “Hugo”

Who Should Win: Alberto Iglesias, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Original Song:

Who Will Win: “Man or Muppet” (“The Muppets”)

Who Could Win: “Real In Rio” (“Rio”)

Who Should Win: “Man or Muppet” (“The Muppets”)

Best Sound Editing:

Who Will Win: Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, “Hugo”

Who Could Win: Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom, “War Horse”

Who Should Win: Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis, “Drive”

Best Sound Mixing:

Who Will Win: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley, “Hugo”

Who Could Win: Gary Rydstorm, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson, “War Horse”

Who Should Win: David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”

Best Visual Effects:

Who Will Win: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Who Could Win: TIm Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″

Who Should Win: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Best Makeup:

Who Will Win: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, “The Iron Lady”

Who Could Win: Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″

Who Should Win: Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″

Best Animated Short:

Who Will Win: “La Luna”

Who Could Win: “Dimanche”

Who Should Win: “Dimanche”

Best Live Action Short:

Who Will Win: “Raju”

Who Could Win: “Pentecost”

Who Should Win: “Tuba Atlantic”

Best Documentary Short:

Who Will Win: “Saving Face”

Who Could Win: “Incident in New Baghdad”

Who Should Win: “Saving Face”

Have you ever watched a film and been deeply and profoundly moved,   or read a book that changed your perspective?  That is the type of impact that the play “El Nogalar”, written by Tanya Saracho, is having upon audiences everywhere.

“El Nogalar” delves into the complexities that Mexico is facing due to the drug war.  “It is topical and what is happening right now.  If you take a glass and you put it on that area and look inside, everyone is being affected by that, “said Saracho.

The play artfully weaves through the intricacies of the Mexican caste system and how the drug war is affecting each person’s role within the societal unit.  Saracho does this in such a poignant way that the viewer is able to see and feel each character’s point of view in a personal way.  The pain and sorrow that is felt by the characters becomes universal where everyone, Latino or Non-Latino, can relate.

The play was inspired by Anton Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard”.   The name “El Nogalar” reflects what is grown in Mexico – Pecans.  Saracho said,”My mom picked the name…, she said, ’Look it up on your internet. It can’t be cherries. We don’t grow cherries!’”

The name wasn’t the only twist that Saracho added; she made the cast mostly females.  She likes to expose, “Life from the point of view of women. “  She continued with, “Talking about Latina women and Mexican women and complicating their image is important to me.  It is also important to me to change their stereotype.”

Her vision of bringing light to the woman’s perspective began before being commissioned by Chicago’s Teatro Vista to write “El Nogalar”.  Twelve years ago Saracho formed an all-women’s company entitled Teatro Luna.  “When we formed Teatro Luna, we were called man haters in the press…  My writing has been criticized for that. There are enough plays for men,” said Saracho.  She contests claims of being exclusive by saying, “It is not exclusive.  It is inclusive.  I am including the female voice.”

The female voice is not the only theme expressed in her writing.  Saracho passionately explains, “I’m obsessed with class– if we are speaking thematically.  I’m obsessed by how we (Latinos) are seen as the immigrant in the U.S., and I’m obsessed with gender.”    This would not seem surprising as she was born in Sinaloa, Mexico, but grew up in the adjoining border towns of Reynoso, Mexico and McAllen, Texas.   She was entrenched in both cultures learning both languages.  She was educated in the U.S.   She attended high school in Texas and went on to Boston University to graduate in theater studies.

At Boston University her writing skills flourished.  She put up three plays for the student festival.  This, however, was not the beginning of her story telling.  “I was the one who entertained the sisters and I was always a story teller.  I liked to terrify them with “La Llorona”, a legend of a wailing women,” she laughs contagiously, and continues, “I used to tell jokes.  Now I don’t even know one joke… My grandparents would put me on the table and you would either dance or tell a poem or a joke.”

There seems to be no limit to her storytelling and incredible talent. In fact, “El Nogalar” is actually the first in a trilogy that Saracho has written.  “Song of the Disappeared” is the next play in the series.  It takes place on the Texas side of the border where the crime element has now infiltrated.  The last installment of the trilogy is entitled “Nights.”  The characters have been kidnapped and stay alive by telling stories like in the book:  Thousand Nights and One Night.

