"where heroes who are burned at the stake and said to evaporate into a million fireflies"

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | ingredients for life | the world | versus | 02 February 2011

Erzilie Danto    artist credit: yves telemak

This post is a response Support Lwa and Create Dangerously, which is the start of a new Versus with Antero.

I'm so excited that Antero and I have rebooted "Versus." First, thanks to Antero for linking to the Kickstarter video for my latest short film, "Lwa." I'm excited to be working on a film that marries my anthropological interests with filmmaking. I'm equally excited that Danticat's latest text is about creating within the immigrant framework, within the framework of people who stand in multiple lands, products of the diaspora.

Antero and I seemed to have connected to "Create Dangerously", simultaneously. Both of us were instantly drawn to this work and for me it's a continuation of my love of Danticat's calm and expressive voice. It's taken me a few days to go back to the first two chapters. I wanted to give myself some distance, let my interpretations sit for awhile and just let my daily experiences as an artist add a bit of texture since the initial reading. Over the years I've read and reread many titles, paying close attention to notes I made in the margins, expressing the beauty of a phrase or my confusion or lack of understanding for a theme. What's most important about these margin notes is how I've changed over the years. There have been many moments when I laughed out loud and openly mocked my younger and inexperienced self. It's always nice to have written proof that your experiences color how you see the world and yourself.

In the second chapter, "Walk Straight", Danticat gives us so much more than margin notes. She gives us a whole letter to her younger, less experienced writer self. I feel immigrant artists are indeed held to a very different standard when it comes to their experiences and the representation of themselves to world. It's so easy to be forced into the trap of representing the whole of a culture, be it all Haitians or all West Indians or all blacks in America. Representing the whole is the burden of the immigrant artist, forced on them not just from without but from within their own communities. Danticat added this letter as the afterward in future editions of "Breath, Eyes, Memory", "an addendum to the text." In the margins at the end of this letter I wrote, "The responsibilities of the artist..." Looking back I wonder why there is no question mark after that statement. Did I agree wholeheartedly with this addendum, only to be less sure of it as a declarative a week later, now wanting to explore it even more? What are my own responsibilities?

I find myself in a strange place as a black filmmaker. I constantly feel like I'm in a liminal state, between two worlds: the world of an artist of color who feels a responsibility to one's culture and an artist looking to support herself on her art. However, they seem to be mutually exclusive. The industry in which I am training to be apart, has room for only one black filmmaker at a time, and at present the black filmmaker de jour leaves a great deal to be desired. So I choose to create, boldly. What do I have to lose? I'm investing my life into my art. I have the luxury of film school, of sitting in classrooms talking about "my voice," my stories and art and how that works within the construct of culture and what responsibilities are involved in that. This all seems so passive in the face of my friends who walk into classrooms everyday and friends who are abroad actively working with refugee and immigrant youth. Danticat speaks on this and the "passive careers" that create "distant witnesses." It takes time to come to realization that the work you do as an artist, can produce broader understanding, that to create is never passive.

Camus' assertion that, "Art cannot be a monologue" is at the heart of the immigrant's art. Danticat knows this by her framing of what creating dangerously means with the deaths of two political figures, the oppression of the Duvalier regimes, the role art plays in subversion and effecting change. Art is not something meant for just the artist. To create is not enough, to express oneself is not enough. As an individual in a larger construct, your art must speak to that as well. Danticat speaks of memorial art in ancient Egypt as possibly being an answer to slaves being buried with their masters to serve them in the next world. This was art as "a stand-in for a life, a soul, a future." For the slaves, it must have been a terrifying thing to know your life was tied to serving others even after death. I search for the clarity and understanding those artists found to effect change. I search for that daily in my own work, to find solutions for a world that seems to be imploding with each passing day, in short, to create dangerously.

That's a bit of what I took from the first two chapters of "Create Dangerously." There's so much more of course. There are so many underlined passages and tons of notes in the margins. Antero, I'm curious about your experience while working with immigrant youth and their views on creating art, literature, etc.

A Kickass Crew for a Kickstarter Campaign. And a Heartfelt Thanks.

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | filmschool | 19 January 2011

Kickstarter Production Still    photo credit: Shirley Kim

A few weeks ago I sent out an email to a few classmates asking if they'd be interested in helping me put together a video for a Kickstarter Campaign. It was the first Saturday back to school, and one of only four free weekends we'll have free until the 4th week in March. We were already griping about our class schedules, along with all the rewriting, preproduction, casting and location scouting we all have to do. With all that I wasn't expecting too many people to be able to make it and who could blame them if they didn't.

I spent the night rewriting my script of items I was hoping to talk about in the video, as well as finalizing the content on the Kickstarter page. By this time I had resolved the issues I've had with asking people to monetarily back my work. My contribution to most projects have always been my time and skills. In the long run, when you measure that time/skill combination in dollars, you've given so much more than you could have monetarily. It's time you'll never get back and time that you stole from one part of your life to give to another part or to someone else. That's serious business.

The morning of the shoot I drove around to a few different markets to find some colorful food, bought breakfast for my crew and picked a few people up. By call time we had a full crew. Seven of my classmates and one 2nd year MFA were up for a shoot. It's a great thing to be surrounded by creative and talented people, it's a tremendous thing to be surrounded by people who are also supportive and willing to give something as precious as time.

Six hours later we had great conversations about the differences in Jamaican and Indian curries, how many rolls of film we're going to buy for our next films, watched a classmate struggle through cutting scallions, cooked a meal together, filmed my talking head and just had a ton of fun. Thanks guys. I owe you some time/skills combination in the future.

_my Kickstarter Crew

Director : Dehanza Rogers
Directors of Photography : Dylan Chapgier & Alejandro Salinas-Albrecht
Assistant Camera : Eben Portnoy & Vanita Shastry
Assistant Director : Iyabo Kwayana
Gaffer/Grip : Shadae Smith
Sound : Ryan Moody
Editor : Dehanza Rogers
Production Design : Shirley Kim & Vanita Shastry
Still Photographer : Shirley Kim

news and more news

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | 10 March 2008

I've been in a holding pattern concerning a few projects, so I've not wanted to speak on them until I got an official thumbs up as it were. The most important (and interesting) of the non personal projects has been officially thumbed up!

