25/8

memento more

2010-12-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

NEW VIEW blog

2010-12-31T00:27:00.000-08:00

Good [Monday] morning,

I've spent the weekend setting up a new blog/magazine!
The plans are ambitious, but there is still a long way to go.
VIEW it, follow it and let me know what you think!

Have a wonderful week!

2010-12-10T02:44:00.000-08:00

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-10T02:32:00.000-08:00

It's this time of the year...

Unlikely Degrees

2010-11-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

Think you don’t need a degree to stick a burger into a bun? McDonald’s might prove you wrong:

McDonald’s has recently announced the launch of a two-year foundation degree course in business management, accredited by Manchester Metropolitan University. With all the recent buzz around the subject of higher education, the company claims to pioneer alternative ways of employee training. However, this statement proves to be wrong on multiple levels, as the degree course offered by the fast-food restaurant chain, weird as it may sound, is not the first of its kind. The Harrods department store already launched their educational programme earlier this year, and if all those stories make you shrug your shoulders in confusion – think twice!

It might not be long until you find yourself set in a classroom, studying the Meal Deal Math before fitting your mortarboard for the official Checkout ceremony. Just think of all the great possibilities this opens – why push too hard on your GCEC, dreaming of Oxford, when you could get you degree in English and Literature from Waterstone’s, Tourism from British Airways, Fashion from Primark and still have time to catch the weekend make-up classes in Boots? And while Apple would surely come up with some exciting apps for your studies, you might need to use the more traditional learning methods if you fancy a degree from Royal Mail. And if your choice falls on one of the mobile phone companies, by all means go for it, but be prepared that your tutor might occasionally be not available.

The list of unlikely educational institutions goes on and on, nonetheless, the first generation with their honor degrees from the University of McDonalds is soon to enter the world.

Melanie Abrahams

2010-11-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a chance to interview an incredibly inspiring person who stands behind the renaissance one and Tilt and has curated several spoken word events and worked with a number of aspiring talents in the world of literature and performance! The interview with Melanie Abrahams will be available on the Ideas Tap website shortly.

Bill Neil visiting Catch 22

2010-11-20T05:17:00.001-08:00

The stone, and the send and the setting sun...

2010-11-20T04:44:00.000-08:00

I was a part of it (and my happy face can actually be seen in the last scene:):

S'warm: The Journey from National Youth Theatre on Vimeo.

Praying for Peace with Amma (News Story Exercise)

2010-11-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

Thousands of people from all over the world came to Alexandra Palace this morning to receive a personal blessing from one of the most eminent contemporary spiritual leaders.

Amma’s visit to the UK is a part of the European tour marked by a series of public programmes offering a range of activities, all free of charge and open to everyone.

The day began with a short meditation, followed by darshan, when every visitor gets an opportunity to receive a personal blessing, which takes a form of “a tender, motherly embrace”. The evening programme will start at 7pm and include a spiritual talk, devotional music and puja – ritual ceremony to harmonize your life and bring peace to the world around us. This will be followed by another darhan session, which will continue into the morning until everyone has been received.

The event organizers from Friends of Amma UK say that it is hard to predict the number of visitors, but they are prepared to receive up to 10000 people each day. Through her life, Amma is believed to have embraced more than 30 million people, and the event organizers promise to do everything possible to make sure every visitor gets Mother’s blessing.

Amma’s Europe Tour 2010 included eight countries, but there are visitors from all over the world who came to great her in London today. Thomas traveled from Germany last week because his friend said that attending Amma’s darshan has been “a life changing experience”. He remains open-minded in his expectation for this day, but hopes “it will give me new directions and help to make certain decisions”. Imna from Spain attended Amma’s public programme in Barcelona two years ago and says that “it just is so nice! You can’t express this feeling with words – you need to come and experience it yourself”.

Students' Demonstration

2010-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

... I've heard a guys shouting 'look out!', and as I turned my head, a flying object landed heavily on it. The next thing I remember, I am inside the building where a policeman is looking straight into my eyes and asking if I want to go home? I'm telling something about going back and taking photos... There is a warm smile on his lips and a rain of broken glass around us.

This might sound a bit more dramatic than it should, considering that I am currently feeling alright and headache could even be written off as a sign of a general fatigue.
Thanks for you concerns!
Enjoy the pictures!

Sidebar an article about the Child Prodigies (Catch 22 exercise)

2010-11-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

Five People who made it in their teens:

You are young and it feels like you have got entire life ahead of you to achieve whatever it is you are aiming for? And while there is no reason to give up on your ambitions, if you plan to make it big, this might be about the time to start.

Here is a list of people who made it in their teens:

1. Lady Gaga:

The Fame Monster taught herself piano when she was only four years old. As a little girl she used to sing along her mini plastic tape recorder, making her first steps on the way to becoming Beautiful, Dirty, Rich!

