We're not the pirates you're looking for:

It's a lesson in misrepresentation. Zamboanga is located at the Southern tip of the Mindanao peninsula - and its proximity to no-go conflict ridden Basilan separated by a stretch of narrow sea highlights the situation that dominates the South of the Philippines.

If you bring a camera to the South and choose your shots carefully you can actually constantly show photos of task force checkpoints, roadblocks, camouflaged stations with MG teams, security teams & Marines with M-16s, carbines, shotguns, HKs, 9mms, revolvers, M-14s, even WWII era M1 carbines. The airport welcoming dance (happens twice a day) can be shot through the gates on the other side, and even hotel lobbies can be shot through security guards who pack 9mms. They guard everything from Jollibee outlets to Dunkin Donuts to Mister Donuts to the other Dunkin Donuts on another block next to another Mister Donut. No idea why (about the donuts not the arms). In Manila they even help open the door to Starbucks. That's an unfair statement - Manila is very safe and if you ever happen to go there, do make a trip to Remedios Circle or the Green Belt or High St and see all the beautiful people there, who thought me and my colleague were either Korean or Japanese. Apparently the Koreans 'run' parts of the area - if you know what I mean. Just don't go there and act like a dingbat.

There are hardly any white faces in Zamboanga - presumably persuaded not to go any further South than Cebu by other tourists.

Even all 6 or 7 pages of the Zamboanga Times are laced with reports of conflict and operations by the Marines & Navy on Basilan and Jolo. The danger is undoubtedly real - but in Zamboanga, mere miles away and a prime jump-off point for flushing out operations which involve U.S. advisors it seems slightly far off. I say slightly because the actual shoot will involve a trip to Jolo, the seat of power of the historical Sulu Sultanate and one with people so proud that they have declared this the 617th

(have to proof check) year of independence - from the 300 or so years of the coming of the Spanish conquistadors, then 50 years of American occupation, eventually resulting in the formation of A.R.M.M. (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao), recognizing their own sovereignty over themselves, separate but still a part of the Philippines. This is a region where churches meet mosques at its finest - and the similarities are compelling. But that's another story.

What we know is that in Jolo where we'd eventually be shooting in next month we have to blend in - head scarves, regular clothing, no camo prints (a problem now as I have 200 different camo-ed items - different designs even), no watches or jewelry. We'll be staying at the councilor's resort - and on a pre-planned trip to a nearby island for footage we'd be accompanied by armed guards for us and the councilor's family, our own SG film crew, Filipino production management & cam asst crew, possibly 10+ people from the councilor's own entourage and our Zamboanga interviewee. Add the Filipino Marines in their gunboat who're escorting us and we'll be a traveling circus act. Only difference is we're armed to the teeth.

At least we'll get to hear the councilor sum it all up about the 'treaties' between the Sultanate and the Spaniards -

"We recognise their supremacy - not their sovereignty..."

Now that's a bottomline.

more photos here.

Sunday, October 14, 2007 | posted in arms, documentary, Jolo, Zamboanga | 2 comments [ More ]

Watch list

There are a few gems worth putting on the RE-WATCH list if you're:

1. a part of a sleeper cell (notice I didn't say which organization) and you're bored
2. thinking of joining a private security arm
3. a part of the Security Branch here in Singapore and you think you're shit hot
4. you think soccer's the most beautiful game on screen (i do love soccer mind you)
5. like me, you like to sit back, watch something and be entertained (or not) by getting shoved by facts or something different, then saying which sequence you think would be far better done in another way
6. you have a big project coming up which is starting to inspire you, that's me as well
7. all of the above, except for number 1, which if you ARE a part of - email me in encrypted (or you can use the Enigma - i just re-read the book and have finally grasped how it works) and lemme do a story on you.

Documentaries

• Shadow Company
  

A well paced and stylized sequenced piece about the PMCs (private military contractors) working around the world, primarily Iraq. From the get-go you know you'd get something different. My only gripe though is that the main "question" text supers made it look simplistic and some character interviews bore me to death (and I'm a military nut here). But they had a different pace and tone for sequences involving the protagonist James - including music and gfx which they also used for some re-enactments, which was super...