As I mentioned my friend Antero is a recipient of the MacArthur Grant's Digital Media and Learning Innovation grant, in collaboration with Greg Niemeyer of UC Berkley. I had the opportunity to pitch an idea to Greg over brunch some weeks ago and let me tell you, the energy around that table was amazing. It's been some time since I congregated around a meal and talked about art and ideas. It was a great feeling. By the time I got home the energy was too much to contain, so I put it to good use and tackled my to-do lists. I actually put a few open-ended projects to bed that weekend.

My pitch, documenting their project. Greg and Antero's project is Black Cloud: Environmental Studies Gaming. Take some time to read about it.
Black Cloud Project Site
Mac Arthur Foundation's Digital Learning and Media Project Site

The game is going to be ran twice, once in Los Angeles at Manual Arts High School, South Central and in the Zamalek district of Cairo, Egypt.

I'm happy to say that I will be working on documenting the game: filming the process of creating the game and prepping it for students, the actual game played by the students, as well as helping the kids create their own short documentaries about the game and what they've learned. More details to come as things unfold of course.

I'm super excited about it all.

Some of my other projects are work related and I'm happy that I'm finally going to work on some extremely interesting and creative things. I'll speak on those as they reach their final approval stages.

_soundcheck: mellow: cq

just a few of the many reasons i love sergio leone

_posted in film | 08 March 2008

I started the morning off with Once Upon a Time in the West. I can never just get through the movie in one shot. There are too many perfect moments and I have to go back and watch them over and over again. Let's forget about the cinematography, the music, the landscape for a second (hard to do, but let's try) and we're left with some classic dialogue. There are so many great lines but these are my favorite. And a hand full of Irish gingers (that's for you harume)! It's all about Sergio this weekend.

_quote 1

Harmonica: And Frank?
Snaky: Frank sent us.
Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me?
Snaky: (Chuckling) It looks like we're...shy one horse!
Harmonica: You brought two too many. (Harmonica shoots the three henchmen dead)

_quote 2

Jill: Mrs. McBain goes back to civilization. Minus a husband and plus a great future.
Cheyenne: You deserve better.
Jill: The last man who told me that is buried out there.
Cheyenne: You know, Jill, you remind me of my mother. She was the biggest whore in Alameda and the finest woman that ever lived. Whoever my father was for an hour or for a month... he must have been a happy man.

_quote 3

Frank: How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can't even trust his own pants.

_quote 4

Harmonica: Five thousand dollars.
Cheyenne: Judas was satisfied with 4,970 dollars less.
Harmonica: There weren't no dollars in them days.
Cheyenne: But sons-of-bitches? Yeah.

_quote 5

Jill: And you! You saved his life.
Harmonica: I didn't let them kill him. That's not the same thing.

_vidcheck: sergio leone: once upon a time in the west

and yet another great man dies

_posted in film | 01 August 2007

michelangelo antonioni

1912 - 2007

senses of cinema: michelangelo antonioni

and a great man dies...

_posted in film | 30 July 2007

ingmar bergman

1918 - 2007

ingmar bergman face to face

this sunday morning news is brought to you by the letters T, E and D

_posted in film | photography | sunday morning news catch up | the world | web | 22 July 2007

today on sunday morning news catchup, ive spent a lot of time watching presentations from TED, which by the way is one of my most favorite things ever. i've missed a few great presentations and decided to go back and check them out.

James Nachtwey

james nachtwey has been one of my favorite photographers since forever. his images bring a serious reality and tell stories to those of us who are disconnected by time and location. It's great to hear him talk in detail about some of his photographs. if you haven't seen war photographer, a documentary on nachtwey, its worth netflixing.

TED Prize Wish: Share a vital story with the world

supplemental film

war photographer

Majora Carter

"Economic degradation begets environmental degradation begets social degradation."
Majora Carter is at the same time; incredibly passionate, extremely knowledgeable and lovely in a way only a person whose beliefs runs her life can be.

TED Talk: Greening the Ghetto

sustainable south bronx website

_soundcheck: femi kuti: shoki shoki

sunday morning news catch up and thus africa... and TED.

_posted in film | sunday morning news catch up | the world | web | 22 July 2007

on friday night, femi kuti fed my soul and made me long for africa even more.

lately i've been talking to a variety of people about africa in general and about specific issues. i find that the majority of the people know only about HIV/AIDS, starving ethiopia babies with balloon stomachs, rebels and civil wars. some are aware of darfur and blood diamonds; let's be honest, because hollywood has started making movies about it.

african babies are the new bling in hollywood. as well as lending your star power to a cause, which is all well and good, but how about using your starpower and your own money to help build up industry in these countries you so want to help? why doesn't bono hold an economic/investment conference since he wants to save all the africans? the only aid most african countries need, is the aid of economic stability and those willing to invest in not only the economic situation, but the people. something about teaching a man to fish comes to mind.

most people still think that africa is just those living in huts, dancing for white missionaries, child soldiers, as well as corrupt governments. all these things do exist, but there is a part of africa that is not seen by most people. okonjo-iweala says it better than i ever did, "nobody knows but a few smart people."

my belief is once african countries are allowed (and why should it be others allowing them) to trade and create economies around THEIR own natural resources and goods, the other problems will decline and permanently so.

it's safe to say that the united states and other western countries' policies are based on economics. we willing overlook human rights violations to allow for economic consideration. look to china as a great example. who cares about their human rights violations when we have such a strong economic relationship with them? who cares about their african investments that also raise an eyebrow when they give us cheap goods? talk about accepting your inner capitalist.

anyway, check out ngozi okonjo-iweala, first female finance minister of nigeria. and a few other pieces i thought were worth mentioning

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

i liked a great deal of what okonjo-iweala says, but i did find her history (20 years) with the world bank unsettling. if there ever where an evil empire, i truly believe the world bank and the imf (international monetary fund) answer to that name.

TED Talk: How to help Africa? Do business there

supplemental films

Dead in the Water

Africa Open for Business

Jacqueline Novogratz

TED Talk: Investing in Africa's own solutions

Novogratz's opening story reminded me of the t-shirt travels which is an insightful look into the reality of charity and commerce.