“El Nogalar” is so moving that it truly is a must see.  Saracho’s soulful writing leaves a profound impact on viewers.  This play has put her on the radar, and is only the beginning to a brilliant career. Saracho is definitely someone to watch for in the future.

Playing at the Fountain Theater until March 11^th

Out of the UK “A Morning Stroll” plays at being whimsical, but, beneath the layers is the most thought provoking of all the animated shorts nominated for Oscars in 2012.  In seven minutes we are transported the past, the present, and to the future as a chicken makes her way down a New York street.  If we examine the black and white past, pause at the technology controlled obsessive present of cell phones and video games, and move into a future we our human heads are replaced by frightening non-human heads you understand why “A Morning Stroll” may be the ‘headiest’ short in the competition. Directed by Grant Orchard.  Produced by Sue Goffe.

Canadian animated filmmakers present a cautionary tale to immigrants who believe they are suited for the great adventure of coming to another land.  In “Wild Life” we are transported back to Calgary in 1909 as an Englishman moves to the Canadian frontier believing the wide horizons will suit his dreams of life on the big, untamed continent of North America.  Directors Amanda Forbis, and Wendy Tilby bring us into the fantasies of the Englishman more than a hundred years ago.  Producers Marcy Page and Bonnie Thompson tell us a tale of woe in “Wild Life.”

The animated short film “La Luna” (USA) is not as memorable as the other short films.  Little boy, old wooden boat, out to sea, no land in sight, searching for his future, the film directed by Enrico Casarosa and produced by Kevin Reher and Executive produced by John Lasseter is nothing special and falls far short of the other animated short films in awards earned at festivals leading up to the big night at the Oscars.

Canada nominated short “Dimanche Sunday” is no feast for the eyes like the other animated films nominated for the Oscar.  Esoteric in its message with a train clattering through a village almost shaking the pictures off the wall, a grandma with old fashioned features and drab dress, a dad dreaming about his toolbox in church, and animals meeting their fate has won a fair share of awards at festivals throughout the world, but, for this reviewer the short film left a lot to be desired. Directed by Patrick Doyon and Produced by Marc Bertrand & Michael Fukushima.

The moment I typed shoes for men onto google, I was lost. My effort to find clarity as far as comfort and style became a quest rather than an investigation. I am envious of my female friends, who know exactly what type and color of shoes they like and what they love–and they really mean love. I found out the hard way that I am not even sure what my shoe size is. So here are some ideas to get your red carpet, ready shoes.

First of all, the shoe size matters. If you have no clue what your measurement is (or like me, you were cultivated outside of the US) and are trying to find what your correct US/Canada shoe size is, the chart below may help. Ask an expert.  The shoe sales professionals are generally able to help you measure your feet.  I did not know, until I asked, but a colleague carries his shoe size in his wallet, and it has saved him some headaches in his travels.

So now that we have given you some useful information, on to my next question. What color shoes go with what suit or pants? Again, these are not rules, these are guidelines. If you are like some of my more fashionable friends, you will point and laugh at this, but it just made my life easier. There is always a twist for example: what are earth tones? I launched over to trusty wikipedia and this is what it says:  “Earth tone is a color scheme that draws from a color palette of browns, tans, greys, greens, oranges, whites, and some reds. The colors in an earth tone scheme are muted and flat in an emulation of the natural colors found in soil, moss, trees and rocks. Many earth tones originate from clay earth pigments, such as umber, ochre, and sienna.” This is a conversation worth having with some of your girl-friends, or girlfriend, you choose.

SHOES & PANTS COLOR GUIDE

So how important are shoes? Here are some things to think about. The wrong shoes can create corns, blisters, and calluses.  The right shoe, besides being comfortable, can also signal class. How important is the shoe issue to women? Ask them. It’s a conversation you are now equipped to have—Sort of.

The screening for actor Demian Bichir’s latest film “A Better Life” was not full.  There were many people that seemed to be there more to meet Chris Weitz, the director, than to see the film or Demian; however, once the film was over, there was a subdued mood in the audience. There was a sense that we had just seen something historic.

Demian portrays Carlos Galindo, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who works as a gardener in the wealthier parts of Los Angeles. Carlos and his son, Luis, live in a tiny house in East Los Angeles. His wife left many years ago, and now he is trying to keep his son in check as he struggles to make “a better life” for them both.

