Making friends and making films take time

I have three days left and almost every waking second, my brain is scanning through my mountains of footage trying to see the gaps, the holes, the things that need to be filled in. In the last 2 weeks, Ben and I have managed to shoot probably close to 30 hours of footage—many days we have done 2 or more shoots, where we fill the P2 cards, come back, dump the footage, format the cards and go out again to shoot. Its been a very condensed, intense schedule, but lucky for us, things have really been falling into place.

Actually, I don’t think its possible to shoot “ethnographic” film (whatever that means) with any kind of intention of building rapport and respect for the people you’re filming with less than 2 people, especially if you are pressed for time. I just can’t imagine being able to shoot cutaways, conversations, spaces, etc, all while truly being present with the people around me. I think that filmmaking really allows one to focus in on their surroundings (both human and the natural environment) in ways that most people just don’t see in their everyday existence. However, while intensely looking can really make you feel “there,” it doesn’t always allow you to be “here” (meaning being present to the people around you). While one of us is shooting, if the other isn’t doing sound, he/she is maintaining conversation, and building valuable friendships with people, and is able to reciprocate socially in a way that is hard if you’re composing a shot, checking sound levels, setting the iris, focusing, etc. In this regard, and in many others, Ben has been an indispensable help to me.

I was just thinking recently how amazing it is that neither of us had gotten the infamous “Delhi Belly” or what in Nepal we called the “Kathmanpoo.” I suppose that when you have those thoughts it is inevitably taken as a challenge by the fates that rule such happenings. Sure enough, with three precious days left and counting, Ben has come down with a sick belly. We have a pretty packed shoot schedule today, so I will be heading out on my own.

Thematically, my project has rapidly morphed so many times, I can’t really remember all the permutations. I still am a bit unsure about how (if) it will all fit together, but the newly devised concept goes something like this: There will be three parts (each dealing with the three storylines we’ve shot): (1) the fishermen (this by far makes up the majority of the footage), (2) our eccentric Swiss neighbor in our homestay who is a 75 yr old painter and has been living in South and Southeast Asia for the last several decades, (3) the Catholic Charismatic community. This last storyline, despite it being my main interst in coming here has been given the least amount of filmic development and I’m worried about it not holding it own as an element of the film. The golden thread, or tentpole, or whtever that I am hoping to use to tie all these seemingly disparate stories together is the idea/notion/conception of the (holy) spirit.
The fishermen are not very explicitly religious, although we have shot on of them at a mass and one at his home with an elaborate shrine to Jesus and Mary. The other two are Muslim, and we’ve filmed with on of their families, but it isn’t apparent from the footage that they are Muslim… so not sure what to do with that if anything. However, I think that the fishermen perhaps can operate metaphorically (hopefully without reducing their subjectivity as individuals).
The eccentric painter moved out about a week ago, and so we only had a few days to shoot with him, but I think it was enough—as I said he is quite eccentric. He told us all of his own ideas about “the spirit” and nature and colors and god, oh, yes, and about aliens.
The charismatics I have some great footage of the retreat centre, but no character as of yet to walk the viewer through that. I am leaving in a few minutes to go film with a woman who is charismatic and knows what the film is about and is willing to let me film her as a part of it. Somehow I managed to invite myself over to her house for lunch (I’ve learned you have to be very forward and direct when time is tickin). So hopefully something good will come of that.
Anyways, I realize that I’m asking for your help at a very late stage in the game, but nonetheless, any feedback would be appreciated. My biggest concerns right now are that there is no “conflict” or contestation in the film and so it risks presenting one-sided characters, and as such I’m worried that it might be a bit foofy, if you know what I mean. Also, I’m trying to think of ways to connect it and the people’s concerns to the larger more global picture of today, so as not to present them as somehow isolated, or “picturesque.” Any suggestions??
Thanks so much all of you and happy shooting!!

Take...1

I am ashamed to say that I have not picked up my camera since my last post. I think I've built up a huge mental block since my last shoot. I'm worried about messing up a precious moment with sloppy camera work and so the pressure of shooting something 'good' has prevented me from continuing. That and I haven't really been able to resolve some of the issues that have come up.

I am meeting with the girls today because I figure they are probably the people who can best help me troubleshoot. I hope for their advice on what the focus of my film should be: what is important to them and how I should try to understand those things. I'm also thinking that maybe I should just be more explicit in my questions for them, and how I hope for them to help me answer them. I feel at this point that there is an understated feeling of respect and trust, and I shouldn't feel guilty or abusive to capitalize on it.

I also realized my story isn't about connect and disconnect. It's more about how a language barrier can really change ones self perception and identity. So I'm wondering if perhaps I should also try to capture how my identity has transformed in front of them too. My parents are coming for a few days soon, and I'm hoping to film their interactions. Maybe I'll use it, maybe I won't.

I'm also going to try several shooting styles. At first I was afraid to do this in case two important clips lacked stylistic synchronicity and I would have to sacrifice one, or maybe even both. This is why I will probably end up shooting the same things over and over again, just in many ways. I'm also thinking of passing the camera around when we are sitting together. As Ty mentioned in a comment to my last post (thanks for responding!), we often used filming style to distinguish 'shot ownership', and I want to blur those lines. I want to do this because when we speak to each other it is often impossible to claim 'identity'. When one person speaks, their thoughts cater to what the other can understand. So does that statement really belong to the speaker if the receiver of the statement controls what is being said?

Wish me luck. I am thinking of you all and it is very exciting. Because I cannot imagine the places you are in, I see you as exhilarated camera people happily trotting along an ambiguous dirt road with ginormous camera bags strapped to your backs.

AHH

So I've been in Tokyo about 2.5 weeks now, and as I was journaling tonight (which I started doing, thanks guys for the suggestion, I think it's really important) I realized that for the first time in my life, I'm completely separated from both my physical and personal world. I am in this place on the other side of the world where I don't speak the language and I have no one from my personal life (including all of you guys!) anywhere near me. I'm being very social and meeting a lot of new people and friends, and wouldn't say that I'm lonely, but there is this (maybe) inevitable sense of 'blah'. It would be different if I was anywhere in the States or in an English-speaking country or doing some sort of program. However, I'm not, and that's okay, but wow it's taking me a long time to get used to all of this. Of course, I'm mostly having a great time, and learning so much every day, but it is still hard sometimes.


