NFF. Dutch Film Festival

Another big week for Dutch Film makers. Starting on the 23rd Sept. going up to 2nd Oct.

Infact it's a place every film maker, whether Dutch or not would like to attend. Inspiring good films, good writers and not to forget the upcoming screenwriter who are channeling their writing skills to the profesional level. I'm lucky to be here and i will be attending the festival. I have a couple of my favorite films i would like to see and even meet the writer for my dutch writing enhancing sake.

If you make it there, happy viewing. I will drop you my experiences there later for the sharing sake. Cheers. 

As time goes by and as the screen writing continues, things happens along the way which sometimes are worth sharing. What have been up to?

Not much really but its been a wonderful though, i have been enjoying both my life and my writing and am grateful to that. Besides that, i was blessed to have a TV shooting at the Disney land in Paris which, one of my Kids, my daughter of 12 was involved in. Infact a reward for her creativeness. Together with the TV crew for a whole weekend filming, it was a weekend to remember. What could posibly go wrong. I had time of my life. I enjoyed the wonderful faretale world to the maxim and if i have to do it, i will do it all again without a hesitation. It's just wonderful there. 

I also got a chance to work on a TV script, writen in corrab with my own daughter and  if i may say- isn't it that simple?  Compared to the stuff we write( Film writers), i really do enjoy writing for the big screen though I won't decline an opportunity of writing for TV, if i get one,  keeping a side thought like, if it hit, it will hit big time and if it fails, there is still another day and i haven't run out of ideas.  

A beautiful Shooting day

A  while ago, i blogged over my favorite place on earth. Masai Mara in Kenya, a wonderful place and home to thousands of wild animals, the big FIVE, on great savannah which extends beyond the borders to Serengeti, in Tanzania. A Spectacular places but

Maasai Mara will not be close spectacular, as it is today, without the Wildebeests. Gnus, wonderful ugly wild animals which completes their chain of life by participating, for most Gnus,  once  in their life time, in a greatest immigration of the wildebeests- THE GREAT TREK,  which happens each time every year, a round trip from Maasai Mara to Serengeti and back.

Like i said, for most Gnus, its a one time endeavor because the route these animals take  is not without danger. Many perishes on the way, falling preys to the most mighty preditors on earth. Lions, the Hyenas. But the greatest number is which ends up being shreded into bits by the only living FOSILS on earth and the largest reptiles living, The GIANT CROCODILES. This happens when the wildebeests cross Mara Rievr. The river bordering Kenya and Tanzania, between the two famous National reserves.

For the lucky ones, after the crosing is done, and they gallop - done it, survived it, then is nothing else left for them other than to rip the hard earned fruits of steady perserverance and ENJOY the juice of fresh shoots brought up by the rainy season. And that's how it has been, every year, for many years i known Maasa Mara and hopfully for more thousands years to come. The reason why this was named one of the seven world wonders. And i hope and wish, with the bottom of my heart, it will stay, for childrens of our childrens....to see it.

Not all good things enjoy their existence without a glitch. And its a pity to see, after all the obstacles the Gnus overcomes to get to their last destination, and after they get there, even after swimming Mara River with its waters timing up to brim with mighty crocodiles, a human being, the wisest of all living things, gets in with snares, bows and arrows, spear and other nasty gadget suitable for killing, ready for

POACHING. And for WHAT...WILD meat. Something which is giving the Rangers in Kenya, a hard time to fight and not because they are anable to  but ,due to the previous political mishappening in Kenya, Tourism dropped to zero. A bummer for most national reserves, which are, for their operational expences, dependent on the funds generated by the park's entry fees. A real set back which these rangers are facing in tackling this poaching problem and are now crying out to the well wishers, people with some extra bucks to spare, to chip in--donate something-- help them help these wonderful wild creatures.  

I have been trying to keep a follow up of what is happening there on the ground, through Joseph Kimunjino, a head Ranger in Maasai Mara and am trying with his email updates, to reach out to my contacts, fellow writers, people in Films, photography etc etc for their support, donation,  anything they can loose, to help these people and am sure it will make a big difference.

• If you want to donate through me, you can use my PAYPAL account exposupply@yahoo.com
• Or donate direct to Mara Triangle at maratriangle.wildlifedirect.org    
  

 Don't forget to mention you are a friend of GREATCHASER..

