‘Hell and Back Again’ Nominated for Oscar

I’m happy to write that the Danfung Dennis documentary, ‘Hell and Back Again‘ has recently garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary.

To say that I’m thrilled is a vast understatement.  This film is truly one of the more pressing and important films that I’ve seen in a long time and for my money, is the one war documentary that every American needs to see right now. I think that Dennis says it best when he explains how being a stills photographer for years in Afghanistan just didn’t seem to be having the impact that he was hoping for.  He turned to the film media, feeling that the audiences had become numb to photographs of war and conflict and that they needed something else to be awakened from their slumbers.

Well, my friends, this film is that Awakening.

Coupled with last year’s ‘Restrepo‘, I believe that we have two of the finest war films to have been produced this century.

Good luck to Danfung on February 26th. The world will be watching.

To read about Danfung’s experiences and check out some images, including the camera rig that he built out, go to The Documentary Blog.

Oh, to Be a Revolutionary

Just finished watching the first part to the new Al Jazeera doc, ‘The Long to Tripoli’.  This film follows Libyan businessmen from their lives in London to the war in Libya, as they return to their homeland and join their country’s revolution.

If you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a national headed to the front lines of your country’s revolution, this is pretty much it.  Check it out:

Watch the Bronze Lake Resort Commercial and Doc

Two months ago, Barang Films traveled to Cambodia to produce media content for the Bronze Lake Resort. It was an amazing trip with equally amazing people and just the kind of work and experience that Barang Films excels at: capturing beautiful and transcendent images and out of them, creating stories that translate to people on a universal level.

Thank you goes to Thavy, Keith, Dolla, and everyone else we had the joy of working with at the resort. We look forward to working with you in 2012!

TV SPOT

WEB DOCUMENTARY

Two Barangs go to Bronze Lake

I’ve been back from Cambodia for about four days now.  Jet lag has been kickin’ my butt.  Wide awake and famished at 4 a.m.  Exhausted again by 8 a.m.  Some stomach issues.  Some bouts of anxiety… but I think I’ve a hold of it now!

What an incredibly fun, challenging, draining three weeks it was.  I’m not even sure where to begin; how to succinctly give an idea of just how it went and what everything was like.

But I’ll try…

I guess, for starters, for those who don’t know, my company, Barang Films, was hired by a resort (Bronze Lake Resort) in Cambodia to produce a tv commercial for Cambodian tv, a short web documentary and a full-photographic promotions package.

Ganesha greets you at Bronze Lake Resort

Bronze Lake Resort is a beautifully moving property, of which there is nothing like it in all of Cambodia (perhaps all of SE Asia, for that matter).  It is a place for Cambodians to bring their families for a weekend retreat.  It is also a place for international travelers to explore the Cambodian countryside and experience traditional lifestyle.  For those looking for a little fun and excitement, kids and parents can enjoy the zip lines, water slides, beaches, canoeing, bumper boats and swimming.  For those seeking a little relaxation, Bronze Lake Resort is a place of serenity, where one can unwind in a tranquil one-of-a-kind chalet or any number of rustic cabins on the Chinit River.  It is a place built with two things in mind: (1) a water theme (2) keeping traditional Cambodian heritage intact.  It is a one-of-a-kind resort where traditional Khmer architecture meets fresh modern day ideas.  (You’ll have to wait for the doc piece for more on this!)

My crew consisted of Jack Metier, a friend and colleague, who is a Director of Photography (DP) based out of Denver, Colorado.  I first met Jack here in Portland and worked with him a number of times over the past few years.  Along with a keen eye for composition and a good sense of space, Jack has spent quite a bit of time in developing countries, including Cambodia.  (For me, while one’s ability to work with cameras was obviously important, what also couldn’t be underestimated was one’s experience with traveling and working in developing countries.)

Khmer kids enjoying the end of one of the water slides

 

Phon Kaseka was my translator/fixer for the duration of the shoot.  I had worked with him a number of times in the past, and, for me, he has become not only a great friend, but the “face of Cambodia”, Cambodia’s Everyman, if you will.  (Think Dith Pran from ‘The Killing Fields‘.)

Upon arrival, we hit the proverbial ground running.  After four days doing logistics in the capital city of Phnom Penh – consisting of but not limited to storyboarding, casting, reserving equipment, acclimating to the environment – we headed up north to the province of Kampong Thom where all shooting would take place.