Additionally, what's happening with my project is not helping with the 'hard' factor. I have talked with people from the street/bars (usually they don't speak much English, not surprisingly), people that I know here, young people that DO speak English and I have started to become friends with, academics who are studying Tokyo/Japan, and documentary film people, and done a lot of thinking/writing but I am still sort of in a weird, unsatisfied place where it hasn't 'hit' me yet. I came in with the approach of using people I know to help me meet people so that I could find some sort of an 'in' and find some people to focus on. These youth subcultures are (to varying degrees) sort of very guarded and exclusive, so it is naturally very hard to get access to them in such a short period of time. In terms of Lolitas, I am feeling more and more like I DON'T want to do a film just about them since it has been 'done to death' and I don't want to that foreigner who goes and films them. Like I said, I'm much more interested in their interaction with the outside world in terms of the tourists than with them themselves. Also complicating is the facts that a) a lot of them don't live in Tokyo and only come in for the fashion show of sorts that happens on Sunday in Harajuku, and b) many of them, surprisingly, do not like their picture to be taken.

Last week I was told about Shimokitazawa, which is sort of the bohemian area of Tokyo that more or less shuns the commercialism and shallowness of Shibuya/Harajuku. It's a very visually interesting neighborhood--it lies on both sides of the intersection of two elevated train lines, has colorful rainbow bridges and murals on window shutters, there aren't many chains but mostly independent boutiques, record stores, bars, cafes, or some crazy combination of the above. It is deeply musical, with street performers (of varying ability) constantly dotting the landscape. The youth that hang out there are not at all like the lolitas and cosplayers--they shun the labels and consumerism and fickle trendiness that drives that culture. Many are artists, musicians, and struggling part-time workers (as opposed to having signed up to work for a major company for life). I met with guy doing his post-doc at University of Tokyo who studies the part-time workers in the area. He showed me the area, introduced me to the main neighborhood bar, and answered a lot of my questions. I am going to meet a musician who utilizes some sort of anarchist or hippie or some alternative type bookstore as a music venue on Mondays. I'm actually very excited and interested in this neighborhood and whenever I go I'm always thinking of what I see in terms of shots (well I'm kind of always doing that, which can be annoying, but here there's just a lot of potential). On another note, I'm also meeting with my new friend Shiho, who is a young Tokyoite (25) who is in-between jobs and spends a lot of time partying 'amongst the youth' and is very dynamic/speaks great English, so I'm going to pick her brain and she who/what she knows.


In terms of filming I have been getting more used to carrying my camera and filming strangers (which is sometimes hundreds at one time, this being Tokyo and all). I had forgotten how much just carrying the camera around changes my interaction with the world. I instantly go from 'invisible foreigner' to 'GUY WITH A HUGE CAMERA!!!' so naturally people notice me more and make eye contact and smile at me more often, making it possible to sort of talk to and record random (sometimes crazily dressed) people. This is definitely a good thing. I have some interesting street scenes mostly in Shibuya and Harajuku, but I do not know how I will use them. I am still interested in utilizing my foreignness as a 'pivot point' (to quote Anh-Thu) in a piece that is more personal and essayistic/lyrical. Basically I'm veering more and more away from thinking of this in terms of a traditional observational ethnographic piece partly because I don't know how feasible that is and partly because I don't feel like I have the right to do that and partly because I think I could do a lot more with/am more interested in doing something else. I've also been thinking about the western stereotypes we have of the Japanese--conformists, copy-cats, rigid/serious and thinking of ways that I can use these to my advantage and present them in a fresh way. In terms of fashion, it seems like there are a lot of people that do follow trends to the T, but to say that Americans don't do the same thing would be absurd, it's just that Japanese put a lot more effort into getting every detail right--there is a precision in the presentation and attention to detail (and there are so many of them) that is just unparalleled.

The great thing about Tokyo is that no matter what, if I bring my camera anywhere, I'm almost guaranteed to catch some sort of 'oh my God' moment, since they happen all the time. The bad thing is that there's always SO much going on it's incredibly hard to focus. I'm hanging in there and definitely have hope, but if any of you have ANY insights or advice or see something that I don't please please let me know!

--Lucas

What's an artist s'posed to do?

OK, I'm sufficiently stuck to warrant another posting. This time, an outright appeal for feedback.

After the bureaucratic hassle, I found out I could have been working the whole time on the streets. All I really needed permission for was shooting in a specified area, the Citadel (and Imperial Palace) -- coincidentally, modeled after Beijing's Forbidden City. Still waiting to hear about that paperwork although I should get approval soon.



Since my last news, I've broken the seal and started shooting several sites around the city that have caught my attention. One is a few intriguing and highly spiritual spots where shrines have been nestled into what seem to be huge banyan trees. I don't know what I'll do with the footage yet but I am starting to collect a series of images where man-made and "natural" things come together in funky ways. These shots will be part of the largely tripod-based "landscape" footage of Hue.

Then I have reconnected with an acquaintance from my former long stay in VN, a cousin's cousin about my age. She's a Hue native and has great contacts. She introduced me to a friend of hers who used to write poetry but has now stopped since she got married and her husband objected to such activity. She owns a gallery and has important artist and poet connections. She's been gracious enough to introduce me to a few. So, the plan is to make a video about the dialogue among (about 5) select contemporary Hue poets and artists and myself (and later on, my own poetry, perhaps).

[So memory and militarization, especially the later, have largely fallen to the wayside in my thinking. Mostly, overtly or even not-so-overtly political commentary will be problematic. Some authorities will review my footage before I leave. Also, I want to potentially screen for a VN audience here in my future trips back. So, I have to avoid political statements. But hopefully I can still dig deeper past the veneer that Hue is VN's capital of culture, art, and poetry. Or exploit it.]

The problem is, I don't know how to think about the way I'd like to shoot the people. Interviews will be boring. I was thinking of having people take me to the spots around Hue that inspire them and talk about those places. Or, of having two of the poets ride with me on a lil boat down the Perfume River while they give commentary on various aspects of the land, culture, and poetry here. Also, I hope to get some artists at work in their studios. I think I'll do handheld shots for most of the footage with people but then I can't yet envision how that will fit in with the tripod shots of landscapes that so far have appealed to me. Also, I'm not sure how to make shooting these artists/poets interesting. They seem to think I should direct their interactions / get-togethers but I am not that comfortable with heavy-handed prompting... But I don't see how else they would have imperative to bring up these things which are so woven into the fabric of their everyday lives.

