Mas y Mas October 2010

más ymás

monthly newsletter of NISI MASA

OCT10 ISTANBUL EXPRESS! interview:

Esra Demirkıran

spotlight:

Express Express Express!

agenda

12 - 16 OCTOBER

10 - 15 OCTOBER

Film Poster Workshop Sofia

Istanbul Express in Istanbul!

14 - 23 OCTOBER Nisimazine Abu Dhabi

editorial “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

– St. Augustine For those of us who dreamt about Istanbul Express before it all started, envisioning striking landscapes, rich filmmaking sessions, train bonding and multilingual liaisons – the reality has approximated that, but in a more unorthodox way. I am not sure how to describe it. How can one put in words four weeks of extreme city-hopping while making documentaries?

Speaking on my train’s behalf, the cities’ scars feel as potent as fresh paint. Close my eyes and the dazzling sun is on my back, shining over San Sebastian, as we cycle its streets and enjoy three-course dinners from a Javier Bardem doppelganger. Post train-strike Paris found us in a brothel/hotel with expired butter for breakfast and a seismic bullet hole crack on the front door (Award for Best Welcome Sign). Real joy and bonding stemmed from our Belgian warehouse playground, sharing our first home-cooked meal and private live jazz concert. On to Amsterdam’s state of the art Binger Film Lab, pancakes for supper and our second Red Light District hotel

with ‘Rear Window’ views brought us even closer together. Further into the unknown, we reach haunting, magical Duisburg where an underground train transforms into an overground tram!. Party with local artists; doner overdose; collective diarrhoea. It was only until Essen-the-underdog that we experienced real gastronomic euphoria, and before we realised it we were in Vienna. Production meetings, long-awaited laundry, inimitable Fritz, strudel and Museum Square. Magic finally spread on the backdrop of Budapest’s rainy landscapes and worn out sepia textures. After dancing the night away, we ended up smelling broken flowers on our way to Sofia, when one of our girls - with our tutor’s support- had to quit the train due to ‘Visa problems’. But reunion and happy days are back again. Istanbul is our final salvation!

Thank you all my dear co-travellers. I will cherish the tracks, scents and improvised wine cups of the most astonishing time-machine voyage of all times. What day is it again?

by Eftihia Stefanidi

Mas y Mas is a monthly newsletter published by the association NISI MASA. EDITORIAL STAFF Coordination Jass Seljamaa Design Maartje Alders

Contributors to this issue: Maartje Alders , Jerker Beckman, Igor Bezinovic, Bibi Bleekemolen, Vincent Bitaud Atanas Georgiev, Hannaleena Hauru, Alexandra Indaco, Lasse Lecklin, Apopei Mihai Marius, Boris Mitic, Dena Popova, Jass Seljamaa, Eftihia Stefanidi, Bas Voorwinde.

NISI MASA (European Office) 99 Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis 75010, Paris, France Tel/Fax: +33 (0)9 60 39 63 38 + 33 (0)6 32 61 70 26 Email europe@nisimasa.com Website www.nisimasa.com

credits.

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dossier

Istanbul Express

It’s a special time for NISI MASA because of Istanbul Express, which involves the whole network and more people than any previous project. That is why we devoted this months Mas y Mas solely to it. This time, the contributors and authors are directly involved in the project and writing from their own, first-hand experience. Most of the articles (plus a lot more!) are also published in Istanbul Express’ offical blog.

Multilingualism in Practice How funny things can be. I was just browsing through my old mailbox when I read the invitation of NISI MASA about the filmworkshop on Multilingualism. How could I possibly not be interested?! Being born in

France from a Dutch mother, A Sicilian father, living in Argentina and learning Turkish through Skype? It right out fascinated me. Multilanguages in my vision come along with multiple (fragments or parts of) identities. I truly believe that you become a different person when you start to speak another language. Its feels like walking in a labyrinth of closed doors that you try to open… and oh what a pleasure when it finally opens

up to you! You understand the subtle double senses, humoristic jokes or ironies. For me speaking a different language is a passport to a whole new world. Maybe being Dutch, and thus being obliged by speaking more than one language from a young age, made me privileged of not seeing it any longer as an obstacle but as a challenge.