Emily Oster

TED Talk: What do we really know about the spread of AIDS?

Bill Clinton

TED Prize wish: Let's build a health care system in Rwanda

_soundcheck: femi kuti: shoki shoki

"how you gonna disretrospect me?"

_posted in africa | dayedayerocks | film | ingredients for life | 12 July 2007

alright... a coworker sent me a link to who's your caddy?. let me just say right now, i love the 'kast... me and outkast go back to 1994, hardcore... but i'll be damned if i let big boi get away with this racially charged remake of a horrible movie. that movie being caddyshack 2 with jackie mason.

let's get beyond the fact that the movie looks like complete shit, and talk about why, why and WHY my people have to come incorrect when it comes to comedy. lowest common denominator means you're a whack ass comedian, with no insight or you're not smart enough to come up with an intelligent comedic viewpoint. i think you need to look at some good examples; dave chappelle, richard pryor. it's possible to still talk about race and not feed the stereotype machine... if your whole shtick is about being black, then you need to work on your fucking act. last time i checked, black and white people pissed the same way, shat (yes i said shat) the same way as well... something about pants and one leg at a time thing...

"how you gonna disretrospect me" big boi? ras! im just saying man. when are we going to make movies that are not dumb racial comedies, that more or less solidify stereotypes. fuck i cant even stand "white trash" comedy. i dig smart comedy that deals with real issues, be they black, white, yellow, brown, pink or mauve issues.

_in other news.

the quiet life has a post about african eats... oh yes... believe me im making me some fufu and moambe stew soon. i haven't had nigerian food since leaving atlanta. man i miss my international friends. i never had to venture far to find some food from indian, morocco, nigeria or senegal. and all i had to do was go home to get some west indian food cooked by my own mama. man, i could use some salt fish and ground food right. about. now.

since i've mastered west indian cuisine (and my da is quiet proud) it's time to venture past our caribbean home to the motherland. this will be my first foray into african eats, so i may create a nice new category on the site... recipes gone wrong, in the kitchen, or ingredients for life. holy shit... im feeling ingredients for life. it has been decided... fresh recipes as caprice dictates.

_soundcheck: common: like water for chocolate

on the rumba river

_posted in africa | film | music | 27 June 2007

if you're in los angeles, i suggest you take your lovely self over to the Mann Theater near the corner of Westwood and Linbrook on 28.June at 7pm to see On the Rumba River.

africa, music, film... three things that make for a happy daye. watch the trailer... watch an excerpt from the film. and i dare you to not sway in your seat.

it follows wendo kolosoy, the congeles rumba legend.

_soundcheck: john lee hooker: it serves you right to suffer

Heart of Light

_posted in africa | film | 27 June 2007

i just got an awesome email tonight that completely has me revved up.

jaime lauren, an anthropology student at UCLA, and fellow classmate from my documentary film class will be shooting a film in Zambia at 3 refugee camps. Please read the excerpt below about her project.

_information

Currently, I am in pre-production on Heart of Light, a documentary about refugees of the conflict in the Congo (which killed 3.8 million people).

In collaboration with UN Operating Partner FORGE, I will shoot this film at 3 refugee camps in Zambia this summer. Additionally, logistics-permitting, we will follow a refugee family on their emotional journey of repatriation to the Congo.

The extremely talented Director of Photography, Barney Broomfield signed on to the project. Barney is the son of cinematographer Joan Churchill and director Nick Broomfield, is gifted in his own right, and his films have aired on PBS and the BBC. Additionally, he has experience working all around the world, including 3 months in a refugee camp. We are thrilled to have him on board! Also, I met recently with the Director of Artist Relations at Amnesty International, who offered to help get the completed Heart of Light out to her 2 million members. I am confident that this, coupled with Barney's involvement, will ensure that Heart of Light has a wide-reaching humanitarian impact.

This project was recently honored with a grant from the Strauss Foundation. Nonetheless, in order to sponsor Barney's involvement (including airfare, in-country transportation, lodging, equipment, stipend, etc.), we still need to raise an additional $10,000 minimum by July 14. I simply cannot do this without your help!

Therefore, I am writing to ask if you might consider making a contribution to FORGE for Heart of Light. Your support would be immensely appreciated, and will play a key role in ensuring that this film has a wide-reaching impact. Also, as FORGE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all contributions are 100% tax deductible. Finally, those supporting at amounts over $1000 will receive "very special thanks" in the credits.

_to donate

DONATE TO Heart of Light
Click on the orange button that says "donate now." Then, in the field that asks, "Is this donation to be attributed to certain FORGE project, please enter "Documentary -- Jamie Lauren"

_contacting Jaime

email: jamielauren2000@yahoo.com
phone: 310 770 1460

im extremely excited for jaime. she has all the right elements to make an amazing project come to life. please DONATE if you can. Five dollars isn't too small of an amount, no amount is too small of an amount. also, repost this on your blog if you want to help out, or your MYSPACE, FACEBOOK, or whatever social network you're a part of.

if i were paid to surf the net i'd be a billionare by now...

_posted in art | design | film | photography | web | 24 June 2007

david cho helps to prove that facebook is way cooler than myspace.

_update: fixed the link and check out the comments on this work...

should be required for viewing for all the myspacers under 18.

im a huge fan of phil borges work... so its nice to see how he goes about connecting with people for those amazing images.

really cool photoshop brushes.

really interesting pictures and documentary about manufactured landscapes.

whoa! selfkiss is at the same time amazing, lovely and freakish. there's something about the idea of one's self being more attracted to it's physical than those around it.

little dolls does exactly what it sets out to do; freak you the fuck out.

"for god and country"

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | 20 June 2007

yesterday i went up to the school im working on my documentary to drop off some permission forms for students to have signed.

and while there one of the jrotc instructors said i was doing "a great thing, for god and country." how amazingly uncomfortable did that make me. i had to leave. i didnt have anything to say after that. it's a bit too much. i mean im going to be fair but im not trying to create a promotional piece of the jrotc. my personal views on the subject are my personal views, but my whole objective is to present people with details they may not know from both the instructors and the teachers, but most importantly the students.

i don't know. i just felt really weirded out yesterday. i went home and couldnt get it out of my head and that made for a unproductive day.