Lots to decide!

How do you film "power," again?

Hey all,

Sorry it's been so long! The internet has been off and on for the past week in Abelenkpe, and I don't get home from my NGO's office until around 4:30-- too late to be braving the Accra traffic in search of a working cyber cafe! I got in on a Thursday, spent Friday trying to track down my lost baggage, and couldn't get into the office until last Monday. Funny, nobody from the office came looking for me, even though apparently they'd sent a driver to the airport to pick me up (without telling me first). Nobody seemed alarmed that it had been four days since we were last in contact with eachother. It reminded me just how alone you really are when traveling, no matter how many friendly-faced people on the street offer you a bite of their fufuo!

I spent the first week being shuttled off to various meetings and interviews; the mental health community is in crisis-mode right now, trying to get a Mental Health Bill pushed through Parliament while the NDC government is still paying attention to their campaign promises. It's given me amazing access, since all the major figures in the movement have been convening regularly, and BasicNeeds has funded a GhanaTV documentary to incite public outrage at the state of the country's mental health care. Originally, they wanted me to make it, but I really wasn't comfortable with the aggressive stance they have to take in order to get any attention. They are hunting down prayer camps that use chaining, bursting in to film, painting very real protagonists and antagonists in a way that I just can't do. My hesitation would show, I'm sure, and the final product would inevitably disappoint.

As far as the health care system itself, I expected dirt, despair, overcrowding, undermedicating, abuse... I was prepared, I thought, to look past all of that and try to meet patients on their own terms. But after sitting in on some sessions between psychiatrists and their patients, I just can't bring myself to film them. It just isn't ethical, pure and simple. One of the psychiatrists I met in particular was almost emotionally abusive, verbally punishing patients, it seemed to me, instead of trying to win their trust and bring them slowly back to reality. I don't think I can rightfully explain what happened over the Internet, but suffice it to say, I was pretty disturbed. There's no way I can approach that man with a consent form on behalf of his patients and then feel like I've really gained access in an ethical way. I might try developing a relationship with a different psychiatrist and his patients, and spend time with them regularly next month, but the only other one I've met so far seems pretty suspicious of my project (and rightfully so).

I'm trying to take the position I've been handed as a gift-- even in a locus of action and power, where administrative and political decisions are constantly being made, there are some interesting characters. Much to their amusement, I filmed the documentary filmmakers filming a doctor last Friday, and although the footage wasn't great, I'm hoping to weave it together with footage from their final project, and use it as a way of showing the dissemination of the bill's propoganda through Accra. This is a very different film from the one I'd planned on shooting. Less intimate, I'm afraid, more discursive, more action-oriented. But since BasicNeeds wants me to repay them for their assistance with an additional, low-budget documentary on their work in the country (instead of the expose), I have too limited a supply of tapes and time to remain rigid about my earlier concept.

For now, I'm just trying to be brave, to haul the camera around as much as possible, and to get over this systematic process I once envisioned: the introduction, the interview, the foundling friendship, then the camera. My schedule's been planned out ahead for me by the NGO through July 1st. It's so jam-packed that there's no time for regular, sustained contact. At least not now. And meanwhile, I've missed out on some amazing moments, all out of shyness. I'm trying to tell myself that it's only one week, that there will inevitably be more and better footage over the next seven, but even if the film suffers as a result, I'm glad I learned the hard way the lessons of filming. This "can-do," "be brave" front will be valuable in the long-run, I'm sure.

Nante yie-o, m'adamfoo,
(Walk well, friends,)

Grace

Tackling the Great Wooly Mammoth

I am slooooooowly sipping a cup of overpriced masala chai for the luxury of wireless internet on my own laptop. It’s such a joy not to pound away on the sticky keys of primitive PCs at the only reasonably priced internet cafes around Kathmandu. Oh, the things I take for granted in America. Why back so soon, you ask? Or maybe you didn’t, but I’ll tell you anyway—on the day of my sign language lesson, a protest-cum-riot brought the whole city to a standstill, and my famed instructor couldn’t cross town to make the meeting. We had our make-up session early this morning, which worked to my benefit, because we didn’t waste any time with signs I could (and did) pick up on my own. I’ve been picking up Nepali Sign Language much more easily than anticipated—a third of the signs are similar to ASL, another third are similar to Tamil signs, and the final third are brand new to me, but logical enough (I suppose). I lucked out with three especially helpful teachers—the head teacher/my host mother (who speaks decent English and signs well, but is extraordinarily busy), a deaf teacher named Sharmila (who has a large English vocabulary and the patience of the Buddha), and another deaf teacher named Thulo (who knows very little English, but knows more ASL than I do!). After only a few days, I can follow along classroom lectures quite easily, even in a few of the upper level classes. I just hope by the end, I’ll be able to follow the complex, breakneck conversations among the teens and adults!

I’ve got sound and silence on the brain after my first few days at the deaf school, and already, I’ve stumbled upon a marvelous gem—my host family’s home sits smack next to a very noisy boarding school. From the balcony of my fourth story penthouse (if only!), I can overlook (ermm, overhear… but you’ll see what I mean) the national anthem sung each morning four floors below, and even peek into the open-windowed classrooms at eye-level. I hope to use this dynamic as an insider at a deaf school and an outsider at a hearing school to build a productive tension between sound and silence, as y’all suggested early on in the semester. When a group of children accidentally tossed a ball on my balcony, I carried it back down to safety and made nice with one of the teachers, explaining my project and intentions. I’m crossing my fingers that word will spread, and that public knowledge will be the unspoken permission I need to be a bit of a voyeur at this school. I also love the way the path to the deaf school—from the throbbing heart of Banepa through back roads to the countryside—gradually shifts from a trafficky, metropolitan sonic overload to a tranquil, earthy soundscape. I’m not sure entirely what I’ll do with these diamonds in the rough, but I have a few ideas. I’ve envisioned an entirely new structure, and I’ve been considering sending you a revised treatment, but who has the time? I know you’ve got your own film projects to worry about, and you’re too kind for making it this far in my long-winded entry. (Ten extra brownie points if you can make it to the end! Jistkeko! (That’s Nepali for “just kidding.” Isn’t that awesome?)) I may take Jeff up on his offer to read our “unblogworthy… frantic pleas for help” (Silva 2). ;-) If you wouldn’t mind taking the time to look over a super-informal revised treatment sometime in the coming month, let me know in the comments! I don’t want to burden you with extra work, but I really value your feedback.