Demian’s performance is very powerful and real. Carlos Galindo is unlike the character he played in Steven Sodderberg’s “Che”. “This character needed to be played very opposite to the character of Fidel Castro.  Castro very much wants to be the center of attention. It’s difficult for people not to notice him. This character, Carlos Galindo, wants to be invisible. He does not want to be seen. It’s dangerous to be noticed,” explains Bichir. His performance in the film is perfect. It may be because the character is very real to Bichir. Bichir said, “I spent a lot of time with my ‘paisanos’.  I told them I was making a movie about them. They must have thought I was crazy.” Many critics have compared the film to the Italian classic “The Bicycle Thief”, the 1948 film by Vittorio de Sica.

What is different about this story is that it speaks from a place of honesty and power. The values espoused by Galindo are very American, and the conversations that happen between Carlos and his son Luis (Jose Julian) give a voice to the struggles that are being experienced daily. “This is homage to those people that are struggling to make a better life for their families,” said Bichir.

This film is not a political statement. It just represents the daily life of immigrants. It is a film that allows for discussion without speculation. There is no demonizing of anyone. It is just a portrayal of a man trying to provide for his son, and the difficult divide between them.

It takes away the caricatures that so often plague this type of life, and it brings the struggles that many experience to a new level.

When I went to the screening of the Iron Lady, the latest show case for Meryl Streep’s incredible talent, I certainly went with a preconceived notion. I was not sure about the film, still I was very excited about the conversation with its leading lady that followed. The film, was not what I expected, but her performance is certainly what I was hoping for from an actress that has been nominated to the Academy Award 17 times and won a pair. Now she was just awarded the best actress award for her performance as Margaret Thatcher by British Academy of Fine Arts for her performance in “The Iron Lady”. She had been nominated 14 times for the BAFTA award, but this is also only her second win.

It was fascinating to listen to Streep’s conversation with the audience. Her first comment connected us to her instantly. “We were interested in looking at a life that is sort of Margaret Thatcher, but in the end is sort of about us.”  The film seemed to capture what they perceived to be the major events in Thatcher’s life as the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the decisions that led her to that post and the outcome of those decisions while serving in that capacity. What was fascinating was the how Streep transformed
herself and found the character she felt was the best vehicle for the story. Her evolution throughout the film are incredibly real.

Streep’s process of preparation resonated with an audience that was mostly made up of actors and other film industry people. “As an actor you want to believe without any question who you think you are,” Streep explained. One of the most telling answers to a question by a young actor about what she felt was one of the most important reasons for her success, was  simple, empathy. “I am interested in other people and what’s like me in them.” She shared about the anxiety that she suffers through every one of her performances. The intimacy that she brings to her performances was not lost in the intimacy that she brought to the conversation after the screening. Her answers felt as if we were having a cup of coffee with her, and it was only one of us sitting with her. When asked if she felt that a British actress would have played Thatcher differently and what she, Streep, brought to the role as an American. Her answer was also a lesson in truth and this is just a paraphrase, “Yes, of course, just as when the British play Americans. I’d like to think I brought a little of Jersey to the role.”

Streep seems that she keeps finding that connection in both the people she portrays and in the audiences that watch her work. That third Oscar might be at hand, or should be.

AH!  Valentine’s day, a day of conflict. Some people are looking forward to doing something special with their loved one. Some people are celebrating that they do not have to celebrate with anyone in particular.  For whatever reason people will be celebrating this emotionally-based, unofficial holiday, they most likely will bring chocolate.

Chocolate was considered divine and decadent from the moment it was discovered. It is thought to have originated about 4,000 years ago in the Amazon, and can be traced back to the Aztecs as “xocoatl.” It was considered by both the Mayans and the Aztecs to be magical. Cacao was used as currency and in sacred rituals by the ancient tribes. Theobrama, the tree the cacao bean is derived from, means “food of the gods”.

Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador took a load of cocoa back to Spain. They were used to plant fields in Trinidad, Haiti, and the island of Fernando Po. Spain held a monopoly on chocolate for almost 100 years.

Although the first modern, chocolate candies were designed by Cadbury in the 1860′s, the holiday was rumored to have been named after Saint Valentine.  He was a priest that defied a Roman law that Emperor Claudius II enacted in 270 AD to outlaw marriage. The Emperor enacted this law because he felt single men made better warriors. Saint Valentine married young couples in secret but was eventually found and jailed. There he met the jailer’s blind daughter and because of their love, her vision was restored.

