Reactable

This is Reactable.

It is a cheap music machine that can be built from home electronics (a projector, a video camera, some frosted glass) and software allowing movements, visuals and music to blend into one medium.



My main reason why I want to take these people to the event in Botkyrka is that I want to try out the table myself. I don't know how these guys see themselves but someone should tell them... They are not a band - they are the inventors of the coolest electronic socializing/music game ever. Fuck guitar hero... Imagine being like 8 people around a table like this one, or if the bar you went to had tables like this and the glasses that you drank from had symbols in the bottom so that every person with a glass got a piece to controll and add to the music.

Getting Things Done

I've been doing the documentation for a producer and project management course that my friend Samuel is hosting. Last weekend Mattias Schain facilitated a workshop based on Getting Things Done. We started playing around with the camera and in this video he shows how to organize a workspace.


Find more videos like this on Fanzingo forum

Keynote by MAD

Old but funny.

Jonas Bacardi Werner

A couple of weeks ago I took care of Marta, Luis and Facundo when they visited Stockholm on their Bacardi-sponsored trip from Barcelona to Murmansk. I took them out to the circus school in Botkyrka. I think Marta had to face some of her fears but I think we all had loads fun playing around with trapeze, acrobatics and the training equipment.I sure know I did.



...and the dinner at Landet afterwards was fuckin' amazing. And having JoseFin and Fritte next to me at the table was even better than the food.

Aching Heart - Det svider i hjärtat

Friday is the opening night for "Det svider i hjärtat" a documentary by Swedish film maker Oscar Hedin. LaikaFilm presents the film with the following text... (swedish

In 2005, Bosnian police raided a flat in Sarajevo, which was occupied by two suspected suicide bombers. Two young men were apprehended: Mirsad and Cesur, one from the small town of Kungälv outside Gothenburg, the other from the suburb Bröndby in Copenhagen. They had recorded a video with a farewell message. They were in possession of explosives and suicide belts. Both were sentenced to long-term imprisonment.

The media has approached this problem using simple generalisations and intellectual explanations. In filming the radical milieu for over three years, the documentary filmmaker Oscar Hedin entered a world behind the news headlines and found several young men who were seeking martyrdom - and he found new explanations.

The evangelium of the microprojector

There is one gadget I've been waiting for and talking about for ages. A projector small enough to fit in you cell phone. A company called microvision claims they will have it ready for christmas 2008.

Domino Danceing - All falls down

Prussian Blue

Daniel just told me he had been watching a documentary about the nazi-equivalent of The Olsen twins. Just found a clip from it on You Tube. Don't miss it.

Yeikes!

Missing school

Riding in the car with a friend we had a long chat about what it's been like since graduation. And to be honest, it's been really weird, and more so the last few weeks. It is now September and I am fuckin' restless... One day totally hyperactive, the next I can't even get my ass out of bed.

But it's not that weird. I am going through a huge change. For the last 22 years these weeks, at the end of August, have been the time to start school... SINCE PRIMARY SCHOOL, through high-shcool, Awatapu College, military, university and last but not least the KaosPilots.

So no wonder I feel like buying books and getting a new school bag. That's what I've been doing at this time of year since I was seven! Well, I won't rant about what that means to me but instead share a part of what a good friend wrote in the first e-mail she wrote me since she started Team 14 at the KaosPilots. (In swedish, sorry..)

"...tänkte avsluta med att berätta om gårdagens stora välkomstfest som anordnades av team 13. Fan det var det roligast arrangemang jag settpå länge. Dom tar in vårt team i ett rum när vi så sakteliga närmar oss skolan. Vi får en massa champange och huttar whiskey. Sedan ropar dom upp oss en och en att vi ska gå genom en dörr, helt ovetandes går jag in, blir krigsmålad med rosa kroppsfärg och pyntad med stora blommor i håret. Sedan går jag fram till ett draperi där jag får förklarat för mig att jag måste krypa i slutet av tunneln… well tänkte jag, så jag började krypa, and little did I know, jag kommer fram i ett litet hål där står två personer från team 13 i vita rockar och drar fram mig. När jag kommer ut där står alla på skolan och skriker och tjoar, det var energi till taket i rummet och jag blir presenterad. Jag går sedan bort till mitt team och upptäcker att vi blir alla framdragna i en gigantisk vagina, jepp dom förlöste oss. Jag skrattade så jag höll på att dö när jag såg allas miner. Fan vi såg så överraskade ut när vi kröp fram i tunneln. Helt oslagbart! Sedan dansade jag mig svettig och lycklig i fyra timmar…"

That's what I want this time of year!

