Cysfilm

INDENTURED premiere at the UNAFF

The United Nations Association Film Fest just released it’s official schedule. The lineup looks great. I’m excited Indentured will premiere at the festival and also excited to (try to) visit the d.school at Stanford. They do a lot of very interesting design projects many of which serve people in developing countries. Every time I see one of their agriculture projects I think of Chatwa, the farmer in Bush League. He’s such a great farmer and I’m dying to see what he can do with new and better technology.

A Good Article for Doc Filmmakers

Got this article about the use of social media for doc films from Art at New Media Rights a few minutes ago. It’s a great reminder of all the things happening out there.

Unpacking Bush League

The worst thing about finishing Bush League is knowing 98% of the footage will never be seen so over the next few weeks (months) I’ll to pull out and post a few things that work independently. Below are three more songs from one of the church choirs in Zolokere. I posted one song from this group a few years ago and it got a really strong response, I just didn’t have time to get these others sorted out, but here they are. In addition to the music, I got a kick out of the little boy in the pink shirt:

Marketing: A Totally Serious Film About Malawi

Let’s see, how can I explain this?

Bush League is a totally serious film about Malawi but that doesn’t mean much to a lot of people and I understand why – it looks like a niche film. If you’re already passionate about Africa or soccer than you’re probably already game but how can I appeal to everyone else?

Since I’ve been relentlessly flogging those dearest to me with heavy subject matter for years now, I saw this problem of appeal as a chance to lighten up for a moment. So I started my first ad campaign as far away from the seriousness and integrity of Bush League as I could. In short – I’m ripping off old movies that share nothing in common with my work and co-opting the imagery toward my own ham fisted ends.

Here’s the first one. I hope to make a few more. The ad is totally ridiculous but Bush League will remain a totally serious film about Malawi that I hope you’ll watch. Enjoy:

Welcome back

Hi everyone, welcome back to cysfilm. It’s alive! Kind of!

I took a big break from the blog to finish editing Bush League and to think about how I can be better at all of this. To start with, I wanted to redesign the site so it looked a little more professional but also so it could support more. Many thanks to my fellow CalArtian Stephanie Chen for the clean new design and to Jay Tillery who is programming it.

The site should be finished in the coming weeks so please come back soon for updates on Bush League and Indentured, which both premiere this October. Beyond that, I’m going to try and be a better blogger by being more concise and reaching out to interview other filmmakers and tell stories other than my own. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me if there is something you’d like more or less of. I realize my name is on the front door but I’d like everyone to feel at home here.

Thanks again,
Cy

Taking a Break

This is a photo I took on my last flight out of Iraq. I’m still so tired it’s scary. I’ve never felt like this before, I can sleep and sleep and sleep.

I’m going to lay off the blog for a while. I need to rest and concentrate on Bush League. See you soon.

Home

Back in the U.S. now. Feels great to be home. The trip to Israel was great. I managed to find two survivors from Kupiskis who I interviewed. The stories are powerful.

These photos are from Masada. That’s Israeli filmmaker Yaniv Berman and his little brother on the trail.

Drinking the Tigris: Last Drink

last morning in Iraq

Iraq is behind me for good. I flew out to Jordan then traveled by taxi to the Israeli border and then caught a ride down to Tel Aviv. It feels wonderful to know it’s behind me. I’m staying in Israel for two weeks relaxing but also to interview anyone I can find from the Litvak community. In 2005 I started shooting a doc in Lithuania about the Jewish holocaust there. Like Bush League, I want to do a village level survey of what happened. I’m trying to find survivors from Kupiskis (where I worked as a Peace Corps volunteer) here in Israel. I got some numbers and contacts, we’ll see what happens. Bush League is my real focus right now but I couldn’t pass up the chance since I was so close to Israel.

Drinking the Tigris: Final Reminder

If I needed any reminders of why I’m leaving Iraq this Sunday, I got them this week. Two nights ago our area was hit with a rocket; big one that landed somewhere just outside the base parameter. It’s been more than six months since we had incoming. Took me a second to register it, then bail for the shelter. It was only one shot, but a thumper.

Tonight is a bad dust storm. Kind of a mix really. A tiny bit of rain mixed with fog and loads of dust. With these storms comes gooey eyeballs, allergies, headaches, and massive delays and cancellations of flights, so the whole rhythm of the air port goes to pot. It’s a great time to get out.

Drinking the Tigris: Local Music

Sometimes the only thing I can do to remind myself that I’m in Iraq is turn on the radio. I’m buried deep inside a military complex outside the city. I could be anywhere. The only thing that makes it through to me are the radio stations. Here’s a link to an Iraqi hit song posted by the NY Times Baghdad Bureau. The song is by Hussam al-Rassam.

http://podcasts.nytimes.com/podcasts/2009/01/22/23rassam.mp3

The lyrics are:

“Hey brother hand me the Brno (Czech made rifle).

I want to fire some shots.

The eyes of my beloved have cast a spell on me.

I am on fire.

Her stare is more precise and lethal than the Brno.

Mr. GMC driver take me to Ramadi, my beloved is in Ramadi.

All men tumble to the wayside with a blink from her eyes.

When she stares at you it feels like being fired at with a machine gun.

You do not know where you are going to be hit.

She’s lethal.”

The GMC is a reference to the armored Suburbans which are a ubiquitous status symbol in Iraq.

The origional piece at NYTimes Baghdad Bureau:

http://baghdadbureau.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/suvs-and-shotguns/#