Glimpse of Hope in Blood Alley

Can a living wall or a community garden change something in Vancouver downtown east side?

Blood alley, syringes, needles, shakes, poverty, drug dealing, petty crimes, marginilized populations… unfortunately these are many of the stereotypes and ideas that come as one pronounces the words Vancouver Downtown Eastside, Hastings and Blood alley. Nevertheless, being in blood alley while doing some of the shootings for this film one has to accept that some of the stereotypes and ideas exist for a reason. Then I asked my self why? Being from Colombia i come to realize that some, if not most of these drugs, come probably from my home country. The same drugs used to disrupt a whole country into cocaine wars, violent guerrillas and corrupt governments, supported by drug money, are literally the same drugs used to fragment the Afro-American movement, the same drugs used to keep revolutionary artists and margnilized populations into check from ever disturbing the Status Quo. These are the same drugs, probably, that I have seen in my home country 10 years before when I was a young teenager looking for my place into this jungle like society, the same drugs so many young people got lost in the neighborhood I grew up, the same drugs and their effects i was seeing in the downtown east side.

Being a volunteer in the downtown east side in the creation of a living wall and a community garden has brought to my awareness how everything is connected in such stringent ways. It pains me to see how i am still unable to fully connect with these populations, how i have built stereotypes and ideas of themselves where i can interact with them freely and more humanely. It is all an interesting experience to be there trying to find out how to constructively contribute my 2cents. This film records some of that process, as I walk into the alley behind the camera & Roxana.

It is what it is, i suppose. It can be better. I was at the Vancouver Community Court on Wednesday as a guest with a conflict resolution class at SFU. The court house is specifically dedicated to work with what is called “prolific offenders”. Prolific offenders are people who continuously fall back into the legal system as they keep “breaking the law”. I was expecting to see hardcore drug dealers, gangsters and pimps but this was not the case. I saw the byproducts of a dysfunctional society, I saw drug addicts, people with mental health issues, poor people… someone stole a sandwich, the other a plant, the other one threw a napkin holder to a person… this was called an assault… the other was charged for possession of drugs. All of them living in the downtown east side or homeless, all of the with the meager look of utter poverty, some of them with the shakes and slow movement that follow years and years of abusing drugs. Is jail the answer for these individuals? The downtown community court intends to stand for more constructive alternatives to time in prison. But will community work help this individual, will being banned from Openheimer park or a certain place help this individual with being homeless or an addiction problem. Not really.

Maybe a community garden may offer more to this individual. A tomato, a potato, or a green onion may bring a different sort of mind rewiring where the individual may feel empower slowly to grow his/her own food, to protect the garden, the spend time doing activities which they can interact more constructively as a community, where they can put their hands in the dirt and see something beautiful grow our of it. I am not sure. Am a being naive? perhaps. But there is hope in thinking of a green, organic, colorful blood alley, it is not the solution, but it is definitely, in my opinion,  part of one.

Vancouver from the Bicycle… my bicycle

This is my bicycle manifesto, it is my statement a case for riding a bicycle instead of a car.

We live in an Era of machinistic dominance, times of utter industrial pollution, unsustainable city development, concrete and synthetic based metropolis. The bicycle stands as an icon to reclaim physical, mental and spiritual autonomy. It will get you out of the gas polluting vehicle, away from the couch and the stupifier tv, it will get your adrenaline pumping, your cardio working, your legs strenghtened and your weight on check. It will keep you away from smoking as you commute, it will give you better sleep, make your early commuting exciting, it will make you hate the rain, the hills, aggressive drivers and big vehicles. It will show you well your day to day fitness, it will remind you when you need to take more care of your body, sleep more or eat less.

The bicycle is the proletariat chariot of the 21st century, it is community, diversity, self-exploration, speed, style and revolution. It offers an alternative to face climate change, the oil crisis, it offers a different way or rethinking inner city development and commuting routes. There are about 52 bicycling communities and subcultures in vancouver raging from commuters to extreme mountain bikers, from world naked bike ride activist against climate change to velo-mutation shows of 3 bike high monsters with fire turbines, there are bike co-ops, coallitions, clubs, speed demons, tin collectors, rat alley racers, film makers and more.

If you dont ride a bicycle it is time to reconsider riding one, for the sake of the environment, for the well being of your body, for the health of your mind, in the spirit of revolution, the proletariat and building a progressive community.

