We’re experiencing a bit of “good timing” with the film Zambian BAD TIMING. The film is now listed in the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). So far, only the title is in … they say the actual names / credits take another week to ten days to get updated. It’s so exciting to finally see everything coming together and the people in the film getting acknowledged for their work. Everyone involved with this project gave a solid month of their life in Zambia to get this film made. The crew also spent six months before the project in training and preparing for the project. Following the shoot in Zambia, the crew spent another couple of months helping with the rough cut … and several more continued another year with the revised cuts.
We’ve been test screening the film with small groups and the response has been really terrific. When you edit a film, you watch it thousands of times and lose all perspective on it. You think it keeps getting better but it’s so subjective. The really exciting thing is that people who know nothing about the film, know nothing about Zambia, know nothing about the production challenges are understanding and liking the film. They’re liking the good people, disliking the bad people and are getting really involved in the story. It’s a very satisfying feeling having people watch the film and enjoy it. I can hardly wait for the Zambians to see it.
Gary Gygax, one-half of the team that invented the original fantasy role playing game (Dungeons and Dragons, of course), passed away on March 4, 2008. From his modest Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, home—with collaborator Dave Arneson—Gygax’s game ultimately generated over $1 billion in sales and was played by an estimated 20 million people. During my college years at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, I was one of those folks. I loved that game. My friends and I would spend hours, rolling the many sided dice as we explored underground lairs in search of treasure, trinkets and valuable experience points. For a long time, I was really into the game. I became a dungeon master, drawing my own elaborate worlds, populating them with gnomes, wizards, thieves and monsters. Some of my favorite memories of good times with friends revolved around those D&D games.
There were a number of reference manuals (which I am embarrassed to admit that I still own after all these years) on being a Dungeon Master, on capabilities of Creatures and Monsters, on every aspect of the game. Contemporary RPG games (like World of Warcraft or Halo or Assassin’s Creed) have players collecting experience points for chasing down and killing opponents. With D&D, it was all a roll of the dice … from four-sided to 20-sided … that determined our fate. Other than the drawings in the manuals, there was little to look at, so it was all in our imagination. Gary Gygax may very well have been the genesis of the modern gaming industry. May he rest in peace.
The Seventh Tribeca Film Festival will be held April 23, 2008 to May 4, 2008 in New York City. I was excited to read that they’ve made some changes to improve the festival-goers experience. You may recall that last year we attended the festival and blogged about how challenging it was to get to everything.
TFF announced that it will make the 2008 Festival more accessible by creating dual Festival “hubs,” by offering special ticket packages and passes for the public, and featuring new ticket pricing. Tickets for the Festival will be $15.00 for evening and weekend screenings and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings. In addition, the Festival will offer a few select screenings with panel discussions for $25.00.
The Festival will centralize its screening, event and hospitality venues with lower Manhattan and the Union Square area serving as the Festival “hubs.” Lower Manhattan, the heart of the Festival, will host the Festival’s free public events, including the Tribeca Drive-In at the World Financial Center and the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair on Greenwich Street, as well as an array of screenings, panel discussions and gala premieres at BMCC TribecaPAC, Pace University and Tribeca Cinemas. Union Square will be home to three Festival multiplex theaters – AMC Village VII (11th Street and 3rd Avenue), AMC 19th St. (19th Street and Broadway) and City Cinemas Village East (12th Street and 2nd Avenue) as well as the Filmmaker Industry Press Lounge. These theaters will host premieres and screenings.
The Festival has created six new feature film ticket packages which offer a discount on tickets and allow consumers the ability to navigate the film slate by interest. In addition to the new packages, the Festival will again offer two advance ticket selection packages and an all access Festival pass.
57,000 Kilometers Between Us (57000 km entre nous), directed by Delphine Kreuter, written by Mathieu Lis, Emmanuel Finkiel and Kreuter. (France) - North American Premiere. A provocative yet charming take on digital communication, this debut follows a teenager caught between her stepdad (who records and posts the family’s supposedly perfect life online), her real father (now a transsexual), and the refuge of her own online life as she searches for meaningful connections with others. French with English subtitles.
