From Singapore to Zimbabwe
There’s a chance I’ll be going to Singapore at the end of April to shoot video for a fellow putting together a non-fiction DVD. It would be my first opportunity to shoot in Asia. Last year, there was a potential China documentary that fell through so I won’t be counting my chickens until they hatch. I’ve been doing quite a big of research on Singapore. Not a very large country, it used to be part of Malaysia. Originally it was a valuable trading port that was part of the British empire. Later, it became part of Malaysia and then, in 1965, separated. Listed as a democratic republic, it has been ruled by a single party since independence. It could be fun and interesting. I read that three bloggers were fined for SEDITION (that is writing or saying things that upset people, they can be true things … the point isn’t whether or not they’re true but whether or not they’re upsetting). I understand they still CANE people in Singapore, too. So, I’m going to have to be on my best behavior … IF the project comes through.
On Sunday, I’ll be meeting with the director of the Zimbabwe projects. I am really excited about those two films but am unsure how it’s all going to work out. There’s been a growing interest by production companies and distributors about this project. We’re going to sit down and talk about the script, strategies and schedules. The Zambia projects started in January of 2006 and we shot in August 2006. So, to be at the end of February and still hoping for a summer shoot is scary to me. Especially given the current political situation in Zimbabwe and we don’t have in country contacts like we did in Zambia. (If you follow this blog, you know that we still had numerous challenges and collapses with logistics … and that was WITH in-country support … so, unless some significant support comes in, it looks like summer 2009 to me.)
I do, of course, wonder if this is part of my lunar eclipse on my ascendent. It’s all about surprising and unexpected occurrences. The last few years have brought nothing but surprising occurrences to my life. In fact, surprising occurrences are becoming the norm. So, the eclipse has a lot to do to make a memorable impact in my current existence.