• Iraq in Fragments

Nicely done profile driven piece looking at 3 sides of the same conflict. I'll write a longer piece later - for now it's a brilliant watch if you want something different. It looked like a hell of a lot of work making it...

• The Insurgency

A BBC production which looks at how the insurgency in Iraq began and one of the reasons why it all went wrong. I'd have to say Michael Ware has balls...

So out of the 258 stuff I've seen on Iraq and the 3578 filmmakers who jumped on the bandwagon these 3 have been pretty good. If you have watched any one of the 4356 other docus and think they're any good, let me know and I'll put it on my 3876th film to watch this year.

Films

• This is England

The new Shane Meadows film about a boy who joins a group of skinheads whilst growing up in the early 80's. Nicely done, bearing in mind that I don't usually like films with kid protagonists.

• Children of Men
  

Released earlier this year - film set in a post apocalyptic London where there're no more children. Good visual storytelling style and direction by Alfonso Cuaron. The execution and visual timing made me sit up and pay attention. Just like the Kevin Macdonald in the Last King of Scotland did. Must see if you haven't caught it yet.

• Friday Night Lights

If you're American and you're reading this you know this shit already. Good 2004 film based on the book about a high school football team at Odessa, Texas trying to win State by Peter Berg - well sequenced and visualized - minus the slightly cliched end scene (outside the stadium with the QB). We don't get a lot of football films here - but this and Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday will be in my head for a long time after watching tons of others. Been arguing about how football is definitely one of the best sports to sequence in a film - just like a battle. Except if you're watching an actual game and don't understand the plays. Then that's hell. timeout timeout plan plan plan strategize time out plan plan plan huddle huddle plan plan plan face opposing team "hike" pass it's over timeout plan plan plan plan huddle huddle plan plan plan...

Books
It's time for me to put away "Fiasco" and re-read the "Iranun & Balangingi".

One of the above mentioned shows is going to be a small part of the inspiration for that elusive new personal short film - yes yes. 3rd draft script is currently being tweaked. Guess which show. It won't change the world - not yet anyhow.

I hope this next working project will change it though - just a tad.

Will update for a longer review later. There're tons of other films but I'm getting way too sleepy. If anyone wants a stage6 divx link to some of the above feel free to ask me and I'll enigma you the link. No really I'll give it up.

Thursday, September 13, 2007 | posted in documentary, film, football, war | 3 comments [ More ]

Divine Wind - Typhoon SEPAT

The Kuomintang vs the Communist Party of China was the first thing that came to mind (trust me to turn anything into a military inclined story) as the rush to get to Taiwan was on to shoot DOTSTAR - a storm immersing (they actually fly around and above the typhoon) research flight headed by academics from the National Taiwan University. The plan called for an extended shoot if typhoon Sepat made landfall.

Of course it did.

Notwithstanding the issue of coming into a natural disaster unprepared (I completely forgot about the 110V rating for appliances, plus I had no rain gear except for a camo boonie) that and being in such an insane rush, add my rudimentary Chinese in to communicate with a cameraman that doesn't understand a word of English, 4 hour drives to Central Taiwan to chase Sepat as it hit the mainland and flights being closed on my proposed day of departure (just as well since the shoot was extended), the best part about it all was a category 5 storm that was brewing just off the coast with the island's name on it.

Besides the somewhat pretty betelnut girls (had a conversation with a colleague in SG and she told me they were slutty instead of pretty and that my line between the two descriptions was largely non existent) who my Chinese fixer very kindly showed me how to order from (which another colleague promptly made a face as she tried the ones I brought back home) the divine wind experience was a twister of sorts. Sorry no other clever puns.

Holed up with a rescue and fire dept in Nantou County, Central Taiwan, was quite the opposite of what I expected. The crews were professionals, just don't let the somewhat relaxed atmosphere and them smoking like chimneys in the ready room fool you. Since the area is mountainous, storms have always been pretty nasty. When it did hit it was intense. But as we shot the crews coming out to clear the mountain roads of huge uprooted trees and talked to Taiwanese academics and experts, we found out one thing - Taiwan was well prepared and lucky.

