Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

Alec and I were on our way to Starbucks when we heard the sound of sirens and smelled acrid smoke. An apartment building at the end of the block was on fire. We watched as firetrucks seemed to materialize around the building in a matter of seconds. The elderly couple in the apartment of origin (see frame 4) were whisked out of the building and into a waiting ambulance.

Meanwhile, the sound of shattering glass as the firefighters in the apartment on the 6th or 7th floor gave the fire an escape route. The water cannon pummeled the fire through the opening. The ladder was lowered into place should other victims be found.

I’ve written about Alec’s fifth-floor walk-up. The street you’re looking at is his street. Had the fire gotten out of control and started consuming buildings, his home might have been one of the homes consumed. Having spent time in a New York apartment, I have a whole new respect for NYC firefighters. The compression of humanity into endless rows of towers makes every second count. I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently the contained the fire. It was awe-inspiring.

I thought of the firefighters in the twin towers and realize what they were trying to do and what they were trying to prevent. They’re amazing fellows.

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Sometimes, people ask me, “Why Zambia?” It’s a good question. Initially, I became interested in the Zambia feature film and documentary project because of Jabbes. As my student, he made short films that I found compelling, including the loss of his son. While it was sad and moving, it was the determination that Jabbes had to honor the memory of his son by establishing the film industry and stimulating economic growth that continued to propel me into the project. This project was about more than just his personal loss. It was about making a significant contribution to his country.

I started writing the Innovative Project Grant Proposal and researching everything I could find about Zambia. I started with the CIA Factbook. I found out that:

• Zambia was about the same size as Texas
• The population is about 12 million
• The national language is English
• It is predominantly Christian
• Zambia is a demoncracy with elected government officials
• It has been independent since 1964
• Mining and agriculture are the chief industries
• Infant mortality is 86/1000 live births
• About 16.7% of the children are growing up without parents because of HIV/AIDs

Zambia came out of the horrific colonial slave-trading past (To better understand that period, you can watch the Spielberg film or go to the website on AMISTAD). In 1964, Zambia gained independence. Zambia’s first president said that Zambia could not truly be free until all African were free. A very profound conviction.

Like Jonathan wrote in his post, it’s our responsibility to do our best to commit our lives to make a difference in the world. By the grace of God, an accident of birth, really, we were born in the richest country in the world. Now, we have a chance to support economic growth and build an industry in an African nation that would really benefit from that effort. It will improve the lives of many Zambians.

Why Zambia?

How could we refuse? Initially, one of Zambia’s sons asked us to bring the stories of his people to the world. Since then, Zambian citizens, arts patrons and many government officials have invited our participation. As John Schaefer said to me yesterday, “We save our own souls when we do this work.” We are lucky to have been asked.

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One of the things Alec and I love to do is see independent films to motivate ourselves into making one of our own. We pick out the things we like the most and the things we would change. In the last week, I think we’ve watched ten films. Here then, our very biased views of the films we’ve been seeing.

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM was my absolute favorite of all the films we watched. The acting was powerful. Ellen Burstyn won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sarah Goldfarb, the woman that no one needed. Jennifer Connelly and Jared Leto were nuanced and profoundly shameless in their descent into addiction. And the EDITING. I loved the editing. It added to the chaotic feel and disconnection of the characters. And the bonus features were good, too.

ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW is Miranda July’s tour de force that took Sundance by storm. Playing a quirky performance artist who falls for a quirkier shoe salesman, the writing was witty and authentic. All of the characters were so odd and unforgettable. The actors inhabited the skins of these oddballs to near perfection. To be sure it was odd … and wonderful.

It’s hard to go wrong with Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer but KISS KISS BANG BANG just didn’t hold together well enough to make me happy. The characters were fun and odd. The acting was strong but, sometimes, the quirky character bits dragged the story to a virtual halt. I kept thinking, “Move on, people, move on.” You knew who the bad guy was ten seconds into the movie so there were very few surprises. The electrocution of Robert Downey Jr’s “private parts” was gratuitous, as was the dog eating the severed finger. It just wasn’t funny. I wouldn’t say to skip it … watch it … but reduce your expectations and you’ll be a lot happier.

