latest news
Friday, October 01, 2004
A few relevant events happening in the next couple of weeks leading up to the Australian Federal election...
Three years after the truth was thrown overboard at the last federal election, now is the time to say end the lies and to start a new path to a better country and a more peaceful world.
People will gather in every capital city and many regional centres the week before the election. On Sunday October 3 join hundreds of thousands of other Australians in seeking to end the lies.
For more info go to endthelies rallies
Join hundreds of Iraqi temporary protection visa holders at their protest at Sydney Town Hall, 12.30pm, Tuesday, 5 October and march to the offices of the Department of Immigration, Lee Street at 1.00pm.
There are about 4,325 Iraqi refugees on temporary protection visas. Many of these people have lived with the uncertainty for five years or more. Now the Department of Immigration is denying many of these people any further protection. Out of around 300 processed so far, 231 have been rejected and only 59 approved.
“The government’s TPV policy has torn our families apart and left thousands in a state of uncertainty and despair,” said Mueen Al Breihi, of the Al Amel TPV holders Association in Victoria.
For more information contact
Refugee Action Coalition Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
or Mueen Al Breihi (Al Amel Assoc, Victoria) 0412 209 977
A few relevant events happening in the next couple of weeks leading up to the Australian Federal election...
OCT 3 - END THE LIES RALLIES
Three years after the truth was thrown overboard at the last federal election, now is the time to say end the lies and to start a new path to a better country and a more peaceful world.
People will gather in every capital city and many regional centres the week before the election. On Sunday October 3 join hundreds of thousands of other Australians in seeking to end the lies.
For more info go to endthelies rallies
OCT 5 - IRAQI TPV PROTEST
Join hundreds of Iraqi temporary protection visa holders at their protest at Sydney Town Hall, 12.30pm, Tuesday, 5 October and march to the offices of the Department of Immigration, Lee Street at 1.00pm.
There are about 4,325 Iraqi refugees on temporary protection visas. Many of these people have lived with the uncertainty for five years or more. Now the Department of Immigration is denying many of these people any further protection. Out of around 300 processed so far, 231 have been rejected and only 59 approved.
“The government’s TPV policy has torn our families apart and left thousands in a state of uncertainty and despair,” said Mueen Al Breihi, of the Al Amel TPV holders Association in Victoria.
For more information contact
Refugee Action Coalition Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
or Mueen Al Breihi (Al Amel Assoc, Victoria) 0412 209 977
Saturday, March 27, 2004
This is a week of anniversaries. It's nearly a year since "Out of Fear" was officially finished - copyright cleared, proper titles blah, blah, blah - and just over a year since the war in Iraq started. While a year has brought many screenings and some accolades for the film, it hasn't brought much progress in the circumstances of the people I worked with on it. My collaborators, including those from Iraq are still living with the uncertainty of Temporary Protection Visas, some with current appeals for extensions or permanent residency being held in limbo for months.
I did hear some good news this week though - some of the people from Afghanistan that have been seeking asylum here have been granted permanent residency. Apparently a lot depends on the timing of their arrival in Australia but I hope this is a signal of more positive responses to come.
I went to a lecture some weeks ago given by Father Mark Raper SJ, who is Provincial of the Australian Jesuits. The lecture was titled "To Build Peace and Bring Hope" and was mainly concerned with the plight of refugees all over the world. (You can find the text of his speech here on the Australian Catholic University's website) While I didn't really come away from the lecture with much of a feeling of peace or hope there was a lot that he said that strongly resonated for me. Particularly interesting was his quoting of a letter from Senator Amanda Vanstone. Written around Christmas 2003 at the time of the hunger strike by people detained on Nauru, she asked that he “...imagine how you would feel if one of the strikers was a loved one of yours. Persuading them to end their dangerous course of action would have to be the first priority.” His reply to her is worth checking out the full text of his lecture for. Needless to say we should all encourage Senator Vanstone in developing the same kind of empathy towards people who are appealing to her compassion. If you want to drop her a line follow this link to the contact form on her website.
This is a week of anniversaries. It's nearly a year since "Out of Fear" was officially finished - copyright cleared, proper titles blah, blah, blah - and just over a year since the war in Iraq started. While a year has brought many screenings and some accolades for the film, it hasn't brought much progress in the circumstances of the people I worked with on it. My collaborators, including those from Iraq are still living with the uncertainty of Temporary Protection Visas, some with current appeals for extensions or permanent residency being held in limbo for months.
I did hear some good news this week though - some of the people from Afghanistan that have been seeking asylum here have been granted permanent residency. Apparently a lot depends on the timing of their arrival in Australia but I hope this is a signal of more positive responses to come.