The water slide mountain at Bronze Lake Resort

When we arrived to Bronze Lake Resort, I was immediately struck by two things (1) the changes/additions that had taken place over the course of a year (2) the sheer number of staff (who tirelessly worked from sunup ’til sundown).

We were greeted by Dolla – who shall from this point on be referred to simply as Movie Star – and his family and quickly shown the cabin that Jack and I would be inhabiting for the duration of the shoot.  It was a sparse, but very cute and clean structure on stilts, hovering just feet above a beautiful little pond (complete with a slew of fish, of which would be caught and barbecued for us on our wrap day!).  Other than the occasional scorpion, red ants, or humongous spider, we were pretty much left to ourselves to enjoy the quiet abode that was just a minuscule example of what could be had by coming to a place like Bronze Lake Resort.

Dolla aka Movie Star, architect behind Bronze Lake Resort

We spent the first few days interviewing and following (borderline stalking) Dolla, the chief subject for the web documentary piece.  Dolla is the architect, designer and all-around mastermind behind the resort.  These first few days alone were inspiring on so many levels.  Meeting and hanging with Dolla only served to get me that much more excited about discovering his story and the Bronze Lake story, in general.  I won’t get into it too much here – I’ll save it for the actual doc video – but suffice to say we were not disappointed.  What a lovely man, with an inspiring, heartfelt story.  (Not to mention his hospitality was first-rate!  He was one of the more gracious, helpful people I’ve come across.  And with a wonderful sense of humor, to boot.)

By Day Four, after getting the lay of the land, and shooting material for the documentary, we were mapping out the specifics of our upcoming commercial shoot, which was slated for the weekend.  Storyboards and a ton of camera tests ensued.

Our chief cameras for the duration of the shoot were the SONY EX-1 (complete with Letus adaptor and Zeiss glass), Canon 7D and the GoPro HeroHD.  All, in their own way, proved to be incredibly valuable.  But, I must say, if not for the extensive camera tests that we did beforehand, our commercial shoot days could have been disastrous.  (The short making-of video seen here shows some of how we were working with the cameras, in this case the GoPro.)  Some of the tests that we ran involved camera set-ups for the various zip line and water slide shots.  Bronze Lake Resort, being a heavily-water themed park, was going to require a bit of underwater photography, so we needed to see how we would best shoot that.

Jackie and 'Pran' make the scene come to life

We also shot some footage with the FlipVideo and Nikon D-90 cameras.  Initially, juggling all of these various formats and codecs had our heads spinning (not to mention the added challenge of working with very specific times for electricity), but by the end of the shoot, I think that Jack and I were both veritable Digital Techs!

At this point, the photography work has been completed and delivered, I am currently putting the finishing touches on the 30 second tv spot, and I am now set to begin editing the documentary piece.  As soon as I have something, I will share!  For now, I have this short little video that “highlights” some of our, um, “finer” moments during the shoot.  (All pretty amateurish FlipVideo footage, mind you.) Enjoy!

Lastly, I would like to take a moment to thank Dolla and his family for their incredible hospitality during the two weeks that we inhabited and worked (ie occupied) Bronze Lake Resort.  Dealing with dirty, dusty, demanding “barangs” (foreigners) can be a little taxing at times.  I’d also like to extend deep gratitude to Nhem Thavy, the owner of Bronze Lake Resort and his son Nhem Keith.  The both of them were instrumental in obvious, and sometimes more importantly, not-so-obvious ways.  It is through their support and dedication that a place like Bronze Lake even exists.  Thank you, both of you, for this incredible opportunity to work and experience what you have, and I look forward to working with y’all again sometime real soon!

Barang Films in Cambodia

As of January 26th, Barang Films will be in Cambodia working on a video and photography package for the Bronze Lake Resort.  A 30 second TV commercial, web documentary and comprehensive promotional photo package will all be included in the shoot.

Filming will take place – primarily in Kampong Thom – during the first two weeks of February, with post being done either in Phnom Penh, Cambodia or back in Portland, Oregon.

The American crew consisting of director, Chris G. Parkhurst and director of photography, Jack Metier will return to the States on February 17th.

 

Barang Films Thanks for 2010

What a year it has been for Barang Films, LLC .  A year chock full o’ good and bright things to be thankful for.  Each of the next six days – until the start of the new year – we will be revealing (in no particular order) what and who we were thankful for in 2010.