I can't believe my friends from school actually had the new students comming out of a huge vagina. Team 13 - You guys rock!

It makes me happy, proud and absolutely convinced that I will need to return to our fantastic backyard in Aarhus soon... :)

Party in Malmö

Following our roadtrip to Malmö/Copenhagen Henrik, me and some other friends went to a backyard party. It rocked and at 7 in the morning we were still dancing. I thought I remembered most of the stuff that happened until henrik sent me this video. ...yupp its me...

Art of the day

When I was in New York in April I was staying with Tracy for a couple of weeks. On the last day I started talking to Jonathan one of the neighbours. We said we'd go for a beer and he later wrote me an e-mail asking if I wanted to go to see a band in which one of his friends were playing. I had already gone back to Stockholm and was to psyched out about work to reply.

Today I found a folded pink sticky-note with his phone number and the address to his website. I checked it out and found a video he made featuring the band we were going to go see (My best fiend). It is a cool video... I also really liked some of the pics (nude ladies always get me). Jonathan's website became my Art experience of the day. I wrote him an e-mail and said thank you.

(If you click the right side of his face you get to see the video with the band... )

Photo recap

My camera has been out of order since April but I borrowed one and took some pictures... here is a quick recap of what I've been up to... enjoy.

The candidates issue by issue...

This American Life

Last night after we got back from the country side and an awesome weekend me and Henrik went for a walk. We passed the hang-out called "special cliff" and the reggae café before meeting Frank, Agnes Lo and Nikolaj. We hung out and drank some wine with them on one of the little jetties. It became a great evening of everyone telling their own real life stories... I suppose that it was our shared liking of great real-life stories that led Agnes Lo to recomend "This American Life" to all of us.

Hans Rosling on stage!

I just saw Hans Rosling's presentation on TED 2007... the man is as brilliant as always but funnier than ever. Check this dude out, listen to the facts and what ever you do don't miss the finale...

Berlitz learn a language

The people who make the Berlitz add should be awarded with a pulitzer... or a Berlitzer or something...



oh and yes... also check out Kanye Wests new video...




(thanks Jo for showing me both of these..)

A tube of Bergman

Ingmar Bergman died yesterday and journalists have been hunting down everyone who has ever worked with or fucked him. His relation to women is famous/notorious. It is amazing to hear all the women he worked with explaining what he did for them... - I am so grateful to have known him.... - He saw me and made me see myself... One actress confessed to greedy thoughts. - All the things I never asked him... etc. etc.

The Swiss-born psychiatrist Helen Kübler-Ross has designed a model to explain the human reaction to death in five stages...

1. Denial : The initial stage: "It can't be happening."
2. Anger : "Why ME? It's not fair?!" (either referring to God, oneself, or anybody perceived, rightly or wrongly, as "responsible")
3. Bargaining : "Just let me live to see my son graduate."
4. Depression : "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"
5. Acceptance : "It's going to be OK."

(from wikipedia)

I don't know if the Kübler-Ross model can explain anything about how a human collective reacts to death but I have feeling that the Swedish reaction to Bergmans death primarily is a greedy one... sort of similar to the human reaction to the death of a tube of toothpaste. - Oh no you don't! There is still some useful stuff in there...

Graduation: Check! --> Norway here I come!

After handing in a not-quite-finnished written presentation after the deadline I was far from sure that I would actually pass.... Sure there were good things about the report... like the cool frontpage logo that Abbas made and some chapters were cool, but I had a strong feeling that it didn't really make sense to some one who knew nothing about the project.