Another Sundance hit, HUSTLE AND FLOW was fun to watch although it took me half the movie to be able to understand what they were saying. It’s embarrassing to have to put subtitles on for an English-language film but I just couldn’t catch what they were saying. I don’t love the whole pimp ‘n ho scene and rap isn’t really my thang but it was done well.

Of course we had to go see, NACHO LIBRE because of the Sundance connection to Jared Hess and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. There were some good moments.

DATE MOVIE was horrible. (I didn’t pick that … even when I want mindless entertainment, I can’t do that.) I couldn’t make myself get interested in RENT. I know I shouldn’t say that (and I’m going to get a whole pile of grief for it) but I lost it when Jesse L. Martin got mugged and sang about it. I just couldn’t hang in there. I’ll have to give it another shot some other time. I rewatched the series finale of SIX FEET UNDER and all of the bonus tracks.

I’ve still got BAD EDUCATION with one of my favorite actors GAEL GARCIA BERNAL doing a turn as a cross-dressing blackmailer. I’ll watch that tomorrow. Oh, and I have WAITING FOR THE MOON, Wendy Godmillow’s Sundance winner about Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. I think Alec will be skipping that one.

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It’s so humid, it feels like I’m walking in a sauna. Again today, it’s been sprinkling periodically. I can’t tell if it’s raining or it’s just so humid that the sky is dripping. At least it’s overcast so we can walk around and enjoy the sites without roasting. While it may sound like I’m complaining (to be certain, I do that with some regularity), in this case I’m just observing the amazing difference between New York and Phoenix. There isn’t one minute of the day that I don’t feel like a STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. Some of the more remarkable differences …

“DOMESTICS” … there are so many people who seem to be looking after other people. Often, they’re women from Asian, Indian or African nations. They push the dozens of strollers (giant strollers, I might add … in Phoenix people have big cars, in New York, the size of your stroller shows your economic status) moving on each block of the city, they follow motorized wheelchairs and other vehicles for the elderly, and they bring tastefully dressed Caucasian children to the deli for lunch. There were two particularly odd moments I witnessed with “domestics.” A woman with three boys in very large strollers (in fact, the boys looked too large for the strollers) came into Starbucks with her teen domestic. She patronizingly asked the girl if she wanted something since the boys were having a treat. It was very odd. Another domestic tried to order lunch for the children in her charge. Her English was so poor, she had to get the child (about age 6) to order for them. It’s such a different world.

“DELI” … there’s a deli on every corner and the food is so fresh and delicious. In Phoenix, it’s hard to find something quick, cheap and good (what’s the saying … pick any two because you can’t have all three at once). Well, in NYC you can get all three in most shops! Yesterday, Alec and I ate lunch for $9.56. Both of us. Fresh sandwiches and beverages for less than $10. I don’t think we can eat at Burger King for that. There was so much, Alec had to bring half his sandwich home. And, the joy for me … no dishes to do afterwards. Simply amazing.

“SO MUCH TO DO” … ironically, everyone keeps asking me what I’m doing, like I should be hitting all the tourist spots. I guess it’s the same way people always ask if we go to the Grand Canyon. It’s there so it must be THE thing to do. NYC has so many things to do and see. I could spend a fortune visiting all of those things but, to be honest, I’m enjoying wandering around, getting the feel of the city. I’m liking the experience of being relocated in space. I feel like someone snatched me out of MY space/time continuum and thrust me into a different one. Very Star Trek … or SYBIL … regardless, I’m enjoying the discombobulation. I’m trying to use it as training for going to Zambia. The challenge of finding a comfort zone in the face of total change and chaos.

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It’s been raining off and on all day. In NYC, everyone walks everywhere. Cabs are too expensive (and slow) to take all the time. The subway is a bit steamy and, besides, nearly everything you need is within a few blocks anyway. I thnk I’ve walked more in the last five days than I’ve walked in the last five years. I love being on the streets and getting the rhythm of the city. It’s so different from Phoenix. It’s still hot. It’s more humid. But there’s a breeze most days and there’s just so dang much stuff to look at.

