Friday 4 January 2013

12.12.12 - Filming



On 12.12.12, the last such sequential date that will probably occur in my lifetime, I took part in filming my little part of the world, while at the same time people all over the world were filming theirs.

This event, One Day on Earth, has happened on 10.10.10, and 11.11.11 and I watched the trailers and thought it was a lovely concept, but until this year I had never seen the entire product of all those submitted film clips, the film 10.10.10.

On Wednesday the 5th of December, my friend and fellow artist DJ Simmons, Jr. was kind enough to screen the film during one of the regular free film nights at The Good Life CafĂ©, in Rockley, here in Barbados. (Best Vegan food and blended drinks in Barbados if you don’t know).  Myself, friends and a couple of people I didn't know before that night, all watched the full movie, and I invited them to also take part on 12.12.12. 

For myself, perhaps because music is an important part of my life, the clips of music and dance filmed in separate countries, edited to a single, synchronized heartbeat of rhythm was the part that really crystallized what I wanted to do in my contribution.  
Anyone who knows me has probably had to endure a speech at some point about how many talented people I have had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with, here in Barbados and in St. Lucia, (where I still call home).  
This year’s theme for The One Day on Earth project is “what we have, what we need”.  Now, I could just have provided my individual point of view, but I wanted the film to represent Barbados, the Nation I was submitting video to represent, and as much as I love Barbados and have made it my home for over 5 years now, I am not a Bajan – yet J  So…  feeling as passionately as I do about the arts, I tried to link up with as many artists who I know personally or via their reputation and what they stand for as possible; in order to film them, as examples of “what we have”.  I gave each of them the option to speak on what they felt we need, and the values or principles that they feel are important in these times.  
I am humbled and inspired even more by the people behind the artists…the human beings who are positively impacting the world around them and I know that in choosing to record the people involved in the arts here, that I recorded the most important asset that the country, and the region, has to offer….its diverse and talented human resources; particularly the creative people engaged in the arts; who think forward, think society, and who have the opportunity in their actions to make the general people aware of, and think about thinks in different ways.
I have sent the raw footage clips to One Day on Earth, and next up I will work with some young friends to help me edit the video footage so I can share some of the things that I saw and heard, while I rambled all over Barbados, meeting poets and artists wherever I could on 12.12.12.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  It will be posted just as soon as I can edit the vids to properly represent each artist.  I think I will do a separate Blog on each artist I met, along with the videos of them, with their permissions, of course...just to share what I got to glimpse while we are all waiting to see what the One Day on Earth organization decides to use.  

So off to bed- I have poetry tomorrow!  

Blessings and Love,

Kat