The more compelling story was actually the news agencies trying to outdo each other, as usual. When one managed to get people crying as they were evacuated by chopper, the other would get shots of a whole bridge demolished. Then they start outdoing each other's disaster closeups. When all else fails they'd resort to one thing - as one feisty young reporter who was trying out for either a promotion or the Taipei natural disaster news agency award did - stand in the middle of the storm next to the coast and scream while trying to stand upright, as all good typhoon reporters do. This young chick was in a yellow disposable raincoat flapping insanely in the wind, eyes squinting in the heavy rain, shouting into a microphone attached to a cameraman that was trying his damnest to keep steady, hollering incomprehensible grunts about the arrival of typhoon Sepat. Really it's coming? No shit.

If she had jumped up about an inch she'd have been blown clear across the mainland back to Taipei, cameraman included. As the crews sat around watching we all had the same thought - she looked more like an idiotic circus act. At least they didn't get the science and human profile stories we got. if I was younger I'd probably have done what she did - but only because I think it'd be pretty cool.

Then again, if you were a journalist covering the storm, what gripping story would you go for?

More photos here.

Friday, August 24, 2007 | posted in news, rescue, Sepat, typhoon | 5 comments [ More ]

Saigon.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm starting this blog. It may be a culmination of what I'm thinking and intending to do in work and research, that plus succumbing to peer pressure and of finding something else to do in what little I have left of spare time.

Saigon City was a Communist pate (I coined that term for my friend who was describing what pate was, then laughed hysterically) experience of sorts. To actually see what I've only been reading about in tons of military history books at home was a blast, but the biased viewpoints and historical sites being somewhat of a touristy circus was not. Have to admit though - it was fun tramping around the Cu Chi tunnels and finally getting to fire an AK-47 and a Makarov 64K pistol. That 7.62mm AK round has a hell of a recoil compared to the 5.56mm, as we all know. Least I know how much recoil it is first hand now. Interestingly our guide was a translator for the ARVN during the war, working with US forces. There was also a tracked (disabled) US M41 Patton tank which was destroyed by a mine. Tourists were standing on the turret and taking photos like it was an army open house. My friend and I had the same sentiment - we found it disrespectful. The War Remnants Museum wasn't so great either. We all know how much propaganda goes into Communist writings and literature. But I really do think the photo exhibits of (Agent Orange, torture, Dioxin) victims need somewhat of a (pardon the expression) facelift. If you come in as a neutral observer with some semblance of history, you'd find half the images and captions doubtful.

The photo journalist section was something else though. Amongst Henri Huet, Eddie Adams and countless other names (half of them died in combat) there was a lone Singaporean combat journalist. I can't quite recall his name, but he was KIA as well. But it was Eddie Adams Pulitzer Prize winning photo (wasn't in the museum) of Brig Gen Nguyen Ngoc Loan putting his service revolver into the head of a VC insurgent in the middle of a street that prompted a heated (but friendly) discussion surrounding the Geneva Convention, human nature and war.

That photo was one of many that truly changed public opinion of the conflict. My argument (a little ironically in a nice French cafe in the heart of Saigon) was that it, like so many of the photos, lacked one thing - context. The VC murdered another South Vietnamese colonel and his whole family. Eddie Adams fully understood the General's actions. So did I, though I feel he could've done it in closed doors, not during the Tet Offensive in front of dozens of his own men. My friend was on the other side, basically arguing that we have to adopt the higher moral ground. So the argument went from rules of engagement to putting yourself in a grunt's (infantryman) shoes to peacekeeping to Iraq to Afghanistan to the hearts and minds approach. I won't bore you with the details. We sorta agreed to disagree. Next stop Dien Bien Phu...

Would you have killed the VC?

more photos here.

Monday, August 13, 2007 | posted in Ho Chi Minh city, journalist, Saigon, war | 3 comments [ More ]