NYC is an architecture-lover’s dream. There are so many amazing buildings, both old and new. The churches are inspiring and often imposing. Every block is a different visual treat. There are world-famous buildings (Empire State, Chrysler, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and so on) to gaze at … I found Grand Central Station (pictured here) to be breath-taking. The city seems so familiar (due in part, I am certain, to the prolific number of episodes of the LAW AND ORDER series that are filmed here). Yet I have discoverd and enjoy the little-seen and unknown wonders just as much.

Walking around, I’ve found this whole different underground world. I remember when the Coen Brothers came to Phoenix to shoot RAISING ARIZONA. Marsha McCreadie, the film critic for the Arizona Republic went to interview them about the film. They talked about how shocked they were that there were no basements in Phoenix. They had to re-write the script because the final chase sequence went through a bunch of basements. There just isn’t much subterranean life in the Valley of the Sun.

New York, by comparison, has an underground life that I never knew about. Virtually every deli, store, cafe and shop has a set of metal doors in front of it. Those doors open up every day to receive new merchandise, retrieve additional supplies and make the lives of the workers generally more challenging. Up and down the stairs go employees. New Yorkers make use of every tiny bit of usable space.

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DANNY, the Zambian singer/songwriter, whose song KAYA was the longest running #1 single in Zambian History (15 weeks) has expressed an interest in doing the music for the film, BAD TIMING A quiet and humble young man with a serious attitude to his work and career, Danny has established himself as one of the leading young musicians in Zambia. In addition to being very talented and disciplined, Danny is not afraid to touch on serious topics such as homosexuality, AIDS, infidelity.

Born and raised in Lusaka, Danny Siulapwa is the last born in a family of six. He studied for a diploma in Electrical Engineering but he had discovered his musical ability at Church and developed his talent while at Secondary School.

In April 2005, Danny released his fourth album KAYA to much critical acclaim. Danny’s high profile and huge fanbase across south central Africa (including Malawi and Zimbabwe) helped consolidate his position as Zambia’s leading artist. Listen to KAYA by Danny and BUY THE ALBUM!

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BY THE AFRICAN VOICE DOCUMENTARY FILM CREW, MESA, AZ, USA - The last week, we worked on a short video to give people a sense of who we are and why we’re doing what we’re doing. Three of the editors put together versions of varying length.

SHAWN DOWNS put together the Who We Are in Two Minutes movie. Shawn recently graduated from Arcadia High School and will be going to the LA Film School upon his return from Zambia. Shawn is an excellent cinematographer, gaffer and all-round crew member. Shawn had a short film in the PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL 2006. I’d count on seeing great things from him in the future.

LINDSEY BLACK crafted the Who We Are in Five Minutes. Lindsey graduated from Mesa Community College. She has made numerous short films and is looking to build a career in the independent film industry. Lindsey enjoys acting, editing and producing. Already a Sundance veteran, Lindsey is looking forward the 2007 festival. She learned a great deal about networking at the last festival from actor, Adam Scarimbolo.

MICHAEL MONTESA completed the Who We Are in 17 Minutes. Another Sundance veteran with a commitment to work in the independent film world, Mike is a respiratory therapist by vocation and photographer/cinematographer by avocation. Mike has won several awards at the annual Mesa Community College Art Show. In addition to being a great on-set photographer, Mike loves designing movie poster and DVD case covers. His designs are terrific.

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I’m in New York City today so I had to go to Times Square to visit the new Apple Store. The giant crystal cube was quite inspiring and crazy mad full of people. Earlier in the day, I went online and made an appoiintment at the Genius Bar for 7pm. We arrived at 7:01 and by 7:08 we were sitting with Genius Emily to discuss my problem Mac. She solved the issues in a very short time and we were back on our way. My favorite thing was riding in the glass elevator. I felt like the WIZARD OF OZ rising out of the ground.

There are many days I think that I want to work for Apple or teach for Apple or something. I just love their stuff so much. I’ve been using Macintoshes from day one and they just keep getting better and better. I sometimes get a missionary zeal about them … fortunately, my saner self takes over and I return to normal functioning, again.