My last private obsession was learning Turkish. To learn only to pronounce I passed days on the internet, reading the Turkish news, speaking it out loud.

It was hardly anything that I had even seen before. I could not recognize a single thing. And why, damn it, is this I without a dot and those C’s with this little curl on the bottom, which makes it all so more complicated?

By Alexandra Indaco

Wandering through Chinatown in Amsterdam My research for a Istanbul Express team starts in what can be called the Chinatown of Amsterdam. The area, close to the city’s harbor, houses numerous Chinese restaurants, souvenir shops, and herbal health centers. My first stop is a Chinese community center. With a little hesitance, I enter a big room with Chinese banners on the wall and simple wooden tables on the sides. An older man gives me a questioning look.

He doesn’t speak Dutch and walks with me to a women sitting at a table. In the corner of my eye, I see some older man with their coats on, playing a board game. The woman cleans bean sprouts.

After exchanging some heavily Chinese accented words, we come to the conclusion that we do not understand each other and that I should come back another day. I smile, she nods and I’m off again.

For the next hours, I wander through streets decorated with Dutch as well as Chinese names. I learn that hundred years ago, numerous Chinese came to Amsterdam to work in the shipping industry, explaining also the location of Chinatown. The Chinese character adds mysticism to the well-known Amsterdam features of coffee shops, abandoned bicycles and red light win-

dows. The result is a cozy diverse folk neighborhood, I’m thinking it would be a nice scenery for the film. However, as I talk to several shop owners, most Chinese do not live in Chinatown anymore.

In the 70’s, a part of the community had to move to give way for a new subway station. As of today, the Chinese community in Amsterdam lives scattered in the city and around.

The modesty of many Chinese I speak to (”this person can tell you better than I can”) leaves me with a whole lot of references to other Chinese men, but as of yet no approval to star in the film.

Back at home, I send several emails to addresses handed to me. And guess what, within an half hour I have a consent for an appointment with a Chinese restaurant owner! A prejudice seems to uphold, Chinese like timely punctuality and indirect communication. I am looking forward to meet this man next week. In the meantime my search continues.

Already apparent is the fact that, as far as I am concerned, the Istanbul Express project enhances the ability to get to know, understand, and appreciate others. My experience is of course smallscale, but in my mind I’m with all other researchers and filmmakers interacting with Europe’s diverse communities. It is a great experience to be part of.

By Bibi Bleekemolen

dossier An Ode to Volunteers My mom works with volunteers day in day out, and has become a better person because of it.

Obama was elected president because of volunteers, AND the Istanbul Express films would never be as amazing as they will certainly be without the volunteers that help us out at every stop.

Not only because of the language barriers that from time to time have to be overcome, but also, mainly and above all; the research in their countries and cities is worth more than any preparatory work we could ever do.

Istanbul Express

I direct short films and items back in good ol’ Holland and the task I then see as my most important is choosing and building relationship with characters. This project, for all its opportunities and amazingness, does not allow for this.

And thus this responsibility falls on people that have no self-interest at stake, only time to lose and no real reason to be pulled away from their own lives to do our bidding and find bartenders, graffiti artists and Turkish street musicians that are not only available, but interesting and able to communicate.

have already had the pleasure of teaming up with and those we will meet later on.

by Bas Voorwinde

Therefore, I hereby, without shame or prejudice, salute and praise all volunteers that we

Half-time report from Turin Train We the Turin train are slowly advancing, in joyful spirits and elated harmony with respect to the Balkan train experience – facing unavoidable detours and unnecessary delays, but altogether heading in the right direction, boldly guided by higher dramaturgy & fate.

Many are vegans, while one girl ‘doesn’t like vegetables’. As we are entering carnivore Balkans, ordering food, which usually generates more enthusiasm than discussing films, will become even more time-consuming, pending serious gastronomical ultimata on my behalf.

Respect for the travel experience as a whole and for locals in particular [hosts, coordinators, fixers, waiters, drivers] has been equally understated, i.e. ranging from chronic touristic apathy to ephemeral docmaker empathy, so another extracurricular part of my job turns out to be creatively excusing myself on behalf of the whole group, so that the local volunteers feel less exploited. Again, tighter discipline is to be expected, especially as we enter my home territory and its own notorious ways.

