It has been a good week. Starting with the Saturday, my friends and family got together for my birthday picnic. Some friends even came down from Norwich and up from Kent. Despite my hayfever kicking up a fuss due to the wind and being constantly preoccupied with being host, it was pretty good. The pass the parcel with photographic prizes went down well. Later moved onto a pub and then to the Arts Theatre Club on Frith St. After a big of boogie went to eat in Chinatown in my old digs. It was raining, we got a cab and got home at 5am. Much money was spent but that was a given. It was great many friends were able to make it. There were many more than couldn’t. So far managed to raise £70 for the earthquake fund.
The next day, a friend of mine helped me buy a memory card New York via telephone from UK, during which another friend was in the actual shop in New York, to pick it up. Complicated but finally got it!
On Tuesday I met with Ma Guihua, a London correspondent for Xinhua newspaper. We had a chat about the differenced between the Chinese and Western media’s and how it related to culture. We spoke of specific events over the last few months. It was really great to be talking about the issues that have concerned me for a while, which started to documentary, and now lead me to speak to- not only a journalist, but a Chinese journalist for Xinhua. Asked if she would be interested in participating she said yes and could also help get interest with her colleagues. After that I went to the Chinese Community Centre to propose a film making workshop for the youth. I grew up at the centre and worked there as an early teen but lost touch for the last 13 years. They have moved premises so far (just down the road) and no one I used to know worked there any more. The youth worker and director were happy I could do them such a service and I was happy that they accepted my proposal. They even asked me to come on the Sunday to a meeting re the summer project, which I haven’t been involved with for about 13 years. It felt really good to be involved with the community again on this end and the new end with Chinese reporters.
Many of the Books about China I ordered arrived this week, which I put on my wish list in April.
The video 8 camera I got from ebay didn’t playback or record. But I am doing some talks in South London schools next week and they gave me a digital 8 camera to use. Luckily, it is a model which plays back video8 so I am using it to make dubs of all the video8 tapes I have from 15 years ago.
Had first new meeting with Tom for the Norway section in a month. We looked at the video recce and it was a good start to getting a feel for the lake cabin. He gave me a birthday present. It was a directors viewfinder. Best present I have gotten since I don’t know when. I am so chuffed I have attached a photo of it!
Photos from party…
L- R, Cat, me, Audrey
Tim, Wei Yee
Pui Ying, who I've known for about 15 years and her husband, William
Wei Yee, Jasmin, Roland, Anton, Azahara, me playing music from mobile phone
Wei Yee, who I've known since university, about 11 years
Me, Cat from Rochester, Dear from Norwich, Tim
Dream, me, Cat
Dear and Dream. The silent sisters.
My new Viewfinder.
Photos by Dream and Dear and myself.
- J
Yesterday evening I went to a Vigil (organized by SOAS) where 200 students attended. A few people spoke during the vigil. I think he was the head of Chinese students unions spoke first. His voice always on the verge of breaking, holding back the emotions. A woman who i think was from Chengdu spoke of friends and family in the affected area. Two girls, i think were sisters read an poem. All were holding back emotions, emotions i felt during this week. I am partly glad i could only understand about a 5th of what they were saying, as shooting the event would have made it very difficult for me. I was already feeling heavy when they spoke with such gravity and heart rendering openness.
Students placed candles and flowers around the 'china made from candles'. The man who spoke approached me with a little scepticism and ask me what i was shooting for as everyone else i presumed was accounted for (the two Chinese news channels). I began to speak to one journalism student and then her friend who i ended up starting to make friends with. She happen to know a lot of people including the head of student union and the editor of Phoenix TV (Chinese TV in Europe). She is also making a documentary. So I happened upon a nice person and excellent contact. I also met a friend of hers who is the festival director of Filming East Festival (http://www.filmingeast.org/).
Hearing the people speak, the turn out, the friendly (some, not all) faces made me feel part of something again. Similar to what i felt in the protests a few weeks ago. But i think these contacts are solid.
But most importantly, it help me, through being close to these Chinese people from China, feel able and strong to continue to have a daily meaningful discourse, communication, understanding and the perseverance of spirit. Because this is what we have to do for our people who are suffering so far away.
Images from vigil and other recent events:
http://www.busstrikeproductions.co.uk/pages/headings/blog/central_nation_blog.html
- J
Although i should be paying more attention to the aftermath of the earthquake news on both the Hong Kong and Chinese news, I seemed to have stayed away a little. Partly because I have been busy doing things the last few days. But partly because I feel the overwhelming sense of indignation, sadness, anger, grief and insanity in the affected areas that I do not want it in my face all the time as it is already in my heart and mind so much. I have a sense of uselessness.
Having been to China, though not to the Sichuan and surrounding provinces, and being Chinese myself, it almost can feel like 20,000 members of your extended family died. The 5 million who are homeless (nearly the population of London) and the 100,000 who are missing, are suffering. The sheer numbers is something that living in modern western nations simply find impossible to comprehend. What one can do is imagine a loved one has died, perhaps it is your only child, and imagine it's basically everyone in your borough. 20,000. Comprehend those numbers of individuals. I see it rising to 50,000. It's unbearable to think about all those dead people who had so much to live for. But i must get my head around it.
- J
Finished the first three days off shooting the S16 feature, Tidal Barrier. On the second day it was my 33rd birthday. The crew brought me a a surprise cake. On the third day, the earthquake in China happened. I keep on thinking about all the parents of the children and adults who have died who were under 30. Because anyone under 30 is an only child.
- J
L- R, Cat, me, Audrey
Tim, Wei Yee
Pui Ying, who I've known for about 15 years and her husband, William
Wei Yee, Jasmin, Roland, Anton, Azahara, me playing music from mobile phone
Wei Yee, who I've known since university, about 11 years
Me, Cat from Rochester, Dear from Norwich, Tim
Dream, me, Cat
Dear and Dream. The silent sisters.
My new Viewfinder.
