My thoughts on Syria....Syria into hell or how can we kill our brothers and sisters for money and power.

So I wrote this on Nelson Mandella's birthday but didn't post it as I felt Mandella's birhtday deserved the day to itself. But the Syria situation has been nawing at me since the first transgression against the school children and then the slaughter of unarmed students. And no one is talking about how Assad and his wife were the toast of the world only a few years ago, he the forward thinking bastion of hope for the middle east and she the uber fashionable, British schooled bombshell. And now they move as if there aren't hundreds of innocents being slaughtered, so easily as if it's not a second thought. Franky, I'm disgusted. So here's what I wrote on Mandela's birthday. Sorry Madiba, I know you were all about peace. Maybe it's why it came to mind on that particular day.

I've been following the Syria fall into hell since it began a couple of years ago. I remember fully the steps, first chatter, then a fist, a thrust, a bomb and then a full out civil war which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, property, souls, hearts and minds. And it's the same in so many uprisings around the world and throughout time; Angola, Egypt, Bosnia, the Congo and so many more.  And today, on Nelson Mandela's birthday, South Africa. Leaders by any means push to maintain power by an means, regardless of bloodshed, figuratively and literally. It sickens me the disregard for life, whether the aforementioned battles or the battles of poverty, social and societal differences, disease and the list goes on. Today I read in the New York times that the Syrian war may be shifting to the de facto leader Bashar al-Assad. I just can't see with all of the atrocities committed that the war  would shift back in that direction. Or maybe I don't understand war or politics or battles or death or destruction. Power. Financial or personal is it worth history. When we look back, how will this war look or others like it, or the battle for equality or the hundreds of millions wasted while lives waste away. I guess I'm just  a not as educated as the warlords.

Wonderful article about TBC AGX creator Kevin Sharpley and visual designer Gianfranco Bianchi in the Sun Post...

moving on...

So we're moving our blog for a while to our tumblr presence. We'll post on this blog Klog and Rant v.1 from time to time, but for the most up to date info, check us out at:

http://kijikmultimedia.tumblr.com/

The Empowerment Project

The Empowerment Project from KijiK Multimedia on Vimeo.

Took a little detour for a side project. Back to editing this week.

The Empowerment Project was organized to showcase the power of Haiti, the effect the country has had historically on the world and luminaries that are working to help the country to restore it's former glory. Featuring work by Marc Baptiste, Presscott McDonald, Frank Isman and Kevin Sharpley, the project was curated by Myrdith Leon-McCormick.

The Empowerment project debuted at The Haiti Art Expo Presented by Plum TV along with its co-chairman Jerry Powers, Michael Capponi and Jeff Feldman. Hosted by Venus Williams, Haitian born World Welterweight Champion Boxer Andre Berto. The event kicked off during Art Basel Miami, one of the biggest art shows in the world.




Scroll down for more pics from the event!














































































































The Empowerment Project sold many portraits including two purchased by Venus Williams. The project will be expanded and is currently being procured for development as a book.

The following poem was a part of the multi-media presentation:


Haiti Empowered

there is power in haiti
haiti is power
year day hour
no matter
alpha we're strong
omega is long away
pray if you may
but
we stay
strong
and empowered

there is power in haiti
haiti is power
haiti is in power
haiti is empowered

The scarlet, the RED and now the EPIC

Catching up to 35, still not the same dynamic range though, but very exciting, very excited!

Soaring with Grit, The Tourist hits The Town or four films I watched over the holidays I loved.

Ok, so I really don't do reviews, but this time I couldn't hold back. Over the holidays I saw four great movies, three in theaters and one on demand (cable) and I was in heaven. So many times I get to the point where I feel where are the good movies, I mean really good movies and wonder if we'll ever have a time in Cinema again when real stories, real films trump profiting over 300 mill at the box office. Well that may never happen (read never happen). But luckily I think there will always be a hunger for strong stories, strong characters and multi-layered, multi-textual stories. Don't get me wrong, I love a fluff, popcorn, no brainer films that I forget the minute I leave the theater (Transformers, Avatar, "The Other Ones"...well maybe "The Other Ones" I did remember for a while, Ferrell and Whalberg were classic), but the films that stick with me, stay resting in my craw, irritating me, making me think about the process, the story, the concepts and ideas, the ones that stimulate me, my mind, those are the ones I prefer to drop my ten bucks on (or more depending on where, time, 3-D, IMax etc..) It's like those gifts you get that keep giving back, my money lasts and I can revisit over an over in my mind. Or want to revisit in the theater.



The four movies I saw over the holidays are all award contenders, "Black Swan", "True Grit", "The Tourist", and "The Town". The first two are from two of my favorite directors Darren Aronosky and The Cohen Brothers. Aronosky blew me away with his freshman effort, "Pi" and has been impressing me ever since, then the incredible "Requim for a Dream' and the quietly powerful "The Wrestler".



And the Cohen brothers have done it again. They are masters at regional characterizations, creating worlds inhabited by characters; people and places that ring true to whatever theme or genre they see fit to work in. They are masters. From Fargo's Minnesota Midwestern twang, to the southern drawl of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou", to the deadpan short, bluntness of the antagonist in "No Country for Old Men", the brothers Cohen have brought to life some of the most rememberable worlds and characters in Cinema and have won many awards for themselves and others in the process.



