Friday 26 September 2014

Red Lines

Tomorrow 26th September, the UK government votes yes or no to ISIS air strikes. Tonight I,along with a room full of documentary-goers at Rich Mix cinema in Shoreditch, London have shared a Skype call with two devoted Syrian activists, Mouaz and Razan joined by US congressmen Adam Kinzinger from the Syrian border, who urge MPs in the the UK to vote 'yes'. Not just for strikes on ISIS but also on Assad's airstrips that drop an average of 60 barrel bombs a day on Syrian civilians according to activist Mouaz. Using Congressman Kinzinger's own words, as heard in the recording below ..  The fastest way to kill ISIS is to kill Assad. But the recording is about much more than that, it about the plea of 9 million displaced Syrians and the many who have already perished.

Tonight I saw the struggle of these two activists as they have spent the years since the beginning of the revolution, rallying UK MPs and US congressmen to offer more than just lip service and to deliver on their promises to support moderate civilian forces, provide humanitarian aid and strike Assad in retaliation of his ongoing disregard for the red lines laid out. Even today there is news of more chemical attacks on civilians and yet, we hear nothing. 

This Skype conversation was not sensationalised, it was not for the media, nor for the newspapers, and activists, UK documentary goers and congressmen alike, could plainly and freely express their horror at the continuing of a genocide that has been deemed acceptable and forgettable by the West.

Razan and Mouaz
Now, as our UK government votes, I say no more and instead urge you to listen to this short recording of a short part of our Q&A tonight to decide for yourselves that we should rally our UK MPs to vote yes to military action against ISIS, who share mutual aspirations as Assad...' Support us or support them, either way one of us will rule you'. 

Following that, it is more than military action. We must provide support for the creation and continuation of civilian police forces and support for the FSA, vetted through the right channels and with the help of those on the ground who know the good from the bad. It is about condemning Assad and retaliating when he assaults the freedom of unarmed, innocent civilians. He can no longer tell us that he targets militants. ISIS remain untouched and unchallenged. They are not the same entity but they share the same aims. If we do not wish to say yes to air strikes that may unavoidably kill innocents, then we must push and push for the UK government to instead strike Assad airstrips. Destroying airstrips is to save thousands.

A few months ago I sat across the table from congressman Cicilline in Washington DC who expressed he did not agree with the failure to act against Assad. US congressman are voicing their opinions, so when the bell rings calling our UK MPs to vote, whether it's a yes or a no, they must at least be rallied to deliver on their promises and #FreeSyria. I will not turn a blind eye to dying children, nor will these two wonderful activists and their networks, nor will the humanitarian charities who work to give aid, such as Iman Mujahed of Hand in Hand for Syria but this, is not enough. Syria needs Western governments to intervene.

The rest I will leave to Razan and Mouaz, and to congressman Kinzinger. And if you can find a way of watching the documentary 'Red Lines' then please do.

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Faces - Professional Viking

Today I went to the Tall Ship Parade of Sail in Greenwich where over 50 tall ships sailed along the Thames. It was a majestic farewell as the ships floated away into the shadows of the O2 Arena and face the expanse of sea ahead.

I also took a stroll around the festival grounds at the Maritime Museum and came across this man. He was sat making rope, outside a tent, eating nothing but bread and sporting a genuine beast of a beard. Thinking this was cool I took it upon myself to ask about his day job. His brief answer was - 'I'm a professional viking' - which I think is the best job title EVER. Today he took a day off from being a viking and instead took a trip back to show us the trades of our past.

He then went on to tell me how awesome his job really is, as him and his chums got to spend a solitary night at Lindisfarne monastery watching the stars, listening to the sound of the seals singing and the waves lapping at the island's edge. What a perfect image and the perfect way to make the office sound less appealing!

Look out for him at historical themed events near you - particularly viking events - he's a professional.

Saturday 6 September 2014

Roma

Apologies that it's been a  while...I've been moving house. Although I don't officially move in until tomorrow, I thought I'd get one documentary blogpost out the door, as it looks at an issue quite close to my heart and is made by some brilliant young professionals whom I happen to know.

opensocietyfoundations.org
Firstly Roma is stunning, both visually and aurally. With a bunch of top-notch students from Ravensbourne I expected nothing less but it all comes together to create a short documentary you can't tear your eyes from.

The slow-mo shots really add to the expressive nature of the film. The music is a good mix of cultural inclination and emotion for this almost-charitable appeal. I'm not quite sure how but it manages to convey a genuineness and honesty amongst shots of the Roma settlements, rubbish dumps and people, which is testament to DoP Chris Seager and the team.

IF I were to pick holes, it would be in the interview content, in that I sometimes lost the appeal or purpose of the story amongst the contributors. The Roma interviewees brought it swiftly back home though, and as it drew together in the second half of the film, the narrative got stronger.

The beauty of this forgotten community is often overlooked but with shots filmed from the carts used to collect materials from the rubbish dump to sell, with wedding celebrations, kids playing and music, the team have captured the heart of it in this ten minute film. We see in the credits examples of them laughing with the contributors and that, is testament to who they are and where they are going in their careers. They are upbeat, talented and genuine professionals and anyone who doesn't snap them up quick is missing out.

Roma is certainly an achievement and I truly hope that it gets the recognition it deserves. Judge for yourselves:


Roma from Sam Davis on Vimeo.

Roma is a documentary that brings to light a community that has been somewhat forgotten.

Featured as Doc X on Dazed Digital - http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/21301/1/life-is-tough-in-albanias-roma-camps

To find out more visit: http://www.fivedills.com

Director: Sam Davis
Producer: Alex Lloyd
DoP: Chris Seager
Sound Recordist & Dubbing Mixer:  Matthew Alston (http://www.matthewalstonsounddesign.com)
Original Music: Ben Brannan (http://www.benbrannanmusic.com)
Editor: Joe walton
Colourist: Susumu Asano