Tuesday, May 31, 2011

el Presidente

I may pack light, but I always keep an oxford in the bank. Had to look good for today’s meeting with the President. Whoa, whoa… that may seem SUPER impressive given the American definition of “President,” but in Poland, a President is like a Mayor. So it’s not SUPER impressive, but still- impressive… I mean, she’s the woman in charge of this metropolis, and we got to sip bubbly water in her oval-ish office. We had fifteen minutes to ask her anything… and once Philip turned on that ol’ charm of his, we were talking policy until her staff started banging on the door 45 minutes later. Really cool woman with a lot of good vibes to get out about her city. It’s just too bad we couldn’t understand it. For her own ease, and probably to speed up the interview, she’d switch to Polish once the cameras started rolling. Of course, I could be sitting here all proud of the interview while our translator could come back with a transcript saying something to the effect of “you Detroit punks can suck it.”

After our view from high upon the city throne, we traveled underground, literally and figuratively. Beneath a run-down train station, we met with Wiktor Skok, a champion of the underground DJ scene. His picture of the city wasn’t quite as rosy. Same goes for the graffiti artist we spoke with. But they've still got hope. And when times get this tough, that's all you really need. Hope. Like Obama's campaign slogan. He's President too.

...okay, now I'm just trying to force the whole full-circle thing. Sorry.

Monday, May 30, 2011

this guy must really like Yo La Tengo

…because that’s the shirt I’ve been wearing the past three days. I’m pushing it, I know. But it’s not like I stink. (and I check frequently). We’ve just been going nonstop. No point in dressing up just so I can lug around two bags of equipment as I try to steady a bigass lens. And I can always take a shower…

Lukasz: If you want hot water, just turn on the hot and listen for the clicking sound. Once you hear the flame, turn it on all the way.
Me: And the cold water…?
L: Yeah, the knob is missing.
M: So, how do you add cold to the hot?
L: It won’t get that hot.

Sunday afternoon, we finally finished working while the sun was still up. Gave me a little time to wash a handful of socks. I think this is my most efficient packing job yet: 4 shirts to last me 4 months. Might make for a plain facebook album, but oh well. At least I’m better off than the German motorcyclist I met in Zanzibar- 2 shirts for 2 years. That’s pretty hardcore. Then again, “hardcore” is the name of his game- riding from Frankfurt to Cape Town, shipping his bike to the tip of South America and heading north through Los Angeles. I was pumped to reunite with him in my west coast home, but timing has never been my strong suit. He’s due to arrive in LA next month.

Sunday's interviews: an Urban Planner working at a University here in Lodz and a group of guys straight out of college who are starting the coffee shop of all coffee shops on the main drag. Pretty cool. And what’s even cooler- remember the café owners we interviewed a couple days ago… well, their café (called Fruits and Vegetables) is where we met these new guys. The owners of Fruits and Vegetables are actually encouraging these young guys to develop their own café idea. Fostering their own competition. That’s community.

Oh yeah- and I forgot to mention that a local radio show came to our set the other day to interview us. If you’re scanning through Polish talk radio, check it out… of course, you’ll also have to travel back in time, because like I said, it happened the other day.

In a perfect world, I'd end every day with a short post relating to everything as it happens. ...that world would also have hot hot water.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

From Sean Connery to um… Sean Connery

Day 4 (Friday)
History speaks. Interviewed a former factory worker today. The grizzled old Sean Connery lookalike took us around the ancient ruins of one of the giant textile plants. And then we got a rare glimpse of one of the only factories still in operation- a dozen machines the size of billiard tables clanking and whirring as giant spools of thread get spun into king-sized sheets. Clank! Whir! Clank! Whir! Huh?! Earplugs do what now?!

From there, it only got louder. And awesomer. Luka (our sound guy) played a show with his band at a bar on Piotrkowska Street (the main drag, and apparently the longest street of straight up commerce in Europe). Philip and I skipped dinner to get a front row seat for an endless night of vodka, ouzo, and great music. Seriously, great- they covered an Iggy Pop song. And they didn’t just “play” the song either. It was their own kickass Polish rendition. Wish I had a recording of it. Heck, I’m surprised I even remember it. When the ouzo was poured, Philip had instant flashbacks of a night he spent in Turkey that resulted in the “worst hangover ever.” …Of course, it’s not like we could say ‘no’… We needed the calories.

2am
We sat on the bar’s front porch, watching the rain. Damn. We still had to walk home… and if we wanted a kabob on the way, we’d have to run one block in the opposite direction. …You bet your ass we sacrificed dry clothes for a kabob. Delicious.

Day 5 (Saturday)
Dragging. But not as bad as Luka. He stayed on that porch until 4 or 5 (he couldn’t really give us a specific time). Interviewed the organizer of critical mass- a huge gathering of bikers that take over the streets to promote clean forms of transportation. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE. We’re talkin’ hundreds of bikers. And the day we showed up to film, it was raining and there were still hundreds of bikers. That’s passion.