2. Michael Jackson:

The youngest among his sibs, Michael joined the family quintet Jackson 5 at the age of five and became a leading soloist of the band at 11.

3. Dido:

Her parents decided to enrol their daughter at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama after little Dido stole a recorder from school at the age of five. There she had to master her music skills to be able to play recorder, piano and violin before reaching her teens.

4. Bjork:

Released her first album when she was 11, after studying classical piano for more than six years. Bjork formed her own girl punk band as a 14 year-old girl.

5. Laura Marling:

Learned to play guitar as a child and was titled a folk veteran (according to NME) at the age of 20.

Press-meeting with Matilda Eager-Cooper (Catch 22 exercise)

2010-11-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

Matilda Egere-Cooper is a London-based journalist, photographer and educator at Catch 22 Academy.

Born and bred in the US, she admits that, “the American side of me is very outspoken and bold and I'm not afraid to ask certain questions”, while “The English side of me means that I don't mind being a little bit truthful when I need to”.

Trained as a journalist, Matilda was named Write of the Year in 2007, but she does not limit her professional practice to writing, willingly exploring other form of creative expression. Specializing in music journalism, Matilda often supports her sharp written reports with bright photographic visuals.

Another line in her resume states “blogger” and Matilda has been publishing her work online for more than five years. She says this is an essential practice for aspiring journalists, as “it keeps the juices flowing”. Earlier this year Matilda has updated to a new blog called The Cultural Expose, in which she is looking at the London art scene. She also runs a web publishing company responsible for producing city travel guides, as well as a social club creating opportunities for people to socialize in London.

Busy as she is, Matila is full of creative plans for upcoming year, as she admits that this “keeps me on my toes, keeps me fresh, keep me in the loop with things”.

My photos at the AGM leaflet

2010-11-06T16:57:00.001-07:00

photomonth in London

2010-11-06T13:32:00.001-07:00

I believe you are familiar with the feeling, when there is too much on offer, you end up taking non. It's like coming to a restaurant and getting the menu in three volumes - most likely you will end up dining elsewhere.
photomonth invaded London with more than 200 hundred shows which, contradictory to the festival title, are taking place over three month. Today I finally made a deliberate visit to the city centre to see as many exhibitions as I can cover in one go! For those who might not know (and is too lazy/busy to press on the link), photomonth is the East London Photography Festival, so I made a circle around the Liverpool Street Station area, starting from Aldgate and finishing in Schroders.
If you know me relatively well, you will be aware that I am generally quite critical about contemporary artistic practices, so I will make it clear: from five exhibitions I've paid a visit to, I didn't like four. It is my strong belief that digital cameras should not be used after after dark without a flesh and, if must, by no means the results should be printed on a scale larger than a real size - looks awful! And I am very suspicious about conceptual approach to photojournalism and documentation of military conflicts, as even though there are some strong creative ideas behind many of them, more often than not, they do not deliver the message. Full stop.
However, Nadav Kandar's beautiful prints from Yangtze - The Long River can still be seen until the 13th of November in FLOWERS Gallery. Enjoy!

Cover Story

2010-11-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

My picture the cover of a new monthly magazine Mouth London.
Yei!

Postcards for sale

2010-11-05T06:13:00.000-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT: Postcards with my photography from a trip to China last winter are now available for sale in my Etsy shop!

For guidance on UK GBP prices, shipment, other places to buy those items and any other queries, please contact me directly!

Comment on my pictures from the All Stars! Party

2010-11-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Those things are always sweet to find out about:)

Rock and Popcorn

2010-11-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Bon Jovi fans from around the globe who didn't make it to New Jersey this summer to experience one of the year's most historic series of concerts will now get a second chance, as the forever-young musician and his band hit the screens later on this month. The show which drew 200,000 fans on the band's home turf will go on a tour, appearing in more than 200 cinemas around Europe for one night only. Bon Jovi – The Circle Tour will feature footage from the band's four-night stand at New Meadowlands Statium, with a preview of a new music video 'What Do You Got' for a cherry on top.
For those among us with more conservative tastes for entertainment the prospect of watching the legendary music band rocking the stadium, while sat comfortably in a cinema sofa with a pack of popcorn, might seem a bit bizarre, but the event organizers assure that this is a growing trend.

For more information, please visit www.cinerock.net

Put your cover where your MOUTH is!

2010-10-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Mouth London is a new free publication, written, submitted and created by young people for young people. From now on I will be writing, photographing and drawing for the magazine and today was my first assignment - the front cover for the issue one (start big!).