The Aquarium (Genenet al Asmak), directed by Yousry Nasrallah, written by Nasser Abdel-Rahman and Nasrallah. (Egypt, France, Germany) - North American Premiere. An anesthetist who listens to his patients mumbling under sedation and a late night talk show host (Hend Sabri) whose callers reveal secrets are the yearning principals of this intriguing new work, an ambitious examination of repression—both sexual and political—in Cairo today. Arabic with English subtitles.
Eden, directed by Declan Recks, written by Eugene O’Brien. (Ireland) - International Premiere. Taking a frank look at the slow disintegration of a marriage during the week before a couple’s 10th anniversary, Recks catapults an intimate story from O’Brien’s award-winning play onto the big screen while only enhancing its emotional impact.
Let The Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in), directed by Tomas Alfredson, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist. (Sweden) - North American Premiere. Based on Lindqvist’s best-selling novel, this beautifully touching tale tells of the first romance for bullied 12-year-old Oskar and the girl next door, Eli. . . who also happens to be a vampire. Swedish with English subtitles. A Magnet Release.
Lost•Indulgence, directed and written by Zhang Yibai. (China) - International Premiere. A visually stunning meditation on loss, Lost·Indulgence centers on the complicated relationships between a teenage son, his mother, and the secretive young woman they take into their home after a tragic accident. Mandarin with English subtitles.
Love, Pain and Vice Versa (Amor, dolor y viceversa), directed by Alfonso Pineda-Ulloa, written by Alex Marino. (Mexico) - World Premiere. This stirring and moody psychological thriller finds two strangers subconsciously linked when their recurring dreams begin to topple their reality. Featuring strong performances by the sizzling Bárbara Mori (La mujer de mi hermano) and Leonardo Sbaraglia (Intacto). Spanish with English subtitles. A Panamax Films Release.
My Marlon and Brando (Gitmek), directed and written by Hüseyin Karabey. (Turkey) - North American Premiere. They fell in love on a film set—but she’s a Turk living in Istanbul and he’s a Kurd living in Iraq, which US forces have just invaded. The lovers play themselves in this captivating, heartbreaking film, based on their own true story. English, Kurdish, Turkish with English subtitles.
Newcastle, directed and written by Dan Castle. (Australia) - World Premiere. Revolving around Jesse, a 17-year-old surfer who treads the line between success and self-destruction, Newcastle saturates the senses with magnificent surfing footage and absorbs viewers in the fresh loves and personal tragedies of Jesse and his mates.
Quiet Chaos (Caos calmo), directed by Antonello Grimaldi, written by Nanni Moretti, Laura Paolucci and Francesco Piccolo. (Italy) - North American Premiere. “How to grieve” is the unexpressed question faced by Pietro, a Rome television executive (Nanni Moretti), after his wife’s sudden death. This movingly understated film traces his spiritual rebirth. Italian with English subtitles.
Ramchand Pakistani, directed by Mehreen Jabbar, written by Mohammad Ahmed. (Pakistan) - World Premiere. Gorgeous colors enhance this tense tale, based on actual events, about a young Pakistani boy who, with his father, inadvertently crosses the border into India. Both wind up in jail for years, while mother (Nandita Das) is left bewildered and alone. Urdu with English subtitles.
Somers Town, directed by Shane Meadows, written by Paul Fraser. (UK) - North American Premiere. A charming comedy by Shane Meadows (This Is England) built around the unlikely friendship between Tomo, who’s turned 16 and fled to London from a difficult life in the Midlands, and Marek, a Polish immigrant who lives with his construction worker dad. English, Polish with English subtitles.
