Tag Archive for 'film'

Dokufest. A film festival?

Written by Valoni on August 13, 2008 in art, critique, events and film.

I love my hometown of Prizren for it’s calm lifestyle and many outdoor related activities that it has to offer. It is well surrounded by numerous mountains, rivers, and valleys that are a true feast for farmers and tourists alike. In recent years there have been few events that have placed this relatively small town in the map; one of this events is undoubtedly Dokufest — a documentary film-festival which over the years has added few more film genres in its repertoire.

While in New York (for so many years) I used to hear a lot about the festival, not only from my friends back home in Prizren and Prishtina, but also from few documentary filmmakers from abroad — in particular from a Spanish friend Pau — a filmmaker from Barcelona — who was very keen of the festival and knew about it more than I did. Which brings me to my question: Why didn’t Dokufest impress me after its 7th year in action?

Prior to Dokufest’s week-long filled with great films, I started seeing billboards/ads around the main Lumbardhi cinema announcing the festival. I was getting quite excited even though I was having difficulties finding the time to attend the week of August 4th, because of a big project that I had to launch; but that’s another story. Dokufest’s website (designed by Rrota) was nicely organized as well and allowed me to find what I was looking for fairly quickly, i.e.: films, workshops, etc. Even though I couldn’t find the time to attend the event I managed to somehow leave work early on Monday the 4th, and swing past the Prishtina Airport road (Komoran-Caraleve) by avoiding rush-hour/construction traffic up in Veternik/QMI area and explaining to the Swedish KFOR check-point in Prishtina to let me go quickly after getting pulled over by them; and arrive well past 8pm just to jump in the first film of the night: Life. Support. Music. by Eric Daniel Metzgar. Even though heavy in subject matter, the film was well served to an audience of some 400 (rough estimate).

…and just as a side note: it’s quite a thrill watching an open-air western-made film, while in the dark-distance you hear a round semi-orchestrated symphony of some 40 (rough again..) mosques’ calling the night while featuring even farther a Live wedding-performance of an up-and-coming folk singer with tunes resembling turkish and eastern european tunes mixed with old Albanian hereditary notes. Now, that’s something you don’t get to experience everyday!

However, let me get back to smash-mouthing Dokufest…

Even though I don’t personally know the organizers, I remotely know of them being artistic in their work and most of them have either foreign fine art education or years of experience in the field; or sometimes even both. Films were selected from all around the world, and this year I noticed a climb in national films being shown, which is a great sign, not just for the festival itself, but for the state of Kosova’s film industry, regardless of its quality and disrespect for the international copyright laws — when it comes to scoring the film. Artistically, the festival checks out OK, however in its organization, there’s still pots and holes that need covered — just like Kosova’s roads — for a smoother ride.

First and foremost, on my first night I noticed that the entrance was decorated with drape like posters that were either poorly designed or sun-drenched to the point of fading away to their original tone. Then, when entering the city from any direction there were no signs of any festival going on in this town. Yes, I understand the budgetary limitations, but with “big-shot” sponsors like Pro-Credit, Ipko, and the rest, I don’t see why a single flag like banner wasn’t welcoming anyone into this great week of festivities. Then, not sure if this is true, but some of the visitors were paying 2 Euros per Festival Catalog — true (?!). Also (this blame goes to the town itself) — Why weren’t there any related activities, helping Kosova students, artists, and such. Maybe classes in copyright laws (sorry for bringing this up again - I’m huge into this), latest technology, since we’re not lacking in the artistic aspects of things.

I have few other things that I wasn’t so happy with, but here’s my wish list for the next year around:

1. A huge banner welcoming people from each entry of the town.
2. FREE Catalogs
3. More Workshops on film, production, acting, technology, etc.
4. Newly printed drape-like posters with rich colors
5. More Q+A with filmmakers
6. Filmmaker panels
7. A bigger participation by national filmmakers & artists regardless of their opposing views
8. And overall I want my hometown of Prizren to be festive in and out, no matter where the films are being shown.

That’s it for now & please, do know that I only want the best for the festival & I want it to meet my expectations of a festival that resembles Tribeca in New York or Sundance in Utah. I know these are hard to achieve, but setting the standard high is the only way to meet it up.

Cheers and I’m looking forward to Dokufest 2009. Until then, happy filmmaking & event-organizing!

PS: The Dokufest Camp was a great idea — Two-thumbs up for that!

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WHAT!? Change the Channel !!

Written by Valoni on November 20, 2007 in film and thoughts.

In Balkans we fight. We have fought for centuries and even when we don’t fight, we’re still fighting about something. Why? Well, because we change the channel when there’s some kissing involved.

Let me explain:

Growing up I loved watching movies with my family - my parents + my sisters. Say we were watching some PG-13 movie and there happened to be two horny people getting ready to kiss, the channel would flip to another station as if nothing happened. I used to think “We’re fucking missing the best part!”, but at 10 I didn’t have many communication skills developed to counterattack that incredible action of indecent move by my parents and their remote. Oh, let me think, we had no remote back then! Someone had to actually get up and do the walk-of-shame of changing the channel! Oh, the awkwardness! Oh My GOD!

On the flip-side, say there was a war scene, the channel was never flipped. As if it was OK to keep watching.

I’m not a sociologist or a demographics statistician, but somehow I have a sneaky suspicion that this happens all over the place and especially in the households of people I grew up around with. Now, if we were only to change this and watch people kissing and humping each other instead of fighting, Balkans would have been a much different place, no?

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I’ve got Something to Say

Written by Valoni on November 9, 2007 in thoughts.

Even though I have much to rant about, instead I decided to start the first post on a positive note and hope that the rest of everything else will float on the same.

There are tons of things that happen during a regular day and I always tend to have an opinion that usually has to do with contemplating the solution. That’s at least what I’ve always been told in the Design School — “You are a problem solver!” — With a big exclamation mark attached to it. So I guess I am blessed with the curse to walk around and think of the possible solutions. Now as a designer you always think beyond design and sometimes bleed into other socio-economic areas of life. I don’t want to sound as a complete walking thinker, but it’s my heart to see things in a better light.

So, without going into philosophy and putting of my work-day I will say a big Hello to all escorted with an even bigger Hug with an invitation to use this space to rant, yell, and say whatever else with the intention to make everything else better.

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