Technology and growth of the internet have brought the audience closer.
Film makers, no longer require the BIG funding contracts from networks to produce and distribute their works for screening.
To reach an audience, we can get our stories across in timely and direct manner. Last week, I came across a doco about Queen Rania of Jordan and how she is using a channel on YOU TUBE to speak directly to the world. It’s the first time I’ve seen a member of any royal family do this and she seems to be really taking advantage of this communication mode to dispel many myths about the Arab world and also, address facts.
A few weeks ago, the University of Melbourne, Islamic Council of Victoria and Dfat (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) held the annual Artists Dinner with the You Am I artists for the second round of Indonesian Delegates. In tow was a documentary team and journalists.
It was held at La Paella Restaurant in Melbourne.
This is dinner is part of the Aust/Indonesian exchange program that brings together Muslim artists from both countries. It’s an opportunity to network, interact and share works likes images, folio or samples of work.
The host for the evening was Christine Rafferty and the evening attracted a variety of artists. Photographers, film makers and painters just to name a few.
It was a great event. Female artists were able to meet, share their works and discuss past and future projects. One consistent theme was the love of art and Islam. I don’t believe this is something often celebrated. So on that cold Melbourne evening in a small restaurant, we embraced the opportunity.
(Sharing copies of my dvds with one of the talented Indonesian Photographers).
Watching documentaries is like reading a great article or book.Viewers are taken on a journey or adventure where they are exposed to a new world and experiences.That’s how I felt after catching two documentaries this week.
One is an American made, the other a local product. Different, and yet, both engaging.
Talhotblond, is a doco following the story of a teenage internet tease who plays mind games with people online.
The subject is something we are all familiar with, the internet and how this communications tool has changed the way we interact and behave. Sometime in ways unlike real life. It examines the addiction to the internet, but more importantly, the need for people to seek attention and love that is deprived in everyday life.
So begins the story of a young beauitful vixen online who falls madly in love with a young marine sniper. What I loved about this doco was it’s structure, the way the story unravels through photos, actual online converations shown as text on screen and interviews. The story is chilling, unexpected and sad.
What I love most about this film is that the director, Barbara Shroeder, wrote, directed and edited the doco. Compelling stuff!
The second doco is an Australian series called ‘Outback kids’. The story os about Brahminy Group which is a organisation that treats children with issues like drug, alcohol and violence.
The doco feels like it’s shot on the fly and that everything, in particular, the violence amongst the troubled youth, happens live. It has a seamless feel moving between storylines and shows the beauty of the Northern Territory and the dedication of the founders of the project.
On the weekend I attended a conference about Creativity and the Spiritual path in Melbourne.
The guest speakers were muslim artists from Australia and around the world. It was the first time I have ever heard a diverse range of muslim artists talking about spirituality, their lives and their projects in Melbourne.
There were local word artists like Alia Mahmoud, designer Peter Gould, painters like Abdul Abdullah and Anisa Sharif. Then there were overseas speakers like Zac Twist and Tyson Amir to name a few.
The program was amazing and inspirational for the youth and people working in creative arts.
The intention was to create dialogue and a chance for muslim artists to network and discuss projects.
The program is the brain child of Peter Gould and Khadija OConnell and takes place annually.
Look out for next years program and attend if you can.
Australian Muslims Artists share their artworks……..
After many months, I was finally able to get back into shooting this doco. And it was on the last day of the exhibition. The standard of work was amazing and as an Australian Muslim it makes me so proud that the talent from communities is on show and available for all to see. Reading comments from the visitors books, I could see that people really liked the diverse art forms.
There were paintings, photograpghy, graphic design works and sculptures. These were created by a variety of people from around Australia. They were converts to Islam, Pakistani, Arab or African Muslims, just to name a few.
The level of creativity and dedication involved to produce the works was impressive. I met one artist, Anisa Sharif, who had arrived to pick up her mosaic art works. Anisa said,”that she’d spent over 100 hours creating her ‘tree of life’”. This mosaic art form was created in a workshop with the Australian community and the Australian Federal Police.Anisa is using her ‘art’ to engage with members of the Australian community. She hopes people will come together and develop dialog, relationships and breakdown stereotypes. Anisa’s also using mosaic art workshops to get Australian muslim youth back into mosques across Melbourne. She feels it’s important for youth to embrace their religion, connect with their parents and community.
I’m coming across many artists who are using their talents to engage with the general community. I think the artists are influenced by their environments and this shows in their work. Some artists are making statements about the current state of Islam and the west, whereas others are combining two cultures, lands and traditions.
This generation of Australian Muslims consider relationships to be a two way street. Australia provides so much but as citizens the artists feel it’s their responsibility to step in and promote the positives of Islam.
It’s difficult to maintain the momentum of projects when let’s face it, real life gets in the way. I’m one of those film makers who has to maintain a ‘real job’ that helps to finance my projects and ensure that my creative ideas become a reality. There’s so much to do, and so little time. Some people say, that things ‘will happen’ at the right time. But I often wonder why the right time seems to be when I’m near a deadline or under pressure. I guess the goal is to stay focussed, and ensure that the ideas that come to be in the middle of the night, can be made into films. Going back to focus on ‘the crescent’. I think this will be an interesting project!
