Funny that. Everything in life is leading me down this “filmy” path, project after project, work after work, initiative after the next, all related to film. Interesting enough, everything comes in very good timing. The topic for the past few days were communication. Something I learnt from seeing other people deal with issues, in particular to paranoia and also what the repercussions can happen when one fails to speak up out of fear and uncertainty.
I learnt this: When you don't keep people informed, you can get one of three things: rumor, apathy, or revolution." - Thomas. Jefferson.
Life on the “Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta”: Its been a huge learning curve. Understanding how film and television in Australia operates, what protocols are in place and pushing my human nature ESP (intuition) a bit further to understand and detect dynamics that go beyond the tip of the iceberg.
I’m assigned to it till October this year and this has open doors for me in connecting this the Vietnamese community on a different scale; with people whom I would naturally not meet and to cross paths with some fascinating insights to how my community has come to be.
Day in, day out, there’s lots of reading, emailing, researching, discussions, planning, and at times, bugging the execs and production team with fleeting info that somehow assists with something.
Another thing, its not your average 9-5 kind of gig. Not the kind where you’re praying for the clock to tick faster; more like grappling with the time brakes just to do just one more task. I discovered a knack I have; researching. I seem to love connecting the dots, finding the synergies and looking for connections to fill the question void.
Life on the “Quest”: If I had any more steam, it would go into here and on the existing weekends. The whole project is trickling along and I’m taking my sweet as time in creating that ideal film environment that my film crew can be a part of. Its more than the product, it’s the experience and I’m enjoying the juggling process of matching new crew with the existing old members.
Life on Film Club/ Digital Series: What started out as another small idea has snowballed in weekly get togethers at the local youth space, watching and critiquing movies and now in full throttle to run a year long series of digital media and arts workshop training sessions.
I’m glad that it has gone down this path, one reason is that the skills learnt by the steering committee can be transferred onto newcomers and the cycle of inspired filmmakers, content makers and activists continues beyond me. Personally, I have an inkling feeling that in 12 months I’m heading to build bridges internationally and don’t want to leave an empty void. There’s got to a band of go getters, can-do thinkers who have a deep connection to their roots and their community.
People who are empowered to charge on to be the future creative leaders of this country. With time, then they will join me by walking over the international gateway.
I leave on this note that Anna Chen commented on my facebook the other day: MADE MY DAY: Visionaries are important. They subvert the paradigm and prove alternative worlds can be possible, not only possible but GREAT! - Anna Chen
Life for fun: Still related to filmmaking or photography. Especially when describing my last FILM CLUB excursion (yes....cringe people....I make everything a "learning curve"). Myself and a bandwagon of Western Sydney Ethnic goons headed up to the 2011 Imaging and Entertainment Expo @ Sydney Convention Centre. In the midst of eyeballing camera gear that we can never afford and that are too heavy to steal, we entered the Nikon competition with our artistic deadpan "planking" photo.
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| Its like something from a scary movie |
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| Wise cracks: David Minh Tam Nguyen captures a moment of truth |
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| Finally, a normal photo |