I went to a lecture some weeks ago given by Father Mark Raper SJ, who is Provincial of the Australian Jesuits. The lecture was titled "To Build Peace and Bring Hope" and was mainly concerned with the plight of refugees all over the world. (You can find the text of his speech here on the Australian Catholic University's website) While I didn't really come away from the lecture with much of a feeling of peace or hope there was a lot that he said that strongly resonated for me. Particularly interesting was his quoting of a letter from Senator Amanda Vanstone. Written around Christmas 2003 at the time of the hunger strike by people detained on Nauru, she asked that he “...imagine how you would feel if one of the strikers was a loved one of yours. Persuading them to end their dangerous course of action would have to be the first priority.” His reply to her is worth checking out the full text of his lecture for. Needless to say we should all encourage Senator Vanstone in developing the same kind of empathy towards people who are appealing to her compassion. If you want to drop her a line follow this link to the contact form on her website.
Monday, January 12, 2004
How cool! Received a Highly Commended Award from Flickerfest 2004 at their "gala awards ceremony" last night! I got a phone call on Sunday afternoon from the organisers asking if I was planning on coming along, and I said I wasn't planning to. They then asked if it would make a difference if I was going to get something and well, what can you say!?!? I quickly rang Reid at work and then a few other friends so that we could take advantage of the 4 complimentary tickets. So very glad that we did go along, and not just because I won a prize. We got to see five of the other prize winning films, four of which I hadn't seen before. Part of me wonders if the "worthiness" of the subject was an influence in getting the Highly Commended nod and the other part of me is just absolutely thrilled to get acknowledge like that from amongst a really strong field of short documentary films. Whatever, it's pretty cool and gave me a chance to again thank the people who shared their stories in the film and dedicate the award to them.
How cool! Received a Highly Commended Award from Flickerfest 2004 at their "gala awards ceremony" last night! I got a phone call on Sunday afternoon from the organisers asking if I was planning on coming along, and I said I wasn't planning to. They then asked if it would make a difference if I was going to get something and well, what can you say!?!? I quickly rang Reid at work and then a few other friends so that we could take advantage of the 4 complimentary tickets. So very glad that we did go along, and not just because I won a prize. We got to see five of the other prize winning films, four of which I hadn't seen before. Part of me wonders if the "worthiness" of the subject was an influence in getting the Highly Commended nod and the other part of me is just absolutely thrilled to get acknowledge like that from amongst a really strong field of short documentary films. Whatever, it's pretty cool and gave me a chance to again thank the people who shared their stories in the film and dedicate the award to them.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Had our screening at Flickerfest this afternoon. Again the whole thing about Out of Fear fitting in to a festival type program came up for me. I had to do a little intro thing before the program started. I thanked people for coming and acknowledged the five anonymous collaborators who shared their stories in the film and expressed the hope that their stories would move people as they have had such a big impact on my life. And I literally saw people squirming in their seats. I guess I can understand that people go to a festival like Flickerfest expecting to laugh and be entertained, but not necessarily to be challenged.
Reid said he sat in front of one of the judges and that he heard appreciative noises at significant moments during the screening of Out of Fear. So maybe I'm just a nervous nelly and perhaps there were some people who did get something out of the screening.
Overall it was a really great program of films and to be in the company of such polished and well constructed works was pretty cool.
Had our screening at Flickerfest this afternoon. Again the whole thing about Out of Fear fitting in to a festival type program came up for me. I had to do a little intro thing before the program started. I thanked people for coming and acknowledged the five anonymous collaborators who shared their stories in the film and expressed the hope that their stories would move people as they have had such a big impact on my life. And I literally saw people squirming in their seats. I guess I can understand that people go to a festival like Flickerfest expecting to laugh and be entertained, but not necessarily to be challenged.
Reid said he sat in front of one of the judges and that he heard appreciative noises at significant moments during the screening of Out of Fear. So maybe I'm just a nervous nelly and perhaps there were some people who did get something out of the screening.
Overall it was a really great program of films and to be in the company of such polished and well constructed works was pretty cool.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Just home from the Golden Eye Awards where the lovely Ms Sharon Jakovsky scooped the pool for her work on Out of Fear. She won both the categories she was in the running for - Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design and Screen Music.
A round of applause for Sharon please! and the crowd goes wild yahhhhh!!!
She's a real star and it's been such an honour to have her as a collaborator on this project. Her beautiful music and sound do so much to invigorate the work and really add to the stories being told. A few very nice prizes are winging her way - thanks to the organisers for putting so much effort into arranging such excellent sponsorship and special treats for the winners.
Just home from the Golden Eye Awards where the lovely Ms Sharon Jakovsky scooped the pool for her work on Out of Fear. She won both the categories she was in the running for - Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design and Screen Music.
A round of applause for Sharon please! and the crowd goes wild yahhhhh!!!
She's a real star and it's been such an honour to have her as a collaborator on this project. Her beautiful music and sound do so much to invigorate the work and really add to the stories being told. A few very nice prizes are winging her way - thanks to the organisers for putting so much effort into arranging such excellent sponsorship and special treats for the winners.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Back in Australia now.
It's taken me a while to post again because it has taken me a while to (mentally, emotionally, blah blah blah) process everything that has happened.
