berlin homegirl 2004 blog

stranded the film

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

I´m on my way to Germany to make a movie. Folks I meet along the way keep giving me cryptic messages. First there was the amazing man in my train station in the coffee stop, who said that he hasn’t missed a day of work in 29 years. When I exclaimed that that’s practically my whole life, he said, "Well, you gotta do what you love, Boobie!" He said that his doctor says that he’s his hero. He is my hero now too. then there was Marie, the gorgeous black grandma queen in JFK. Her heart collapsed 3 months ago, and here she stood. The doctors came up with a new term for what happened to her called the cabbage! They´re using her surgery video to tech interns! And yet, here she stands now. Her advice? Live life to the fullest and have no regrets as she has many. She wanted to be a therapist. I think that she´s a damned good one.

// posted by abiola @ 3:02 AM

Saturday, January 31, 2004

I’m in a cafe in the lobby of Mitte´s Backpackers listening to KRS-One shout "Queen keeps on faking it." Not a spectacular moment, except that I’m in Berlin, and remembering when I first heard those fighting words. I was roller-skating (or trying to learn how to) with my friends Nicky and Ginger up and down the sidewalks, we weren´t allowed yet to leave the block! The only music that I’ve heard so far has been that of my bros & sisters back home. I asked a new German friend, one of my drivers, Wolfram, to play me some of his music. He was listening to Jayzeeee! This even more impresses on me my main concern about the state of hip hop, my beloved hip hop today. We, young, black Africans in America have the ear of the world, literally, and what do we have to say that isn´t about "bitches and money." Ugh, it´s pathetic.

Please excuse typos, as I’m on a totally different keyboard. See! The # sign is where the ´ is, the y is where the z is, and I can’t even find the @ half the time to log on. Last night, I thought that I might be sick, which impressed upon me more than anything the importance of taking my vitamins while I’m here, drinking enough water and eating well. Now if only I can find a veggie menu!

Two days before shooting, and my objective today is to dissect my script again, and make sure that all of my crew members are on the ball. I think that I’m over my jetlag, almost. I forgot to take my melatonin last night, and spent 4 hours in the middle of the night in that hazy nether land between sleep and wake. It’s 12pm here, but 6am at home. See, who says that I can’t be productive at 6am, mom! Choos! (That´s German for Ciao!)

// posted by abiola @ 3:00 AM

Saturday, February 07, 2004

Just wanted to keep y'all posted on the interesting folks that I keep meeting. My production manager's beautiful son came with her to an editing session today. He sat with me for about 5 minutes while she went to handle an issue. I spoke no German and he spoke no English, but somehow we started to communicate. No, actually it was about 15 minutes.

First, after dead silence, and misled attempts to speak slowly to each other in our respective languages, the boy started to bang the 2 water bottles he had together in STOMP fashion. I started to bang my water bottle on the table. He then banged his on his head as did I. Before you know it, we had a funky vocal arrangement going for a couple of minutes until the cranky adult in the room stopped it. Well, I wasn't very cranky after that, actually.

Then he said, "basketball?" I said "Yes, me America, basketball." Playstation, he said. Yes, I exclaimed. Kobe bryant, shaquille Oneil he said. Und Los Angeles Lakers. We kept up a conversation of dunks, team names, and players names until I said, New York Knicks. No, he said. Apparently, he had never heard of them. Go figure.

// posted by abiola @ 1:46 AM

Sunday, February 08, 2004

Sunday, February 08, 2004 11:20pm berlin time
Ok, everyday a fresh hell, but also every day a fresh blessing. My composer—god bless him—is torn between doing his work and going to lectures of the talent campus. I do feel his pain as it is about music this year. Anyway, g’nite.

Ya know… There’s something either romantic or melancholy about traveling solo. But it’s definitely not pathetic. Definitely not. Right? I feel so singular in the world, and so mobile now too. Like I can pick up & go live in Zimbabwe for a year. Well, maybe not Zimbabwe, but definitely Ghana. I just found out that someone who I really respect and who Had to be 30, at least is only 24. Funny thing about adulthood. It hits different folks at different times. I’m ready to work on taboo. Still feeling awesome about 2004, and issues not withstanding, I am doing the damn thing.

I’m thinking about things. Possessions. This laptop and heavy 2000 camera that I lug everywhere. My bags of more luggage than anyone I’ve seen. My products for skin and haor. My books and writing things. My clothing and clothing and clothing. My satin pillowcase and velvet pillow tha I had to bring. My leopard pj pants that I’m wearing. Is it all necessary?

Ya damn skippy! Well maybe not the ton of clothes, but the things that make me more physically comfortable and able to do what I came to do. Yup.

We’re all really in this thing by ourselves aren’t we?

// posted by abiola @ 5:20 PM

OK. SO I am finally able to speak about my movie because I'm almost finished. Oh, Jeeeez. This was literally the most painful but exhilarating job of my life. And that includes the V.I.M. sneaker sales job that I had when I was 18 and realized that the $300 I asked for to get my hair braided was alot of money. OH. Ugh. I don't even know where to begin and still can't talk about the whole thing. Instead, I'll do my own movie review.

No, I'm not happy, but I am satisfied. The film is really cute, quirky and funny. One of the frustrations was not enough time for anything. However, that's one of the parts of our little experiment here. The most amazing thing is getting to work with an international cast and crew. I've had convos with a Ukrainian, Jamaican, Serb and Croatian all on the same day.

Thursday night we premiere, and that I'm very nervous about. Will my humor translate? My life has definitely come more into focus while I'm here. And I am more resolute than ever in my purpose. My only regret, and it ways HEAVILY on the soul, was not creating a safe work environment for my cast and crew. Ugh. I'm gonna need therapy after this. I just did not know how to respond (more later) when this crew member told me that she did not want me to touch her. Wow. They're out there with it here, like that!?