So when you bring chocolates and roses to your sweetie, there is a story that follows.  It is another gift from our friends who are south of the border. Happy Valentine’s Day, or Feliz Dia de San Valentin.

Edited by Leah Bergman

The poor pig has gotten a bad “wrap”.  Even the word pig has been used to describe how dirty something is. Pigs are actually very clean animals.  It is the humans that make them dirty by keeping them in unkempt surroundings.

Pork is typically overcooked. It is an amazing protein that is low in fat and flavorful.  The illustrious pig is used to make everything from bacon, sausage and ribs to chicharones and footballs.

Me?  I love pork!  From a center cut pork chop and my homemade bacon to a pulled pork barbeque and carnitas, I can’t get enough.  Give it to me any way you have it and I will eat it. This means any part of the pig – like PIG CHEEKS.

I find pork to be a really versatile piece of meat.  Most of the time, it can be substituted for chicken or beef with little variation of spices and herb flavorings.

When I go with My Beloved One (MBO) to do a “little grocery shopping”, we always pick up a pork loin.  I get it home and slice up about two-thirds into 1 ½” to 2” thick chops and vacuum seal it with three chops per bag.  One for each of us for dinner, and the third is for her lunch the next day.

The remaining third of the loin I vacuum seal in its entirety and freeze it for another day. With this piece, I can make several different meals.  I can sear it and roast it in the oven with a variety of root vegetables, or I can slice off more chops; however, this time I will use it in a way that will make you say, “NO WAY! That won’t work!”, but I assure you that this works and you will be happy with the outcome.

I pull out the frozen loin and defrost it under cold running water.  This brings up an important topic–Food safety. If you know what you want to have for the next night’s dinner, and that item is in the freezer; then pull it out and put it in the fridge in a casserole dish, Tupperware, or whatever will hold it.  This is the best way to thaw something.  It is also one of the safest methods – if not the THE safest – to thaw food.  The next best way is to put it in your clean kitchen sink and run cold water over it until it is thawed.  If you are thawing fish, put it in a pan or casserole dish, cover it with ice, and put it in the fridge.  This will take about 2 days to thaw, depending on the thickness and amount of fish.  By having the ice on top, it will slow down the thawing process, and the cell structure of the fish won’t burst which would make the fish mushy and not very enjoyable.

In days gone by, cultures and religions forbade eating pork due to trichinosis.  Trichinosis has been pretty much eradicated through selective breeding.  If you don’t know what trichinosis is, it is a parasitic disease that is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game.  It is killed by the heat of cooking which is why grandma cooked her pork to death making it tough as shoe leather.  Nowadays, pork can be cooked to medium and still be safe for you.  Take a food thermometer and stick it halfway in the pork.  If it reads 135 degrees or higher for three minutes, you should be okay.  I wouldn’t go much below that.

Back to the thawed out pork loin…  I get my spice and herb mixture together.  My spice and herb mixture is determined by what I want the end result to be.  For a basic rub, I will use:  Salt, pepper, garlic powder or granulated garlic, powdered onion, and dried parsley. If I am going to BBQ, I’ll throw in paprika, and cumin and maybe a little liquid smoke.  I rub the pork with the spice mixture making sure to get it completely covered.  In a hot pan with a little olive oil, I sear the pork on all sides.  This will help keep the juices in.  Here is where it really gets weird.  I pull out the plastic wrap and the aluminum foil.  Then I wrap the pork loin in plastic wrap four or five times.  Be sure to get a COMPLETE wrapping at this stage.  I cannot stress how important it is not only in cooking, but also in clean up.  After the pork has been thoroughly wrapped in plastic wrap, wrap it four or five times in the aluminum foil.  Remember that the tighter the wrapping, the better as the tight wrapping will keep the juices in; hence, the meat will be juicier and tenderer.

Once the pork is wrapped, place it in a casserole dish and put it in a 250 degree oven for seven to eight hours.  I can hear you saying to yourself “Seven to eight HOURS? It will overcook! And the plastic wrap will melt all over the meat!” Please just trust me with this one.

After six hours, check the pork by opening a small hole in the foil and plastic.  You should be able to pull out a small piece very easily, and it should be tender and juicy.  If it is not, put it back in the oven for a while longer.