Trucker, directed and written by James Mottern. (USA) - World Premiere. Michelle Monaghan is riveting as a tough-talking, devil-may-care truck driver who is faced with raising her estranged 11-year-old son after his father (Benjamin Bratt) is hospitalized. This eloquent and uplifting story also features Joey Lauren Adams and Nathan Fillion (Waitress).
World Documentary Feature Competition
Baghdad High, directed by Ivan O’Mahoney and Laura Winter. (UK) - International Premiere. Four classmates (Kurd, Christian, Shiite, and Sunni/Shiite) in Baghdad are given cameras to document their last year in high school, resulting in a rare firsthand view of what it’s like growing up where sectarian violence rages right outside the classroom window. Arabic with English subtitles.
Donkey in Lahore, directed by Faramarz K-Rahber. (Australia) - North American Premiere. An unusual love story that follows the quixotic courtship of Brian, an ex-goth puppeteer from Australia, and Amber, the traditional Muslim girl he met and fell in love with in Pakistan. Can this unlikely couple survive the challenges they are about to face? English, Urdu, Arabic, Punjabi with English subtitles.
Guest of Cindy Sherman, directed by Paul H-O and Tom Donahue. (USA) - World Premiere. Analyzing his relationship with reclusive artist Cindy Sherman leads videographer Paul H-O to confront his own ego and identity in this personal and often humorous documentary, which features unprecedented access to Sherman and a unique view of the New York art world.
Kassim the Dream, directed by Kief Davidson. (USA) - World Premiere. Kassim “The Dream” Ouma went from Ugandan child soldier to world champion boxer. In this gripping tale of survival and determination, Kassim proves that even against all odds, a man can achieve his dreams and turn tragedy into inspiration. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
Milosevic on Trial (Slobodan Milosevic - Præsident under anklage), directed by Michael Christoffersen. (Denmark) - North American Premiere. Defending himself against widely credited charges of genocide before an international court in The Hague, Serbia’s former president proved frustratingly difficult to convict, as this riveting look at Milosevic and the chief prosecuting attorney attests. English, Albanian, Serbian with English subtitles.
My Life Inside (Mi vida dentro), directed by Lucía Gajá. (Mexico) - International Premiere. At 17, mild-mannered Rosa Jiménez came to the United States to provide a better life for her family back in Mexico. This riveting, heartbreaking film examines how she came to stand accused of murder in a Texas courtroom. English, Spanish with English subtitles.
Old Man Bebo, directed by Carlos Carcas. (Spain) - North American Premiere. Nearly 90, Bebo Valdes is one of the greatest living Cuban musicians. This joyful documentary celebrates the man who was a key figure in the development of mambo and whose life reflects the experiences of many Cubans since 1959. Spanish with English subtitles.
An Omar Broadway Film, directed by Omar Broadway and Douglas Tirola. (USA) - World Premiere. Using a contraband video camera inside the notorious gang unit at Newark’s Northern State Prison, incarcerated Bloods member Omar Broadway puts his life on the line to document guards’ corruption and excessive force. His groundbreaking footage exposes the violent and unseen world behind bars.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker. (USA) - World Premiere. After more than a decade of civil wars leading to more than 250,000 deaths and one million refugees, a group of courageous women rose up to force peace on their shattered Liberia and propel to victory the first female head of state on the African continent.
Theater of War, directed by John Walter. (USA) - World Premiere. Art and politics converge in this provocative look at the life and ideas of Bertolt Brecht, interwoven with The Public Theater’s staging of his Mother Courage. Meryl Streep, Tony Kushner, Kevin Kline, and George C. Wolfe take audiences on an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at their creative process.
Two Mothers (Meine Mütter), directed by Rosa von Praunheim. (Germany) - North American Premiere. At age 58, award-winning filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim found out he was adopted. The search for his biological mother leads him—and the audience—on a dark and engrossing journey into a world of prison hospitals, the SS, and the Nazi occupation of Europe. English, German, Latvian with English subtitles.