For every blessing, there’ve been just as many barriers… I promised myself I’d spend the first week observing classes in order to let the children get to know me, to learn sign language and sign names, and to put serious thought into how I’m going to film this baby before I dive in the deep end. However, I broke down when I found out the recent graduates (who spend their days sewing and crafting together in the school’s office) would be selling their handmade crafts at a youth conference. I spent the whole morning shooting the lengthy preparation process—packing up, loading, unloading, and setting up—only to spend the whole afternoon waiting for them to make a sale. I got plenty of shots of them not making sales, but I don’t think it will be able to hold its own. It was frustrating to lose a whole day and a valuable mini-DV, but it did make for a good warm-up exercise (I would have lost a few shots anyway to that clumsy-and-forgetful stage after you’ve spent some time apart from the camera… like forgetting about focus for a solid ten minutes!), and it gave me a chance to see how the women reacted to the camera. The result? They act naturally when I’m rolling (yay!), but go out of their way to be in the shot (boo!). It turns out I’m not the first person to come to Banepa with a film project—many years ago, an American photographer named Kristen lived for some time in the deaf school, teaching English and taking pictures. She returned to Banepa three years later with the photo book she published and copies of the photos for all the children… Apparently some students made the cut and some didn’t. Whenever Kristen comes up in conversation (which is more often than you’d think, and never by my prompting), the older girls are quick to point out which students were the lucky few to be in the book, and which were left on the cutting room floor. It seems to me that this time around, the jilted students are looking for their fifteen minutes of fame (in my little student film, go figure!). For now, it doesn’t seem to be a problem, so I’m just going with the flow.

Another frustrating moment was when, in one fell swoop, I discovered that I lost my steadywings and broke my headphones. I was (and still am) so mad at myself for screwing up, but I’m trying to quit beating myself up over it. Fortunately, I “borrowed indefinitely” about seven pairs of earbuds from my trans-Atlantic flights (hey, free ear buds!), and I hope to get a high quality, reasonably priced (is that oxymoronic?) pair of headsets in Kathmandu today. As for the steadywings, I’m waiting to hear back from the hotel and original taxi driver who have promised to double and triple check their respective facilities (believe it or not and lucky for me, my volunteer organization uses one regular, reliable taxi guy)… Keep your fingers crossed for me!

My apologies for the lack of photos and comments. The battery for my still camera bit the dust (a permanent and untimely death), and I’m working on getting a replacement. After some slick haggling at a Kathmandu camera shop, I got an infoLITHIUM battery identical to my original, but the label was attached upside down, and when I put it in my camera, I got the error message: “This camera uses infoLITHIUM batteries only.” Needless to say, I wish I was having the same bargaining problems that Adam is having! It seems like every tourist-tout in Nepal is trying to pull a fast one on the Westerners here! For now, here’s a Photo Booth snapshot of the log book I made, in hopes that it would inspire me to be diligent with my logging. Unfortunately for me, it’s already begun to fall apart, so let this serve to preserve my good intentions. As for the comments, I didn’t even realize that people were leaving comments until last night! Reading through them was super fun, and I’ll be certain to add my own two cents quite soon… There’s such an overwhelming sense of support and comraderie when I remember that, even though I’m out here on my own trying to tackle this mammoth of a project, all of you are going through the same thing. It’s awesome to have this blog as a bouncing board and as a way to keep track of y’all, and it’s pretty spectacular that we’ve built this supportive network. And I saw while the page was slooooowly loading (just as slowly as I’ve been sipping this tea) that Adam added Google Analytics. It will be so much fun to look at the visitor map at the start of next semester!

Speaking of tea and mammoths, I’ve nearly finished my second pot of the stuff, and this entry has become quite the wooly giant itself! During my day off next week (the kids go to school SIX days a week here… the horror!), my other host mother is running a free screening for breast and cervical cancer (between founding deaf schools and heading NGOs and providing free health care, is there anything these magnificent sisters don’t do?) and I’ve agreed to lend a hand, so it will be at least a fortnight until you hear from me again. In the meantime, have a crazy. crazy time filming, and write some big, fat blog entries so I can savor them on my next journey to Kathmandu!

Peace, love, and mini-DVs,
Ty

Quotidian Life

It's definitely great to hear from everyone! Things are going well here. For the past few nights there have been demonstrations of traditional Sicilian music and dancing in the main square in town. I have gotten some pretty good footage of it. It's great as spectacle, but I am definitely feeling that I need to get (a lot) more footage of day-to-day life here. I am constantly getting new ideas, so I'm not worried. I still have another two months here, which feels at once like more than enough and not nearly enough! I am also beginning to worry that the 500GB I have for storage won't be enough, considering I have already used around 80GB and have only been here 10 days.

I finally managed to work out a place to live. The first one fell through, but this turned out to be a stroke of luck, as I ended up with a much nicer place for a much lower price! I have an incredible view of the ocean and Mt. Etna, and not only do I have a terrace, but from the terrace there is a staircase to the roof, where there is another terrace with even better views.

I think that is about all the news I have for now. I hope to hear from you all soon!

Net working!

I left NYC by midnight flight on Sunday 7th and landed in Sai Gon Tuesday morning, via Anchorage and Taipei. The next day I was on a plane to see a couple of friends in Singapore, as encapsulated in **Singapore Live**. There's a whole lot to think about there, but that's someone else's project. After the Great S'pore Adventure I returned to Sai Gon to welcome my partner-in-crime, a.k.a. Amanda, the ol' college roomie. I roped her into being my sound gal for a month. A quick round of family introductions and then we were on a flight out to Da Nang on Sunday 14th.

With just about a day and a half in Da Nang I felt I, too, was chasing my childhood (as per Sarah -- what a phrase!). Though I was born there, all that's recognizable from the recesses of memory are yellow mandevilla clinging to gates that line the walk to the beach from my paternal grandfather's house and the green-and-white checkered tile floor that remains despite the home's renovation over the past few years. On a previous trip back to Da Nang I had noticed billboards advertising a new Korean development along the shore, complete with skyscraper condos, office spaces, and entertainment complexes. I didn't realize it was still in the works. This time a relative of mine whizzed me on his motorbike past the construction site, where they've cordoned off the coast as a temporary parking lot for backhoes, dumping tons of sand into the ocean to create an extended beach. I have a distinct image of my father tossing me as a toddler into these very waters, and for that moment, I was terrified that he'd left me to the will o' the waves. Now no one has access to Thanh Binh (which translates as "peaceful") Beach. Right before this drive-by sighting I'd made a visit to my sick great-aunt (Grandpa's sister), who'd just been discharged from the hospital for a cancer treatment. Needless to say, the ride gave me lots to contemplate.