A personal reason why we have to do all our God given effort to safe places like Mara does not only contain a touristal motive but it also comprises a collection of elements and important factors not only to the local people, but also to us, film writers, film makers , photographers etc.

There are great stories to write about, and many Natural Films are made here and more are being made. One of the Film Production Company which can tell you about it is AEFF - African Environmental Film Foundation

These are people who make a great difference with the films they make, as far as educational and conservational contributions are concerned.

 For a Viewier Glimpse of what these people do contact them at http://africanenvironmentalfilms.squarespace.com

Orongai Women Group from Joshua Naiguran on Vimeo.

Sometimes ago, while looking for some writing materials for my on going Spec Screenplay-  i ran into this video. Maasai Women Cultural dancers in traditional attire, posted by some people i've been communicating with through blogging, whom their Blogs and daily posting has helped me a great deal with the Infors i needed for a particular scene in my screenplay, and gave me a deep insight into the Maasai 's cultural way of living 

One of the most inspiring thing about - this video above, is not only how tradional beautiful these women looks, but its also the way they choose their colours. For me the colour, the shape of the gowns, the outfitting itself was something i really needed to be able to decribe succinctly in a scene, without leaving out the tiniest inimini detail and at the same time expressively enough to show the audience the real picture behind it.. After watching these Video hundreds times, describing it frame by frame, i finally got the words i needed..exactly the way i needed it to sound. Don't you like when your things comes together. LOL.. Haha...I'll drop you a couple of pages of my on going Spec for your perusing shortly, including a scene from the above Video and will be glad to hear your comments, suggestions and critics...always welcome about everything.

Wauw, how does that feel..after a year of toiling down a spec and it's finally down. That feels great, especially after reading it and it sounds like a movie i would like to watch. LOL

So, i wonder what happened to my ambitious people. People who used to send me all these emails asking for my second eye, opinion etc. I don't hear from hem anymore..did they get rich on me?...and forgot all about me? Or were my comments, opinions that bad to scare the hell out of them that much?

I know i was too straight out of my heart. Sometimes that can sound scarely, but at the end of the day, is that not what they were looking for? The naked truth? I won't lie to you. If it's bad i call it bad. There.

No, am just bullshitting you. I still have my friends in writing, whom i share good thoughts with, and even though i don't know them in person and they don't know me, i do regard them as good friends cos their comments whether usefull or not, they do enhance my writing in any way and keep me on track.  Therefore, i do bow my head and mouth a thank you to them and i know, even if they can't see me, they do create their a figure in mind of how i might look like.

To give you a glimpse of me...

starting   

back in my school days, a good learner, good grades here and there, up and downs just like other regular guys but, with down sizing of not knowing what I was really good at. Everything I tried seemed to work. Sometimes so easily that, i quits trying as fast as started it. And i didn´t have to try it again.  Just like my past careers,

I have been a Hotelier, I have been a tour guide, years of waiting tables and eagle watching. Fascinating but, I still traded that for something more challenging,

Business. Self employment. I did it- loved it, but only later to find out, It wasn’t that inspiring, like working for my boss. Though that meant end of my freedom, it also meant end of my headaches, sleepless nights ,long days and it still left me plenty of time to do what I like the most,

Writing. Something  I never quit doing. Even when I was busy with the above undertakings, I never  stopped writing and am still writing even today. Though my writing has been more hobby that profession, I have been involved  in some writing projects overseas, and I have gathered enough experience to vend this my non profitable hobby into a viable career. 

What do I write. My experiences, fascinations, history, stories, anecdotes’, fantasies and things which inspire me everyday. I  turn them into a film, a picture, Something which people can see instead of read. MOVIE SCRIPTS.  

What do some of my friends say about my writing..?

you make writing so easy. i like your format and i tink i wlii rty it. can't wait for more
------------------------------

www.maratriangle.wildlifedirect.org

Maasai Mara, a wonderful place on earth and one of my favorites in Africa. It's a shame that one of worlds greatest natural spectacle, a phenomenon-THE MIGRATIONS OF WILDERBEESTS, which happens only here in MARA, KENYA,  is going to disappear- and WHAT the way to go- such a pathetic way- POATCHING. But i think we can make a difference..check on the BLOG link above and please donate what you can. Your help will surport guys in green there who are doing a tremedous task of keeping this spectacle alive, so that ,fortunate people like us can live to see it again--tomorrow

Frog:

Be kind and tender to the Frog,
And do not call him names,
As "Slimy skin," or "Polly-wog,"
Or likewise "Ugly James,"
Or "Gap-a-grin," or "Toad-gone-wrong,"
Or "Bill Bandy-knees":
The Frog is justly sensitive
To epithets like these.
No animal will more repay
A treatment kind and fair;
At least so lonely people say
Who keep a frog (and, by the way,
They are extremely rare).