But hey, we are also having fun, drinking our kilometers away and sliding our carriage through many anecdotic turbulences, as you will read in the upcoming blogs.

And yes, we’re also making films, or learning to, from the initial dramaturgy sessions and wasted sunshine in Torino to the first shooting days in the rain in Ljubljana, from bed bugs & moments of truth in Zagreb to hedonistic thermal bath & goulash indulgence-before-theCalvary in Hungary. From Belgrade on, we’ll start carving out the rough cuts.

So — don’t worry about us, have no mercy on the spoiled and try to take advantage of all the opportunities set up for you by Nisi Masa Europe, the pan-Balkan railways & your overtolerant tutors.

by Boris Mitic

postscriptum: And indeed the whole Turin crew made it safely to Istanbul trainstation

The morale of the troops is… casual, sometimes even high. Some believe to be on vacation and consider waking up, let alone filmmaking, as a burden; others are reaping the benefits of early research & around-the-clock consulting. Some set up their shots for hours, others believe wobbly cameras are an acceptable price to pay for not willing to carry larger tripods. Some are constantly rethinking their work, others are clinging to any piece of advice as word of god, until they hear another one. Almost no one is taking notes about the learning process, at least not in real-time, but hopefully they will remember and appreciate it in the future.

photos by Dena Popova, Maartje Alders, Apopei Mihai Marius.

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Istanbul Express

dossier

Interview ESRA DEMIRKıRAN

Can you please explain when and how the idea of this grandiose project was born?

NISI MASA organized a project called CineTrain in 2008 with the inspiration of Russian filmmaker Medvedkin. The project took place in Russia, going from Moscow to Vladivostok, where filmmakers from Europe were exploring the border of Europe. In 2009 NISI MASA co-organized the second CineTrain in the Caucasus and Russia. We wanted to continue these travelling filmmaking projects, investigating an issue related to the region. Besides, we always had the idea of making a documentary filmmaking workshop related to Istanbul. Before getting the grant, which was late May 2010, we were not sure if its going to happen, so the final structure was really fixed after spring 2010, but the preparation lasted for over a year.

Have you got an idea how many people are involved in the project, directly or indirectly, from EO staff and participants to local volunteers?

Yes, I do, in fact I just calculated it. Directly, 54 people are travelling - 45 filmmakers from more than 20 European countries plus in each train 3 production people: producer, tutor and coordinator. And the second circle with all the local coordinators, people in the European office, all the partners of the project, makes something like 150 people. When we count the audience and the visitors in the website, bloggers, facebook and twitter followers then around 1000 people are involved in the project. So far!

What are your expectations for the films? Do you already know that some particular teams are doing extraordinary work?

Yes, they are. For example one team in Turin train, they were motivated to visit Sarajevo, which is not included in the route, because their topic is Slovio, the constructed Slavic language. Or for example in another crew, an Urban Dialogue crew, they are really concentrated on shooting a city from the highest point.

Some of them are only shooting on the train, which is also challenging. I am convinced that in each train there will be interesting movies, all in all I hope they will reach out to a larger audience.

What happens to the films afterwards?

We will make a book of the project, and together with this will be a DVD with the films.

After the first screening in 15th of October in Istanbul hopefully will have the world premiere in an A-festival in Europe next year and then distributed first through the festivals.

After the festival circuit, our aim is to distribute them on TV. There will also be NISI MASA screenings all around [Europe]. In 2013 we will put the films online.

You will go to Istanbul soon to meet the participants, what’s happening there?

Firstly, some of the participants will still do their final shooting, because their content is related somehow to the city or people. And all of them will finish editing; it will be really

photo by Maartje Alders

Esra, former NISI MASA president from Turkey, is the project manager/epicentre of Istanbul Express project. All information goes through her phone and inbox in Paris from all corners of Europe.

This picture is the only time she was outside of the office in 3 months.. intense, they only have four and a half days to finish their films. 15th of October will be the first screening . In the meantime, in the evenings, there will be screenings, panels or master classes in the framework of the project, for example a master class to film students, involving the people participated in the project.

They will talk about their experience, show some extracts, etc.