More than anything, two themes follow me in my thoughts: paranoia and networks. My time in VN so far has been cushioned by the incredible support of my extended family and their networks. Simultaneously, everyone (family in both the States and VN) has warned me time and again about theft and the dangers of unknown evils. I haven't fully unpacked the rationale behind these persistent exhortations to be careful yet but am slowly developing ideas. In these new urban spaces, where everyone is physically proximate and crammed!, the network of the extended family has a strong presence at the same time that a wall of mistrust is erected surrounding casual social interactions in the physical space of the city.


Ostensibly, Hue would offer me relief then. It's considered a more quiet, gentle city than Ha Noi, Sai Gon or even Da Nang. I luckily found a lovely 3-BR house with gardens, tucked in a little alley, for rent for 2 months, at a rate comparable to hotel stay. It's right next door to a big market, pictures of which I'll post sometime. My uncle (Mom's younger bro) and his wife have been extremely attentive and helpful in getting Amanda and me settled. He helped us get a bicycle for everyday errands and then negotiated a motorbike hire service with two men to help us get around the city with our equipment and to "protect" us. Even here people seem to think a bodyguard is necessary.

I could protest. I could refuse the coddling. But I decided instead to accept the family's gestures of concern. This way, the network continues to function. For example, I have had to rely on an aunt (Mom's cousin) here whose recently-deceased husband was in the police force. Through their connections, I had a meeting with the VP of Hue's External Affairs Office to ask for his help in acquiring a work permit for filming. One of my first work-related encounters with bureaucracy, I quickly became (internally) irritated at the show of procedural sternness. He yapped on at first about how I had to be affiliated with an umbrella organization, then after some explaining on my uncle's part that this project was not yet my dissertation work, he urged me to draw up a document explaining my exact itinerary and contacts and the thrust of the research and filming I was doing, including details about my place of residence, identification, etc. All this red tape is to be expected but I was a bit unsettled and frustrated when he said the footage would have to be reviewed and the office would have to issue me a certificate of permit before I leave the country. I am just not used to this surveillance. Overall I think it was good practice to establish myself as a researcher here, and ultimately I don't think there will be too much of a problem in terms of materials that would be liable to censorship. Still, just last weekend one of the most prominent pro-democracy lawyers here was just arrested in Sai Gon on charges of "colluding with foreign reactionaries to sabotage the Vietnamese State." He has defended a number of dissidents and advocates for a multi-party gov't. Reacting I may be, but a dissident I am not -- yet.

So I haven't started shooting yet. Settling in to the house and taking care of paperwork has taken a couple of days. Amanda and I plan to walk around tomorrow and get our bearings. Grandma's sister here is involved with the Hue Poets Society. Her deceased husband was Chairman of the Society at one point. She'll dig through their old publications for me and put me in touch with some writers soon.

Now, off in search of more delicious meals...

digital aliens

Today we lost one precious day to a defunct cable. Trying to not let it get us down, we aim to go back again and reshoot it all soon. We were following the fish as they were caught, straight up to the fish market, auctioned and bought (in total a process that unfolds in a matter of minutes) and got some pretty good character-building stuff with our fishermen friends, but alas... unless this is a silent project, it’ll probably end up on the cutting-room floor. We were using the external mixer, and everything sounded fine through the headphones and looked good on the levels, but when we played it back it sounded like digital aliens. So, tonight we’ll do some troubleshooting and hopefully resolve the problem.
Since my last post, Ben and I had the opportunity to go to a “retreat” centre north of here with a crowded bus-load of charismatics. They sang, prayed, clapped and made music the whole 2 hours there and back. It was phenomenal! Nothing like church-music I’ve heard before (for which I am eternally grateful). We recorded as much of it as we could… but man, trying to assemble the whole shebang with external mixer, zeppelin, camera, etc on a bus so crowded you can’t bend your knees is a feat that one can never really prepare for!
Keep the posts coming! And hope everything’s going well for you all!

Minor Technical Issues and My First Big Shoot

Buon giorno a tutti!

Things have been going great here, except a few minor technical problems. I'll start with those:

1. I forgot the Firewire cable to transfer data from the camera to my computer. Dunce. Hopefully I can find one here. (I'm sure I can, one way or another.)
2. Every time I turn off my camera, it reverts from "Video Cam" mode to "Film Cam" mode, which apparently doesn't take sound input. It's really annoying. It's just a matter of switching it back, but that takes valuable time when I should be rolling. Anyone else have this problem?
3. I was filming fire the other day, and the pops from the fire, though they didn't seem loud, sent the microphone input into the red. I'm guessing this doesn't matter since they are sharp, instantaneous sounds, but I'm not totally sure. Suggestions?

I had my first big shoot a couple days ago. As I mentioned earlier, I shot my friend's mother burning the weeds in her fields to prevent the brush fires that will no doubt arrive later in the summer from destroying her crops. It went really well and I got some really beautiful and interesting footage.

Other than that, I have been wandering around and getting lots of ideas. The Taormina Film Festival is this week and I have been to see a few films (I highly recommend Crossing Over, by the way). Thirteen euros gets students into every film and event for the whole week!

That's it for now! Happy shooting, everyone!

Tokyo

After a recent influx of posts (that I have very much enjoyed reading), I realized I really need to post an update myself.  I am safe and sound in Tokyo, having arrived here about one week ago.  I am still very jetlagged--I haven't actually gotten a full nights sleep since arriving--16 hour time jump is not something to be messed with.  I have spent most of my time so far trying to see as much as possible, and taking a lot of notes along the way, as well as meeting with my contacts here and asking questions, seeing who they know, meeting new random people, etc. 