I was tired as shit when I returned to Aarhus and I had to search deep inside to find the last bit of energy that could push me over the finishing line - presenting the project to a three-person panel consisting of Paul Natorp (The teacher who has followed my project and head of studies at the KaosPilots), Nanna (Knows the KaosPilot stuff) and Karen Thomsen (Executive producer at Nordisk Film the biggest production company in Scandinavia)

(Thank you/jo for the picture..)

I found the energy, and I made a great presentation. The prototype of the strategy tool I had developed turned out really nice (the colorful stuff on the right) and I had models and stuff covering the whole wall behind me which worked really well. I presented freely without any written stuff in my hands. And listened carefully to the questions before answering.

Half way through the Q&A-session I started to feel I had done well. The questions showed that they had understood everything and that they were convinced about the quality of my work. So, I started relaxing. Relaxing from a month of really hard preassure. I had worked all the way through the night before the presentation and I suppose my eyes were in need of some lubrication... So when i got a question about what I was proud of... well, I started crying. Sobbing I managed to say: - That I didn't give up. I started laughing at my own crying and my three censors offered me water which I accepted.

After my presentation and the questions I sat down out on the terrace with some of my team mates. Paul, Nanna and Karen seemed to have a lot to discuss because it took them an hour and a half to write the feed-back and decide on a grade. I got a 10 on the wierd Danish 13-scale (where 13 represents "reinventing the field", 12 does not exist and there are five levels of failing). So, ten is good, and considering that I thought I'd flunk only a few weeks earlier it is really great.

After giving me the grade I got a question that really surprised me: - What happened to Chelsea? I told them that she is coming to Stockholm in August. Before leaving Karen Thomsen gave me her card and said: - Have a great summer holiday and call me when you are back at work.

Wednesday I am doing a workshop about Interactivity and Public Journalism at NRK in Oslo.

Nike

For the past year I have been following one of my good KP-friends from a distance. Nike decided to go to Kenya after her KaosPilot graduation and has been working with Masai. My team-mate Emil has just been there with her for four months developing a business education programme for people without business experience. Here is a short film about Nike and her life in Kenya.

Ika i rutan

Summary in English:
Today I was reminded about a really wierd Swedish Childrens show. This episode is about being bad.

Vaknade och slog på musik på Linus dator. På skärmen var ett Wikipediafönster om Ika i rutan. Uppenbarligen är det minst en person mer än jag som kommer ihåg Ika Nord och hennes tv-program.

Och det fanns länkar till klipp!




Skönt att veta att hon följt med in i Youtube-eran.

Slides...

Powerpoints with a point?

Great lake sinner

Went to Jonas Joelssons b-day party. Woke up in Abbas' sofa, hung out and had pizza.Went with Leenus to see Great Lake Swimmers at Berns, then to dance to Ellas hottest electro tracks at Olsons and then to Spyan... Dude I've got to relax or I'll be relaxed out.

Watch Chat The Planet

Have a look at the tv-show I'm working with.

Second Breakfast

Some one once asked me what my favourite meal in the day was.

That time I wasn't sure.

To tell you the truth I gave up after intense inner monlogue debating (good) breakfast v.s. (good) brunch.

This morning I invented a new competitor.

Second Breakfast.

I think it's a winner.

Rapport från Transit, Telefonplan, Stockholm

Sorry people, this thing is in Swedish... but click on the first link if you want super-disco-dancefloor-electro. Click the second one if you wanna practise your swedish.

okej, asså jag har suttit och skrivit om mitt avgångsprojekt dygnet runt i en vecka och har rockat Krazy fiesta som soundtrack of workoholism. Det sjuka är att dom håller! ...jag sitter här från morronen, hela dagen, hela nätterna. Skriver, lyssnar och när den spelar Watch your Step känner jag efter om jag är hungrig, behöver mer kaffe eller ska ta en nicco-paus. Gör det jag behöver och fortsätter. Fick tipset från da fashionmuslimettes ...stay hot.

T11 Workin' their asses off --> Beach 2007 looks promising

There are only four days left until Team11 is supposed to be handing in our individual final exams. All over Scandinavia there is important work being done at all hours of the day... if you zoom in enough on Google Earth I am sure you would see a pattern of 35 mac-laptop screens shining with pale light through the night.