Here goes:

1- Goats. Families in rural hilltop villages in Nepal have a goat.  So do sustainable city dwellers in Portland, Oregon.  I mean, who doesn’t love a goat?

Copyright Barang Films, LLC ® 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2- Teachers.

3- The word barang. For those who are not in-the-know… now you know.

A barang could never do this

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4- Arcade Fire ‘The Suburbs’.  A potent, wise, heartbreaking album that speaks to a generation – and a moment in history, for that matter -in ways that only the true greats can do.

5- Mothers. Because nothing in this world happens without them.

Copyright Barang Films, LLC ®, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6- NGOs (Non-governmental organizations), humanitarian organizations, and all organizations and people associated with them.  Without you, this world would be a darker place.  But with you, Light shines through even the darkest parts of our planet.

Copyright Barang Films, LLC ®, 2010

Barang Films and Bronze Lake Resort Deal Set

Barang Films will be starting off 2011 on Cambodian soil, as a deal is now in place for the Portland-based production company to produce video and photographic content for the brand new Bronze Lake Resort.

Copyright Bronze Lake®, 2010

The company, who specializes in producing film and video content with documentary storytelling elements, will be responsible for creating a 30 second television ad, a short making-of-documentary for the web site and all photography for their print ad campaign.

Owner and Director, Chris Parkhurst is no stranger to the country, having traveled and worked on multiple projects there since 2006.

“I’m always looking forward to getting back there [Cambodia].  In many ways, it’s become a home away from home for me over the years.  And I believe in the Bronze Lake story and look forward to weaving it into both the tv ad and web piece.”

Copyright Bronze Lake®, 2010

Bronze Lake Resort is located in Kampong Thom province, half-way between the capitol city of Phnom Penh and popular tourist destination Siem Reap, home of the prestigious Angkor Wat temples.

A Tribute to the Fixer

We at Barang Films recently had a screening of the 2009 documentary, Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi, a feature-length documentary that follows the relationship between Afghan interpreter, Ajmal Naqshbandi and his client, American journalist Christian Parenti.

I had been aware of Director Ian Olds’ work since @ 2005, when he released his feature-length documentary, Occupation: Dreamland, a film which really put Olds on the proverbial doc map, but I’d yet to see Fixer until the other night.

I was naturally drawn to the subject matter for a number of reasons.  I’m always a fan of films that delve into the work, both actual and subconscious, of war journalists.  Some of my biggest influences have been fictional characters and real people who photograph and otherwise document the complexities of war.  Henri-Cartier Bresson, Edward R. Murrow, Neil Davis, James Nachtwey, and Christopher Koch’s war photog, Mike Langford, to name a handful.

But behind all of these men and their work was someone, who until now, always seemed to remain unheralded and under appreciated.  But without these persons- known affectionately as fixers, for their abilities to set up clandestine meetings with hard-to-reach subjects in hard-to-reach locales- much of the important work never would have happened.

I’ve managed to work with a few of the finest fixers in the biz, in places like Cambodia (bong, Phon Kaseka!) and Nepal (ramro dai, Thapa Raj Kumar!).  I will forever be indebted not only to their undying and uncanny dedication to their work, but for their constant companionship, sometimes in times of extreme duress (and oftimes, to the detriment of their own family).  One can never underestimate the power of a smiling face or words of reassurance during those tense moments when it becomes abundantly clear that you are far less important than you could have possibly imagined, and far more alone than you could have ever hoped and/or that your only chance for a story (not to mention survival) depended upon this one person; this one person who would never receive the due recognition that they so rightfully deserved.

Until now.  Until The Fixer.

It is The Nation reporter, American Christian Parenti and Afghan fixer, Ajmal Naqshbandi who are at the center of this film.  Some might remember of a couple of years ago when an Italian reporter and Afghan fixer were abducted by members of the Taliban.  An intense number of days ensued, whereby the Italian government pressured the Afghans to make an exchange with the Taliban group, for the release of the reporter and fixer.  The reporter and fixer were freed, and the country of Italy rejoiced.  Unfortunately, and totally unpublicized was the fact that the Afghan fixer (Naqshbandi) was again abducted within hours and once again held for ransom.  Without any more international pressure, and amidst huge controversy within the country, the Afghan government decided not to deal with the Talibans a second time around.  Naqshbandi would pay the ultimate price.