I keep playing the shoot over in my head, where I curse the %#$$%^ out and fire her on the spot.

// posted by abiola @ 11:17 AM

WELL> It's starting to seem like I might have a movie folks. I am almost exhaling, but not quite.

I know exactly what adding insult to injury means! When will my Berlinale luck change? (Actually, I didn't believe in luck until I came here!) In the past hour, I've been locked solo in a travel agency after hours (kinda funny now) and lost my contacts cover in the sink. So wow, I am now in Berlin's Times Square. I've been here 2 weeks and didn't even know they had a "times Square." It's loud and rude and graphic, and I suddenly feel very much at home. There's BK and Mc Donald's -- I had it for midnight dinner, and the first time fast food didn't make me feel guilty. I am exhausted. My NYC peeps would not recognize me. Miss anti-jeans and tees looks very butch. Yeccch! I long for my cute boots. Who would've known that it would be so warm here.

// posted by abiola @ 10:53 AM

Ugh. I'm working with my composer and suddenly feeling alot less anxious than I have in a week. Here's to positive work environs and Thank you Ognan...

// posted by abiola @ 10:38 AM

Monday, February 09, 2004

Plus 6 more hours means 1 am german time. I just spoke to my man and it felt really good. I love you, baby. I really miss everyone, but it was good to get away. Well, color correction tomorrow! Tonight we finished the sound, and my producer gave me a hug for getting it done. That felt really good. We artists are so much like puppy dogs. Someone scratches our tummy and throws us a bone and we eat it right up. Well time for bed. Alisclad. (sp?) Tschuss!

Now how do I manage to stay until next Tuesday? I have yet to take the subway here. Tomorrow will be my first experience with it. I guess I’ll be one of those deer in headlight foreigners that I’m always rolling my eyes at at home.

Oh, you know what. I really like my movie. It’s light, fun and adorably cute. It’s definitely a very different tone for me, and will lighten up my reel. That’s the amazing thing about working with a writer, and I definitely plan to do so as much as possible. It moves one away from personal recurring themes, although this movie is now so Abiola.

Filmmakers of the world--- apply to the talent campus-- although I have yet to attend. Nothing beats this experience. Gotta call the airport tomorrow! And get reimbursed. Oh, a big lesson that I am pleased to be learning is when working with producers, ask everything before acting. Definitely not instinctual for a control freak, but I can make it happen.

// posted by abiola @ 6:51 PM

Well not all of them, but it's definitely an asshole culture in the same way that barbados is a sell out culture (sorry bajans), jamaica is a warrior culture and guyanese are sun shiny loving, beautiful people...

// posted by abiola @ 9:00 AM

I've come to conclusion that germans are assholes.

// posted by abiola @ 8:50 AM

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

make that 5:40 am...
You ever hang out with 2 people who clearly really do not want to be hanging out with you? Ever been hanging out with a friend and a love connection develops between her and someone else and now you’re the 5th wheel to the coach, but you don’t want to leave her alone with the guy, although she secretly wishes you would, so you sit in a bar you don’t want to be in, nursing something you really don’t drink, and pretend that her conversation is amazingly hilarious to build her up to the guy who’s not really listening to you anyway, at 5 in the morning when you’ve just finally finished your total movie and really want to be home sleeping in your warm bed instead of on a spontaneous date between 2 people who don’t know you’re there in a cold, miserable European bar full of hideous butt ugly junkees of some sort who unfortunately are really the only people who seem to notice you as you turn your engagement rock around on your finger New York Subway style because you get the feeling that if they lunged at you that neither your friend or the future boyfriend would really notice, and the junkees seem to be laughing like they’ve seen that trick before,
Uh-huh.

Story done.

// posted by abiola @ 11:39 PM

Friday, February 13, 2004

2/13/2004 2:13:04 PM
Ok so soo this time will be up-to-date. I’m on the plane, and versus a few days ago when I felt like Berlin was kicking my ass, I am now feeling like I did the damn thing. I took Germany, and I am so ready to go home, but also I am so ready to come back. During the screening I was on pins and needles, but we got such a positive reaction PLUS, I like the movie. Although I will regret to my dying day (such a drama queen) not having th books on the table during the bar scene so that Mali is not just a dingy sexy black chick, I am overall happy with the film. Disappointed that my stars weren’t there—an indication perhaps of the climate of the set? But I will send them personal letters because I was very happy with their work. I feel vindicated.

Can't wait to go back in May...

Oh-- the time & date is a schnappsklapper-- my crew would really enjoy this!

// posted by abiola @ 2:13 PM

Monday, February 16, 2004

And that Is the correct date & time, ladies & gents! I am back in NYC, preparing my app for Tribeca's Lab and after 2 days of intense jet lag, I am finally wide awake, I think. I’ve been watching my movie, and my only regret is that both the art department & I forgot to put books on the table so that the character is reading, and not just a cute silly quirky black girl who goes to the white man’s house who has all the books. Yikes. OK. No way to change it now, so I’ll have to live with it, but I fought my battles with producers and sound to leave 2 nice long suck-teeth chups in there. Maybe I’m not so awake, I suddenly feel the need to take a nap and begin in an hour. Luckily, it’s Presidents Day.

// posted by abiola @ 8:41 AM

Thursday, February 19, 2004

My production company in Germany was so incredibly supportive. If I could always work like that I would be one very happy director. Now, it's about getting my super-producer Anna a list of opportunities, and watching her market the heck out of our little movies. Yay!

// posted by abiola @ 5:04 AM

.

www.flickr.com Go to abiolatv's photo diary