_soundcheck: various artists: african playground

so many questions

_posted in film | 12 June 2007

so last night antero told me about crispin glover's new film that features all actors with down syndrome. ok, that instantly made me think of corky from life goes on... cause honestly thats the only well known actor with down syndrome i can recall.

so i watched this trailer and just felt like it was wrong. am i wrong? i mean i would love to see more people with various disabilities, is that the right word, in movies. but i don't know if i want to see them in this kind of movie. i'd like to see them in movies as we see everyone else, as people dealing with life and issues, not just their disability. and i ask if disabilities is the right word, cause well its all so confusing to me. while looking up the details of down syndrome, cause honestly i just knew there was an extra 21st chromosome, i was enthralled by the physical and social differences, and why they occur. and one difference cited was "mental retardation," which i think is such a fucking horrible and mean word. is that because the connotation of the word, has devalued the denotation of it? it probably is the case, but at times i find myself trying to figure out the right way, not the politically correct way, but the right way to describe such things. i don't believe in political correctness, as i believe in just being honest and decent in how you describe and deal with people.

im one of those chicks that wants a large family, lots of kids running around making noise and giving me hugs at the end of a long day, or even in the middle of the day just cause. so i instantly started to think about what it must be like for parents who are caring for kids with disabilities. it's hard enough raising a human being, but with the added physical or mental challenges it must be a complete trail by fire.

_soundcheck: common: finding forever

denzel... oh yes... yes indeed...

_posted in film | 11 June 2007

this morning i awoke to a nice little treat. denzel washington! ridley scott! and russel crowe! chiwetel ejiofor! in the same movie...

and let me tell you, denzel is looking fucking fierce!!!!! something about denzel and that walk that just.... dear lord... i almost fainted watching the trailer... and there are a gang of negros in seventies style flair that just makes me randy.

the movie is american gangster, based on frank lucas' raise to criminal and political fame in harlem. it reminds me of black ceasar movies, with fred williamson. dear lord another man that just completely wears his style hardcore.

i have the feeling this movie is going to be a hardcore ride. great dialogue and tension between denzel and crowe. ridley scott is one of my favorite directors, so i think its going to be a fucking good movie... any man who can go from alien to blade runner to legend to thelma & louise is alright in my book. he's also producing a tv mini series based on one of my favorite old school scifi movies; the andromeda strain. michael crichton is michael crichton for a reason. i love this film as much as i love the book.

i like that common, rza and ti are in the film, although im not a fan of ti's music. it is nice, however, to see some good acting coming out of hip hop artists, especially when we're saddled with ice cube, ice-t, ll cool j and the other lames.

but another brother that does it for me, after denzel of course is chiwetel ejiofor. yea, im moving to the uk to be closer to this man. dear lord. this movie is deep with great actors and a director that knows how to tell hard stories. so im hoping it will live up to my high expectations.

_soundcheck: miriam makeba: pata pata

"i want to do what you do!"

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | los angeles | 30 May 2007

last week was spent filming senior portfolios at manual arts high school. antero asked if i'd be interested in helping out and i figured it would be a great start for breaking in my new camera.

it was definitely more than breaking in for my camera, it was a learning experience to say the least. all of antero's kids are second language kids, so they may misstep here or there with the english language, but they are some of the sharpest kids i've had the pleasure of meeting.

the senior portfolios are new this year and antero wanted it filmed in order to show his 10th and 11th graders what they are expected to produce in their senior year. each year seniors will have to give a 30 minute presentation about their experiences in high school; both positives and negatives, their mission and future plans, break down each year based on their accomplishments and challenges. the most important thing in my opinion was their "global issue of injustice." each student had to pick a global issue of injustice that they believe they will be able to address as, well as adults. it was obvious to see why some students choose what they choose for their global issue, while others stumbled a bit in their attempt to articulate their chosen issue and how they will be effective in the fight of this issue. but it was obvious that thought went into what subject they choose.

i was privy to some extremely personal moments in this class and i can only say i was fortunate enough to be allowed to be there. the experience was so much more profound than anything i could try to convey here. i was impressed by kids who only 4 or 5 years ago knew no english and were new to america; to her cultures, views, expectations and her educational system.

i heard a few kids talk about the unfairness of not graduating when they passed their classes, but weren't able to pass the english part of the senior exit exam, the CAHSEE. one kid spoke about how he had no idea he could go to college, since people were telling him undocumented students cant go to college. i'd say 90% of them spent their first year in high school in a virtual language blackout. since they didn't understand english they felt alienated and alone and found it easier to skip school to find some semblance of community. right or wrong, who's to say we wouldn't try to find what makes sense in a situation like that. many of them spoke about their decision to drop out, but luckily they found teachers like antero and travis, among others who made sure they didnt make that tragic mistake.

each day i filmed i went home tired. not just physically, but emotionally. i saw these young adults talk about their personal struggles, personal losses, failures and successes. i saw young people close to tears when talking about losing loved ones, being disconnected from family or reintroduced to family they haven't seen since they were babies and how that changed them. i listened as a parent sat in the back of the room proud of her child's growth. i listened as they praised my friend antero for being a great teacher, albeit he assigned "too much work" and too many thick books to read. i felt a sense of pride that im friends with someone who makes such a mark on young people. its hard not to think about these kids and pray and hope that they become the lawyers, dentists, teachers, policemen, musicians and great human beings they all have the potential of being.

on a personal note. during the lunch break on the first day i ran into one of antero's kids from the intersession class where i taught a short documentary workshop. she was one of the girls i asked to film conversations the kids were having and she saw me and came to me excitedly, saying, "daye! i've been looking for you, but mr. garcia said you were at work." and we talked and i asked her where she'd be going to school and what she plans on studying and she said, "i want to do what you do! make movies." you can't imagine how that felt. it's so amazing to know that you helped someone find something they love, something they are excited to learn about. i was so moved by this. and i giggled to myself that she wants to do "what i do," when im barely aware of whatever it is im doing. but as marina said in class yesterday, "each time you make a new film, you're starting from scratch. and if you're not scared, not nervous about it, then you're done making films." it's that freshness of the unknown that keeps you going and maria helped me realize that also.

this summer we're planning a documentary workshop with noel again and i'm hoping maria will be involved. i so enjoy being at manual arts, rather its me filming my documentary or just visiting my friends there and helping them out. on friday ill be holding an editing class for a few of the kids from antero's theater class at ucla. i think that's a great start for a weekend.