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Today, Apple announced the delivery of Shake 4.1, the first Universal version of its industry leading compositing software, and cut its price from $2,999 to $499 to fit almost any production’s budget. Final Cut Studio editors can now take advantage of Shake for sophisticated 3D compositing, keying, image tracking and stabilization. Shake continues to be the tool of choice for major motion-picture studios and leading effects houses to create award-winning visual effects.

I’ve been teaching SHAKE at Mesa Community College for over a year, now. It’s an incredible piece of software and I’m really excited to see that there’s finally academic pricing! Now, the students can really perfect their skills and work on more complex projects.

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I just love the new PC vs. MAC ads that are running on broadcast television (and can be seen on the Apple website). They feature the nerdy, geeky PC fellow extolling the virtues of a PC with complete sincerity. He speaks glowingly of the power of speadsheets and ease of use. The MAC fellow is a young, hip fellow who just wants to get his computer out of the box and get to making things. They’re really funny.

I’ve had numerous friends over the years who have been completely devoted to their PCs. For many of them, the argument really centered on money. But, I get so much more for less, they’d say. AFTER using a MAC for a while, most of them discover that it wasn’t an apples to apples comparison. The “loaded” PC they had just couldn’t do half the things the Mac could do. What it could do, it didn’t do as easily either. Thank Gawd for the iPod. It opened the eyes of the general population to the true GENIUS of the Mac.

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THE BIG PICTURE with COLIN BOYD on FREE FM101.5

Podcast on Sunday, June 18, 2006
Recorded in Phoenix, Arizona, USA

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (indieWIRE) — Film critic Colin Boyd interviews Jabbes Mvula and Cynthia Greening about filmmaking in Zambia. Greening will produce and Mvula will direct BAD TIMING, the first dramatic narrative feature film to be shot in Zambia. Simultaneously, they will produce VOICE OF AN AFRICAN NATION, a documentary about the making of that feature and the establishment of the film industry in Zambia.

BAD T!MING is the story of Chiku, a respected Zambian social activist who is invited to lead the U.N. Task Force to investigate and improve the future of the African Child. As the head of Children’s Paradise, an organization that cares for orphans in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, Chiku is well suited for the task. Chiku is respected by his peers and loved by the many children in his care. During this period, Chiku is also preparing for his wedding. The son of a Ngoni chief, he is to marry Mutinta, the daughter of a Tonga leader. First, Chiku must visit the bride’s village located near Victoria Falls to make the marriage arrangements with her father. Shortly before he marries, Chiku is seduced by a seemingly innocent neighborhood girl. When the police come to arrest Chiku at his wedding, his bride is horrified to discover that the young woman has accused her new husband of rape. Wanting to avoid a life sentence in prison, Chiku begins an epic struggle to restore himself personally and professionally. A tale of failure, corruption, forgiveness and redemption, BAD T!MING reveals the rich culture and social interactions of contemporary Zambians, set against the rich backdrop of Zambian countryside.

The documentary, VOICE OF AN AFRICAN NATION, will explore the educational and creative journey of Jabbes Mvula from Zambian National Broadcast to Arizona, and it will reveal the cultural exchange that occurs between Americans and Zambians. The film crew is comprised of students and faculty from MCC, where Mvula studied filmmaking. The documentary follows them from their relatively affluent, predominantly white community to this economically challenged nation in Africa. It will explain the efforts of Greening and MCC faculty to provide digital filmmaking training and technology to Zambian producers, directors and teachers.

Mesa Community College, located in Mesa, Arizona, has granted the Media Arts faculty the use of their high-definition cameras, lens packages, production lighting kits, audio production equipment and state-of-the-art editing equipment for the production of Mvula’s film and Greening’s documentary. By making these two compelling and exciting high-definition films, Mvula and Greening intend to accomplish several goals. They hope to bring the stories and the voice of a previously unrepresented African nation to the global cinema. They are committed that their efforts support the growth of film industry in Zambia. Through the films, they intend to reveal the beauty of Zambian regions for potential tourists, visitors and investors. With such a varied landscape and rich culture to offer international and native filmmakers, this joint venture promises growth and expansion for all parties involved.