War, Love, God & Madness, directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji. (UK, Iraq, Netherlands, Palestine, Sweden) - International Premiere. It’s no surprise that making a feature film in Iraq in 2003 wasn’t a picnic. But this extraordinary account of the peril-filled ordeal that the director and crew of Ahlaam went through must be seen to be believed. Arabic with English subtitles.
Before Sally Hayfron Mugabe died, her husband had already begun a relationship with his secretary Grace Marufu. Grace was 40 years younger than Mugabe and, unlike Sally, was mercenary and materialistic. To open the way for himself, Mugabe sent Grace’s husband and son on a permanent diplomatic mission to China. Ultimately, Grace and Robert had three children, two boys and one girl. While Zimbabwe struggles under horrific inflation rates, as the life expectancy drops by decades, as the unemployment rate nears 80%, Grace Marufu Mugabe is notorious for her lavish spending sprees in Europe. Sally loved her African heritage and always dressed in traditional clothing. Grace is one of the nouveau riche, insulated in a cocoon of her own self-gratification. Could these two women possibly be more different?
Inter-library loan finally located a copy of the biography of Sally Hayfron Mugabe. We have been trying to find anything on the first wife of Robert Mugabe and have been quite unsuccessful. There just isn’t much written material out there. I found a 16-page booklet that the Yale University Library would not lend out. The book they’ve located was written by ZANU-PF, the Zimbabwean political party of Comrade Robert Mugabe so I am anticipating that it is not going to be all that revelatory. Sally was born in Ghana, the third daughter of a well-to-do family, she was named by and for her grandmother. Ghana was the first African nation to achieve independence (in 1957). Zimbabwe was one of the last. Born in 1931, Sally died in 1992 of kidney failure. Her only son died at the age of four from cerebral malaria. Everything I read about her (non-propaganda) indicates she was an amazing woman — compassionate, caring, gentle, generous — how did she end up married to the despotic Mugabe and how could she live with herself knowing how he was? Since the book that is coming was written by Mugabe’s political party, I’m not expecting remarkable insights.
Last Thursday, Apple released the iPhone Software Developer Kit (SDK) and offered Mac aficionados the chance to build applications for the iPhone. There are, of course many reasons Apple might make such a choice but the most important reason is that it will generate a plethora of programs to add value to what a friend essentially described today as “an iPod on steroids.” Let’s face it. Most of us already have a cell phone with a two-year contract for services. If one does not want to buy out their contract or crack their iPhone, then one must wait for the contract to expire or use the iPhone as a glorified MP3 player. So, if Apple can get everyone working on making value-added merchandise for the iPhone, it will become more useful for users. And, it certainly does increase user loyalty. So, overall, another clever marketing move by Apple.
To be honest, the SDK development process has a fairly steep learning curve. I’ve spent the last three days in search of someone, anyone who knows Xcode really well. I’ve downloaded Open Source sample projects and tried to take them apart. I ordered the new book from O’Reilly that lists today as the publication date. If UPS is accurate, I should have that in a couple of days BUT as a person who is really quite determined to figure this out and do it, it has been a challenge to get information. Even going to the Apple Store didn’t give me the answers I was hoping to find.
You may have noticed that I recently switched over to WordPress for my personal Cyndi Greening blog. I’m still getting used to it but I’m liking it a lot. Cinema Minima has been using WP for quite a long time now. Austin Burbridge, the genius behind Cinema Minima, has always been ahead of the crowd. He was encouraging RSS, podcasts and VOD long before anyone else had ever heard of it. At heart, I’m a filmmaker, teacher and writer. So, I sometimes drag my feet on new technologies, wanting to see if they’re going to stand the test of time. In the past, I always resisted changing blog software because I feared losing my content. Making the switch from Radio Userland to Movable Type was costly. So, I was trying to avoid that problem. Fortunately, Jonathan at PC Optimized helped make the conversion fairly seamless. (He says it took about an hour and one-half to make the conversion. Much better than the weeks it took to bring it over from Radio Userland.) I have noticed a few tweaky challenges I’ve had to overcome and, if you find something out of sorts, please send me an email so I can fix it, but overall it’s pretty slick … and the price is very appealing.