_soundcheck: glen hansard and marketa irglova: the swell season

citizen...

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | 19 May 2007

last night freida lee mock screened "wrestling with angels: playwright tony kushner"

fantasy of anarchy and revolution
neuromuscular thing... writing...

yes, im excited...

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | 18 May 2007

and yes the panasonic dvx-100b is now sitting on the dining room table... he has been christened francis, yes in honor of francis ford... yes, i am excited... yes, it is now my most favorite thing...

so im going to play with him a bit longer, before im off to melnitz to see tony kushner. yes, that tony kushner... angels in america.... munich... and much much more... freida lee mock and he will be at melnitz for a q&a after the screening of wrestling with angels: playwright tony kushner...

best line ever...

_posted in film | 17 May 2007

the colonel stands, about to walk back to his tent, when he looks down at robert, who is craving another set of notches into the barrel of his shot gun. robert dusts away the shavings and proudly looks at his handy work. the colonel shakes his head and says, "all that hate's gonna burn you up, kid."

robert looks up. smiles and says, "it keeps me warm."

_soundcheck: susumu yokota, grinning cat

a photographer in kabul

_posted in film | photography | 19 April 2007

i really dig olivier laude's photography. i'm new to his work, but im taken by his portraits. he's created a short video from his trip to Kabul in 2003.

the kids in this video just grab me. it's hard in the midst of all the craziness to stop and think about the everyday people affected by policy and politics.

his musical choice on the car radio is very interesting; joni mitchell. I can't think of a better singer to juxtapose the images and sounds of kabul.

_soundcheck: tim rice and andrew lloyd webber, jesus christ, superstar

"where's fidel?"

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | los angeles | 13 April 2007

"In 1961 I hopped on a plane to Cuba. After I landed I jumped into the first taxi I saw and turned to the driver and said, 'Where's Fidel?'

Back in those days everyone knew where Fidel was and he told me that he was speaking to a group of women at some hotel. So I said, 'Take me there!'"

Albert Maysles continues with his story of how he was able to film Fidel from the moment he hit that event, then how Fidel invited him to various events. While at one such event Fidel receives a telegram and after reading it, asks Maysles if he wanted him to translate the telegram. Maysles said, "Of course."

And Fidel says, "Your State department has severed relations with Cuba."

Who the fuck is standing next to Fidel at a moment like that!? That's a fucking turning point in history and Albert Maysles is standing next to a man who's country for over 40 years has held its own in the shadow of El Norte and its embargo.

Albert Maysles came to our film class yesterday for a few hours and spoke about his experiences making documentary films. He's over 80 years old and has a list of new projects that would make a 20-something year old faint. After our class we went to the Pickford theater to hear him speak again, this time with clips from a number of his films.

I've not seen all his work, but from what I have seen, it's obvious that Maysles has created some of the most iconic images in documentary history. He doesn't take himself so seriously (ala Werner Herzog, who I love as well, but boy does he take it all way to seriously) and is genuinely a nice fellow who feels fortunate enough to have been able to create a body of work, "he never gets tired of watching." He derives such pleasure from being able to tell stories that may help us all understand the world and each other better.

What better way to spend your life? Maysles taught me such a great lesson last night. No matter where you are in your life you always have room to get better, to explore, to want to not only be a better filmmaker but to be a better human being.

He said that direct cinema has always been his objective in filmmaking and that the idea of a "fly on the wall" is not what direct cinema is, cause "a fly has no intelligence." Being a documentarian is about "open-mindedness" and establishing that trust with your subject, and always trying to find the good in them, regardless of how you feel about them. As his mother put it, "there is good in everyone," and he and his brother always set out to find that good, even if they didn't like someone. After awhile you find yourself at least understanding this person due to this search for the good.

He recounted some advice he received when he went to Russia to do his first film, a short about psychiatry in Russia. Maysles studied as a sociologist, a social scientist, as he put it. But this introduction into film solidified his place in the world. He said he was told to "always use a tripod and have a point of view in your film." Maysles being Maysles, says without losing a beat, "I'm glad that I had neither a tripod, nor a point of view." And that is the way he's approached all his films. He believes that its his job to give the audience, "the opportunity to make their own judgement." Giving the film the ability to breathe and letting the characters feel safe in going into their own "sacred territory," with him and his camera present, is the just one of Maysles' amazing talents. It's so easy to get caught up in wanting to be Maysles, to be a filmmaker of his caliber, without realizing that his films span over 50 years. Fifty years of luck, talent and just shear respect for not only the people he works with, but for himself and his belief that in every situation he's filmed, he belongs there. This one fact that he exudes, make the subjects of his films trust him and his process.

When I got home last night I told the hipster Ben about the night with Maysles and he said that he knew Maysles. And I was happy to hear this and it was due to the Rolling Stones film, Gimme Shelter. It struck just then that Maysles' range has always been broad. I've seen movies of his and had no idea they were his movies until recently. The one common element in those movies, before I knew the name Maysles, was the beauty and honesty in which he helped us experience other people's lives, other people's moments of truth.

The other extraordinary thing about Maysles is his mentorship. Unlike many filmmakers; narrative or documentary, Maysles has made sure to pass on his talents and skills to a generation of kids who could benefit from such guidance. His institute helps young kids with mothers who are incarcerated learn the skills needed to empower them to tell their own stories, to "create influential works of art while envisioning and realizing healthy futures."

Of all the filmmakers I've had the privilege to meet in the last two years, I'd have to say Maysles takes the proverbial cake.