The American, Parenti decides to return to Kabul, to talk to Naqshbandi’s family and friends, to discover how, why and what became of his dear friend.

I found myself deeply affected by this film.  Not only because of the specific subject matter – subject matter, that is quite relateable to the Barang Films family – but because of the great care and beauty which was given to this documentary, by filmmaker Olds.  I was so impressed by much in this exploration, but there was one particular scene in this film, and the fact that Olds chose to include it, that really put this film at the top of the list for me.

Throughout the whole of this film, Olds builds up the incredible relationship that blossoms between Parenti and Naqshbandi.  Much of this story appears to be culled from almost-throwaway video footage, where the two of them are just having conversations, sometimes extremely political, other times quite personal.  The camera work is borderline shoddy, even, but these conversations that take place in vehicles in between locations, really are at the heart of this film.  It is during these moments that the viewer experiences the power of friendship and connection that happens between two people from seemingly opposite ends of the planet and life spectrum.

Olds could have left it at that.  He could have let this be the tale of an incredibly deeply personal, even heartwarming friendship- a friendship that would end in nightmarish, heartwrenching devastation.  Instead, as only the most respected in the film medium can sometimes dare to do, he chooses truth and complexity over simplicity and good feeling.

Through the course of one of these excursions en route to a remote locale, Naqshbandi has an incredible conversation (all in Afghan) to the driver of the vehicle.  In subtitles we discover that Naqshbandi is basically telling the driver that he despises all journalists, as they’re only in his country for exploitative purposes, and that because of this he chooses to basically exploit them.  He even implies that he is only a “friend” to the American because he pays him, and that he hates all those from England, American, Europe alike.

It’s an incredibly jarring moment to be witness to that.  It at least certainly makes one think twice about the reliability of Naqshbandi.  It also makes us wonder about what is real and what isn’t.  Is there a friendship at all?  Or just an impersonal business transaction?  Or maybe it’s somewhere in between; quagmired and deeply embedded in some sort of cynicism that can only be brought about by something like hundreds of years of war.  In the end, Olds leaves it up to the viewer to decide.  It’s a wonderfully appropriate portrayal and a wonderfully complex choice for a filmmaker to make.

I say kudos to Ian Olds.  And I say kudos to all of the fixers around the globe.

You may never truly know of your import.

Date Set for Barang Films Site Launch

Well, after nearly five months of meetings with a business coach, a branding expert and logo/website designer, the new Barang Films website is set to launch on September 28, 2010.  A lot of work, thought, consternation, perspiration, whatever-else-ation has gone into this and I’m incredibly excited to share Barang Films with the world.

Until then, we’re revealing a couple of teasers: the brand new Barang Films logo and a taste of the new website.  We’re also giving you a rare glimpse into some of the process work that went into it.  Special thanks goes to logo and site designer, Jesus Cameron of Goodeye (but more on the genius that is Cameron to come). Enjoy and we’ll see you next Tuesday!

Note: We are working out some development bugs, but should have the site up by October 15th!

James Nachtwey as Inspiration for Us All

Over the years, as I’ve followed my dreams and passions of documentary storytelling – often times into some of the more tragic parts of the globe – I’ve resorted to channeling my inner James Nachtwey for inspiration and insight.  Undoubtedly, many of you are quite familiar with who Nachtwey is.  For those of you who are not familiar with the name, I would argue that there’s a 99.9 % chance that you are familiar with his work.

Since the Vietnam War, Nachtwey’s images of been seen worldwide by Life Magazine, Magnum and CNN (to name a tiny few).  He has covered some of the most known of world events in the past 40 years including Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, Indonesia, Cambodia and Nepal (to name a few).  Christian Frei‘s extremely powerful ‘The War Photographer‘ was a well-known documentary film that was a first-hand account of past and present work, by the man himself.

To say that he has been a Hero and an Inspiration to all cultural, war journalist and humanitarian photographers and filmmakers, would be a vast understatement (bordering on cliche, even!).

I recently viewed his acceptance of the 2007 TED Award (Technology Entertainment Design) and wanted to share it with you:

What do you think of his work?  What about the idea of a documentary photographer?  Are what they (we’re) doing actually making a difference?

I believe that it’s a higher calling and one that is absolutely essential to give witness, give record to world events… so that all may learn from past mistakes and apply to future endeavours.

What do you think?