Recently, I’m learning how to make new content pages. I decided to start by testing a very large link resource page. You can check out the Film Resources page that I was testing.
UPDATE: I’ve gotten several emails and comments saying this mansion is not Mugabe’s … the funny thing is that I’ve been told it’s really in Singapore … another one says South Africa … the most recent one says it’s Versailles. Everyone has an opinion about whose mansion it really is and they’re all adamant that they’re right. So, I dug around and found several newspaper articles with an aerial view of Mugabe’s mansion. I got a copy of the Andrew Meldrum (a journalist who lived in Zimbabwe for over twenty years) memoir WHERE WE HAVE HOPE to discern more about the Mugabe Mansion (dubbed Graceland by many since it was built for wife, Grace Marufu). I read Alec Russell’s BIG MEN, LITTLE PEOPLE and I got a copy of a book published by ZANU-PF entitled SALLY MUGABE, WOMAN WITH A MISSION. What I can conclusively say is that the image above does appear to be the aerial view of Mugabe’s Mansion and the photos below may (or may not) be of his mansion but they certainly COULD be given the size and opulence of the structure outside of Harare.
ORIGINAL POST: Supposedly, the opulent mansion to the right is the home of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. Located near the national capital of Harare, the mansion is an affront to many because of the desperate lives led by the majority of Zimbabweans. They currently have the highest inflation rate in the world. The life expectancy for all the citizens has dropped by decades under Mugabe’s despotic rule. Today, we met a woman who had been born in South Africa and raised in Zimbabwe. She and her family left Zimbabwe shortly after Mugube’s rise to power. A lovely woman with a smooth voice and generous heart, she graciously gave her voice talents for a sequence of the film. Ultimately, we ended up talking about all of the south African nations. We talked about Sally Mugabe, the early years following independence and the succession of majority rule. We enjoyed the African art and furnishings in their home. We talked about the art of the Ndebele and their feud with the Shona. An afternoon meeting literate and learned people is always enlightening. Spending the following days exploring those ideas with colleagues or partners and seeing where those discoveries can lead is a creative joy. I don’t know if it is the contrast of my life with the life of the average Zimbabwean’s that has me feeling so grateful this evening. Maybe it’s the joy of preparing the Zambian film for its screening in Lusaka. I guess I don’t need to know. All I really want is to be present as present as possible to the gifts of my life … and there are many! And, unlike Comrade Mugabe, I didn’t need to destroy anyone to have them.
Last evening, (Thursday, March 6, 2008) Beth McDonald, Schumacher Mercedes and the folks at KEZ threw a celebratory dinner for the twelve Woman of the Year nominees. It was held at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in North Scottsdale. The Hyatt is always wonderful. Great ambiance, great food, great service. The only thing that could make it better is if they held it in the mineral pool at Spa Avania. Just kidding, of course. I kept telling the other nominees that there would be a swimsuit competition later in the evening. Now, mind you, some of these women established orphanages in Afghanistan, escaped violence in Bosnia and faced personal danger on streets serving the homeless. But, mention a public viewing in a bathing suit and they tremble with (mock) fear. It was funny.
Nominees were allowed to bring three of their friends to the event. Most everyone seemed to have invited the person who nominated them for the honor (I, of course, invited my nominator, Pamela Jo). Each table had two nominees and their pals (MCC Media Arts professor Jeanette Roe and FilmZambia-supporter Tammy Fannin rounded out my party) AND two representatives of KEZ. We were joined by the delightful Smokey Rivers (former on-air personality and current programming director) and the gracious, gregarious Kevin Gossett. We ended up in a fun conversation about KILTS (yes, he used to wear a kilt) and the winds that whip off the Great Lakes. He grew up in Indiana, so I got more insight into Purdue University.