_soundcheck: the shins, oh, inverted world

happy friday 13th

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | the world | 13 October 2006

tuesday, while walking across campus through the sculpture garden, i felt this ever so gentle swirling wind pushing at my back... it was one of those playful winds, that gently nudge you across bridges and through corridors, not the kind that push you forward abruptly and then disappear as quickly as they appeared. marina's class had just let out and it was one of those amazing classes where i leave feeling hopeful... hopeful that all the ideas and goals i have are within reach... that even if it takes time to reach said goals, its time well spent. after having one of the most unproductive summer's ive had in years, its been nice jumping back into the idea bag and getting the juices flowing... today is going to be another good day (although i woke up in a very pissy mood) because i start filming again. this is for the first assignment for the semester, but im hoping to be able to use some of the footage for my final project at the end of the year.

i forgot how completely amazing and wonderful it feels to stand behind a camera. it seems so strange to think that this could be my career. that i can, as marina puts it, do something that touches my heart, touches "the spot that you push and it hurts." being a filmmaker is an amazing thing. its like giving birth to something every time you pick up the camera, no matter how common or extraordinary the images you capture. i remember constantly thinking that maybe moving to los angeles was a mistake, how this whole filmmaking thing was a dream and should stay as such, never evolving into a reality. but damned if this wasn't probably the best decision i've ever made. two years of being away from family and friends, feeling very much a fish our of water and trying to just calm the fuck down and get a proper groove going has been a definite challenge. but something i wouldn't trade for the safety of back home.

_in other news
today is friday 13th and i was planning on watching some horror cheese, instead im going to watch one of my favorite films, in honor of gillo pontecorvo. pontecovo directed the battle of algiers and died yesterday at eighty-seven. if you've not seen this movie, it should be at the top of your list. the battle of algiers is an amazing piece of filmmaking and one of the best political movies ever made. It goes beyond the cliches and the propaganda. If only movies today with their grand ideas could achieve what this 40 year old movie is able to achieve on every viewing.

It hits my political g-spot and my sense of outrage and desire to understand the world. But most importantly it tells the story of algiers fight for independence from french colonization. The algerian struggle raised the standard of rebellion and was a watershed moment for the so called third worlds raising up against colonial rule. politics aside, its a great bit of filmmaking as well. with a score by ennio morricone, this is an example of cinema verite at its best. a documentary couldn't and wouldn't capture the romantic nature of the story, the push and pull of the language of the narrative film. you walk away feeling dazed and so unprepared for what the world is doing to itself; knowing that as a citizen of this madness, you have to take a side. no matter your view on armed rebellion or on nationalism, you walk away determined to pick a side and stick with your decision. and you do pick a side... you either accept the fact that innocent people in the streets of france are killed for a cause or you accept the fact that the french military is just doing its job; protecting the citizens and interests of france.

the interests of france, of england, of europe, of america, of the west has outweighed the interest of so many other countries and millions of people for so many years. colonization; neocolonization in the guise of globalization still makes sure that the interests of the few are looked after, while the majority sit in a pressure cooker. and you can't watch this film without finding parallels to mirror today's confusion.

_soundcheck: bob marley, natty dread

catch a fire

_posted in film | 04 September 2006

anyone who knows me knows that africa... music... politics... will pull me in... and let it be south africa... bob marley... and some catching fire and im there... rass!

one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter... speaking of that... i had a conversation with one of my coworkers about terrorism and i love the completely polar nature of some people... "i dont care or need to know why anyone would be a terrorist. i say anyone walking around in civilian clothes with a gun should be shot on sight." i'll let the boys over at the nra know just how you feel...

i love how trying to make the point of understanding someone motives, wrong or right, is not even an option when it comes down to it... i so wish my mind could think in absolutes... good vs. evil... them being evil, us being good, of course...

rass! i lie... you create a vacuum, you create a situation that breaks peoples backs... believe me they will catch a fire, and you will get burned...

quotes from tarkovsky

_posted in film | words | 21 June 2006

a few months ago while hubert sauper was speaking in my documentary class, he mentioned that tarkovsky was a huge influence for him, especially "sculpting in time." i knew of the book but never took the time to read it and shame on me... here are some random quotes from the book that i absolutely adore and felt compelled to share...

_quote 1

A vast number of cliches and commonplaces, nurtured by centuries of theatre, have unfortunately also found a resting-place in the cinema.

_quote 2

Masterpieces are born of the artist's struggle to express his ethical ideals.

_quote 3

In my childhood my mother suggested I read War and Peace for the first time, and for many years afterwards she would often quote from the novel, pointing out to me the subtly and the detail of Tolstoy's prose. War and Peace thus became for me a kind of school of art, a criterion of taste and artistic depth; after that it was no longer possible to read trash; it would give me an acute feeling of distaste.

_quote 4

An artist who has no faith is like a painter who was born blind.

_quote 5

The allotted function of art is not, as is often assumed, to put across ideas, to propagate thoughts, to serve as example. The aim of art is to prepare a person for death, to plough and harrow his soul, rendering it capable of turning to good.

_quote 6

The time in which a person lives gives him the opportunity of knowing himself as a moral being, engaged in the search for the truth; yet this gift which man has in his hands is at once delectable and bitter.

_quote 7

The artist has a duty to be calm. He has no right to show his emotion, his involvement, to go pouring it all out at the audience. Any excitement over a subject must be sublimated into an Olympian calm of form. That is the only way in which an artist can tell of the things that excite him.

_quote 8

The first thing to describe is the event, not your attitude to it.

_quote 9

Nothing can be more meaningless than the word 'search' applied to a work of art. It covers impotence, inner emptiness, lack of true creative consciousness, petty vainglory. 'An artist who is seeking' -- these words are merely the cover for a middle-brow acceptance of inferior work. Art is not science, one can't start experimenting. When an experiment remains on the level of experiment, and not a stage in the process of producing the finished work which the artist went through in private-- then the aim of art has not been attained.

_quote 10

I like the story of Picasso, who when asked about his 'search' replied wittily and pertinently (clearly irritated by the question): 'I don't seek, I find.'

_soundcheck: b.fleischmann, the humbucking coil

happy refugee day

_posted in africa | dayedayerocks | film | photography | the world | 20 June 2006

today is national refugee day*. of course it makes me think of many things and people, but something that stands out for me is my friend nesanet's story... she's originally from ethopia and awhile ago should told me about her family having to trek to sudan, to a camp, a refugee camp. they were refugees. as much as i pride myself on being aware of the world; the injustices, the cruelty, the need for checks and balances not just for governments, but organizations (like the wto and imf) as well corporate entities, i've been pulled in so many directions that i've not done as much as im sure im capable of doing at this time, in this place. and even though "[insert-social-ill-here] day" is something that i'm sure is meant to evoke some sort of reaction, i find the concept lacking and just another fucking thing we do to make ourselves feel good... "i observed blah-blah-blah day."