Today I zoomed in on Hanne to send some good vibes and too see how she was doing.

...sorry Scandinavians only. :)

Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.46
heeeeeeey, her har det endelig løsna
07-04-29 13.46
good vibes right back at u baby
Jonas Boutani Werner 07-04-29 13.46
Gott att höra.
07-04-29 13.47
Det har lossnat riktigt bra här med.
Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.47
FINNALY
07-04-29 13.47
fy faen, men nå har jeg mye å skrive
Jonas Boutani Werner 07-04-29 13.47
Jag höll typ på att börja gråta för ett par dagar sedan
Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.47
FINALLY
07-04-29 13.47
hahahahahaa
Jonas Boutani Werner 07-04-29 13.47
Vet precis vad du menar
07-04-29 13.47
Nu är det bara PRODUCERA!
Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.48
jeg har hatt flere nervesammenbrudd, og har hvertfall ligget i fosterstilling og grått to ganger den siste uka
07-04-29 13.48
jepp
Jonas Boutani Werner 07-04-29 13.48
haha... gumman
07-04-29 13.48
har du någon som tar hand om dig
07-04-29 13.48
äter du ordentligt?
Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.48
ja ja, mange
07-04-29 13.49
he he
Jonas Boutani Werner 07-04-29 13.49
Gott
Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.49
tuna and eggs baby
Jonas Boutani Werner 07-04-29 13.49
Tunin those legs?
Hanne Flaten 07-04-29 13.49
nettopp

:D

:D

...the next time...

It has been a long time since I was angry last. I think it is a part of the new me. Jonas 2.0 is just so much more harmonic with the world and himself. ;)

BUT... the next time I get angry I'm gonna sing this song to myself.

Security in Baghdad

Hometown Baghdad keeps rockin' n' Rollin. I really like the latest entry because it gives a citizens view on a couple of the most discussed issues when it commes to Iraq - security and how to (re)create it for the people of Iraq.



I like the entry because it made me put myself in Ausamas position... imagine having your house invaded by American Soldiers and then... a while later an American soldier walks up to you in your street asking: Is this a safe neighborhood? What would I say? And how would I feel about the security forces? I want to point out that these are not rethorical questions.

Obviously there are worse threats to Ausamas security and feeling of safety. He does say "They should be protecting us!" ...being who he is he sees them as people who should be protecting him. But he doubts it from experience.

I my mind there are very few clear answers on what is a good solution to the problems in Iraq. When Swedish peace-activists say they want the US forces to leave Iraq I get the feeling we have just inherited the American agenda... which primarily is concerned about protecting American soldiers. I would like to save lives too but if we want to do something good for the people of Iraq I am not sure that is the thing... at least not now. But these are just thoughts. As I said, I have no answers.

From Bore to Spore

Ok, right now I am busy like hell working my ass off. But read my lips: as soon as I get the time I will start creating my own civilization in Spore. If you have not seen this before... check it out.

Tv for or against the world?

...for the last few months I've been working on a tv-project. Chat the Planet is a tv-show that I believe will contribute to making the world a better place.

Ironically I am finnishing my project off during the week called TV turn off -week.



Well... I'll save the world next week.

Dexter & Dalton

Just got a bunch of pictures of my two nephews from my sister - Dexter & Dalton.















...yes, supercool.

Did I mention that they are my nephews? ;)

11 Spring Street goes Highland...

I copied this whole post from Wooster Collective They are refering to 11 Spring street which I wrote about earlier...

And we thought 11 Spring was ambitious. Beginning May 10th, for 30 days, OS GEMEOS, NINA and NUNCA will be painting the massive walls of not another abandoned factory or rooftop, but of a thirteenth century castle in the countryside of North Ayrshire, Scotland.

You can learn more about the project here.

420 in Baghdad...

;)

The power of film

Jehane Noujaim talks about the power of film.

Liminal slide

Today I talked to Chelsea. We talked about liminal spaces... she defines them as spaces in between one thing and another usually refering to time.

