Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The City Where North Becomes South in an Eye Blink

From one of the venues for the film
Second day in Dubai, and things are getting sorted with the speed of light. That's how things happen here; such as the key location I chose for my film, turning into a cycle track with massive banners, accompanied by picnic tables in a finger snap! I have changed my opinion about how I see Dubai; it is no longer an appropriation land art project for me, it is rather a life-long performance work that ceaselessly deconstructs itself, and shines through its ashes like a phoenix! Traffic is participating to this interactive piece with literally having their corner chopped off for the 400 Days Project. Although I've got furious about the mutation of the film location for a short time, I then decided to take this as the classical challenge I always come across in my films: Such as the unforeseen three year-old Sigurast, or the unsteady Scottish weather; and this is the unsteady and unforeseen Dubai landscape.

This is what the abandoned tv tower have become of: Good for the space, good for others; but very bad for my self satisfaction and a stumble for my obsessive filming plans. Fortunately, film is the art of cheating.
Traffic?
Yes
The Traffic team is as fantastic as ever; I am tired of thanking, but they are never tired of running around for us, in amongst thousand other projects! Moreover, we have been given the fanciest place to stay. The photos below are not taken from a Hollywood film, it is indeed our warehouse bedroom; it is the legendary Satellite! I have always been very intrigued about the Al Quoz industrial area, and now staying at the belly button of it. It never sleeps, so we take the sounds of the factory machines and ground drills as our nursery rhymes.

Bedroom
I have been asked to participate to a Pecha Kucha night in Dubai, at a sweet, partially outdoor cafe/library/workshop/everything venue in Safa Park. The preparation took time, so I couldn't write any post here yesterday. I would like to thank Tom for enabling me to write this blog tonight, as he is helping me out with the images for the presentation. THANKS TOM!


When we don't travel around to find the remaining materials needed, or to find out what has changed at the filming locations, we remain at Traffic and collect/carry hundreds of stones of various sizes under the sun. This act might sound futile as ever, but it is no different than any other labourious project I take on, which, by a stretch of the imagination, might be likened to the life of a construction worker. This somehow reminded me of the days I used to carry buckets of water to my Glasgow tower in Bastakiya. 


Yesterday we also met Aman, the other residency artist whose project I am slightly jealous of. (It's a nice type of jealousy) He uttered a sentence: "Dubai is constructing its future, present and past all at the same time." What a simple and smart statement! Just so beautiful...

The news bomb of yesterday is our perfect find of a protagonist: Ghulam, I feel, will be an excellent match for the role. I was desperately grumbling to Rami about our lack of an actor, because we needed to confirm someone for all the filming permits that had to be arranged. Then Rami said "Come with me" in an extremely determined manner. Tom and I followed him. He turned right, and right again. We saw four Pakistani men eating on the pavement. Rami asked them whether any one of them would be interested in acting in a film. And Ghulam took the lead and answered for all the rest's behalf. It wasn't the looks, wasn't the charisma that drove me to him as the director, but his confidence in communicating with us and his outgoing character took the role from my hands, and placed it to his. All of these happened in exactly four minutes! I'm very happy with our decision. I am hoping we can practice the role a bit tomorrow, as Ghulam always hangs out around Traffic, we are so lucky!

We also have a cat actress, Tara. She is so giant and beautiful; apparently as easygoing and calm! Basically she is a BFG! Can't wait to meet Tara, as we should probably introduce ourselves and the uncomfortable bird-cage prior to filming. Whoever is reading this text, could you please touch wood for me? Everything is going so well until now, I would really appreciate a communal touch-wood ritual to keep things going on the track. As a Turkish person, I'm proud of living with my superstitions.

Tara on the left




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