An interactive way to know a country, home town or even explore new enviroments. For people visiting netherlands from like. US, Uk and whatever, am not sure how they do it (for the language sake) but, you can get in touch with these guys(the link below) and am sure they  will organise a package for you.

It's kinda fun, though when your are in a group of friends..co workers or if you are a taking a vacational stop over with your entire family. 

This is the drill.. ...you get yourself equiped with a GPRS and Cellphone. The guy connected text message you the GP location...you program it on your GPRS gadget and off you go. On the way, guy connected bug you with parctical questions, which you'll answer after you've found the location. Get the querries rights, you get points plus new GP location....but don't worry, they are multiple choises...if you loose , you can always go for the second option...you'll only loose pints.

Any question anyone...so go find it. it's fun. 

www.eurotape_260508.citygame.nl/

Have you ever heard of a good thief ? And i don't mean good because he returned back the bread he stole from the convinient shop the other day, or because he shares his loot with the homeless...i mean the best at his work....the one who can steal your soul and you won't hear a thing...That's how my thief is, and i don't just hear about him, i have met him in person. Somebody i grew up with his stories, you know, like myths over his stealing technics, dexterity at his "work"..eh that's my thief. And there he was, right infront of my own freaking nose. I didn't know whether to be scared of him or shake his hand for being my hero but i just stood there and watch him, i mean, what was left of him because after doing half of his life inside..there was not much left of him to call a hero. A legend maybe. But there was still this glow of pride on him as he narate his good old thievery(stealing) days to a group of guys at a party, thrown by an old classmate of his, who happens to be a good beer buddy of mine, which tells me, gosh, he really wa somebody.

O men. I just stood there listening him tell how they once robbed a bank. Five of them. He was the Commander..you know the one who shoots the ceiling imediately they breaks in and commands all the customers and the bank personnel to lay down or he blows their guts off..eh, that commander. 

Funny because i didn't know what this really made him. A hero, a celebraty, a rol model of a kind or, what was he? After doing 40 years inside,the guy was completely rehabilitated,looked wise and a gentleman but, at a certain moment i got myself thinking,

Imagine i was a bank personnel in his stealing days and, he and his gang breaks into my bank...place a short on my temple and orders me to open the vault and fill their bags. And i can tell this guy is bloody serious and the only thing standing between me and that round hole of his short gun, is the Vault's combination key, my boss locks in his desk locker and, if i can't get this vault open before these guy's syncronised watches announces time bad, i better call my wife and tell her, there is slight change on that dinner i promised her for her birthday. What ironic...dying on my wife's birthday...on the other hand, if i survive this, we can mark it on our toilet calendar as my near death day and we can have double celebration. On a second thought, let me not.

I just walked over, gave the guy a hand and said to him "thank you for not killing me", uh, pan me, i mean for knowing you. And i left and even today i don't know what that guy really is to me.

Do you have a clue, please help me out!    

Another Terrible los

That's the thought i got when i first read about a sudden death of Anthony Minghella. I didn't know Minghella in person but i've seen his work and strange enough, i was watching a week ago his BBC Pilot The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency and an interview with him and i kinda liked the guy. And now all over a sudden and all that talent and personality...all down the drain.

What can we say...it's a crue world. We can only thank him for his contribution into the Film world and i realy hope his talent and creativity will invest itself in the minds of another generous soul who can share it with the fortunate and the beginners and let the world keep on enjoying the work of a truelly CREATIVE MIND.

MAY GOD BLESS HIS SOUL. 

THE NATURE OF DOCUMENTARY SCREENWRITING

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To the fans of Audrey Hepburn,i know you too have some parts in her movies which you really like to hear when you watch them.Hear some of mine.LOL 

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Standing at my place of work,it's a beautiful building with these opaque glass windows and the outside walls worked with the same colour panes giving it a glass house appearance.When you passby you get a feeling that somebody from the inside is watching you.Fascinating Spannish interior,from the walls to the floor,everything seem to screem in Spanish while the corridors and the Pilars supporting the floor above seem to serenade the Muchachus and Lachikas walking through them.Uh!