The event is sponsored by 99.9 FM and Schumacher Mercedes Benz. We received an evening and dinner at the Hyatt, a day at Spa Avania and (Alec’s and my favorite) a great Mercedes Benz model car built to 1/18 scale with working doors, hood and trunk. The model is a very durable and accurate metal Benz and, as it is no doubt intended, motivates me yearn for one of my very own. The Schumacher folks were at the table beside us. Mr. and Mrs. Werner Schumacher were in attendance and generously presented winner, Zema Kovac, with an oversize check for $2500. Everyone was teasing about wanting to go with her when she went to the ATM. Young Michael Schumacher was there with the folks. The other nominees were given (in addition to all of the other prizes), a crisp Ben Franklin. I was being silly and saying, “Look what I got for the night.” Michael teased back and said, “No, that’s for the whole year.” Funny. Nothing I love more than a great sense of humor. (In my internet search, I discovered there’s a Formula One driver by the name of Michael Schumacher who is considered the greatest driver alive. Not the same fellow, but interesting just the same.)
We had a great evening. Arizona Supreme Court Justice Ruth McGregor spoke about her path from entering college to get her teaching certificate to her current position on the Arizona Court. She shared funny stories about her college days and early days as a female attorney. I was fascinated with her story and thought, “Heck, someone should nominate her for woman of the year.” So, if you know a courageous woman that you think deserves the honor, go to KEZ to Nominate for the Beth McDonald Woman of the Year.
Okay, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool liberal from Arizona (now there’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one) who is supposed to be thrilled that our state senator, John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee. Although McCain is certainly more liberal than most any other Republican candidate, his support for Bush and the war is just more than I can get behind. So, I find the McSame Ad pretty amusing. Cleverly done. Points for creativity.
I’m thrilled the writer’s strike ended because SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE came back on the air and I LOVE what they do with political satire. There was a sketch last week in which they parodied the media fawning all over Barack Obama and it was priceless. SNL just has a knack for skewering the sacred political cows. This week, Hillary Clinton, opened the show. It’s always funny to watch people in their nascent efforts at sketch comedy. There are always those odd timing issues that creep into the space.
I’m sitting here watching the Primary Returns for Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont. I have to say I’m just delighted to see that Hillary Clinton took three out of four. After Obama supposedly had all this momentum and mojo, after he outspent her on advertising by more than two-to-one, Clinton stomped him in Ohio and even squeaked past him in Texas. After watching all of those enormous rallies, I was quite certain that Texas was lost. Given my new found love for Rhode Island (thank you Anne and Mary), I was delighted that Clinton took Rhode Island, too. She’s a scrapper, that’s for sure. Given the choice between a virtual junkyard dog and a cuddly, stuffed-shirt, covert bunny for president, I’ll have to say I’m preferring the Comeback Kid.
My biggest disappointment, I generally love listening to Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow but for the last three weeks, they’re just all-Obama, all of the time. I totally agree with Clinton that, had she (rather than Obama) made the premature NAFTA re-negotiation with Canada, the press would have crucified her. Sadly, Olberman and Maddow keep deriding Clinton and telling her to throw in the towel and get behind Obama for the betterment of the Democratic Party. What about what’s best for the country? What if she is the better choice? She certainly believes that she is better suited to serve as President. But the MSNBC media gang (you can throw Chris Matthews into the mix, too) has been quite condescending and disparaging for the last few weeks. I guess I’d like it, if I were an Obama aficionado. Since I’m not, it’s just disappointing because I used to like listening to those guys. I just don’t watch them like I used to …
I’ve taken up other pursuits … like chanting … C’mon Hillary. You go, girl! You can do it!