Sofia Coppola… Language and Lost in Translation

The German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein philosopher expressed once “the limits of my language mean the limits of my world” or was it “the limits of my language are the limits of my world”. Analyzing the English translation one could see how the difference becomes a powerful one whether the verb to mean or to be is used in the sentence. Whether to mean something is different to be something is completely dependent to the judgement of a third observer who judges what it “really is” from what it “means to be”. Yet the third observer is also a subjective being who means to judge objectively but more often than not fails to do so. Is there a difference then in what we mean to be and what we are? The obvious answer is yes, a simple reality check will demonstrate concrete results of this odd disparity which linguistically seems so paradoxical. T.S. Eliot coined well in one “is impossible to say just what I mean!”, one seems to have to “dislocate language into meaning” in an attempt to communicate. Nevertheless it is worth mentioning that, in order to dislocate language into meaning, Eliot did well as he came up with such a meaningful-meaningless piece of work such as the Waste Land. A bunch of beautiful non-sense (and actually one of my favorite poems). Someone who complements these oddities in our failed ways to communicate (and therefore understand ourselves) Edward Morgan Forster foreplays with the  the problem that arises in language and cross-cultural barriers. In passage to India Forster contemplates an intercultural exchange between the British and the Indian. Not surprisingly, when the cultural and linguistic degrees of separation between two peoples are so brutally coerced together, the limits of one’s language and “one’s culture” become the limits of one’s world and tragic conflict seems inevitable regardless of the intentions. Further complementing the exploration of language, culture and translation, in his short story The Machine Stops, Forster looks at the future in a way that no new knowledge is created but there are only new interpretations of interpretations of the old written works. Imagine doing a Ph.D. on an interpretation of Foucault’s analysis on Descartes Reflection on Aristotle’s manuscript on Homer’s descriptions of Ancient Greek Mythology. An interpretation on an analysis of a reflection on a manuscript of a description. An absurd paper, which actually… It almost makes sense. We are in many ways that interpretation of history and time, we live somewhat with all those notions accumulated and distorted through the years… we still earn for meaning and look for it in those works of works. Language is indeed powerful but is not solely the written language what is necessary to convey meaning from a simple “to-mean” to just “be”. Drool, I just cant say what i mean.

Here is where the technological revolution and Sofia Coppola come handy. It is sometimes a matter of gender to see things more clearly through the eye of the view finder in order to translate it properly into the screen for the observer. Coppola, born in New York, is one of the three women who have been given the “academy award for directing” for her movie lost in translation. Simply put, the movie is real. It flirts with language barriers, cultural barriers, disclosure and rapport, intimate communication and marriage, the film industry, the price of fame, philosophy and education, family and children, being human, love and Tokyo. Even better, after dealing with all this, the film is not heavy… it is actually quite a beautiful piece of work. What Coppola communicates through the screen was put together by a huge crew under her direction. It is a fictional 102 minute book presenting a non-fictional world through a fictional tale. In my opinion, it does not only mean to present a glimpse into human nature, it actually does. It is rare to see reality through film since fiction is anything but real, and reality is anything but fantasy, and mixing the real and fantasy becomes science fiction… and we do live in science fictional times. It is alarming to find out slowly how bias and “dishonest” many documentaries are. Not to mention mainstream news channels, newspapers, the radio and our politicians. Reality is distorted in everyday and we keep on going with this distorted influx of broken telephone chain information coming to us for no real reason. How to mix then the fictitious with the non-fictitious to find the proper harmony? How to create an audiovisual language strong enough to inspire others to simply live? Film is quite a recent discovery, it brings a new dimension to education and culture which is often ignored. It may be that the books of tomorrow will be films being shown on podcasts we watch as we go down bicycling trains fueled by strong solar energy and happy legs. Until then, i am stock with Coppola’s work in my mind as i cant re-conciliate sleepiness to find the courage to dive into what dreams may come. The feminist eye directing the focus pull of the view finder definitely brings a new spectrum of emotions and sensations to the screen, which for me, I found more real. Time and the third observer will judge if the “limits of this language are the limits of my world”, but my world just got a bit wider thanks to Coppola, amazing actors and a cool crew.

After participating in a Lacanian reading group today, I have revisited the realms of psychoanalysis, Freud, Jung and Lacan. Something sort of came out clearer in my understanding of film. Film requires the imaginary to become symbolic. In other words, the written (the script) is a symbolic translation from the writer’s imagination, then the director reads it, imagines it again, somewhat differently, and gets a crew whom he believes will be able to deliver this imaginary film into reality. Then actors, DOP, make up artists, grips, gaffers, producers, editors and assistants plus many other people, hold the creation of the film is being put together. The language becomes by far more complex in film that it is in a book. A film is sort of a book written directly by a crew of 5 – 100 people or even more. Everyone puts a little piece of their craft into the film so it becomes what the spectator makes of it. But maybe, i am just getting things wrong. I could assume writing a book is nothing more but the compilation of many memories and experiences therefore being the same of a film… it is not really about the writer, it is about 5-100 people who interacted or wrote stuff which became influential in the writers work. However, since film is by far more complex as it involves no only a written story, but also music, acting, scenery, a story… and a budget followed by many constrains (time being primordial)… it is astounding to think how movies how lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola, came to emanate  such an amazing experience with many viewers, and yet the film is so simple and light.

Aristotle: On Interpretation

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/a/aristotle/interpretation/

Plato: Phaedrus

http://files.libertyfund.org/files/111/0131-01_Bk.pdf

Velo-city: the two wheel revolution!