When I first arrived I was somewhat dumbfounded by how pervasive language is here, and how hard it would be to adjust without being able to speak any Japanese, but I have since come to realize that there is no way that I can properly adjust to living here in such a short period of time, it's more a matter of just accepting things for how they are and rolling with it.  Sure it's really hard to get around, order food, and buy toothpaste, but somehow its just going to have to be alright.  At first I was scared to go outside, because there aren't really street signs, there is nothing even close to a grid, maps are really hard to read, and my sense of direction is inconceivably bad.  However, I got over it and just plunged in, spending a lot of time in the major areas, especially Harajuku and Shibuya, where most of the Lolita hang out and shop.  Right next to Harajuku Station there is a bridge next to a large park where cosplayers and lolita often hang out.  Sundays are the busiest day, when a lot come out to sit down, drink tea or wine, and pose for pictures with each other, with tourists that ask, and by themselves.  There are also these older men (some of whom are there almost every day), who will walk up to random girls, start talking to them, then take their picture (asking them to pose in certain ways), and give them the photographs for free (it's some kind of polaroid).  I asked two girls what happened right after I saw this, but they didn't speak English and I was alone, but I did get that it was free.  Yesterday I met two American women who were dressed in lolita and they told me all about what they know about mostly 'western lolita', which is much different.  Some of the other costumed Japanese people were asking to take pictures with them, along with random tourists.  They were just a part of the show.  I have also seen two men dressed like lolita girls.  Overall there is always a lot going on, and a lot of it makes me really uncomfortable, but in a productive way.  Its hard to watch all of these foreigners who are being so overtly foreign by ogling at these Japanese people who are for the most part acting like they are just apathetic to the whole thing even though their intricately chosen outfits and makeup denotes anything but apathy to the situation.   They are thrusting their foreignness onto these Japanese people in such a conspicuous way, making me uncomfortable because I am always just so conscious of my own foreignness that it seems ludicrous that they can comfortably and self-consciously do this.  The language barrier is definitely an aid--one time, this small group of four Japanese cosplayers were taking pictures with each other when these two American girls turned the corner and were caught completely offguard by what they saw, they literally stopped mid-sentence and started gawking.  They proceeded to start taking pictures as if they were at a zoo or something--be careful not to disturb the animals, don't get too close, but it's okay to take pictures because they don't really know what you are doing--it's crazy!

Like I just mentioned, I've been struggling with/thinking a lot about how pervasive and constant my own feeling of 'foreignness' is.  I've never felt so constantly out of place and like I don't belong.  It's not that the people have been unfriendly, it's just that I feel as though there is a certain level of apathy towards me.  On the other hand I have met some people that were way overly fascinated by me so I think it depends.  But the cultural divide is so strong and so inescapable that in general, its hard not to feel isolated and even invisible.  I'm existing in a world that feels very carefully designed and engineered, but not at all for me or anyone with my background.  It can be somewhat eerie.  From what I understand, that just never goes away, no matter how long you are here or how good at Japanese you become.  And I think that whatever I film will be so influenced by that outsiderness, by my physical presence and outsider perspective that it seems hard to try to document reality without acknowledging that somehow.

Oh also worth mentioning is that two of the students I know from Tokyo University know have friends who sometimes dress in lolita at school, and I am meeting them this week.  Wow wrote way more than I expected, and will probably write more soon, but I want to go find a shinto shrine or something where I can just have a pen and paper and think about all of this.

Glad everyone else seems to be having such great times, I hope to talk to you all soon!

-Lucas

On Cows, Kids, and Cameras*

My Classmates and World Adventurers,

Namaste! I’ve arrived safely and soundly in Kathmandu, and I’m already quite taken by Nepal--all the hustle and bustle of India, but with a distintintly East Asian vibe. After experiencing my fair share of cows and near traffic fatalities, I have to say: Julia, you’re stark raving mad! From now on, every time I have second thoughts about getting a difficult shot, I’ll just picture you standing in the middle of these crazy, crazy streets filming that cow!

I was super hesitant about coming through a middleman organization, but I somehow happened upon the one volunteer program that actually cares more about humanitarianism than money--100% good luck on my part. I’ve spent my first few days learning Nepali, exploring the city, and meeting my fellow volunteers, and this evening I have a sign language lesson with the interpreter for Nepali national television! I leave tomorrow morning for the Banepa Deaf School, and I couldn’t be more excited! I’m psyched to meet the chidlren and my host family (I’ll be living with the head teacher), and I’m eager to get out of the noise, chaos, and pollution of the city.

My biggest worry so far is on how the children will react to the camera. Not a new concern by any means, but it feels far more imminent now that I’m finally here and getting a taste for the locals’ reactions (or rather, overreactions) to tourists’ digital cameras. I fear the novelty of the camera will be difficult to overcome, and I also wonder how the kids will react to my divergent roles—first, as a highly interactive English teacher, and second, as a silent**, disengaged*** filmmaker. I’ve gotten loads of good advice from Stephanie and a documentarian I met through the volunteer program, and my plan is this: strictly use the viewfinder (so there’s no temptation for the kids to watch the LCD screen, and no way they can know of the camera’s playback feature), film exclusively in classrooms at first (where paying attention in mandatory), and make a clear designation that I’m in “work mode” when the camera is with me. If you have any advice, please let me know! And Elisa, I’m interested on hearing how you end up solving your similar dilemma.

I love, love, LOVE reading your adventures from around the globe—I save them to my USB so I can read them multiple times on my laptop. :) I’m looking forward to all the escapades you crazy kids are up to next! Keep on postin’ on!

* Oh no! I came up with the title before I got here, but I'm not quick enough on my feet to come up with an alternative. Sorry to rip off your "C" alliteration, Julia!
** You know what I mean!
*** or differently engaged, rather

Take 1

My Dearest Class,

After about a month of being here, my project is finally in the thick of it. Two big issues have come up. The first issue is that there is absolutely no place for me to meet with Claudene and Sclovia without having loads of people peering over our shoulders. I've tried the stadium, the road, a restaurant...and those are pretty much the only places to go. My shots thus far include lots of others and I'm wondering if instead of resisting this, if I should just embrace the fact that my project will also involve many others. At the same time, Claudene is pretty shy and doesn't have much confidence, I don't know if she would feel as comfortable talking to me in front of others as when it is just the three of us. Any thoughts??

Second, I'm having such a difficult time simultaneously shooting, talking to the girls, and drawing/talking to them. I'm wondering if I should set the camera up on an tripod to manage it but am also worried about removing the feeling of interacting. My camera work is really suffering because I can't pay attention to composition or audio quality.