Former animation student Jordan Pack, now a BYU graduate and married man, is finishing up his animated short film at BYU and graciously sent some stills and information on the film. Jordan was always an exceptional student and he continues with a mentorship by Pixar on the short, KITES. According to Jordan, the film is about Alex, a young boy who has to deal with the death of his grandfather. In a way, the grandpa comes back to soothe the boy and help him through his loss, sadness and frustration. The film is being made in Maya and Renderman, naturally. As I mentioned in an earlier email, Jordan is also working in the Disney gaming environment. Not too shabby, Jordan. Not too shabby at all.
It has been a while since I put a shout out to AnimWatch. Always one of my favorite sites, AnimWatch keeps tabs on all the animated shorts that are in production out there. It’s a sweet site. You can read summaries, look at stills, concept art and, sometimes, animatics. It’s a great resource for animators. Speaking of good resources for animators, HighEnd 3D is one of the best for tutorials and shaders and such. Another of my very favorite sites for tutorials and DVDs is The Gnomon Workshop. And, for sheer joy of looking, be sure to visit Craig Mullins’ GOODBRUSH site.
Yesterday, March 2nd, little sister Sandy celebrated her big birthday. She and her pals actually observed the big event on Friday. Like so many members of my family, Sandy works in education so her key pals and colleagues tend to work parties and such into the Monday through Friday work week. As you can see by the photo, she was much remembered and much teased about passing into a new decade. The biggest joy for her was that her eldest child made a SURPRISE trip back home for her birthday. She said she was so shocked, her knees went weak and she almost fell when she realized he was there. Overall, I think it was one of her best birthdays ever. I’m sure it was even more meaningful for her because Christopher will be getting married on April 19. This was their last celebration as the nuclear family of four. A monumental year for her in many ways. So, happy birthday Sandy Lee!
There were a number of reference manuals (which I am embarrassed to admit that I still own after all these years) on being a Dungeon Master, on capabilities of Creatures and Monsters, on every aspect of the game. Contemporary RPG games (like 
Before Sally Hayfron Mugabe died, her husband had already begun a relationship with his secretary Grace Marufu. Grace was 40 years younger than Mugabe and, unlike Sally, was mercenary and materialistic. To open the way for himself, Mugabe sent Grace’s husband and son on a permanent diplomatic mission to China. Ultimately, Grace and Robert had three children, two boys and one girl. While Zimbabwe struggles under horrific inflation rates, as the life expectancy drops by decades, as the unemployment rate nears 80%, Grace Marufu Mugabe is notorious for her lavish spending sprees in Europe. Sally loved her African heritage and always dressed in traditional clothing. Grace is one of the nouveau riche, insulated in a cocoon of her own self-gratification. Could these two women possibly be more different?
Inter-library loan finally located a copy of the biography of Sally Hayfron Mugabe. We have been trying to find anything on the first wife of Robert Mugabe and have been quite unsuccessful. There just isn’t much written material out there. I found a 16-page booklet that the Yale University Library would not lend out. The book they’ve located was written by ZANU-PF, the Zimbabwean political party of Comrade Robert Mugabe so I am anticipating that it is not going to be all that revelatory. Sally was born in Ghana, the third daughter of a well-to-do family, she was named by and for her grandmother. Ghana was the first African nation to achieve independence (in 1957). Zimbabwe was one of the last. Born in 1931, Sally died in 1992 of kidney failure. Her only son died at the age of four from cerebral malaria. Everything I read about her (non-propaganda) indicates she was an amazing woman — compassionate, caring, gentle, generous — how did she end up married to the despotic Mugabe and how could she live with herself knowing how he was? Since the book that is coming was written by Mugabe’s political party, I’m not expecting remarkable insights.
