I love flirting with cities, and I think they love it too. We smile coyly at each other and whisper sweet nothings.
Lennox Fleary - Musician/Community Organize Extraordinaire
Melody George - Filmmaker Extraordinaire
Hiking in Malibu with Lennox, Melody, and Melissa...
And Emily.
I'm still adjusting to LA, but something I've come to realize is that this is the first time in my life I've lived in truly close proximity to the homeless. Don't get me wrong, I grew up in countries where downtown boulevards are crowded with beggars and homeless people. But I also grew up sequestered within the walls of beautiful, western-dominated compounds. Now there are few barriers, and the constant understanding that not much separates me from being in their shoes.
I have always had a curiosity and a sadness about homelessness, and now I find it working itself quietly into the scripts I've been writing, as my mind tries to answer the question that has always been a constant in my life "What's their story?"
Oh, and on a totally unrelated note, I'll have new pictures up soon.
This is why I support Obama...because he inspires his supporters to be knowledgeable.
Found via Jack and Jill Politics.
While I've been missing from this blog, my belief in Barack Obama has definitely solidified...I believe Obama holds the promise of possibility, of opening a door for change; but we have to take advantage of this. If he becomes president and we do not take the opportunity that his outlook and transparency offer, we will share the blame for not having used this chance to change this nation.
This video moved me in a way I haven't been moved in a long time; and I think it represents how Obama has moved many of us in ways no politician in my generation's lifetime has been able to. Enjoy.
Well, a lot of things have changed since I last posted here. I'm going to try to slowly revive this dormant part of my web-routine, because, well...exciting things are happening, and I have thoughts...and would love to hear yours.
I'm finally getting used to writing a script a day for The 365° Experiment, and now that I've gotten better at managing that, I've been able to think about coming back to this cozy corner of the web.
I'll be heading out to LA in about three days to start a whole new part of my life and see if I have what it takes to make it out there in the film industry...and it seems to be where God is pointing. This, admittedly is a big departure from my plans just a month ago, which had me back in Europe by now...but there is a reason this blog is called The Nomad Chronicles.
So, I hope you enjoy the musings to follow as I dive into this crazy adventure.
Peace.
I'd like to introduce everyone to a strange lit,tle project of which I'm a part. On January 1st Eric Watts, an Indiana based writer and I began an experiment, which if successful, will last the entire year. Inspired by the jaw-dropping example of the musician Paleo, who wrote, recorded, and uploaded 365 songs between 2006 and 2007, we are attempting to meet similar goal: to write one script or short story a day for the whole of 2008. We're six days into the madness right now, and though we still haven't gotten all the formatting right (those familiar with screenwriting format will notice right away) I'm proud to introduce The 365° Experiment.
by Leslie Foster
You play, in so many of your movies, these very inspirational figures. And then, in others, of course, you play the bad guy. To what extent do your faith and values play a role in choosing parts?
Even in a role like "Training Day," the first thing I wrote on the script was, "The wages of sin is death." And it was important, actually, for me in making that film. They actually wanted the guy to live at the end. And I said no. I think the only way I could justify him living such an awful life, or living in the worst way, was for him to die in the worst way. I'm always looking for that--for some kind of a message. And sometimes I just choose not to do certain films.
Read the rest of beliefnet's interview with Denzel Washington here.
Washington's belief that every film he does is a ministry may seem like quite a stretch to some. However, we live in a era in which film is our literature, and even in his darkest films, perhaps Washington is doing what Flannery O'Connor did in the mid 20th century or what the book of Judges has done for thousands of years.
They demonstrated truth not by showing the lives of perfect people, but by digging into the hidden darkness of human kind, and through that darkness exposed people to the depths of their own shadows but also to the light that dispels those shadows. To quote O' Connor, "All my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it, but most people think of these stories as hard, hopeless and brutal."
Cross posted at Re-Inventing the Adventist Wheel.
This one's for all you film geeks...it's about time we had another revolution in film. I think this is shaping up to be a truly open-source camera. Enjoy, drool, swoon, here's Red.
Cross-posted from Re-Inventing the Adventist Wheel.
Watching this trailer gave me a severe case of the chills. It created a moment where I had to shake my head and wonder at the emotions that swirled around me. "For The Bible Tells Me So" was released several weeks ago, and I pray that it creates meaningful dialog within the church in general, and the Adventist church specifically. I'm also a little jealous; I would have loved to be involved in the making of the film.
This is a subject that has haunted me for years, from being a teenager who at times questioned his own identity and mouthed the mantra that I loved the sinner, hated the sin; to being a college student whose views got the Humpty Dumpty treatment. I've seen homosexuals in the church treated terribly, heard church members angrily declare that they'd like to kill every single of 'those people' or express their deep hatred of something so different.
The medium of storytelling can change the world, and I hope the stories told in this film change someone. If we as Christians can put as much emphasis in loving, really loving people as we do in following the rest of the law (we forget that love is the beating heart of the law) then the world really will be changed.
Perhaps watching this film will enable some to walk away, not necessarily with changed opinions, but with changed hearts, with the ability to love and respect.
A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington), a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.
I usually don't curse people out...but I feel like doing that right now. If this is what we are coming to in our so-called civilization...I really am at a loss at what to do. Perhaps we're already too late. Maybe it's time to just quit and move out.
This article is not recommended for those of you with faint sensibilities etc.
On the other hand...this is what those of us who still try to hold on to common decency and kindness are up against.
Perhaps this would only make me sink to his level, but if I saw the man pictured above, Mr. Anthony Anderson on the street, I'd be tempted to beat him within an inch of his life. Think that's too drastic...just read the article.
Sigur Ros stars in a beautiful documentary that follows the epic band around their homeland of Iceland.
The last few months have been completely chaotic between music videos and plan changes and getting ready for next year. I just got back from Poland this morning, and I'm hoping that marks a slight slow-down in pace for me and a return to this space...I've missed it quite a bit. I'm thinking of posting a few short stories/screenplays of mine on here every now and then. Any opinions? It wouldn't happen too much, but once in a while I'm in a sharing mood.
On a completely different note...ever do something that made you feel a bit sick for a few hours after you've done it? I had a quease-inducing moment. tedMEDIA has to travel with a lot of extra luggage, and so we usually try to negotiate for a lower price on the overweight baggage. Leaving Poland this morning, I flashed my sweetest smile, flirted, batted my lashes (so on and so forth) and got the price down a good bit. Now I know many airlines give their check-in clerks the freedom to shift the price depending on circumstance, but apparently, this wasn't the case because as I was leaving, the clerk mentioned that she could get into trouble for this. Now obviously she knew this and went ahead with dropping the price, but I don't really care. I will gladly negotiate something if it's in your power to change it; but I never want to convince you to do something you shouldn't be doing, even if that's at a cost to me. I didn't feel great about that.
I discovered this over at Jeffrey Overstreet's blog, and he gives a great commentary that I'd rather avoid stepping on or repeating; but I will say this:
The idea of a daring remake of any classic is exciting to me. Stage plays are re-imagined all the time. Why can't we do the same with films instead of poo-pooing and whining that a good movie should never be revisited?