What do you think the participants are getting out of it and has it taught you something as well?

First of all it’s a month of training. They are travelling with excellent documentary directors and producers, spending time with them, always discussing. I think the most important thing for the participants is that they are travelling together, sharing their common interest – cinema. It’ll be an experience they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

This is one of the biggest projects of NISI MASA, in terms of content, technical and structural things. For me it is a big experience of production and coordination with a low budget. I’ve been coordinating at least three cities simultaneously and in total 24 cities just behind my desk. I didn’t go to any of the cities, but sitting at my desk sometimes I felt like I’m in Tallinn or my mind is in Vienna. I now have an idea of what is going on in different moments in Europe.

by Jass Seljamaa

news & screeni Istanbul Express Polyglot Video Grand Finale!

Contest The Istanbul Express trains have arrived to Istanbul on the 10th of October! The participants have been on the road for 3 weeks shooting, its time to go to the editing rooms. The final results will be screened this Friday, the 15th of October in Istanbul, Turkey. Big thanks for everybody involved!

The 1st edition of the Nisimazine Abu Dhabi film journalism workshop is taking place right now from 14th - 23rd October 2010. 8 participants, 4 from Europe and 4 from Arab countries, are at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and form an editorial team to create daily issues of Nisimazine Abu Dhabi!

Young, European, Multilingual? Make a video on the theme and enter our competition to win a place abroad CineBoat, a filmmaking workshop in the beautiful archipelago of Turku and the Aland islands.

Find out more at www.polyglot-turku.eu.

Network trainings in Hungary and Kosovo First part, held in Budapest (8.12 – 12.12), will deal with internal network communications, finding new members and volunteers, integrating and motivating them. Second part in Kosovo (3.05 – 8.05) will concentrate on external network communication and project communication using new media tools.

Adana coverage and winners First Step Film Festival Two of our Nisimazine journalists, Moa Geistrand, Sweden, Cannes 2009) and Hanna Mironenko, Russia, Helsinki 2008) have attended the Altın Koza International Film Festival in Turkey from the 20th untill the 26th of September! You can read back their coverage on the blog of Nisimazine. eu: www.nisimazine.eu/-Blog-.html At the festival there were two awards for NISI MASA films: Territories by Monica Baptista got the Jury Award for best short documentary and Rita from Antonio Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia got the Best Short Fiction Film Award.

Congratulations!! www.goldenbollfilmfestival.com

Nisimazine Abu Dhabi

The purpose of “FIRST STEP FILM FEST” is to promote artistic and professional values and also to keep Albania out of cultural isolation. This project involves bringing students and teachers from different countries to participate with their films.

Part of the programme will be the lectures and workshops about film issues, held by teachers and directors from different countries. Festival dates 25th to 29th of October. http://festival.fsass.org

Follow their coverage on www.nisimazine.eu!

Film Poster Workshop The workshop is organized in the framework of FILMINI International Short Film Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. It will be led by the guest tutor Jerzy Skakun from the Polish design studio Homework. It will be held from the 12th to 16th of October in Sofia at The Red House Centre for Culture and Debate. http://www.nisimasa.com/?q=node/383

Script&Pitch 2011 – Call for Applicants Script&Pitch Workshops is an advanced development course for European scriptwriters and story editors. The joint programme lasts 10 months and selects 20 participants from all over the world (16 scriptwriters and 4 story editors) who will follow the whole scriptwriting process, from the generating of ideas and structuring of the material through a first and second draft up to a final pitch in front of a group of international producers and sales agents. http://www.nisimasa.com/?q=node/384

ings TURKEY 15.10.2010 - 18:00 The big moment has arrived! The Istanbul Express World Premiere will take place on the 15th of October at French Culture Institute in Istanbul.

At 17:30 there will be a cocktail (to get rid of the nerves) and then at 18:00 the screening will start.

Q&A with the directors after the screening!

ISTANBUL EXPRESS

Impressions from the long road to Istanbul from all three trains.

Photographs by Lasse Lecklin, Jerker Beckman, Eftihia Stefnidi, Vincent Bitaud, Hannaleena Hauru, Alexandra Indaco, Igor Bezinovic and Maartje Alders

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