I feel miserable,why? Am i missing something,somebody? Does this atmosphere reminds me of something,somebody? I got myself asking.. In a matter of fact it did ,these walls,the paintings and the art works on the displays replenish my good old times memories full of Spanish Fiestas and many thoughts of my friends, whom i haven't seen in years and maybe will never see again like my ex girlfriend whom everything in her life was Spanish though had no Spanish blood or upbringing in her. I guess was just an exaggerated obsession .She was a fine artist and she loved Spanish arts.She used to take me to some arts exhibitions and would try to explain to me alot about arts, which some didn't have a faint idea what they were but, i pretended  just to make her day.That made me think how little i knew about art,didn't care though and i didn't think i was the type who would paint or write things which myself didn't have a clue what they were, if i didn't look  them through artistic eyes..

My ex likes visiting countries with some Spanish influence in their culture.No wonder why she could speak such perfect Spanish.I envied her and i liked listening to her speak it, though i couldn't take in no word she was speaking.I hoped she was not calling me funny names and i  think about that today but,  she wasn't an aggresive person.She did speak some Spanish though, when we broke up.I could tell from the flow of the words that she was not praising that moment but  that didn't hurt me in any way.Besides i could not harvest any word she said.I silently thanked her for teasing me in a strange language because thats motivated me to go out there and learn something else other than what i already knew.I thought it was cool especially when you speak it in public.It's just wauw! I got that motivation but didn't have even a slight idea what i wanted to learn.I first thought of Micmakian but that didn't sound interesting and is also not  international at all.Then i thought of French but, almost everybody in Canada could speak it.I needed only to take a bus to Quebec and was like i was in Franch.I didn't like the idea of thinking like a Quebecian while living in Nova Scotia.There was such a contrast in the whole idea. Ok,i needed a quidnace..Or i just had to choose Spanish and steak with my girlfriend. No,that was saddening, my relationship was over and so was my Spanish adventure and was opening a door to a new adventure.I Headed for Europe.

I was new in Europe and everything was very interesting.I was just a new kid on the block and everything was new to me.People,language,weather,food,culture and most of all the whole European mentality.I needed to re-adjust my clock and go with the flow.Though i didn't have a clue what people here will think of me,my fear of rejection was in a contrary to my expectations.I knew i could live anywhere in the world if i wanted to.I needed only to be at the right place and my feeling was telling me this could be it,  it could not be rightier.People liked me,they liked my fucked up accent and they would make fun of me.But that was fun and didn't bring me down,instead it motivated me to speak this strange language even though i could sometimes not even find a word to curse..but Fuck would do too.

At the end of my first year my formidable struggles besided me like an afternoon shadow,i had filled in very good and i was feeling pretty European.And my Language??..it had inproved that i could even tell a complete joke and people would laugh of it without laughing at me instead.I felt like Cosmo in the Gene Kerry film Singin' in the rain.In the film Don Lockwood(Gene Kelly) asked Cosmo what he thought of him as an actor,if he thought Don was a good actor.Cosmo answered him, comically, demostrating a dance "Make them laugh". ..i like oldies and this is my favorite and i seem not the only one. My daughters of 10,5,3 are crazy of this film. They would play this film almost ten times a day. They will push aside every furniture in the living room to create enough space,  they will dance along with Cosmo "Make them laugh"  then  pull out their umbrellas and dance like Gene Kelly. Assuming the whole room is flooded, they will stumb their small feet hard on the floor, jumping up and down, swing around, i have to intervien before they knock everything fro their places. 

 There is nothing i enjoy more like the company of my kids. They are all like me, happy, seem to enjoy life too just like their dad. It's pretty  obvious from their love of films, the way they discuss them  with me, that they understand and feel the context . This doesn't conclude that they all will end up as actresses or screenwritters but, am pretty sure, inside one of them lies a person who understands the context of a good story. 

Writing has always been my fascination and i have been writting as long as i can remember.The down side of me is that i have many other hobbies which sometimes stands my writing in the way and make me leave my work hanging halfway unfinished. There are many scripts i have writen starting from School plays to Musicals, i would like to have some of my work finished and produced, at least show the world what am capable of and deliver that message portrayed in my work. But or if not, these three daughters of mine will one day dig out my statch and will pull out that file,l read aloud and they will remember me and say "You really wanted to make a difference. Write that one down!

