Issue #3: The Only Constant Is Change

HUMAN STORY

WHEN A STORY FINALLY REVEALS.

“In 2011, the country first known as ‘Burma’, and later renamed ‘Myanmar’, has decided to make a shift towards democracy, making itself accessible to the rest of the world. By 2015, I have managed to cross the Thai-Burma border near Hpa-An in order to smell the Burmese air. Trickling past guerrilla fighters who nod our procession onward, firearms in tow, I continue towards the bustling city of Yangon, cramped like a sardine in a ride that goes on for what feels like days.”

“Peeling paint, stained walls and all the airs and graces of a colonial city frozen in time greet me. As the cheapest licensed guesthouse stands at $10 a night, I decide to exchange English classes for the floor of a charity organization that works specifically with street children; but to no avail. The government keeps a tight check on things and people dare not break rules.”

“I have heard of a place called ‘Thabarwa’, that takes people in need, free of charge and free of questions. I decide to meander my way there, arriving amongst piles of junk and aimless bodies that drift around the village-like centre. And yet, I feel strangely at home. It doesn’t take long before I begin to busy myself by volunteering to initiate a trash-cleaning-up initiative. Two weeks fly by before I decide to leave and continue my travels. Needless to say I have never picked up a mirrorless or DSLR before.”

“Fast forward two years, with a few wobbly films under my belt I cannot help but think of the ex-businessman turned monk I met (and the fermented tea leaf and ginger salads, I ate) all those ‘Burmese days’ ago. I am not much into humans, but really into human stories, and of all the interviews I have done, his would be the piece de resistance. Finally, plucking up the courage to reconnect with one of his disciples, I am tipped off to his whereabouts, and find myself in the quaint town of Hoi-An, Vietnam, thrusting the camera in upon the crowd in order to see his face in the viewfinder, forgetting, of course, to even introduce myself or my intentions. He, in all manner of detachment and mindfulness, takes it with a pinch of salt, naturally. This will be one of the key themes of future my film, and the rest becomes history.”

“It has been seven years since I first met met my protagonist, Sayadaw Ashin Ottamathara. In all that time, I have had little to nearly no idea of what kind of film I am to make, with the only knowing that I MUST CONTINUE to document all that I am lucky enough to witness (whenever I have the time and energy to follow him). Following the Sayadaw is not an easy feat. After experiencing it, one may really believe it is possible to experience a kind of ‘Enlightenment’ when in the midst of the Venerable and his many plans - if endurance of the endless hours of travel, sleep deprivation and food is attempted. Not to mention the less than desirable ‘misfits’ that have found their good fortune to be accompanying you on your journey throughout the entire process.”

“Recently, as the terabytes of footage are discovered, my feelings have moved into a mirage of despair, self-doubt, panic, and denial, realizing I may have bitten off too much than I can chew in the project. With no final destination in sight…that was…until LAST WEEK, when I flew back to Vietnam and followed my protagonist into Myanmar. And what has been learned from all of this? Sometimes, to experience the magic, you have to wait to take a bite of what you are actually here for. Sometimes it takes willingness to be lost for a while, to sit with yourself in the discomfort of self-doubt and self-deprecation (go to therapy if that lasts too long, as its not a good thing!). It takes time to go through it, but that really is the right way to move beyond it - simply by not escaping, not avoiding, not denying, not controlling, not manipulating, not beseeching…just accepting what is, and being in the moment for as long as it lasts, you can actually wipe away lifetimes of misery and taste a little of the truth beyond the illusion.”

THE INFINEIGHTS 

One question we always get asked is, ‘Did he really say that?’

If we told you just how ‘constructed’, yet ‘natural’ this film was, it would astound you at just how experimental cinema can be. For instance, there was no script nor plan when we began this film, and once shot, everything appeared to be going in the direction of observational documentary. However, when laid out on the timeline, we began to see how we could fill in the missing footages for more of a sci-fi tale.

