M83 is planning to release their new double-CD, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, tomorrow. There are as many as 22 songs on it, with intro and outro included. I have gotten hold of a stream of it, in case you want to have a listen to the album before you get it. And for those of you who have Spotify, click here. I have really been enjoying it as the background music at work today (I love the intro!) and I can’t wait to really listen properly to it.
My music world always explodes in the autumn, perfect for dark mornings and cold days when you can choose to sit inside without feeling bad about missing out on the sun. This album will probably be a good companion this winter, together with a huge cup of tea and some candles.
The role that media plays in protest settings is huge. I’ve been there, seen it, been part of it. We, the photographers, reporters, people filming with mobile phones, have a huge responsibility. Both in getting the material out there, but also in trying our best to show the right image of what actually happened.
The young Italian photographer Ruben Salvadori has made a study and a presentation about the phenomenon of when people taking part in protest tend to get more violent when in front of a camera in order to give the photographer a good shot.
Barcelona sin miedo. Photo taken by me during the protests of #Spanishrevolution. Barcelona, May 2011. Current stats in flickr: 8,380 views.
The camera is a very powerful weapon, but it is also important to remember that it often is difficult to get media attention if there is nothing “sexy” in the images that come out from popular protest. And without media attention, the chances of actual change decrease significantly when dealing with a counterpart with more power. A great example of this is the village of Bil’in in Palestine, that I visited in 2010.
My photo of a woman protecting herself against teargas during one of the weekly demonstrations in Bil’in in April 2010.
With weekly demonstrations every friday since 2005, they have had to stay creative in order to keep the attention of the media, while trying their best to continue insisting on protesting non-violently, despite deep frustration.
These are excerpts from the very interesting movie Bil’in Habibti from 2006, by Israeli activist and filmmaker Shai Carmeli-Pollak, who’s brother I met in April 2010. As some of you know, I wrote my Master thesis on constructive non-violent action in Israel.
So, while photographers and media sometimes try to create visuals more dramatic than the actual setting, there are much larger quantities of serious violence and injustice that go completely unnoticed. The protests of #spanishrevolution were very poorly covered in Swedish media, not to even wish for any updates from places like Burma, where all footage must meet with the approval of the censorship board.
If you ask me, I think it’s perfectly okay to ask for attention where outer influence is of significant importance, but the photographer’s responsibility is to be very careful in order not to lose credibility or, in worst case, spark violence.
A grundvän is the person you can just always hang out with. With or without dancing shoes on, with or without a movie, with or without a specific thing to do. It’s the person you can spend hours with without talking, or doing nothing but. Or dancing, or laughing, or singing, or eating.. You know, no limits, no rules, no layers. Now, Vogue.
I am subscribing to the releases of Bad Panda Records on Soundcloud so whenever they upload something new, my phone blinks and I have a fresh tune to listen to. Two days ago I woke up to this darling. Perfect for the mood I was in then, and perfect for right now.
You can download the Rainbow Reef EP from Athens based Monday Night Fever for free if you click the link above. If you haven’t tried Soundcloud yet, do it. It’s a great tool for keeping track of your favourite labels and all those random creative artists you just love to love.
Earlier today, the United Nations’ Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, addressed all UN staff in the new UNICEF warehouse in Copenhagen. He spoke about sustainability, the current world situation, the Millennium Development Goals, and about working together as One UN in the new UN City building that will be inaugurated next year – bringing together all UN agencies in the world’s sixth largest UN city. He also mentioned the UN reform and how we have to be more effective, creative and cooperative between the agencies in order to work for less and “cut off the fat”, i.e. reduce unnecessary costs. “Because nobody wants to carry the body fat. [sic!]” Ban Ki-moon was a humble man with a sense of humour and an ability to make a formal speech sound informal and simple. In the end a photo was taken with the Secretary General together with the entire UN family. I hope I didn’t blink.
When I cross the bridge I always do grocery shopping as the prices are much lower and I can drive and access the big malls in Malmö. I’m going back to Copenhagen with a huge suitcase filled with winterclothes and food. I’ve been in Malmö for the weekend to run tons of errands and spend time with friends and my Mami. Now I’m on the train, the inside of my suitcase looks like a game of tetris and I think I’m ready for the winter.