The biggest challenge was the layout, as designers decided to place their logo (which, by the way, is a massive black circle!) right in the middle of the front cover, so I had to improvise around the hole!
Not having as much time as I would like to, I decided respond to the subject of London by referencing the portrait of the young queen Elisabeth on a five-penny coins, as well as some of the classical paintings and (subsequently) the work of Tom Hunter (who is having a show next month and is a head-speaker for Vision10, which, of course, makes it all very relevant). Here is the result (just imagine a huge black spot in the middle of it or wait until the paper is out and grab your free copy!):

Short Film Competition

2010-10-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

With a selection of nearly three dozen shorts from twenty five countries all around the globe this year’s short film competition program has something for every taste. Consisting of documentary, narrative and animated short films (as well as a number of cross-genre examples), stretching the notion of short from a couple of minutes up to over a half an hour, the selection might be a challenge to judge, but certainly a treat to watch.

Traditionally seen as a platform for emerging talents making their first steps into the industry, this year’s competition program is a reminder that the short film is a genre on its own. Award-winning actress Hafsia Herzi presents her directional debut Le Rodba, while established feature-film director Carlos Cuaron needs less than ten minutes to tell a playful story of a couple making an attack on a fast-food restaurant to save their marriage. The cast as well has some acclaimed names and is a special treat for those interested in Tunisian cinema scene, as Mouna Noureddine plays a leading role in the Wave and Anissa Daoud appears in the Album.

In contrast with the main documentary competition, the majority of the short films in this genre address less widely-discussed issues, drawing attention to the subjects underrepresented in the current media. UK director Peter King presents an insightful story of the isolated Karosta region in post-soviet Latvia. The film combines a photographic approach to filming the half-demolished city together with short encounters with its inhabitants. As we are guided through the place by one of the young residents of Karosta, the story becomes more personal, thus more universal, allowing each viewer to relate to the subject.

On the contrary, animated short films selected for the festival tend to follow the recently established practice of addressing the sociopolitical issues in the genre of cartoons. Made in China is a motion-painting comment on the recycling of the world history into a range of mass-produced goods. Esterhazi is looking at the events related to the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989 from the perspective of a rabbit who makes a curious comment that ‘without the Wall Berlin is not so cosy anymore’. Tussilago tells a story of the West German terrorist Norbert Krocher’s ex-girlfriend from the time they met until the day she was arrested.

It is fair to note that the festival presents a fairly diverse selection of short films from all over the world, giving a broad overview on the different film schools and cinematic trends. I was pleasantly surprised to see a high number of Iranian shorts united by their innovative and brave approach to filmmaking. Predictably enough, the majority of them address the questions of social injustice and women rights. However, by offering a fresh look on those issues they invite us to join the discussion on the current socio-political situation in Iran. The creators of The Pool Party use the metaphor to talk about social inequality, while Ask the Wind is set as a detective story in which carelessly loosened veil leads to a murder. It is interesting to see that many Iranian filmmakers create highly conceptual artistic pieces, and, even though there is enough room for further development, I believe that those films are promising sketches for high future achievements.

With such a great diversity, I found it curious to see that at least half a dozen of films present a look on the world from the perspective of a child. A Gentle Push is a metaphor for a series of tragic events that collapse on little Robbie one afternoon, but turn out to be an essential step in the boy’s growing-up. An image of a whale dying on a seashore is beautifully incorporated into the film soundtrack, gradually building an atmosphere of upcoming tragedy. The story of Richard rebelling against his sister’s dream to become a bodybuilder, Muscles offers an intimate look at femininity from the perspective of a little boy.

Fabio Yamaji whose short film Divino Freestyles was included in the festival selection affirmed that “short films are a great opportunity for experimenting, taking risks and be creative” and every film presented at the festival is a confirmation to this statement.

2010-10-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Photography is PERMITTED

2010-10-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Perception of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Understanding Islam.

2010-10-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Uma Turman

2010-10-24T02:58:00.000-07:00

Abu Dhabi Film Festival: Closing Ceremony - Red Carpet

2010-10-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Alfredo Guevara - son of Che

Fedorcheno - director of the best Narrative Film Silent Souls

...and one again my flash has let me sown on the Red Carpet.

Final day - the winners are announced!

2010-10-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of our work at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and I already miss all the great people I met during the past ten days.

Even though the last issue is already out, we still have a chance to work on the content for the website. This morning I had a very... emotional meeting with an incredibly talented visual artist and stunningly beautiful women Sherin Neshat. The interview quickly shaped into a thoughtful discussion and I still believe that once I get hold of the voice record I will listen to it every now and then for some inspiration. Unfortunately, as yesterday, the interview went on and on until the point when I was left with literally no time for photographs, so here is a very-quickly-made image of the photographer who inspired a lot of my work:

Shirin Neshat

The Red Carpet of the closing night was a totally different experience in comparison with the first one, as by now I'd been working side-by-side with most of those people for a decent amount of time. So instead of trying to push each other, fighting for a better spot, there was a lot of mutual support on the "golder shores" (Photographs from the Red Carpet in the next post).