A plane ride is the typical example, after you left but before you arrive... hmm sort of like cyberspace - the place where an e-mail is after you have sent it before it has arrived with the person you sent it to... can't remember where I heard that definition but it stuck.

I told Chelsea that I find myself in a strange place with my bag still packed no apartment or room of my own and no plan to change that situation before mid june. It is a place of unrest. Not stress, just a lack of relaxation. I think I need to take care of that... it is not necessarily an apartment or a room I need (it would help) but could also be something I do. Maybe I should go swimming, running or something like that... Yes, I think that is a great idea. Running is a great thing for me... it gives me time to think, no one to relate to, time to meditate, physical motion to rest my mind... I often run when I am a bit confused and have then felt how it becomes a ritual for finding direction - physical direction becoming mental direction.

Bodil Jönsson writes a passage about something called "ställtid" in her bestseller Ten thoughts on time (Tio tankar om tid). Ställtid is the time it takes to arrange things so that you can start doing whatever it is you want to do.

I have observed my own behavior (composing photo slideshows of my trip, myspacing friends in the US, partying until early morning, enjoying the jetlag). I have seen it, accepted it, now it is time to deal with it.

More pics from NYC

As I had problems with transfering pictures from my phone to my computer I could not publish photos at the begining of my trip. Here is a selection...

This is probably the coolest guy to ever stand behind a counter. His mustach would make both Frank Zappa and Saddam cry. Seriously, wasn't there a guy in Blues Brothers..? AND he served the best hang-over food I've ever had.

Then we watched eggplant porn...
Fabien Decaillot tied his shoelaces as I woke up.
Waking up at Tracy's place...
...and having breakfast on the roof.

Went to a club and found this on the wall...
Went to a bar and found this by the bathroom... heh Seriously Robbii you are the man.
Fabien and Katie at the Bedford Av. subway station.


The view from my desk at the office.

My desk at the officeMe having a smoke at the office

Leaving work...

Dexter&Dalton, Elisabeths roof, Soviacs Concert, Gertruds B-day.

How can you fit this much into one day?

Good World

Here are some pics from Tuesday night at Good World.



Thanks guys. It was great hanging out with you all. See you soon.

Den stora MySpace-skandalen (repris)

Allt började med att min kompis Emma tog bort Anna från sin Topp-friends-lista. Sedan ringde telefonen:

- Du är fan dum i huvet! Nu kommer ju inte Peter hitta mig när han kollar din profil!
- Eh.. sorry men asså jag menade inte att bomba nån kärleksbro... Men jag har hans nummer du kan ju ringa..
- RINGA! Ehru HELT galen?! Vi är inte ens på SMS-nivå med varandra ännu! Och varför har du tagit bort den gamla profilbilden som du hadde?!
- Eh men asså jag gillar den nya, jag gillar att byta ibland så att folk fattar att jag är MySpace-aktiv.
- Det var ju du och jag på den gamla! ....VET DU, jag gillar också att byta ibland... Du är så jävla bortbytt!
- Men vaddå, för att jag bytte profilbild på MySpace? Sen när blev det så jävla viktigt?
- Men Åååhh... KOM IN I MATCHEN ...Du är fan skyldig mig en förlåt-bulletin!
- "Förlåt-bulletin"?
- Äh vaffan skicka ett FAX eller nått!

11 Spring St - Episode II: Slideshow

My non-swedish peeps have asked what that long Swedish dialogue is about... The truth is that it is about one of the coolest things that happened in NYC... so I figured that I'd better make a post in English about it. Here goes...

One day when I was walking around in NYC I found my self on Spring Street. I recognized the street name from Juxtapoz. A few months earlier the Wooster Collective had made an amazing event inviting artists from all over the world, Juxtapoze published an article about it. Now everything was being ripped down and covered up as the house was being turned into fancy appartments. I was let in by Baltazar who showed me around all the five floors, and I got to talk to his boss Malcolm who managed the building.



I was offered to buy the big "Che" piece with the skull but Baltazar got second thoughts and when I talked to Malcolm he wanted to contact D*face to see if it was ok to sell it. I had my friend Robbii on stand by with a truck while waiting for Malcolm to call me back. He never did and I had to take off to San Francisco. But I am so happy I got to see 11 Spring St. and take some photos before it was all destroyed.