The stuff the girls have been filming is great- really performative and playful. And its really interesting seeing what each girl has decided to film. For example, Sclovia is always with many friends and has shots of her family. Claudene hasn't shot anything with her family and usually is by herself or with one other person. Both tend to shoot clips that are between 20-60 seconds and I'm wondering if I should tell them to take longer shots, or if I should allow those short clips to represent how they explore their worlds. I wanted to upload some clips but its impossible from here.

Going to the Rwanda Film Festival tonight! They are showing films on blow up screens in the most remote parts of Rwanda, and lucky for me, tonight's film is just 30 minutes away!

xxx

Sicilian hospitality

Every day I come to the Bar Turrisi first thing in the morning (ok, well this has been more like 10 or 10:30 since they have been keeping me up late at night) and have a brioche with a granita siciliana. This is something like a sorbet crossed with ice cream. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, except to say that it is the most delicious thing this side of Sicily (and that is saying a lot!). Also, it's a pretty typical Sicilian breakfast. My favorite flavor is almond, which they top off with a bit of coffee-flavored granita.

And every day, I try to pay for my breakfast, and am flat out refused. The Turrisis have been incredibly good to me. Yesterday I asked to buy a "subscription" to granitas with brioche, and Rosetta, the mom of the family, agreed. Whether she lets me pay for this at the end of the month is another question!

Last night I had a glass of the wonderful almond wine here at the bar, and at the end of the evening found myself haggling with Salvo Turrisi (one of the sons) over the price. In other words, I offered two euros, he countered with one. I gave him one, and he decided it was too much, so he asked for 30 cents. I took out all my change and put it on the counter, and slid him a twenty-cent pieces, a two-cent piece and a couple of pennies (I didn't have a ten). He gave me back the pennies, suggesting I might need them for the market, and finally accepted the 20-cents.

I'm not used to this sort of bargaining! But I am extremely grateful. And don't worry, I will be doing my utmost to smuggle a bottle of almond wine back to the class for everyone to try! :-)

I almost forgot—today begins the week-long Taormina (Taormina is just down the mountainfilm festival. I will definitely be checking it out. It's a big one.

This afternoon I am taking to the hills to film some friends do controlled burnings of their fields—this is how they prevent the brush fires that are sure to begin soon from reaching their crops and houses. In my treatment, some of you may remember I spoke of a woman farming and explaining her crops. This is the same woman I had in mind. It should be exciting!

**SINGAPORE LIVE**

14:35 Singapore Time, 11th June 2009
AT: Saaaarraaaaah!
SJ: Anh-tooooot!!
AT: Whoa. What are you doing here at Sleepy Sam's Hostel in Singapore!?! Aren't you supposed to be in S. Africa?
SJ: What am I doing here? Thought you were supposed to be in Vietnam? I just got in from Jakarta, chasing my childhood...visiting family in Singapore...you?
AT: Came to visit a certain loveable gal whom I won't see for a while... It's just a short hop skip and jump away fr VN. Plus gotta dig the shopping malls and their AIRCON. This heat is killing me...
SJ: Indeed. Why don't we go find some now actually? Find an antiseptic foodcourt to munch some yummy food in? octupus balls?
AT: MmmmMmm. And I'd loves me some durian ice cream too. Then we can head to Ann Siang Hill in Chinatown to check out one my fave bookstores in the world, Books Actually!
SJ: Then maybe a boatride along the Singapore River, watching the many malls & restaurants fly by without actually having to trudge through them...
AT: Yippeee. Then dinner at an overpriced Thai joint right on the water? I need a pint of ice cold beer right about now.
SJ: burp! uh oh. feeilng kind of funny. oh no....
AT: Aww. Better hold it in. Let's chill by the river munching on our rambutan and lonbon until you feel more steady. Maybe we can just call it a night til tomorrow.
SJ: uuuhhhh...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

....

AT: Rise and shine!
SJ: FOOD!
AT: Where?
SJ: Marine Parade hawker centre?
AT: Sounds good to me. But now my stomach is feeling a bit off so for lunch I'll just have some Hainanese chicken with noodles. Keeping it safe.
SJ: munch munch. gees, it's sooooo hot. i'm dying over here.
AT: How 'bout some SUGAR CANE JUICE for refreshment?
SJ: AAAAAAHHHHH! hit the spot. ready to hit East Coast Park? sand, sea, ships and a lovely long promenade under coconut trees...
AT: Yea, I didn't get to see it on my last trip here. Twould be nice.
SJ: I've been coming here for 20 years, but usually on my own so it'll be lovely to go with you and jean.
AT: Jean? Who's Jean? Is that the guy who's been trailing you this whole time looking shady in his short jean shorts?
SJ: that's him! maybe his hot legs can take the pressure off us on a three-person tandem bike? I swear I've seen them around...
AT: Oh! Bike ride under the shade of palm trees. Precious. Let's!
SJ: darn. they don't have the three person ones. 2 and 1?
AT: Sure. Then we can do a switcheroo half-way through so you get a lil QT with your boycrush.
SJ: awesome. sh*t but my bum's really hurting here. what to do?
AT: Well, we'll get thru the ride, then relax on an AC double-decker bus with a view of the city on the way back. That way you can de-stress your bum on the plush leather seats.
SJ: why thank you. then i think we should have cold cold showers and lie comatose on the beds under the fans for a while til the heat of the day dies down a bit.
AT: Yep yep. But don't get too comfy cuz we have a dinner date for Egyptian food with a college acquaintance o' mine, Kiran. She's doing the NYU-sponsored film program here. Would be good to chat w/ her to hear her thoughts on the scene.
SJ: sounds good. hey - have you noticed there's a lot of arabs around here? hookah everywhere...and a giant mosque at the end of the street.
AT: Well, we ARE right off of Arab Street. S'pore amazes me. Once you dig a bit deeper past the veneer of well-oiled, clean and modern shopping centers and high rises, there's such a fascinating assemblage of people here: Chinese, Indian, Arabic, Malay. And with all their different religious practices, all co-existing in peaceful, functional manner.
SJ: all in their neat little segregated categories- did you notice at the (WONDERFUL) bar we went to later that each group was totally homogeneous? apart from the sleazy white men hitting on the locals?
AT: Hmm yea, interesting. I didn't realize there was such segregation even though everyone occupies the same spaces. Well we can have an endless convo abt the racial politics and power dynamics here... But let's take in the scene at this hotspot: BluJaz Cafe.
SJ: too right!! it's amazing in here... totally un-singapore (to me!).. incredible brightly coloured children-story-book aztec...uhhh....
AT: You mean that big yellow painting over there? With the fantastic comic cat drawings? That's pretty cool. But I dig these crazy lamps with mannequin legs and sprawling wrought-iron chandeliers with trinkets dangling from them. What a scene.
SJ: shame we can't afford any of the drinks : (
AT: And the music's getting lame. C'mon. YMCA and the Macarena? What say you we get out while we're still feeling good?
SJ: yeah.... I'm beat. What a trip.
AT: Yea, gotta get up for my flight out tomorrow. Will miss you toooooons. Safe travels with Jean the rest of the time you're here!
SJ: Thanks luv, you too... I hope you withstand the weight of the camera ok in VN. red bull?
AT: I don't know if it's entered the market yet. But I've got yummy VN coffee with condensed milk to keep me going. Uh oh... time's up. Huuuuuuuuuuuugggs.
SJ: sniff sniff... have a wonderful time with tom... byyeeeeee!!!!