I don't think it's appropriate for me to go into the deep discussions of the competition results and awards, but I was very happy to see the people I had a chance to interview, photography, or simply share a cup of coffee with, on the stage! Congratulations to all of the short film directors - Peter, Gilles, Antonio, Sarah - your work is great! But the film I was particularly attached to through out the festival, writing reviews, making interviews and conducting photo shoots, as well as generally worrying how Arabic public with receive such an ambiguous motion picture - the only Russian film at the festival - Silent Souls won the award for the best narrative feature film! And meeting Fedorchenko at the final day of the festival seemed like an incredible award for me! Happy-happy-happy...:)

The closing party was great, not so much because of the music or food (those were good, but it was too hot to enjoy them:), but thanks to all the people I've met in the past ten days. There had been a lot of goodbyes and see-you-laters, stay-in-touchs... most of which will be forgotten the next morning, but there certainly are few people I hope to see again. As we keep saying - till the next festival!

Editirial:

2010-10-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

Report from behind the camera:

It does not happen too often that you find an article written by a photographer on the front page of a magazine, but then the Abu Dhabi Film Festival is unusual in many ways.

You might have seen us carrying heavy bags of equipment or hiding behind the camera just before the flash-light blinds you for a moment. You, most probably, will not remember our faces, but the photographs we take will soon become the visuals for your memories about the event. Few month later, trying to recall what did the Abu Dhabi Film Festival look like you will be surprised to find yourself thinking of that or the other press image that grasped your attention. With an extensive program of events running parallel in separate venues through out the day, we offer you an opportunity to see more than one possibly could. We become your eyes and this is a great responsibility which we take with pride.

The regular battles on the shore of the red carpet can become spectacles on their own. Those are fights for a better spot ‘on the gold’, for a passing glance or a glimpse of smile, for a chance to take a picture better than your neighbor’s one... For an opportunity to take a more truthful portrait looking beyond the surface? This was my firm objective at the beginning of the festival and was important lesson to learn that we are often not asked to document the reality, but to create yet another artificial evidence of the pretty image for public to admire.

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - the last issue

2010-10-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today we are working on the last issue of NISIMAZINE and I've just sent my last set of photographs to the editor. Woohoo!

In the morning I had an incredibly interesting interview with creative duo Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker whose documentary picture "Kings of Pastry" will be screened tonight. Location for the photo shoot was chosen according to the theme of the film:

D.A. Pennebaker

In the afternoon we had a group interview with Don Corleone of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival - Peter Scarlett:

Peter Scarlett - director of the Abu Dhabi FIlm Festival

Time to celebrate!

Abu Dhabi films festival - Wednesday

2010-10-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

What seemed like a cool effect yesterday, turned out to be a complete nightmare today, as on the morning shoot with the directors of El Ambulante my lens condensed after the first picture, which happened to be quite a weird one as well:

Lucas Marcheggiano, Eduardo de la Serna, Adriana Yurcovich

Shortly after I had a chance to make a portrait of one of the documentary competition jury members:

After lunch I had a chance to join a group of journalists to visit the heritage village. The hit was unbearable and the place boring enough to make me want to leave immediately!
In search for a shadow, I joined a group of Arabic girls watching the guys racing in the GULF...

Staying in a hotel conveniently located five minutes away from the main festival venue, we didn't need to walk the distance once, thanks for the shuttle buses running in between the locations every few minutes. And even bigger thanks to the drivers covering the distance hundreds and hundreds of times during their 22 -hour long working days!

Emirate Palace - lights of the darkness

2010-10-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Tired as we were, on return to the hotel me and Elisabeth decided to make a short trip to back to the Emirate Palace. The light were on and the night screening were about to begin. Despite the late hour, the hit and moist were still doing their job and after a couple of minutes my lens was covered with tiny drops of water, creating mysterious fog. Not having much choice, we decided to use what we've got, so you can get a glimpse on what the biggest hotel in the world is like after the dark...

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - beginning of the second week

2010-10-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Good morning lovely people and thanks for your interest in my blog and all the messages and comments - this really means a lot to me!

I'd been super-busy for the past two days and can hardly remember what the sleep is, but it's all worth it! After all, I will have plenty of time for it on return to my rainy island, and Julianne Moore is less likely to pop over for a coup of coffee, so I might as well use the opportunity and get most out of the festival!

In NISIMAZINE we are aiming to create images that not only revel personality of the subject depicted, but also (when appropriate) reference their creative practice. So here are the latest photographs (follow the captions):

Maher Abi Samra (We are Communists)

Pedro Gonzales-Rubio (To the Sea)

Fawzi Saleh (Living Skin)

Gilles Coulier

Belma Bas (Zephyr)

And some more moments from the Red Carpet and press brunches...

