Loie Fuller's Restaurant

Green

Here is the website where you can download the entire film for free. It's a must see!
greenfilm.free.fr

For more info:
Orangutan Outreach
Borneo Orangutan Survival

2009 DIFF Awards

Click here for a list of all winners
Best Documentary Short – Green
by Moez Moez

Ocean vs Building

It's not funny Bart

Documentary

According to the Wikipedia.com...
"Burlesque is a humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration. Prior to Burlesque becoming associated with striptease, it was a form of musical and theatrical parody in which an opera or piece of classical theatre is adapted in a broad, often risqué style very different from that for which it was originally known."

I am curious to discover more about the inner workings of this performance genre and to share with you the mindset of contemporary burlesque performers. For now, here is a story about The 2008 New York Burlesque Festival, and a Loie Fuller inspired performance by Vicky Butterfly.

it's all about the tease

The Survivor's Way

The Survivor's Way is a new work proposed by Alex Oliszewski to DXARTS. His development process is unfolding on his blog.

Green

"Green" is a documentary film that will screen at the 2009 Durango Independent Film Festival March 4th-8th. Using a strong visual storytelling structure and a creative sound bed, this film documents the last moments of a female orangutan's life.

We first see the orangutan, who we'll later learn is named Green, in a duffel bag with head hanging out, riding in the back of a pickup truck. This initial shot is emotionally shocking and lasts for what feels like a full minute or more. The viewer has no context of the circumstances. I wasn't sure it was alive.

Shortly after, we discover that the form of this film is absent of interviews and narration. In fact, not many words are heard throughout the entire piece. The narrative proceeds with a dissolve, from the bed-sickened Green into her life memories. We experience a lush jungle and rich ecosystem, full of primates and other wildlife.

The filmmaker uses point-of-view and dutch-angle shots to place us into the orangutan's perspective. As the story continues, Green's perspective is juxtaposed with the process of development destroying her home through deforestation to biodiesel production. It's a gradual transition into the harsh reality of globalization. The forest is destroyed, primates suffer, palm oil is manufactured, and the fast-paced urban world seems oblivious.

"Her name is Green, she is alone in a world which doesn't belong to her. She is a female orangutan, victim of deforestation and palm oil plantations." (short synopsis)

"Green's" heart-felt message addresses our current global crisis through a universal lens. This well-constructed, cinematic story is a must-see at DIFF this year.

1981 Newspapers

Community Access

"Durango Community Access Television encourages communication and participation in public life by providing media tools, media education, and media distribution systems to the community. Support DCAT by becoming a member."

"As a DCAT member, you are part of the continuing effort to create local, community-building, free speech television. Public access gives you and your neighbors the opportunity to inform, entertain, and speak out for yourselves, in your own words. Unlike broadcast television and commercial cable services that deliver programs to you, public access is programming by and for you. You pick the topic, you write the script, you run the camera, and you edit the video."

Miranda July

Miranda July Interview - video powered by Metacafe

Joshua White

"Live performance of The Joshua Light Show at The Kitchen in NYC (April 4, 2007). With Bec Stupak as guest VJ and music by Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom."

Happy New Year!

Michael Wesch

I recently watched Michael Wesch's presentation, again, in preparation for Media Literacy this semester.

Student Shorts

For our final in Digital Media Production, I arranged for the students projects to have a public exhibition.

Despite the snowstorm Monday night, there was a great turn out for "Student Shorts" at the Abbey Theatre, Durango, CO. Out of the 10 films shown, the 4 documentaries at the end of the program were the best of what was offered.

"Conquering the Mushroom Drop" (RT: 9 min directed by Alan Edwards) is the story of Thomas Lep's attempts at landing a 25' cliff drop on a mountain bike. "Kitchen Connection" (RT: 11 min directed by Amy Brothers) is an exploration of student's feeling of disconnection between college live and the greater Durango area, mainly the Manna Soup Kitchen community. "Between the Sun and the Moon Lies a Human Thread" (RT: 15 min directed by Cassandra Yazzie) addresses young Native Americans struggling with 21st century identity. The film includes a story of a murder that was related to the victim's inability to sing powwow songs despite his long hair. And finally, "Growing Roots" (RT: 15 min directed by Brian Barnes) follows Katrina Blair, founder of Turtle Lake Refuge, while exploring the unique connection between community, wild ecology and raw foods.

After each of the documentaries the filmmakers introduced themselves and answered a few question from the audience. At the end of the event we enjoyed raw, acorn milk provided by Turtle Lake. This event received supportive, positive response both from the community and the students. I hope to do it again at the end of the winter semester.

No Place Like Home

"No Place Like Home" is a collaborative project between the Denver International Airport and the Graduate program in Electronic Media Arts Design at the University of Denver.

NOVEMBER 2008 - FEBRUARY 2009

DIA | Galleries of Denver
Terminal East | Sixth Level

Dimitris Papaioannou

While exploring post-modern dance history I found 44 year old Dimitris Papaioannou, a Greek avant garde stage director. This is the trailer for his 1993 Medea.
This is the trailer for his 2008 production of Medea.

Funky Beat, 2006, music video