Black Swan soars. Natalie Portman is one of my favorite actresses and has been in some of my favorite films in her long career. She's been acting for many years because she started at such a young age. She lit the screen on fire in her first film The Proffesional at the age of twelve and hasn't looked back. Her nuanced performance in one of the best crime drama's ever "Heat" held its salt with some of the biggest in Hollywood history, Al Pacino, Robert Dinero, Val Kilmer and more. More about Heat when I get into The Town. In Black Swan, Natalie showcases an incredible versilitude, detailed and broad strokes of emotion, both required for the role. This is true of the ballet the film is based on and is true for the movie as well. What was great for me was the strength of the entire cast . For all of the strength Ms. Portman exuded for the her role, her rival character played by the wonderful Mila Kunis showcased a voracious theatrical appetite; expressing youthful zeal and recklessness coupled with raw passion, dogged determination and cutthroat cunning. Maybe a bit more on the other incredible performances later, but all were brilliant performances that balanced the main characters on a scale set ablaze with kerosene and gasoline.



But of course it was Mr. Aronosky's show and he is the one that pulled off the real balancing act. The story moves effortlessly between the power of the dance to the power of the character's souls or lack thereof. And the balance of the other characters and their relation to the main players. It is what keeps the viewer entranced, gripping or at least trying to grip to some semblance of what's real and what is not. Ultimately it's this balance that makes Black Swan such an incredible and powerful film. I was on the ride, on the ups and downs and still felt the motion long after getting off.



More on the other three films later and a film from last year that I only recently saw "Precious", which I feel is every bit as good as last years Academy award winner "Hurt Locker".

Kevin

Nou Sove- Cape Hatien profile piece

Support PBS

KijiK President featured on PBS public service announcement.



A radio spot for PBS member station WLRN for NPR featuring Kevin Sharpley.

KijiK President featured on PBS

Haiti

We've been working for many years for Haiti. Our two documentaries
"Sove Nou" www.kijikmultimedia.com/sovenou
and
"Nou Sove" www.kijikmultimedia.com/nousove
are two of our most important projects. In addition we have been doing much in trying to help move the needle forward, but now there is so much that is needed. Please see our blog at

http://nousove.blogspot.com

for information on how you can help in this dire situation.

Nou Sove documentary vignette

We just cut our first vignette utilizing footage from our documentary "Nou Sove" on the incredible Melky Jean:

http://kijikmultimedia.com/nousove/


It was done rather quick and with a more direct and deliberate approach due to time constraints. The documentary will be more stylized and we shot the original interview using two cameras with a lot of coverage, but until we edit this one fully we feel it drives the point home.



Next up Mr. Jimmy Jean Louis, who is the focal character of the film. His interview is incredible and his trailer vignette will showcase what the documentary is about. I'm extremely excited as the film shapes up and we head toward post production.

FIRE!!!!!!!

Holiday Flavor

This is a little diddy we did for a client a short while ago...well this is section of the project anyway. We think it has a little holiday flavor, so here it goes.

ICABA short

KijiK Multimedia | MySpace Video
Happy Holidays.

The Beach Chronicles Halloween Event

Three words...Off The Hizzy! Check the link!

Copy and paste
http://www.filmiami.org/news_09Nov03_Beach.asp
or
FilMiami-The Beach Chronicles


and some photos...

Cherry Rhedding, live and in person!

Look for TBC coming soon to....the world!!!!!!!!!

The Beach Chronicles website

complot magazine is our new sponsor! The 30th will be a night to remember...



The much anticipated "The Beach Chronicles" Halloween event is coming on October 30th to The Victor Hotel. We've had a tremendous and incredible response to the series and our premiere event at the Miami Beach Cinematheque. Now we're opening it to the public on our home turf. BRPR, complot magazine, BeScene Magazine, Select Vodka and Myfirstsingle.com present The Beach Chronicles "Cherry is Coming" Halloween gala. We will premiere the latest vignette "The Order Moves In" and showcase the first chronicle featuring Jimmy Jean Louis from the television show HEROES. Expect celebrities, expect press, expect an event like no other. Come dressed in your most incredible costume for a chance to be immortalized in the next chronicle "Miami Circle in a Box". There will be complimentary TBC cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and more...This is the Halloween event not to miss. If you made it to the premiere event you know what I'm talking about.

For more about The Beach Chronicles join our fan page at:
Facebook: http://bit.ly/41kexV
TBC website: http://thebeachchronicles.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheEnoque

and for TBC die hards follow TBC detective Dirk Jenson: http://twitter.com/DirkJenson

Here's some response we've had so far:

I want more more MORE! ...you guys killed it! Left a major impression! Without a doubt, a bewitchingly extraordinary venture my friends, truly. Kellin V.

"Cooler... than Sin City" via TBC premiere audience

"The greatest thing I've ever seen!" Demetrius C.

"WOW is all i can say!! Can't wait to see the rest!!" Kevin P

We would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support and are blown away by the response so far. If you can make it to one event this is the extravaganza to see and be seen at. Please RSVP to hotelvictor@br-prmiami.com