Julianne Moore

Abbas Kiarostami (Certified Copy)

George Sluizer

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - Sunday

2010-10-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

The things are really getting hectic over here, as I have to watch (more like go through) few dozens short films tonight after the party (busy me:) in the palace.

Rising with the sun today I made an early trip to the beach to capture Elisabeth having a morning swim (which was selected as a picture of the day):

After breakfast I figured out there is enough time to make a short visit to the city centre, which later became a mistake of the day. What looked like a short walk by the coastline, turned out to be an hour under the burning sun just to make a conclusion that there is not city centre in Abu Dhabi and what is considered to be one looks just as boring as the rest of the town!

After lunch I joined Samira to meet Mohamid Al-Daradji who together with his brother Atia directed a film about Iraqi orphans. In the interview Mohamid was talking about the tenderness of mothers arms and the light he wants to bring into the kids lives, thus the picture:

Mohamid Al-Daradji

In the afternoon I went to watch Circus Columbia (which completely corresponded to the expectations I had for it after meeting the director (in both positive and not so positive ways)) and Don't Let me Go which turned out to be a deeply touching Sci-Fi drama!

And finally, some more stars on the red carpet tonight:

Gerard Depardieu

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - Saturday

2010-10-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, my review of the Silent Souls was received positively and I got some good feedback from Jay Weissberg (American film critic - see the post from 15.10) which is encouraging!

Today I had a great opportunity to work on several individual photo shoots with different creatives! In the morning I had a very brief encounter with the director of widely discussed film about the lazy Pakistani teenagers. I bumped into Hammad Khan on the stairs leading to the press office where he was immediately captured:

Hammad Khan

On the contrary, the meeting is Russian actress and director Yuliya Aug lasted for several hours and involved an hour long discussion of her role in the Silent Souls (which I hope to edit in the next couple of days) and an opportunity to create some more intimate portraits. Yuliya is a truly wonderful person with the deep inner world that she makes your feel welcomed to.

Yuliya Aug

And she is originally form Estonia, so we had a lot to talk about!

And finally, my biggest challenge for today (and hopefully for the rest of the festival) was to photograph the Oscar award winning film director Danis Tanovic whose new motion picture Circus Columbia is being shown at the festival right now (I can literally hear it through the office walls!). Not having seen the film as yet I can not comment much on artistic talent of this Bosnian filmmaker, but after having a five-minute long one-to-one encounter with Tanovic I can say for sure - he knows 1001 way to make you feel uncomfortable!

David Tanovic

Film of the Day: Silent Souls

2010-10-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

An ethnographic drama, the film is an exploration of the culture and traditions of the merja people - a finno-ugric ethnic minority once living in the North-West of Russia, but nowadays almost completely died out. Nevertheless, the filmmakers avoid making any claims about the films historical credibility, as director Aleksei Fedorchenko makes a somewhat ambiguous statement that in art fiction can be more convincing than reality.

As Miron asks his friend Aist to help him to perform the rituals of the final validation to his beloved wife, the director leaves it to the main character to explain the motifs that lie behind creation of the Silent Souls. And in the opening sequence Aist says that he wants to know, to understand who we are and why we are like this and not like the others.

With the plot that comfortably fits into one middle-length sentence, for the Silent Souls it is perhaps less important what the story is about than how it is told. With the talent of the Russian cameraman Michael Krichman, who worked with Zvjagincev on his multi-award winning motion picture The Return, the film captivates through the artistic quality of the camera work. Known for his beautifully composed wide still shots Krichman establishes the space for actors to inhabit, which, combined with a very restrained approach to montage, challenge our perception of cinematic time. Furthermore, the highly intuitive use of hand-held camera intensified by a first-person narration creates a great feeling of presence which allows for an intimate connection with the story.

Based on a book by Denis Osokin, the film translates the story into visual language, creating what can be called a cinematic poem. Despite the plot being almost entirely based around funeral rituals, this is not a story of death, but of life and in embracing this lies the key to understanding the culture of merja. As Fedorchenko explains, the most challenging task for the actors was to deliver the notion that death equals love. As Miron retells his friend piquant details from his intimate life, Aist explains that while this would not be acceptable if his wife was alive, such conversations as a way of mourning “make your face brighter, turning your grief into tenderness”.

The information on what merja traditions were like is often controversial, but one is known for sure: they did not have gods, just love for each other.

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - day three

2010-10-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

The day started with an incredibly interesting practical workshop with American film critic Jay Weissberg and I am really looking forward to today's session!

Before lunch I was running around trying to arrange an interview with Russian actress Yuliya Aug (fingers crossed for today) and joining one of the NISIMAZINE journalists Michael to photograph director of Children of Stones - Children of the Wall film Robert Krieg.
The afternoon was a bit hectic, as after the press meeting with Clive Owen I had to rush back to the press office to finish my own review of the Silent Souls (will share it with you soon).