For instance, climbing the upcycled step-stupor, or flying the drone over wasteland which we could fill in with VFX in post. Even then, we didn’t know what to expect from our final story, (in fact there was no story) so we chose to feed our child actor lines in order to demonstrate his personality to be more of a reflective, day-in-the-life tale, that went beyond the here and now of his lifestyle and village in Myanmar, where the film was shot.

There was also an enormous amount of post production required, related to sound. As you may already know, most of these films are done using foley, in order to re-create the sounds for the visuals, simply because we were filming in a notoriously chaotic and noisy environment.

We really love sharing our films and filmmaking process with you all, so if you could like and subscribe to our @infineights Youtube channel it would really mean the world to us!!!

MICRO-BUDGET FILMMAKERS

OUR NEXT PODCAST IS LIVE!

In this 5th episode, we are back in the metropolis of Bangkok and talking to Nigel (Savio) D'Sa, a filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter, and who is also an experienced journalist, professor and actor. Amongst other subjects touched on, we chat about his film related work in South Korea, Thailand, elsewhere and about a TV drama series currently being worked on - which like many creations in the art world can go through various changes from conception to completion. Nigel also offers some advice for filmmakers keen to progress with their projects so be sure to check out his details in the YouTube description section.

(As we have recently opened a YouTube channel for MBF we would really appreciate your support by liking and subscribing to the channel, which lists our online networking sessions as well as these podcasts.)

FURTHER PODCAST LINKS & INFO: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72AW04R... iTunes / Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Amazon Music/Podcasts Audible Google Podcasts NEW YouTube Channel:  

 / @micro-budgetfilmmakers   ALT. YouTube Channel:  

 / jasonverney   Spreaker:https://www.spreaker.com/show/infilma... [and all good Podcast platforms]

And if you feel inspired to reach the heights of Nigel but have just entered into the world of film and need to sharpen your craft, we would like to recommend Film Oxford who create affordable physical and online short courses in real-time, weekly, group sittings, with interesting teachers, and a fellow community of documentary and fiction film-makers. And if you haven’t yet subscribed to the Plasm Production YouTube or Instagram channels @plasmproductions please do so for a personal insight into guerrilla filmmaking and the art of nomadic story-chasing.

THE REST OF THE WORLD

(SOCIAL PROJECTS)

THE BACKPACKERS WHO OPENED A CHILDREN’S HOME AND STAYED FOR GOOD

It was 2007 when two backpackers, Barbara Meisl from Austria, and Graziella Ramponi Najai from Switzerland met in Thailand on their travels. Traveling in the northern most region of the country, Maesai, they met a 6-year-old orphaned boy who was dying from HIV and had no family. With no social institutions or home to care for him, the girls knew there had to be something done. They devised a plan to start a home for the child, and soon more children appeared. The girls had to learn Thai, but as they had just completed their studies back home and were still in their early 20s, they began to study vigorously in order to get by in the country. Soon, another girl joined them, Saowaluk, a local, and the three worked hard to build a charity-type foundation that ensured children like Dam had somewhere to turn:

“Because of stigma, and discrimination, and also because there were no suitable institutions at that time, children were often without adequate care and left alone to fend for themselves.”

“If we had not taken care of the children, they would have had no future, some may even have died.”

Baan Doi now offers a safe home and a loving family with full-time care for orphans and children at risk. They individually look at each child’s needs and focus on a good healthcare and education.

They also provide organic food and many sport and free time activities to support the healthy development of the children with the children and staff living together as a big family, in which everybody has his/her role. They take care of each other as well as the animals and now the new farm.

We had the good fortune to meet with Barbara and the children this year, and create a video of their organic farm’s process since it began in 2018.

To read more about, or even visit Baan Doi in Maesai, Thailand, you can visit the organization’s website here: https://baandoi.org/en/projects

^{Jason Verney | John Brooks | Thida Nathalie | Clifford White | Richard Williams}

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