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BY CYNDI GREENING, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA - Anyone who knows me knows that I love, love, love the music of Sarah McLachlan. The founder of Lilith Fair, McLachlan is a powerful activist and artist. Today, Gina sent me a link to her music video for her song World on Fire. The music video is very simple because McLachlan simply sits and sings while title cards, graphics and photographs go by explaining how she *really* used her music video budget. She cites the price for things like hair and makeup ($5000) or the production company ($11000) and how that money was used in places like South Africa, Kenya, Afghanistan and Calcutta. It’s an awesome piece.

I told Alec about it tonight and he said it’s been running for quite a while on MTV and VH1. Dang it! I feel so behind the times! Press this World on Fire Link to view the video.

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Silver Springs, Maryland (a lovely city in a beautiful part of the country) is the place to be this weekend if you’re a fan of documentary films. Now in it’s fourth year, the AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival presents six days of programming showcasing 100 feature-length and short films, plus special screenings. The Festival will take place June 13–18 at the AFI Silver Theatre just outside Washington, DC. SILVERDOCS provides business and creative connections between filmmakers, broadcasters, distributors, and funders from both established and emerging media markets at the concurrent International Documentary Conference, June 14-17.

Of great interest to me is the Celebrate South Africa! segment of the program; it’s a special program of new South African documentaries plus discussions featuring South African artists and a concert. In the Fall of 2005, SILVERDOCS organizers presented Festival highlights and a series of documentary film workshops to filmmakers in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa as part of a US Department of State cultural exchange program. Moved by the passion and talent of the South African filmmakers, and the diversity and richness of their stories, Festival organizers determined to create a special program celebrating the work of South African filmmakers. It sounds very similar to what we’re doing with FilmZambia!

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Or I am so biased. Maybe both things are true. It’s hard to say when it comes to your children. Even though he’s a young man now, Alec will always be my little boy. Last week, we were riding around in the car (something we always enjoyed doing together) and got to reminiscing about those sweet, sweet moments in life.

I think it was about 15 years ago when I saw writer/actor/producer Rob Reiner talking about the joyful moments in life. He said something like, “We go through our lives and there are moments of joy. Those moments of pure joy don’t come around very often and they don’t last too long. Yet, it’s these fleeting moments of joy that make life meaningful.”

I found his observation to be accurate and wise. I try to pay attention to the people and events of my life to better capture and revel in those moments of joy. Some of my favorite life memories are of times with Alec. When he was little, he loved to watch television on the “airplane” in the living room. I would lie on my back with my legs in the air. He would sit on top and I would sway left and right while he giggled. We would watch LITTLE MERMAID and eat spaghetti on a blanket on the floor.

When I was young, my Aunt Beverly would allow us to jump on the bed and do somersaults. One of Alec’s favorite games was jumping on the bed while I swung my legs to and fro, trying to knock him off his feet. We could play that game until we were both gasping for air.

It’s hard to believe he’s a young man, now. He’s ready to go off and make his way in the world. My nephew, Kevin, is in California right now, wandering the Earth. His brother, Chris bought his first house. Alec is returning to New York City to find his livelihood in the big city. I’m sure we’ll have future moments of joy. I’m sure I’ll savor them as much as those of the past. I just can’t believe how quickly it went!

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Today, I was on the quest for more support and more funding for the Zambian Films. I called up some friends I hadn’t spoken with for quite some time to ask for advice and guidance. It was really fun to talk with them about the films. We had all volunteered together on a large fund-raising event for Phoenix Children’s Hospital. A group of like-minded folks, we were all committed to doing good in the world and willing to commit our time, money and energy to making a difference for children in the Valley.

One of the things that really drew me into the Zambian film project was Jabbes’ tragic loss of his son, Jabbes Jr. His desire to establish the film industry in his country and create the first dramatic feature film to honor the memory of his son was very compelling. I’ve been so humbled to support these honorable goals.

The really exciting part was being able to talk to these friends about what I was working on now. Of course, most of them continue to volunteer and commit themselves to making a difference for children and for the Valley. I had the chance to talk about the good my MCC students are hoping to do for the world.

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