Clive Owen

After all the hard work was done, we had a well deserved rest and a chance to see Wrecked - an amazing motion picture brought to life with a talent of director Michael Greenspan and the main (and indeed the only!) actor Adrien Brody and join them for a Q&A afterward.

Q&A with creators of WRECKED

Red Carpet

2010-10-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Adrien Brody

Clive Owen

For a photographer the Red Carpet calls is a battle to survive, as fight for The Shot can be exhausting, but rewarding!
For Adrien Brody smile alone:)

And now use your imagination to think of what the Festival Opening afterparty in the biggest hotel in the world might be like (and what the people whose smiley faces you can see above do when 'All the Single Ladies' is played on the dance floor - Ollalla:)

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - day two

2010-10-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hotel Beach. Morning.

After the first issue of NISIMAZINE went out we had a group workshop in which we were introduced to the project and working schedule and then had a chance to discuss the articles and images that appeared in the issue nr.1.

Emirates Palace Hotel interior

Despite the heavy workload with the preparation for the festival opening, the first part of the day went quite slowly...

Last preparations for the Festival Opening

... until the first guest stepped on the Red Carpet...
... but this is a story on its' own (see next post)

Abu Dhabi - first impressions

2010-10-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

When viewed through the plane window circle, every city looks slightly unreal, but I have never seen anything quite like Abu Dhabi! Sliced into the even portions, with occasional cream of a cupola on top of a roof, or minaret candles glowing with electric light, neatly placed in a perfect net formed by parallel and perpendicular streets - Abu Dhabi looks more like a plan of the than an actual town. And this metaphor is very true on many levels, as, with a history dating back half of a century at most, Abu Dhabi as no other place is proud of its' future ambitious rather than the heritage of the past.

Upon arrival we were informed that the first issue of NISI MAZINE is going to print as early as 7am tomorrow (which is today by the local time), so this had been (and still is!) an evening meeting-and-greeting, being tired and being creative, getting to know the place and responding to the first impressions from it with a picture of a day...

A room I'm sharing with Elizabeth. This is where I am going to stay up all night tonight, working on the review of the Silent Souls.

Trying to define Abu Dhabi we came up with the words modern, dynamic and rich, but ,despite the incredibly fast rates of development, you can feel lack of cultural heritage, traditions and wisdom of the past generations. Abu Dhabi can be compared with a young man who just won a lottery, but doesn't yet have enough experience to spend the money wisely...
I was trying to sum up those impression in my very first photo-of-the-day assignment (completing it within a 5min walking distance from the hotel) and here are the results:

Photograph of the day nr.1
Emirates Palace Hotel (the biggest in the world!) where the Abu Dhabi Film Festival will run for the next two weeks.

Festival guests at the registration desk.

Viewbook Photostory submission - need your support!

2010-10-07T02:31:00.000-07:00

Viewbook Photostory is an international contest to which photographers are invited to submit a contemporary collection of images that convey a compelling narrative. There is really a lot of interesting, strong and provocative projects submitted on the website for you to explore. And once you are there, I would really appreciate if you could take a look at my submission and, shall it be to your taste, make a vote!

Have a wonderful day!

Prints

2010-10-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

With the West Bristol Arts Trail approaching fast (just 10 days to go!), today I was busy mounting and finishing the prints.

Now the work is done, all eight images are mounted and packed (this turned out to be quite a mission to do!) ready to be sent to Bristol the first thing in the morning (OK, the second after a cup of coffee and essential e-mail check:).

The prints will available for purchase at the Arts Trail (no commission!) and after that will be distributed around galleries (and this is when the price goes up quite a bit). I also hope to start selling them via my website and blog, but if you are interested in buying, please get in touch!

Current print sizes are: 5x7 photos in 7x9 mounts.
Price: £8 per 1 photos or 2 for £15 (+ delivery)

2010-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Is drawign of yourself drawing a sign of creative crisis?
I don't think so...

It makes me remember why oh-so-many-years-ago did I pick a pencil for the first time: as I was drawing, I was dreaming. And I still do. This is why so many of my non-commissioned (and quite a few of commissioned ones to be honest) images are so much related to my own life - I'm not an egocentric artist with no inspiration, I just live my life as I make my art.

p.s. and it does not matter if the girl on the picture does not look quite like me - it's not because I'm not so good at drawing people (of course!), but because it's all about dreams you know...
:)

city lines

2010-09-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Brick Lane

2010-09-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Lost and Found

Swarming memories:)

2010-09-29T09:44:00.001-07:00

The main benefit of tidying the thing up a bit now and then (even if only virtually) is that you can be almost sure to find some treasures you have forgotten about!
I miss my s'warming team - just look how much fun we had!

Accession8 at West Bristol Arts Trail

2010-09-29T01:30:00.000-07:00

Starting the day with some exciting news I'm glad to inform you that in upcoming month the Accession8 artists group will be taking part in the West Bristol Arts Trail!

