Archive for December, 2009

December 8th, 2009

Why I love Africa and magic….

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Yesterday afternoon, I headed off to film in a market in Lagos.  I was a bit nervous for while I had a remarkable few days around the city, shooting in markets can be dicey.  Now admittedly, I was well accompanied.  I am certain that alone, I would not have lasted long, but guiding us into this world was Amanda Angell, a smart, lovely, fun woman who, as the daughter of the former police chief of Lagos, had a very good sense of how to work in this city.

As soon as we got to the location, I climbed up the stairs of a pedestrian overpass to get a good view of the crowded market entrance.  It was a perfect perch, human energy, like a bee hive below, with enough distance (and a long enough zoom) to capture lots of cool moments.  Then after a week of hitchless shooting, two of the screws that hold the plate on the Sony Ex 1 fell out and were gone into the street below.  There were two left but it was insufficient to hold the camera down.  At first, I tried using the tripod to balance the camera, but it was really impossible. Exasperated I dismounted the plate and began trying to tighten the remaining screws, each the size of a pin head. Amanda and my partner from SW Global, Anita Nomah suggested they go look for a screwdriver in the market which struck me as looking for a needle in a haystack.

At this moment, a young man who had been watching me for the past ten minutes approached.  After a quick glance at the camera he said, “let me see if I an help” and he reached into his bag which unexpectedly contained a set of well used tools.  He then pulled out a mini screwdriver that fit perfectly and in a few seconds all was fixed.

People here are poised for opportunities and ready to work hard when they come and deeply grateful when that ingenuity is appropriately rewarded.

Something like a metaphor….

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December 1st, 2009

Notes from the Field

I’m in traffic on my way back to my hotel in Accra, Ghana at the end of a long day of shooting. I am here to make a film on SW Global, a nascent software company headquartered in Accra, whose dedicated team is trying to revolutionize the way their c

ountry – and their continent – does business. I’m here solo, shooting and directing without technical support – another crazy challenge. This project is also particularly hard because it’s not easy to make a strong film about technology. How to avoid boredom?

Yet, Dr. Aloy Chife, SW Global’s founder and CEO, is inspiring, forthright and a visionary. If we get this right, we not only help SW Global succeed but we can raise worldwide awareness of an intriguing path to progress.

… Just as I was noting the terrible traffic, our driver lurched forward and slammed into the car in front of us. No one was hurt, but the long ride at he end of a long day just got a lot worse.

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