 

 

It has been said that Vancouver is a town where bicycles are slowly taking over as the predominant cultural and fashionable mode of transportation. Today, the Burrard bridge open a project in which one of its car lanes became exclusively a lane for bicycles. With media ranging from the local news, CBC and Alternative Media, the coverage on the firs official day of the bridge became a success as many groups of commuters got together and decided to ride their bikes the long way to work through the bridge. Momentum 40 ”the magazine for self-propelled people” promoted a launch party and a picnick at a Vernier park, which the turned out was quite impressive. The Vancouver Museum launched the movie triplets of Belleville…

and the Vancouver Area Biking Coalition provided flyers and cake for everyone to enjoy. Being a new come to Vancouver, i still a little overwhelmed by the amount of passion, movement and energy that has been put into this progressive movement towards a Velo-City. As i follow all the interesting moves arround this city and its passionate bicycling culture, i learn about myself, the community, bicycles and film.

This is a piece for my new short film on bicycling culture… it was amazing seeing 2000+ people taking over the main streets of Vancouver downtown. It was interesting seeing the passion and the “riot”. It happens every last friday of the month, a critical mass which never surpassed 100 in my university town in Ontario, here goes by the thousands, painted bodies, music, velo-mutations and more. I am happy to be here. Also, the museum of Vancouver is still presenting Velo-City, featuring films of Vancouver bicycling culture as well as the movements and gadgets, all from the local scene. The activism, the culture, the sport, the lifestyle and its revolution. Time to consider more strongly grabbing a bicycle and leaving that nasty environmental unfriendly car.

Brocha II: Liking the edits… go Green!

I actually like this edit better, i think it is quite interesting how music can be mixed with some film cuts (need to get my own music). It is an interesting way to put together an easy piece to feel quite relaxed to. As i said before, painting “stuff” green just seems right, it is a color of paint we are much needing in the world. More interesting stuff coming up soon… I just learned how to post properly on youtube, it took some reading and getting use to Compressor software. Go Green!!!

Brocha I: learning the edits

I love the art of painting. Although i have painted few times in my life, there is something almost metaphysical about splashing color into a surface which will never be the same. Painting to music is even better, painting with a loved one on a canvas after while disinhibiting each other in the process of creation, is the most meaningful experience one could share with a paintbrush. This is my second filming and editting exercise, i have enjoyed its filming as much as I enjoyed the editting and i have done two versions of the editting with different music in the background. Although the music may be too much for some people as it is too good for the clip’s theme, i enjoy watching the brush everytime under that tune, and I still think is proper… at least for me (smiles).

Imagine: The Weather Underground

imagine for a second that you are in the sixties,

imagine that the Vietnam War is happening and the world is going into Chaos,

that people are being killed in a foreign country and soldiers are being shipped in caskets,

imagine the Cold War, Communism, Cuba and nuclear missils in the verge of a holocaust

imagine the Civil Rights movement, the Feminist Movemement, the GLTBQ liberation front,

the re-awekening of first nations… imagine

What would you have done being young and smart as you are?

imagine all this… and then you realize you dont have to imagine it,

it is still happening, today, as we speak,

and it will probably get worse…

you must do something about it.

This film i find very relevant to the process of understanding the potential of human beings as these young idealists did unthinkable radical actions in the U.S. and made an important breakthrough in my mind, after watching this film. They did the unthinkable in an unthinkable place, during rough times. Imagine… what we could do today, in these unthinkable places, during these really rough times… it is amazing.

Documentary Film, Sharks and Dolphins… Action!

Two recent documentary films show how the current times demand action from the media and the general public to change the situation some species are facing. These are films one must see and consider seriously when it comes in how media can become a very powerful resource for change.

THE COVE

SHARKWATER

Letters to the President Ahmadinejad Iran documentary film

Letters to the President Ahmadinejad Iran documentary film

This is a really interesting documentary coming out on Iranian president Ahmadinejad. The film directed by Petr Lom seems it is going to be a controversial peace, as he seems to have shot the side “allowed to be shown”. Lom, interviewed this morning in CBC, seems to have been granted full access to film. A strange privilege for documentary film making in Iran today. Hopefully this film will reveal some insight about Iran.

PEDICURE: Experimental

Music: Le Tigre, Deceptacon.

There were an Italian, a Vietnamese and a Camera Crew who never had been out in-front of the real world trying to film something as it happens, sort of vérité fashion. It was a learning experience the planning, the shooting, the reviewing… but most of all, the editing. How to make an awkward pedicure missing shots between the scenes look good? The answer: Make it visually appealing. T.V. by far reaches the conclusions of the experimental pedicure exercise. It gives a lot of flashy visual displays with very little content. It was a clear lesson that if the content can not be appealing, better dope the audience with effects and easy going material. Yet, the art of a documentarists development is to find the craftsmanship of making the documentary visually appealing, but complementing a content deep enough and strong enough to engage the viewer through its language into progressive action.