Hometown Baghdad - now back online.

Hometown Baghdad is back on the Internet. If you didn't notice they were pulled from youtube while Mike and the others at CTP were trying to seal a deal for tv-broadcast.


Well, now you can see all of them right here.

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.

Watch Chat The Planet

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

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.

The power of film

Jehane Noujaim talks about the power of film.

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...

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.

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

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.