11Spring St R.I.P...

New Soviac Video! - Check out skeleton-boy!

I was young. I needed the money.



Click here if you want to view the video in better quality.

And for every one in Aarhus... Soviac are known for great live performances and will play at Fabriken on May 3rd... be there.

11 Spring st

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:12:52

...det är helt sjukt linus.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:13:05

Kommer du ihåg att jag köpte Juxtapoze precis innan jag åkte

leenus.l 18:13:19

javisst.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:13:28

okej, det var en artikel i den om ett hus i SOHO

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:13:48

Huset har varit center för amerikansk streetart i massor av år.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:13:55

Nu har huset sålts

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:14:18

Men innan hade Juxtapoze och Wooster en stor utställning och fest i huset.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:15:31

Hursom helst. Av en slump stod jag plötsligt utanför huset

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:15:48

Kände bara igen gatunamnet (spring street)

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:16:17

Två sydamerikaner i jobbar-kläder satt och drack öl i en dörröppning och jag stack in huvet.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:16:32

Fick en guidad tur av hela huset. Fem v�ninigar

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:17:01

F�rsta v�ningen var bara Sheperd Fairy - Obey gigant

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:14:22

Fem våningar!

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:14:32

Nu ska det bli tre l�genheter

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:14:50

Den minsta kommer att kosta $9 miljoner.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:15:12

Den st�rsta har tv� v�ningar + takterass och kommer att g� p� 16 miljoner dollar

leenus.l: 18:17:29

detta var efter den sista festen?

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:17:59

Japp

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:18:08

Dom höll på att riva allt.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:18:13

Helt sjukt.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:18:20

Allt skulle ner bort ut.

leenus.l: 18:18:26

fan, stor sorg!

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:18:26

Jag fotade hela skiten.

leenus.l: 18:18:34

nästan värt ett knäck.

leenus.l: 18:18:45

lite som ungdomshuset i k�penhamn.

leenus.l: 18:18:52

blev det inga sköna riots?

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:18:56

Ja, fast Juxtapose har ju skrivit om det.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:19:03

Och Wooster gjorde ju utställningen...

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:19:29

Hur som helst så ska jag tillbaka och hämta en helt enorm Che Guevara -bild på måndag.

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:19:36

Galet!

Jonas Boutani Werner: 18:19:38

Galet

...men mina killar blev rädda ville blanda in chefen. Jag träffade honom men han kände att han ville ta kontakt med D*face som målat che-bilden. Det blev ingen deal. Men det här var så sjukt jag var så psykad i en vecka.

HAHAHAHAHAAaahhhaha!

We are the pool

Yesterday me and my danish musician-friend Rasmus got an idea to go swimming at the Metropolitan Pool which is around the corner from where we live. But it was a "members only"-thing. We got really pissed of 'cos we were so stoked about our swimming-idea. I didn't really want to let it go so I started lookin' around for another place to go.

Suddenly, through Drayton a Couchsurfing accuaintance of mine, I stumbled upon an art collective and through them into something fantastic. I found out that there is an old public swimmingpool in Brooklyn that these awesome people are trying to revitalize. They started up an organization called "Poolaid"and made this fantastic event around it.

...but that's not all. They teamed up with a bunch of Brooklyn-based indy bands, like Nada Surf, The Giraffes and made this awesome music video.

Sing it! WEE ARE THE POOOL!



Ok, I don't know who reads this, but let's all give it up for Brooooklyn!

...my only question is: Where were the civic journalism people?

This is what community is about, and the kind of thing that all kinds of people can gather around (Ok, judgeing from the video there were primarily ageing hippsters and their kids...but In my little dreamworld they could even have succeeded to team up with the chassidic jewish women who swim at the Metropolitan Pool on wednesdays but... maybe they don't like Nada Surf..) I put all these thoughts within brackets because I think it was brilliant just the way it was and those people who did it were just heroes...the only real regret was me being on the wrong side of the Atlantic when it happened.