UPDATE: I’ve gotten several emails and comments saying this mansion is not Mugabe’s … the funny thing is that I’ve been told it’s really in Singapore … another one says South Africa … the most recent one says it’s Versailles. Everyone has an opinion about whose mansion it really is and they’re all adamant that they’re right. So, I dug around and found several newspaper articles with an aerial view of Mugabe’s mansion. I got a copy of the Andrew Meldrum (a journalist who lived in Zimbabwe for over twenty years) memoir WHERE WE HAVE HOPE to discern more about the Mugabe Mansion (dubbed Graceland by many since it was built for wife, Grace Marufu). I read Alec Russell’s BIG MEN, LITTLE PEOPLE and I got a copy of a book published by ZANU-PF entitled SALLY MUGABE, WOMAN WITH A MISSION. What I can conclusively say is that the image above does appear to be the aerial view of Mugabe’s Mansion and the photos below may (or may not) be of his mansion but they certainly COULD be given the size and opulence of the structure outside of Harare. 
We talked about the art of the Ndebele and their feud with the Shona. An afternoon meeting literate and learned people is always enlightening. Spending the following days exploring those ideas with colleagues or partners and seeing where those discoveries can lead is a creative joy. I don’t know if it is the contrast of my life with the life of the average Zimbabwean’s that has me feeling so grateful this evening. Maybe it’s the joy of preparing the Zambian film for its screening in Lusaka. I guess I don’t need to know. All I really want is to be present as present as possible to the gifts of my life … and there are many! And, unlike Comrade Mugabe, I didn’t need to destroy anyone to have them.
Last evening, (Thursday, March 6, 2008) Beth McDonald, Schumacher Mercedes and the folks at KEZ threw a celebratory dinner for the twelve 
Nominees were allowed to bring three of their friends to the event. Most everyone seemed to have invited the person who nominated them for the honor (I, of course, invited my nominator, Pamela Jo). Each table had two nominees and their pals (MCC Media Arts professor Jeanette Roe and FilmZambia-supporter Tammy Fannin rounded out my party) AND two representatives of KEZ. 
We were joined by the delightful Smokey Rivers (former on-air personality and current programming director) and the gracious, gregarious Kevin Gossett. We ended up in a fun conversation about KILTS (yes, he used to wear a kilt) and the winds that whip off the Great Lakes. He grew up in Indiana, so I got more insight into Purdue University.
The Schumacher folks were at the table beside us. Mr. and Mrs. Werner Schumacher were in attendance and generously presented winner, Zema Kovac, with an oversize check for $2500. Everyone was teasing about wanting to go with her when she went to the ATM. Young Michael Schumacher was there with the folks. The other nominees were given (in addition to all of the other prizes), a crisp Ben Franklin. I was being silly and saying, “Look what I got for the night.” Michael teased back and said, “No, that’s for the whole year.” Funny. Nothing I love more than a great sense of humor. (In my internet search, I discovered there’s a Formula One driver by the name of Michael Schumacher who is considered the greatest driver alive. Not the same fellow, but interesting just the same.)
I’m thrilled the writer’s strike ended because 
Former animation student Jordan Pack, now a BYU graduate and married man, is finishing up his animated short film at BYU and graciously sent some stills and information on the film. Jordan was always an exceptional student and he continues with a mentorship by Pixar on the short, KITES. According to Jordan, the film is about Alex, a young boy who has to deal with the death of his grandfather. In a way, the grandpa comes back to soothe the boy and help him through his loss, sadness and frustration. The film is being made in Maya and Renderman, naturally. As I mentioned in an earlier email, Jordan is also working in the Disney gaming environment. Not too shabby, Jordan. Not too shabby at all.
It has been a while since I put a shout out to 
Yesterday, March 2nd, little sister Sandy celebrated her big birthday. She and her pals actually observed the big event on Friday. Like so many members of my family, Sandy works in education so her key pals and colleagues tend to work parties and such into the Monday through Friday work week. As you can see by the photo, she was much remembered and much teased about passing into a new decade. The biggest joy for her was that her eldest child made a SURPRISE trip back home for her birthday. She said she was so shocked, her knees went weak and she almost fell when she realized he was there. Overall, I think it was one of her best birthdays ever. I’m sure it was even more meaningful for her because Christopher will be getting married on April 19. This was their last celebration as the nuclear family of four. A monumental year for her in many ways. So, happy birthday Sandy Lee! 