monitoring tip

Instead of the over-ear headphones in your kit, another way to monitor audio is by using in-ear isolation headphones, the ones that mold to the shape of your ear canal like earplugs. These are preferable to regular (non-isolation) earbud headphones because it's easier to differentiate between what the mics are picking up and what you're hearing through the air.

Setting up tentpoles

I arrived in Castelmola a couple days ago. My journey wasn't nearly as impressive as Ty's (I had three flights—Boston-Paris, Paris-Rome, Rome-Catania—and from there took a 90 minute bus from Catania-Taormina and then a 30 minute bus from Taormina to Castelmola). Naturally, the airline lost my luggage. No surprise there! Alitalia isn't exactly famous for it's first-class service. Fortunately they did get my suitcase to me 24 hours later, and everything—well, almost everything—appears to be intact. My tripod suffered a small casualty: the knob that tightens the plate against the tripod head snapped off. How this managed to happen while it was in my (fairly rigid) suitcase, I can't guess. I've informed the appropriate authorities (Ernst) and await his response.

Naturally, my first stop after arriving was the Bar Turrisi (where I now sit writing this—see the picture I just took and behind me, the typical decorations). The Turrisi's have been incredibly welcoming! At the bar I learned of another setback: the two-bedroom apartment I had planned to rent isn't ready yet. For some reason, as yet TBD, the woman who owns the apartment thought I was arriving in July and so took this opportunity to renovate the kitchen. Luckily, my friends here are putting me up in a little room in the center of town. It isn't much—basically there is a bed and a bathroom—fortunately my needs are simple! Hopefully I can move to the other place soon, where there is (or will be) a kitchen.

Everyone here has been extraordinarily kind and welcoming. My close friend Francesco, who introduced me to this wondrous place, is not here (he'll visit in July), but I ran into his parents within five minutes of arriving and they took me back to their place for a lovely pasta dinner. It was really great to see them. They have always been extremely kind to me. I also got a chance to chat with Cristina, Francesco's younger sister (I met her when she was 11, and now she is 21!), and Roberto, his brother.

Last night I ate pizza at Ciccino's Pizzeria while Mimì's father sang traditional Sicilian folk songs. Later in the night I returned and there was a whole group singing together—a common end to the evening.

At any rate, I have mostly been relaxing up to this point, trying to set up my "tentpoles": both in the sense of getting situated here (though not knowing where I will be living permanently, this has proven a bit tough), and also in the sense of trying to determine what my film tentpoles (to paraphrase Alfred) will be. I'm still working this out, but I have been exploring, introducing myself to people and brainstorming ideas. More on this later. Has anyone else been thinking about this? I really like the metaphor of tentpoles—I think the hard part is figuring out what, concretely, these might be.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

...don't know when I'll be back again! In a few short, short hours, I'll be off on the longest possible (and therefore cheapest possible) trip around the world: from Boston to New York (check!), New York to Newark, Newark to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Delhi, Delhi to Kathmandu, and Kathmandu to my summer destination: the Banepa Deaf School in Kavre, Nepal. PHEW!

I'm due to arrive in Kathmandu two days from now, and I'll hopefully send another quick message once I've landed unscathed in Nepal. Has everyone made it safely to their respective countries yet? And are you getting stoked? :)

I'm sure I'll be grateful for them if I go trekking in the Himalayas or backpacking around Nepal, but for now, I'm going to look a lot like a pack mule schlepping these packs around New York City!

Catholic, Charismatic and Communist

June 10th:
This is my first act of blogging ever. I'm sitting at the airport in Bangalore, about to descend the Deccan plateau into Kerala. Ben and I spent the last week tromping around Bombay with our friend Namita (anth G1), going to Pune, and then down to Bangalore to talk to some profs and see our friend Anand (anth G2). Bombay was a amazing but so hot I thought my cigarette might light itself through spontaneous combustion. (I tried, it didn't work).

I haven't started shooting yet, but I must say that thus far my biggest regret is turning down an offer to be an extra in a Bollywood film. If that remains my biggest regret, I think I'll be OK.

***later that day, in Kochi, Kerala***
Upon arriving at the homestay where we'll be staying, I began chatting with the owner, and come to find out that he is, and I quote: "Catholic, charismatic, and Communist." Looks like I have my work cut out for me!

June 13th:
We've been making some real progress. And we have to because I only have two more weeks to shoot! Ben and I have been shooting with some fishermen who operate these amazing Chinese fishing nets! They are great, super interesting and speak (a little) english, and they're Catholic. I'm now searching for the golden thread to tie everything together. We're leaving in a fwe minutes to go on a bus to a Charismatic night vigil service somewhere north of here. The Catholics and Charismatics are in abundance, but I'm not sure how they'll take to being filmed... it is a bit of a sensitive issue. I've been making LOADS of contacts for my future research here. I met the mayor and the former mayor (both who happen to be social scientists) and they're very supportive of my plans (as ill defined as they are at the moment).
As far as the structure of the film, I am thinking about following the fish: from the catch (all the fishermen are apparently christian) to the fish market (apparently operated by only Muslims) to the table and (possibly) using this as metaphor for the spread of religion here. not sure, just an infantile idea.
well, I've got to go, I've been enjoying hearing from everyone, and wish you all the best!
Julia and Ben