There is nothing i regret from my growing up.I look back where i came from,where i have lived,what i have done and i think myself as one of those blessed son of a Mother.She is a wonderful person. She taught me alot about values of life. She would say to me "take what you can and leave what you can't', otherwise you can't have them all".  I awalys thank her silently for those values.  

To my Dad, the old man i lived to know as my friend other than my own father. I guess we are both too ambitious trying to make it in life in our different ways of doing things. We are both self opinionated and we both love doing things our own way, maybe one of the things we have in common although that doesn't always have a positive effect in our life. We talk about things and we call our relationship good but that's all there is between us,i guess we don't have history!!. Am very sad because, fews months after i wrote this, my Father passed away. Very unexpectedly. I never thought i will miss him the way i do but, what can i say. Nothing, except...Thanks dad for giving me those years of your Life. You were a good man and will always be an influence in my work.

What happened to my American Lover?? The last time i heard about her, she was tour guiding some hiking expenditions in Alaska, eagle, bear watching and stuff like that.  I hope she draws them too, she was too good at it.  I wonder if she still love Spanish?

For me, i have found my rest, i do my travelling only if i have to.  My family is my priority so is the upbringing of these three girls. Maybe when they are big enough and on their own, then, i will resume my old hobby together with my Lovely Wife. I think the first place we would like to explore will be Africa..I would like to write more about Africa and it's people and even Produce some African Movies. Who knows what the years will bring us. I love Europe, it is a place i call home and has given me alot of rest.

O' i have to go now, my coffee break is over and so is my day dream,.but as for this building it will always remind me of Something,Somebody at Someplace.LOL 

 Marving 

The Greatchaser is on a short holiday break and has not forgotten to take his notepad with him.Good stories sometimes comes from strange places and from strange people , that is why  is sometimes advisable to just equip yourself with a laptop and a notepad and just loose yourself to the strange world where nobody knows you.This time,am hibernating somewhere in Africa with all my ears to the ground.Am very much fascinated by the way African films are coming up but also a writer has always been fascinated by the African stories,history and effects our modern world has on this cultural rich continent.

Films like the The last King of Scotland has proved that with just one name,a recognised figure whether in a positive or a negative way,a good script plus a good cast you will come out with a good movie and nobody will feel cheated spending his money for a ticket and an hour plus in a theater.

The script am working on,also has an African side of the story.I dont know yet how deep i want to go there or i just want to to give it an African  tint,but so far its sounding very interesting and am very happy with the way the story is shaping up.More juice on this later.

Ofcos,I will try and keep my blogs up to date,while still on the move because i want to share my ideas and my travelling experineces with the other  writers.The down size of of being on the move is that  you are not always connected ,just like they say,you can't have them all.

Catch you soon,in the mean time,just feed my chick for me.    

I like short stories,not fairy tales

You know those short,funny stories sometimes without any relevancy in them but still funny? Those kinds.I write them too and sometimes i would let somebody else read them just to check their reaction. I would tell just by the first reaction whether that story is funny or not.Some people would just laugh and say it  sounds funny and some would just shove it back to me and say that they have no idea what to think. And they are right because that is what some stories are about.Not know what to think but keep you thinking.The stories are irrelevant and has no meaning at all but they have a certain concept. For example:

 Living Someone else's dream

The only table in the middle of the room was turned upside down and the inside was turned outside.

Someone was trying to wear a pair of pants which were too tight to fit.

The questions had no answers, the riddles were not unfolded because they were not yet told.

"Which one of you is Mr Man"? Asked a stranger.

He is trying to be Mr Man or...is he Mr Man already?

He was still resting on the table which was still turned upside down and the inside was still outside and the pants were still too tight to fit.

A stranger's hand, warm and tender stretched and reached out from the dark side of the room.

He recognised this hand. He reached out, pulled himself up.

He stood up, the table stood upright, the outside became inside and the pants fitted well. He recalled....uhh!!

"I am Mr Man and this is my dream"

He rested his head on the strangers chest, listening to the pounding of her heartbeat. He fell asleep thinking....

Could it be that she...?

Is it that she...?

Is she...?

She.....ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

written by Paul Marvin

Donkey Riding