_*

me : happy world rufugee day
sp : yeah
sp: i saw that
sp: wieeerd
sp: guess it's logical
me: yea a friend of mine lived in a rufegee camp with her fam when she was younger
sp: you regulate everything else to a single day
me: walking from ethopia to sudan
sp: like love and respect and etc
sp: no shit
sp: that's hardcore
me: indeed... fucking culture of those in control
me: **** day
me: we're so stupid that we cant see further than... world aids day... worlds rufugee day... world imperialist day...
sp: lol
sp: world imperialist day
sp: awesome
sp: that should totally be a holiday
me: it is... 4th of july
sp: that doesn't have the same ring to it
me: hehehe
me: indeed it does not... i think initially we were meant to be a shining beacon of blah blah blah
me: there are no shining beacons... and i wish people would admit to it... and stop acting like america, britain, or any other western country has all the answers...
me: fucked up fuckers that we are
sp: very true
sp: speaking of beacons, i loved that klimt story
sp: that's awesome
sp: surpassing picasso
me: yea im gonna go see it on next week...
sp: very outstanding

the skirball has a photography exhibit by michal ronnen sarfdie, rwanda: after, darfur: now now showing... to coincide with this exhibit they are showing the documentary, refugee allstars as well as a live performance by the band. the band is comprised of six sierra leonean musicians who met while in refugee camps in the republic of guinea.

being very interested in design and how design plays a HUGE role in social issues, i found these gems to be worth mentioning...

the refugee radio created by mareike gast, german designer, who worked at Freeplay. you can buy a radio (for $55) and it will be shipped to a community in need... a few of these have taken the place of a few items on my "must buy list," let's be honest half the shit on my "must buy list" isnt even worth looking at, let alone buying....

came across vestal design a while back and thought they are doing some really great things... one of their ideas, The SHRIMP (Sustainable Housing for Refugees via Mass Production), refugee housing....

a refugee camp in the heart of the city... i really wish this was going to be los angeles... check out the pictures... this will be in atlanta in september... i suggest those of you at home check it out!

_in other news...

i had this meeting with a friend concerning some business opportunities and it seems i was something of an oddity for him, since my goal wasn't to make money with my various ventures, but to establish community and/or community-minded organizations and goals. he says in business school you are taught to "go for the kill" monetarily speaking, the way of the business jungle and all that... i figure along the way money will find its way in my pocket and ill live more comfortably than i do at present. its already a sad state of affairs when money (lack thereof) is the determining factor for so many of my decisions, can you see it being the determining factor for my goals and behavior if it were to be in abundance. i can see myself being one of those many people (look to hollywood) whose reality is a construct of their own making. right now its a moot point even thinking about this since im as poor as a church mouse. but, as of late ive been concerned about my responsibilities as an individual and how little things have the ability of pushing my focus from here to there... although my fundamental belief structures are sound, i can at times, easily be pulled away from my responsibilities.

it's ten days into my summer and i've not done much. i have filmed a lot and gotten maybe 4 more hours of footage which is great, but damn if im not as focused as i should be for someone excited about finally working on her documentary. there's been too much drinking and too many distractions (making up for a semester of good behavior) and me being the extrovert i tend to be, too much wanting to hang out, when sitting at home working would benefit me more.

_soundcheck: wolf parade, apologies to queen mary

"i am the color god painted the universe with"

_posted in dayedayerocks | education | film | 06 February 2006

ive been really busy dealing with issues at work and taking over the responsibilities of our fired web guy until they find a replacement... and damn if im not at all impressed by the last two people who worked on our webservers. i have NEVER dealt with worse configuration, code or architecture design.

today however started out well... took the first 15 minutes of the day to make my massive to-do list and if i've gotten more than half of this list tackled in the first three hours of work, but i still hate mondays...

i love fridays and the weekend... this weekend i watched some of my favorite movies and holy shit i've found a new movie to add to my list of goodness... The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade aka marat/sade... talk about dialogue...talk about the grotesque... talk about directing... talk about acting... talk about not wanting to take my eyes off the tv or miss a word... its definitely a love it or hate it movie... and i heart it madly and want to have its dialogue-tinged babies...

this morning i listened to some podslamming and damn if it didnt add fuel to my determined-to-be-productive-fire... my fav... panama soweto's ring...

_soundcheck: midnite, let live

"it's strange to think of one's self as an assassin"

_posted in film | 05 December 2005

mostly everyone who knows me knows how i feel about spielberg... one of my top ten favorite movies ever is a speilberg movie, but as of late his films have been EXTREMELY lacking... lacking in truth, heart, emotion, suspense, complexity, all the things that made him great in my eyes.. don't get me wrong... if i had the chance to work with speilberg id jump at it... regardless of the quality of his work in the last few years, this man KNOWS films, knows the art behind it... so imagine my shock when i saw this cnn article about his latest movie, Munich, about the Israeli government's retaliation revenge of the 1972 Munich slaughter of Israeli atheles during the Olympic games.

_quote

"Somewhere inside all this intransigence there has to be a prayer for peace," Spielberg told Time, "because the biggest enemy is not the Palestinians or the Israelis. The biggest enemy in the region is intransigence."

The director also discussed another film project he is initiating in February, in which he is buying 250 video cameras and players and giving them to Israeli and Palestinian children so that they can make movies about their own lives.

my initial thought was, "why now?" and then i saw the trailer and thought, "is it possible that he's actually made a complex movie about complex issues about complex human beings?" i got goosebumbs (albeit a coworker said it was the music that did that, not so much the trailer). chris, so aptly asked, "what happened to him? when did he become respectable again?" and thats a good question. and im glad to see that after making something like war of the worlds he could possibly redeem himself.

i feel that every story that i want to tell is being told right now... that i'm missing my chance to tell these stories, but shit, it doesnt matter as long as the stories are being told... i look forward to spielberg's latest effort and i pray that its one of the those classic spielberg movies, not some cookie cutter thriller that has no soul, or worse, no real purpose.