...once again I start thinking about rituals. The pool is just a symbol, the artists lead the ceremony and the people dance 'til they're delerious. ;)

Hometown Baghdad: Letters from the viewers...

The Hometown Baghdad series keeps developing and Michael DiBenedetto continues to prove that he has got so much more than a cool sounding name. The last few episodes have been fantastic and mindblowing... showing what everyday life is in war time surprises people because all they are used to seeing is attack choppers, soldiers and politicians. But as this letter, that Michael forwarded to me, proves there is a truth to the Hometown project... A truth that only few people speak about. Luna is one.

Hey guys,

My name is Luna and I come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, city of Sarajevo.

I just saw all documentaries on www.hometownbagdhad.com, and I have to congratulate you! Thank you for showing the other side of the story. Thanks for having such a spirit.

Although one could expect that all usual things stop during the war, you've just showed the opposite.

During the 4 year long siege of my hometown, people had to continue their lives, claiming that otherwise they would go crazy. With no electricity, heating, water, food, cigarettes, possibility to leave Sarajevo…people made some pretty amazing things. Every citizen was obsessed to go to work although there was no paycheck at the end of the month. People had a need to go out and socialize (and due to no electricity situation) all theatre shows, exhibitions, concerts and other gatherings took place during the day.

There were some amazing parties….

In the time when death becomes such a strong part of life; human beings have no other option but to preserve their mental health - in one way or another.

I hope nobody will ever destroy your energy.

And as much as it sounds shallow and stereotypical, I want to tell you that I sincerely feel for you.

Luna

Revs

Ok, people, you're not gonna believe the shit I've seen in terms of streetart... As soon as I get a cable for my camera I'll tell the story in pictures right here.. But I want to share this thing now...

Because this morning I took a walk down to the Williamsburg Bridge to eat at the best fuckin diner ever "Pies 'n Thighs". The dude who worked there looked like Frank Zappa with a Bandana. His mustasch was the shit. Well, anyway on my way back with my tummy full of Hash and eggs I walk past some fence in corogated iron. At the top of it there were some steel lettres Saying "REVS" (Well I couldn't really read it... but) later today I bumped into it again on the woostercollective homepage. See this film and tell me... Isn't this the most awesome...



I'm gonna be looking everywhere for his stuff. And if you think this is cool... This is nothing compared to the story I have in store for y'all... later.

And tomorrow morning I move three blocks down the street to Katies house.

Hometown Baghdad

The first days at the office have been really intense and interesting. My biggest problem is to stay focused on my work since there is so much stuff going on. One of the biggest things happening now is the release of our new web documentary series "Hometown Baghdad".

Hometown Baghdad is a documentary web series following the lives of a few Iraqi 20-somethings trying to survive in Baghdad. The series has been shot by a group of local iraqi filmmakers. Every day there is a new episode on the Hometown Baghdad blog. Today we released Episode 6 - "Abdullah Leaves"



Seeing these clips is really interesting and I totally agree with what is stated on the Hometown Baghdad blog: The everyday life of the Iraqi citizen has been the great untold story of the Iraq war.

Planet of the Arabs

Planet of the arabs is a medley of clips of how arabs are portrayed in Hollywood film. If you ask me the most racist clips are actually the cartoons. "Ali Baba mad dog of the desert." Where an arab charicature is barking like a dog (dirty animal in arab culture) and using two beer bottles as telescope. Some one has really put an effort in to make this offensive...








I suppose this is one of the reasons I think Chat The Planet is really important.

Toothless

I don't have a cable to hook my camera/phone up to my computer and for some reason my phone does not want to talk to it via bluetooth. Until I come up with a solution this blog will lack pictures. But close your eyes and imagine the coolest studio appartment, springtime Brooklyn and the sun rising over a city that never sleeps...

NYC

Yesterday I arrived in NYC. Tracy picked me up and since then my new home adress is 143 Roebling St. Brooklyn, New York. Yes people: -Ich bin ein Williamsburger, the best burger in town... heh What am I talking about. I guess I'm just super stoked and delerious... This blog will tell you why. But right now... I'm heading out into the New York night... ;D