Once it is done, let it rest for 30 minutes or so.  This will give the juices time to be absorbed by the meat.  This advice is not just for pork.  Always allow a roast, chicken, or turkey to “rest” before you carve into it.

From here you can go anywhere.  You can add some barbeque sauce and have pulled pork barbeque.  You can add your favourite enchilada sauce and have burritos or enchiladas.  You can make a vinegar-based barbeque sauce (a “Carolina” sauce) and have pulled pork with a good cole slaw, or you can just tear off pieces and eat it as is.  It is up to you.

Enjoy your week, eat something you have never had before, and make someone smile.

Eat. Drink. Laugh. Love.

I would love to hear from you.  Let me know how this helps or does not help you.  Do you have questions on how to cook something?  Please post your comments below.

“I thirst.”  These were the two simple words the Lord spoke to an Albanian descended nun who changed the world.  Monsignor Leo Massburg in his book, Mother Teresa of Calcutta a Personal Portrait, adds his narrative to the great stories carried by media around the world about the Nobel Peace Prize winning nun Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu who became Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa was a CEO of her Missionaries of Charity with unorthodox fundraising practices.   She left her convent in 1948 the day after the Feast Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with no bank loan or stream of revenue; just a belief in Divine Providence that all she would need to build her missions would be given to her by Jesus.  Monsignor Massburg who tells us it was his ‘grace’ to work with her says, “Mother Teresa gave her last rupee to a priest, not knowing what she herself was going to live on the next day.”

Her currency was her unconditional love for the poorest of the poor and forty thousand miraculous medals she gave out as she fearlessly built her missions throughout the world.  This joyful book reveals her great sense of humor and practical wisdom.  “God did not create poverty.  We created poverty because we do not share with one another.”  Criticized by many who thought her generosity was not a good thing for the poor she quipped, “My poor people are too weak to hold the fishing rod themselves.  But, if they are ever well enough to hold a fishing rod, then our critics can go ahead and teach them how to fish.”

Working with Mother Teresa is described by Monsignor Massburg as a daunting challenge made difficult by ever changing circumstances and directions.  “Father don’t you know what the abbreviation MC after our name really stands for?” Mother Teresa asks the priest as he struggles with her ever changing plane reservations.  “Not just Missionary of charity but also Much Confusion!  It also means More Confusion, Mental Case, Multiple Change.”

Massburg is a powerful story teller.  He recalls when Mother Teresa was asked, “Is the AIDS epidemic the result of sin?”  She replies, “I, Mother Teresa, am a sinner.  We are all sinners.  And, we all need God’s mercy.  One sin that I had never had to confess is that I judged someone.”

Describing Mother Teresa as a person with almost a photographic memory he says she was constantly giving gifts and offering gratitude to all who helped her build her missions through donations.  “God loves the world through us”, Mother Teresa would say.  According to Massburg’s account Mother Teresa was urged to go to Russia hesitating at first for fear her Sisters would fall prey to politics.  Pope John Paul II joined in the chorus of those urging her to go with a Papal blessing.  “You go where I cannot go!”

Pope John Paul II, consecrated  Russia and the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25^th, 1984.  Massburg’s masterful story telling about the nun born into a Muslim majority country (Yugoslavia) in 1910 takes the reader through an extraordinary journey which may well influence the reader’s life.  “I thirst”, is an active verb with a transformative power.    This book can be read by any person of any religious or non-religious background and the result will be remarkable.

_______

Sharon Hardee Jimenez consulted for National Satellite Media Services to coordinate the media effort for the release of John Paul II’s CD, Abba Pater.   Jimenez worked with a team led by Sony to bring about interviews in five languages from Vatican Radio acknowledging twenty years of the Papal leadership of the Polish Pope who studied to be an actor.

The South East European Film Festival is not scheduled to have its next edition until May 3-7, 2012 at the Goethe – Institut in Los Angeles, but mean while they are continuing to host some great films such as the upcoming screening of No Man’s Land, the 2001 Oscar and Golden Globe  winner for Best Foreign Film, and many other international awards and nominations.

I you want to join us for this free, on a first-come, first serve basis, with a confirmed RSVP at: resvp@seefilmla.org

Academy Award®-winning

NO MAN’S LAND