_soundcheck: pixies, surfer rosa

"it's worth getting on a plane"

_posted in film | interactive narratives | photography | web | 27 November 2005

been extremely busy and then took some time to enjoy the turkey holiday... hope it rocked hardcore for everyone... tons of links from the digital storytelling side of the web...

came across this organization called bridges...

_quote

Bridges to Understanding gives voice directly to youth around the world. Our interactive online program connects middle school students in the developed world with their contemporaries in indigenous communities. Central to the program is digital storytelling mentored by professionals and created by students. We provide the tools and training that enable them to tell stories from their own lives and communities.

check out two pieces that really made me smile, maji: water shapes culture in takaungu and dwight's adventure, away from the "res"


from brooklyn to pristina was a p.o.v docu that aired in july... and the from brooklyn to pristina interactive piece about how a gun can be purchased legally in the us and then end up in kosovo, in a guerilla war.

the pineros: men of the pines is a wonderful piece about the "ghost workforce" of latinos doing some serious hard, manual labor.

_quote

They are pineros, the men who work in the pines. They are the major source of manual labor in America's forest industry, the muscle behind the Healthy Forest Initiative - often paid in tax dollars to work on public lands. And they are being misused and abused under the noses of government officials.

_magnum in motion

found this awesome little treat... magnum in motion is exactly that... digital storytelling from the horses mouth, as they say... magnum photographers giving you some insight into their process, their politics and their experiences.

i found the two larry towell pieces very interesting.

backstage with larry towell is filled with little nuggets of wisdom. I love the fact that he takes a DAT with him when he photographs, to record ambient noise... viewing photography is sometimes a very isolated event, to have the sound that was at one time attached to an image, takes me a lot closer to these people with no names and somber expressions.

looking at towell's pictures of el salvador in his land and identity interactive essay, reminded me of a movie i saw some months ago, innocent voices. i can't even get into how that movie affected me. i can't recall ever seeing another movie that had me weeping and gnashing my teeth in fear and disgust... thinking about it almost brings me to tears... it was honest and brutal, about war's affect on children. if you get a chance to see innocent voices you should...

paul fusco's the bitter fruit annoyed me a great deal, in terms of how the design and the audio just didnt work well together...it made the short comments seem rather choppy and caused things to seem non-cohesive. this picture above is one of my favorite from this essay, this woman is angry and you can see it... you can check out the the bitter fruit website to see more pictures, sans audio... if you get a chance make sure you read the comments... some touching and pointed messages...

thomas dworzak's piece on new orleans and hurricane katrina, ghost town, was definitely on point... it's really interesting to see how a foreign photographer views an american tragedy...

magnum in motion's 42 seconds on 42nd street

_quote

From New Year�s Day 2005 to the end of February, Magnum Photos altered the behavior of Times Square pedestrians. Using a digital billboard on the corner of 42nd and 8th, Magnum presented a series of photo essays that caused New York�s frantic crowds to slow down and look up.

style is the easy part of culture... jesse kornbluth offers up a personal view of the sixties, with lots of quotables... take 3: the '60s kids

_soundcheck: john lee hooker, serves you right to suffer

i'm back home in los angeles

_posted in art | dayedayerocks | film | interactive narratives | music | news | photography | the temple | web | 15 November 2005

well, on a bed of california stars is back, since ive been told several times i need to start it back up and i am tired of sending out emails, so here it goes...

two week vacations are freakin' long! i feel like i was in georgia for a whole month. re:birth, my first exhibit, was a blast! pictures are up… hoping to add more once i can track them down.

finally finished reading, on photography by susan sontag, while sitting in airports on saturday (as in the whole day saturday). previous to sontag's passing in 2004, i had only read one of her writings, notes on "camp," which i found to be very entertaining.

there are tons of passages from on photography that do it for me, but i think these are the most interesting...

_first quote

Nobody ever discovered ugliness through photographs. But many, through photographs, have discovered beauty. Except for those situations in which the camera is used to document, or to mark social rites, what moves people to take photographs is finding something beautiful. (The name under which Fox Talbot patented the photograph in 1841 was the calotype: from kalos, beautiful.) Nobody exclaims, "Isn't that ugly! I must take a photograph of it." Even if someone did say that, all it would mean is: "I found that ugly thing. . . beautiful."

if any photographer made the ugly beautiful, it was diane arbus.

_second quote

A photograph that brings news of some unsuspected zone of misery cannot make a dent in public opinion unless there is an appropriate context of feeling and attitude. The photographs of Mathew Brady and his colleagues took on the horrors of the battlefields did not make people any less keen to go on with the Civil War. The photographs of ill-clad, skeletal prisoners held at Andersonville inflamed Northern public opinion-against the South. (The effect of the Andersonville photographs must have been partly due to the very novelty, at the time, of seeing photographs.) ... Photographs cannot create a moral position, but they cnn reinforce one -- and can help build a nascent one.

regardless of one's views on the war in iraq, final salute is a very touching piece, and most definitely an "unsuspected zone of misery." there is a great deal of "appropriate context of feelings and attitude" on both sides of the debate on iraq.

_another quote

Photographs may be more memorable than moving images, because they are a neat slice of time, not a flow. Television is a stream of underselected images, each of which cancels its predecessor. Each still photograph is a privileged moment, turned into a slim object that one can keep and look at again. Photographs like the one that made the front page of most newspapers in the world in 1972 -- a naked South Vietnamese child just sprayed by American napalm, running down a highway toward the camera, her opens open, screaming with pain--probably did more to increase the public revulsion against the war than a hundred hours of televised barbarities.

(nick) ut cong huynh's image of a "a naked South Vietnamese child just sprayed by American napalm, running down a highway toward the camera, her opens open, screaming with pain." Winner of the World Press Photo, 1972. a portion of the "hundred hours of televised barbarities."

_in other news

the uc system's investment committee voted to divest from sudan! the recommendation goes to the board of regents in january for an up or down vote.

well it's started... i have no idea where this damn thing is suppose to go or exactly what it's suppose to be... but hey... who doesn’t want lay their “heavy head tonight on a bed of california stars”

_soundcheck: cat power, the covers record