We also ran around the University of Lodz with all the people playing this week’s “City Games.” It’s like a scavenger hunt, but each checkpoint involves some sort of task (usually revolving around science). It’s the kind of thing that might sound lame to an eighth grader, but once you start playing, it’s pretty freakin’ sweet. For one task, groups used a smoke machine to navigate through a maze of lasers that are set to trigger alarms. The only thing our footage is missing is a chick in skintight leather ala “Entrapment.” Huh- Sean Connery’s in that. I love it when things come full circle.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Ketchup

Internet isn’t always easy to come by, so it’s easier to type the blogs at home and upload a bunch when I get a chance.

Day 0
I’ve made up my mind- Lodz is awesome. Just a few hours after arriving, seven of us gathered around a kitchen table talking and playing games until the wee hours of the morning. Maybe it was the assorted vodkas. Or more likely it was the energy in the air. The similarities between cities run deep. Like minded people; like minded projects. And did I mention the vodka? Looks like waking up at 3am didn’t really matter after all.

Day 1
On our first full day, Michal (our main man and contact here in Lodz) hooked us up with his good friend Malena- who just happens to be a professional tour guide. She showed us the dozens of dilapidated factories, the three renovated ones, the Lodz film school, the Jewish cemetery, and even the old ghetto (as in WWII, not South Central). We asked her to sit down for an interview, so we can cram at least an ounce of her historical perspective into the film, but she’s shy. Hopefully we can convince her. I mean, wouldn’t you want to know why this tiny farming town was “chosen” by the Polish government to be the manufacturing capital of Eastern Europe?

Day 2
Shot our first interviews. We talked to the owner of Pan Tu Nie Stal- a super hip independent clothing company that specializes in locally designed T-shirts and home furnishings as well as retro children’s toys. Then we spoke to a gal at Polityka Krytyczna- an organization determined to strenghten the voice of the people and challenge city hall. Both very cool places. And very different.

Day 3 (caught up)
Getting a little more prestigious. Just interviewed the equivalent of Miss America- Miss Polonia. She’s a Lodz native, a big fan of the city, and incredibly hot.

We also spoke to a guy who engineered a virtual tour guide system in the city. Kinda hard to explain in brief, but basically there are bar codes all over the city, and using a smart phone, people can scan them to learn interesting historical facts. Narration, pictures, video… super sophisticated stuff. But don’t worry, Milena, nothing beats the personal touch of a good tour guide.

Currently, I’m sitting in a café while the footage from earlier downloads to the computer. But of course, this isn’t any normal café… the owners use this space to foster creative collaborations from all over the city. Our host Lukasz comes here all the time. …And it’s not just to get away from the annoying Americans sleeping on his floor. The café is the perfect meeting place for just about any program. In fact, in ten minutes, we’re heading out to the parking lot where they’re hosting a cross-cultural event between Polish and Hungarian artists. They’re painting a car, putting on a concert… a whole bunch of stuff is happening… maybe I’ll just go film it and tell you about it later.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Budget Airport - Not Worth It

The flight from London to Warsaw was supposed to be a simple one. That’s the whole reason I came to London. Tickets from LA to London were cheap. And tickets from London to Warsaw were really, REALLY cheap. Now I know why. Base price for Warsaw flight on WizzAir: $69. Then add fees for checked baggage (only 1 carry-on allowed), a $30 bus ticket to London- Luton (the cheap-o airport on the edge of town)… and already, we’re way into triple digits. Not to mention, Luton is so far out of town, I had to wake up an extra hour and a half early. So my reasonably timed 8:15am trek actually began at 3:30. Running on empty. Not the best way to start.

London - check

Okay, enough of this "guy I met on the internet" stuff. Ramon and Ronald aren't even "friends I met on the internet. They're "friends." Cheesy, I know. But when you spend all that time together- wandering the city until you fall asleep on the bus, sipping homemade firewater (liquor), and watching Ronald try to fix the fuse box hoping he doesn't electrocute himself- bonds form rather quickly. In three days, I saw about as much of the city as anyone could. And when Ronald and Ramon had to work, I met up with a photographer in East London, Eduardo, who showed me the coolness of the city in a non-tourist way. Awesome.
(Ronald, me, Ramon)


("If someone tries to hurt the Queen, I'll throw hot coffee on him and you stab him.")

Friday, May 20, 2011

the creepiest tourist...

that's me. I spent my time sitting in the airport and the whole first leg of my flight with my eye up to a gigantic camera, recording snippets of people as they got luggage from the overhead bins or got up to go to the "loo." I was just testing color settings. I don't think anyone noticed. ...I know, I know- now you expect me to post one of those videos... but I'm not that much of a creep. I deleted them.

You know who's not even remotely a creep...? The random guy I met on the internet. I don't think I could ask for a better situation. A little guest room on the second floor, fireplace, lovely garden view, and as I type, the sweet smell of home cooking drifting through the townhouse. Mmmm. I'm gonna go eat it.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

departure

In less than twelve hours, it begins. Rough schedule: fly to London, spend a few days testing the new camera (on a cliche picture of Buckingham palace no doubt), then off to Lodz to start shooting. Through this film, we're gonna see what it means for a city to be post-industrial, and what it takes to carve a new identity. But don't worry, I'm sure it won't be all inspirational education. Just ask my host in London- he's a random dude I met on the internet.

Things are about to get interesting.