The screening of Out of Fear went...OK. Aside from a few technical issues, that really only seemed to cause me any grief, the film was well received. It seemed to have a quite emotional impact on some people and it was the first that alot of the audience had heard about the refugee issue in Australia. One of the guest curators, Shulin Zhao, took a copy of the film on MiniDV to screen at a festival in China, and one of the video artists, Ethem Ozguven, took a copy on DVD to show his university students in Turkey.
For some others, the film wasn't experimental enough. I overheard one of the judges say "It was just like watching TV". While I don't think he meant it in a complimentary way, particularly considering the emphasis on experimentation that was at the festival's core, in the context of the ultra low budget conditions under which Out of Fear was made I think it speaks of the high production values we managed to pull together and of the strong narrative that drives the work.
Attending the festival really brought home to me that I need to focus on the original reason for making the film. It was made to draw people's attention to the awful/ hard/ terrible/ shameful (pick your own adjective) situation in Australia for people seeking asylum here and to get people to rethink their prejudices and fears about refugees. I really need to put my energy in to organising more community screenings so that it can fulfil that aim.
Back in Australia now.
It's taken me a while to post again because it has taken me a while to (mentally, emotionally, blah blah blah) process everything that has happened.
The screening of Out of Fear went...OK. Aside from a few technical issues, that really only seemed to cause me any grief, the film was well received. It seemed to have a quite emotional impact on some people and it was the first that alot of the audience had heard about the refugee issue in Australia. One of the guest curators, Shulin Zhao, took a copy of the film on MiniDV to screen at a festival in China, and one of the video artists, Ethem Ozguven, took a copy on DVD to show his university students in Turkey.
For some others, the film wasn't experimental enough. I overheard one of the judges say "It was just like watching TV". While I don't think he meant it in a complimentary way, particularly considering the emphasis on experimentation that was at the festival's core, in the context of the ultra low budget conditions under which Out of Fear was made I think it speaks of the high production values we managed to pull together and of the strong narrative that drives the work.
Attending the festival really brought home to me that I need to focus on the original reason for making the film. It was made to draw people's attention to the awful/ hard/ terrible/ shameful (pick your own adjective) situation in Australia for people seeking asylum here and to get people to rethink their prejudices and fears about refugees. I really need to put my energy in to organising more community screenings so that it can fulfil that aim.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
We're now into day two of the Videobrasil festival and Out of Fear is screening tonight. The people we have met so far have been really lovely and there is a good vibe in general. We've hooked up with the other two Australian participants who are doing really interesting work with interactive CD-ROMs. Although sometimes I feel like a bit
of an ignoramus because I don't speak Portuguese (most of the artists here do) and though, even when translated I
still don't always get what they are talking about, it is still really exciting to see the works and get inspiration for future projects.
The festival is being held at this really cool complex built in an old factory. http://www.sescsp.com.br/sesc/unidades/pompeia.htm
It's a community space and people come in to use the library, eat at the cafeteria and use the swimming pool. It's excellent for the festival to happen in this location because it means we aren't removed from the 'real' world. They also have really good coffee which definitely makes the day go better.
It'll be interesting to see how Out of Fear (OOF) is received tonight. I'm kind of nervous, kind of not. Projection is going to be a bit of an issue (some of the works that were shown last night were quite blown out and suffering from the transfer from PAL system to NTSC) so I'm not going to get my hopes up about nice sharp images. My work also seems to be quite different from alot of what I have seen so far. OOF seems to sit in this no mans land of not being mainstream enough for some contexts and being too mainstream for others. It's definitely more in the latter place at this festival. We're last up in the evening and the longest work in that part of the programme. Hope that people still have some interest and generosity left by then.
A couple of cervejas (beers) in the choperia afterwards are going to be mandatory I think.
We're now into day two of the Videobrasil festival and Out of Fear is screening tonight. The people we have met so far have been really lovely and there is a good vibe in general. We've hooked up with the other two Australian participants who are doing really interesting work with interactive CD-ROMs. Although sometimes I feel like a bit
of an ignoramus because I don't speak Portuguese (most of the artists here do) and though, even when translated I
still don't always get what they are talking about, it is still really exciting to see the works and get inspiration for future projects.
The festival is being held at this really cool complex built in an old factory. http://www.sescsp.com.br/sesc/unidades/pompeia.htm
It's a community space and people come in to use the library, eat at the cafeteria and use the swimming pool. It's excellent for the festival to happen in this location because it means we aren't removed from the 'real' world. They also have really good coffee which definitely makes the day go better.
It'll be interesting to see how Out of Fear (OOF) is received tonight. I'm kind of nervous, kind of not. Projection is going to be a bit of an issue (some of the works that were shown last night were quite blown out and suffering from the transfer from PAL system to NTSC) so I'm not going to get my hopes up about nice sharp images. My work also seems to be quite different from alot of what I have seen so far. OOF seems to sit in this no mans land of not being mainstream enough for some contexts and being too mainstream for others. It's definitely more in the latter place at this festival. We're last up in the evening and the longest work in that part of the programme. Hope that people still have some interest and generosity left by then.
A couple of cervejas (beers) in the choperia afterwards are going to be mandatory I think.
For more
information contact:
Bettina Frankham by email:
