Wed - Baby Arabia at VIFF

I was up at 6:30 this morning for no particular reason so I saw the pink sky and the day come on. My 1st movie, Baby Arabia was not until 11:30 AM. Today has turned into a nice sunny fall day. I walked through China Town to the VIFF on Granville Street. Colours of China town could have foreshadowed the bright dense colours of the clothing of the women and children in Baby Arabia, a band that has been playing Central Thailand's Muslin Community for over 30 years. All of their last names are Baby, sounds familiar to this Ramones fan.

Baby Arabia, the band is a top 40 band, and covers classical Arab and Malay music. Their sets are from 2 to 6 hours, the movie was 80 minutes. The members are Thai and do not speak the language of the songs but they try to get the emotions, one of their signers, Jameelah Boonmalerd, explained in the movie.

The film takes us into the small boats and larger ferries with Baby Arabia as the go to weddings, fairs, and events where this tribe of musicians play. Baby Arabia's music is often in minor keys, as those keys inspire sadness & melancholy and I would add mystery. We travel with this band and near the end we are with them at a funeral that turns out to be Imron Baby, a member of Baby Arabia who passed away during the filming of this documentary.

This movie will be sold by the band on DVD and shown at festivals. You can see the trailers online at these links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR38vsrgF7U

http://ko-kr.connect.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=130995943610543

I am not sure that I want to run away with this tribe, Baby Arabia, but I will add some photos of the clothing.

VIFF 2nd movie is A Drummer's Dream

I walked down town again to the VIFF. The afternoon on Monday turned sunny. I walked down Hastings Street into downtown. It is not always my route for many reasons, but today was sunny after rain and I felt like it. There is a new gallery the Gam at 110 East Hastings directly across from the building that was the Smilin' Buddha. The Gam is a gallery, boutique and artist studio located in Vancouver’s downtown east side and fronts an artist-only building. The link is here http://gamgallery.com/

I stopped into the gallery at 156 West Hastings Street to pick up my pocket size art piece 'Vancouver Punk Stamps' from The Pocket Show that ran from Sep 5 to the 18. Yes it is 4 inches by 4 inches so fits in pocket just fine.



There was a part of me that seemed to be wondering why I was going to a movie about drummers. Yes I had picked it but I was wondering. The show was at 6:30 on Monday night and there is one more showing of this Canadian film directed by John Walker. I had watched the trailer before I left home. Looked lovely.

This movie is a Canadian documentary about a drumming camp with 7 of the best drummers in the world, Nasyr Abdul Al-Khabyyr, Dennis Chambers, Kenwood Dennard, Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Mike Mangini, Raul Rekow and 40 students in an idyllic Canadian setting. This film is an NFB movie that should be seen by all of us with our original drum, our heart beat.

This photo of John Walker was taken at the Q&A after the show. He had been a drummer many years ago, and making this movie has brought him full circle back to drumming.







Next showing of A Drummer's Dream is Wed, Oct 6th 3:00pm Visa Screening Room @ Empire Granville Th7


next movies on Wed, none for me today

VIFF 2nd day movie is A drummer's Dream

I will be seeing a Drummer's Dream at 6:30 tonight at Granville 7 Theatre # 2. I have found a preview on the NFB web site, the movie looks good have a look at the film's web site is at http://adrummersdream.com/
The showing tonight is Door Only and there are tickets for Wed, Oct 6th 3:00pm Visa Screening Room @ Empire Granville Th7.
The vancouver Sun recommends this movie http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/VIFF+Canadian+film+series+puts+nation+viewfinder/3605766/story.html

VIFF 1st movie amazing - Microphone

© photo belongs to Microphone
Microphone
Cinema of Our Time
(Egypt, 2010, 120 mins, 35mm)
Directed By: Ahmad Abdalla


I had the great pleasure to see the film Microphone. It was directed by Ahmad Abdalla who was on hand for a Q&A after the Sunday 11:40 AM showing. The sound track was amazing. Ahmad said that all of the underground bands in the film are real bands in Alexandra and the music was not written for this movie, it is their music. A CD of the music will be coming out in Jan 2011. The movie was finished just in time for TIFF in T.O. and It was shot with a Canon EOS 7D, in Full HD 1080p at 24 frames per second. (thanks North Shore News John Goodman for that detail.)

http://microphone-film.com/

Here are some links to the music and you can explore. I do not own any rights to these links and am posting for entertaiment and education, enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2RIxvmBbv4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2se5-2DJiw
















This is a photo that I took of the Director. Ahmad Abdalla taken at the Q&A.

To the woman who asked Rampage who the two grannies were that he was sitting with

Dearie you don't need to think too hard, we can take you out in a second.




Moving along to the real reason of this blog, DOA was at the Biltmore, on Friday night. I never feel really comfortable at the Biltmore. The staff are nice, drink prices, I have no idea but free water, it's encounters and stories that leave me feeling that I may be in the wrong place. If I was ever to feel at home there, a DOA show should do it. Yes and mostly it did, but young mindless cupcake, you need to ask me who I am, and Susanne, we just might have bricks in our purses to explain (thanks Mary J).




Real Problems was up 1st, a lot of people missed them. The crowd was a bit small at that early time. They were worth seeing, but too young to stay in the club.

The next band up was Childsplay, real good solid set, electric shirt. They are worth checking out if you missed them Friday nite.




Before the Little Guitar Army came on Sonny and Linda came over and I took a photo of Randy Rampage with them. Linda was covered in glitter, no light here so may not show in photo, but trust me she was covered in glitter.









Joe Shithead on stage - D.O.A.



suff to buy, it was D.O.A. record release party after all.
You can look and maybe order from http://www.suddendeath.com/




I am off to the movies this week. Check back in.

Bookcamp 2010

Some weeks are slow and others oh my. This week is stacking up to be quite busing and so was last week. Bookcamp last Friday at SFU Harbour Centre http://bookcampvan.pbworks.com/

Last year I went to mostly ebook things, this year not so much, this one at 2 - 2:45 was well worth it "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Working in Publishing (Kevin Williams)" and Tools, "Tips and Technology for Content Creation and Curation (Monique Trottier)."




I walked there and back because I was sure the cost of parking would quickly offset the fact that the event was free. Check out the link and it on their mailing list.

http://bookcampvan.pbworks.com/

Vancouver International Film Festival

I am hoping to be seeing some music related movies in the next two weeks. I will review, blog and let you know how the movie is, how the snack bar and restaurants near are, line ups and women's washroom. I may ask some men what they think of the mens washroom. I will supply links to reviews, film website and anything else comes to mind. Check back often, I will be taking photos of everything (not the movies). I am excited and looking forward to a hectic couple of weeks.