Organized and presented by eight UK-based female artists from so called Accession 8 (A8) countries that joined the EU in 2004, our work explores the issues of gender, identity and migration. The exhibition reflects upon our experience of leaving the country of origins behind and starting life from scratch in foggy Albion. Evolving from a series of group discussions, the work is challenging the common stereotypes and preconceptions created by media, by looking at the individual stories and unique experiences, presenting a much more complex view on the subject.

Forming a part of the West Bristol Arts Trail, the exhibition will take place
on the 16-17th of October
at 12 Bellevue Crescent,
BS8 4TE.

For more details find us of Facebook!

My work:

For the very first time I will be showing an image from the ongoing project under the title The Place Where I am Not.

This is photograph from the series in which I am exploring those changes that took place in my home country Latvia in the past two years, since I left for the UK.
In this work I try to raise the questions: what are the reasons behind the decision of many Latvian women to leave the country of their origins and whether or not this really is a choice? Is it a simple desire to earn more money, and what does it mean when women say that they left in search for a better life for themselves and their children? And finally, what does it mean to leave your past behind and step into the unknown, arrive to the place where you are seen as nothing more, but one of the millions and, at the age of 20 (30? 50? 70?) start building your identity from scratch, growing a new life on a foreign ground.

In the past few years, I had been working on a number of projects exploring the issues related to the expansion of the European Union in 2004. One of the main themes of my studies is the high rate of migration, particularly from East to the West. I was amazed on how little the ‘new neighbors’ understand about each other and how many prejudices and preconceptions are still present in their relations.
Ever since the process of migration took on a global scale, the subject had been continuously discussed in both Western and Eastern media. However, in most cases, they provided an one-sided, simplified opinion, failing to explore the social phenomenon, with a very few projects doing beyond the surface.

Exploring those themes from a perspective of a young female who moved to the UK from Latvia, I am looking back and comparing what used to be the two extremes opposing each other - the East and the West of Europe. In doing so I attempt to understand the new, third reality that is being built day by day - the United Europe in which the two merge.

And a little treat for those of you who made it till the end of the text - a short video in which I am presenting my work. Have fun:)

Time Tree

2010-09-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

And as one could guess by now, there is more-more-more photographs from the performance!

Palmal

2010-09-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

And there are some more images from the Plamal performance at Bristol Do!

Boom!

2010-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

See more photographs from Boom! performance at Bristol Do!

A Memory is not a Molecule by Not Donald O'Connor

2010-09-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

See more images from the performance on Millennium Square.

1:47am

2010-09-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

On of my stories was turned into a short film by Croatian photographer and filmmaker Mario Topic.
The film is challenging some of the common preconceptions, exploring the stories girl's imagination is capable of creating when walking home alone after dark:)

ALL STARS!

2010-09-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

ALL STARS! in One Zone - the main stage

2010-09-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

ALL STARS! in One Zone

2010-09-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

ALL STARS! in Core24

2010-09-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

ALL STARS! in Red Bar

2010-09-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Accession8 at West Bristol Arts Trail

2010-09-25T03:09:00.000-07:00

In October I am joining another eight female artists from New Europe on collaborative project exploring the issues of gender, identity and migration. This will be the first time several images from an ongoing project The Place where I am Not will be on show during the West Bristol Arts Trail.
Above is the flier I created for the exhibition.

UWE Freshers Fair 2010

2010-09-25T01:35:00.000-07:00

A Memory is not a Molecule by Not Donald O'Connor

2010-09-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

West Bristol Arts Trail

2010-09-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

In October I am joining a group of 8 female artists from Eastern European countries to participate in the West Bristol Arts Trail.
I will be showing several images from an ongoing project under the title 'The Place where I am not' in which I am exploring dramatic changes that took place in my home country Latvia in the past two years since I left for the UK.
There will be prints available to purchase.
More information to follow.
* we appear under the number 36 in the Arts Trail brochure.

Bristol Do!

2010-09-21T01:54:00.000-07:00

Two of the photographs I took during the Bristol Harbor Festival now were printed in the Bristol Do! programme. I am heading to Bristol for the weekend to continue working with performers from the Step Up! project.

Bower Ashton Welcome Party at Start the Bus

2010-09-21T00:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome Party

2010-09-19T00:13:00.000-07:00

White T-Shirt party

2010-09-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

The UWE SU Freshers times begin!

Sports and Activities Handbook

2010-09-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Bristol UWE is busy welcoming new students and to help them find their way through the wide range of sports and activities, the Student Union has made a new handbook, where a lot of my photographs appeared.
Holding such a publication in my hand makes me realize, I'd been working for the institution for quite some time (a year this Sunday!:)

2010-09-13T12:24:00.001-07:00

Some of the photographs I took for the UWE Degree Show 2010 can now be seen online.

