Surviving Progress

Adapted from archeologist-historian Ronald Wright's best seller A Short History of Progress (2005), the documentary Surviving Progress tracks the effects of progress on ecology and survival by posing the question of whether technological advancements, economic development and population growth are signs of a thriving society.

Using vivid illustrations and onsite reporting from Canada, USA, China and Brazil co-directors and co-writers Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks explore the concept that technological and synthetic biology remediation lead to 'progress traps'.

Bringing forth this controversial theme are enlightening interviews that include leading thinkers, scientists and activists such as David Suzuki, Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking, Vaclav Smil, Daniel Povielli, Gary Marcus, and Marina Silva.

Punctuated by Mario Janelle stunning visuals, filmmakers Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks, Martin Scorsese and Mark Achbar present the topic in a well-paced, thought provoking and engaging feature.

Children of the Plumed Serpent: The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico

In this groundbreaking large-scale exhibition at LACMA are rare Postclassical (AD 900-1521) and early colonial period artworks of the southern Mexico ancient kingdoms of Nahua, Mixtec, and Zapotec. The communities are referred to as the children of their founding patron deity Quetzalcoatl, the human incarnation of the Plumed Serpent, and the ancient spirit force of wind and rain.

Tracing the evolution of an extensive trade network and foregrounding era of Mesoamerican cultural innovation are over two hundred objects including turquoise mosaics, gold, painted codices, and textiles from ancient Mexico, Central America, the American Southwest, and Europe.

LACMA's co-curators, the late Dr. Virginia Fields and Dr. Victoria Lyall, and the independent consulting curator and scholar Dr. John Pohl chronologically arranged the exhibit into five thematic sections.

The World of Tula and Chichen Itza, highlights the nascent exotic materials trade market such as gold, turquoise and ceramics in Mesoamerican's political landscape from AD 900-1200.

The New Tollan: The Emergence of Cholula and the Birth of the International Style displays international art from AD 1200 present in Cholula, the center of religious authority and commerce in the Americas. Art in the fourteenth century is characterized by the use of bold symbols, simple icons and vivid palette that transcend linguistic and ethnic differences.

Feasting, Divination and Heroic History explores the Children of the Plumed Serpent's ritual art including rare gifts exchange, finely painted  goblets from which revelers drank pulque made from fermented agave as well as painted codices of cultural heroes that inspired poetry.

Avenues of Trade and the Spread of the International Style illustrates the luxurious items sold in international trade corridors where fierce competition for luxury goods was lead by royal houses gift exchanges and wedding dowries. Exotic materials such as shell and turquoise were traded for elite commodities such as cacao and rare feathers.

The Aztec Conquest and the Spanish Incursion in the 1500s lead to reconstitution of southern Mexico's confederacies and trade networks. The Children of the Plumed Serpent become an integral part of the new economy and their descendants live in Southern Mexico up to today.


The exhibit runs from April 1, 2012 through July 1, 2012, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion, located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. For more information call (323) 857-6000 or visit www.lacma.org

Following LACMA, the exhibit will then travel to the Dallas Museum of Art from July 29, 2012 through November 25, 2012.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Contemporary issues of a family in crisis is the subject of brother directors Mark and Jay Duplass' fourth feature.

In a different comedic role than in How I Met Your Mother and the Muppets, Jason Segal plays Jeff, an unemployed 30 years old who lives in his mother's basement, rarely venturing beyond his home, and waiting for a sign that will lead him to destiny.

The feature follows Jeff during an unforgettable single day. Jeff's exasperated working widowed mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon), tries to get Jeff off the couch and out of his comfort zone. She wishes Jeff could be more like his older brother Pat (Ed Helms), who is married and has a job. Pat's relationship with his wife Linda (Judy Greer) has been strained and worsened by the suspicion that she is having an affair. Meanwhile, Sharon is taken by a secret admirer at work.

In this enjoyable light comedy, the actors' cohesive chemistry is exalted by Susan Sarandon and Judy Greer's outstanding supporting performances and Duplass' well written script.

While delving into the complexities of human interactions, directors Duplass leave plenty of room for improvisation. Several closeup shots are captured through the use of a handheld camera tapping into the characters' divergent emotions and experiences that gradually strengthen and unify.