TILT

2010-09-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mellow Baku

Charlie Dark

Francesca Martinez

Tim Clare

Laura Dockrill

Luke Wright

Robin Deacon

Yesterday I had a chance photograph an enjoyable and inspiring evening dedicated to the art of spoken word, run as a part of the Kings Place Festival 2010!
TILT was curated by Melanie Abrahams.

Latvian Art Academy

2010-09-04T14:27:00.001-07:00

Latvian Art Academy

2010-09-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Latvian Art Academy

2010-09-04T14:24:00.001-07:00

Childhood friend

2010-09-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Tirgus/Market

2010-09-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

onkulis Viktors/ uncle Victor

2010-09-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

- Daiļo meitiņ, sauc mani par onkuli Viktoru.
Es kādreiz biju meistars, bet tagad nevienam neesmu vajadzīgs...
Es esmu nedaudz burvis - man šī dāvana ir no senčiem...
Es tevi meitiņ nekad neaizmirsīšu.

- Lovely girl, call me uncle Victor.
Long time ago I was a craftsman, but now nobody needs me any more...
I am a wizard, I got this present from my ancestors...
I will never forget you lovely girl.

Simtlatnieki

2010-09-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

So called simtlatnieki (from the words hundred + lats (Latvian currency)) are registered unemployed who did not manage to find a job and stopped receiving social benefits. To support those people Latvian government opened a special program, offering them to do voluntary work for a month, receiving a hundred lats (£117) scholarship.

Jūrmala

2010-09-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Man searching for Metal

Colourless

2010-09-04T13:43:00.001-07:00

Dzelzsceļš

2010-09-04T13:40:00.001-07:00

2010-09-04T13:39:00.001-07:00

2010-09-04T13:37:00.001-07:00

2010-09-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

The place where I am not

2010-09-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

I spent the past 10 days in Latvia, working on what I hope will turn into a first part of a larger project about my home country.
After joining European Union in 2004 Latvia had the fastest developing economy in Europe. However, heavily hit by the recession in 2008, Latvia now is only leading the charge of the highest level of Unemployment (23%) in the EU.
The project working title is The Place where I am not, as I am currently exploring a number of themes - both social and more private - related to the place where I do not live for the past two years.

2010-08-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

On the last day of summer
Trading nine suns for a glimpse of smile,
Turning plain plane ticket paper into paper planes -
the only way to take off the ground.
At the very lease we have tomorrow shared
On the first day of autumn.

Nisi Masa Abu Dhabi

2010-08-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Something to look forward:)

Veselības Salons

2010-08-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

While in Latvia, I had a small commission photograph a health and beauty centre Veselības Salons for their promo package. This is my [the best in the world] mum at work!

Smart Car news

2010-08-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

My illustrations for the Smart Car catalog were posted on the promo blog.

New website is online!

2010-08-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

My new online house is fully furnished now and I am ready to receive guests for a nice cup of tea at www.tinaremiz.co.uk

Asking Google

2010-08-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Not from having nothing much to do at all, I've decided to follow the modern saying that you are not who you say you are, but who Google says you are and entered my name into the search engine.
There was my website and blog and twitter all there to remind me that I spend too much time online, but there were also few interesting links I was not aware of...
I knew my profile appeared among others on Futurising 2010 ambassadors page, but had no clue there is an article describing my achievements - that is always a nice thing to find out!
And two of the companies I was taking photographs for in the past actually featured some of them on their website, with a little thanks to me underneath - what a lovely things to find out on a rainy Wednesday morning:)

Digi S'Warm day7 - the final

2010-08-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

Digi S'Warm day6 - the Bank

2010-08-22T00:35:00.000-07:00

The time is running out!

Digi S'Warm day6 - the monument

2010-08-22T00:29:00.001-07:00

Global WHAT?

Digi S'Warm day5 - Natural History Museum

2010-08-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Digi S'Warm day5 - Greenwich Park

2010-08-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Digi S'Warm day4 - Tate Modern

2010-08-19T16:28:00.001-07:00

At 8 infinity is bound
At 801 infinity is broken.

Digi S'Warm day4 - City Hall

2010-08-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Save the bee - save the planet!

Digi S'Warm day4 - Southbank Centre

2010-08-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

In search for knowledge, for nectar oh so clean...

Digi S'warm day3 - final rehersal

2010-08-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Digi S'warm day2

2010-08-17T00:35:00.000-07:00

Digi S'warm day1

2010-08-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

This week is all striped black and yellow as more than half on a thousand of the National Youth Theatre members will 'swarm' London.
I got a great opportunity to be a member of the media team covering the event and here are the bits of the final rehearsals:

AMUSEMENT

2010-08-15T04:14:00.001-07:00

Dover

2010-08-15T04:11:00.000-07:00

where the grass is green

2010-08-15T04:09:00.000-07:00