A trifle of time ago, I was lucky enough to have chin-wag with two of the funniest ladies ALIVE (and maybe even dead. They're not dead. But they may well be funnier than the dead ones - when they were alive...)!! They are Englandish, but have been kickin it in Melbourne for the duration of the International Comedy Festival (I've mentioned them before...scroll down ;-) I have finally gotten my arse into gear and popped the aforementioned interview on this here blog. I had to break it down, jazz-drum-solo stylez, into three parts, cos twas very large. Listen to it, if you will. Chuckle. Chuckle.
Listen to Part 1 of the interview >>>HERE<<< Listen to Part 2 of the interview >>>HERE<<< Listen to Part 3 of the interview >>>HERE<<<
After you have recovered from the inevitably side-splitting hilarity, check out their websites post haste!! Seriously, two of the highlights of the whole festival!
Ngaiire joined me in the studio earlier this week to have a bit of a chat about what she's been up to. She's based up north these days, so I was lucky enough to fit in some time with her while she was in Melbourne - in between gigs.
Although we only had 15 minutes to get our talking on - it was lovely to meet with her. And I, for one, am eagerly anticipating her forthcoming debut album, due for release early next year.
If you're like me, and can't wait that long to get your hot little hands on some tracks - check out her 'Song for No One' EP. Out now!!
Ever since I was old enough to have even the very beginnings of a social conscience, I felt that the colour of my skin automatically aligned me with a group of people who seemed to consistently invade lands, and hurt the people who lived there. In school you were taught about Australian history as it pertained to settlers migrating from the "motherlands" of England, Ireland, Scotland, etc. Never about how the people who ALREADY lived here used to go about their lives before that migration, *cough*, invasion... Never about their languages, beliefs, customs and traditions. Never.
This film depicts the all-to-real reality of what it's like to be born into a downward spiral. Samson, a 15 year old Walpiri boy, and the film's leading man, lives a monotonous and isolated outback life. His day begins with a compulsive inhalation of petrol from a can. Whilst a repetitive reggae riff is played outside his bedroom window by his brother's band. The rest of his days are spent trying to stave off complete boredom - more often than not, unsuccessfully. The altered state of consciousness that petrol-sniffing brings is his only escape - and his only hobby.
In the same town is the teenage Delilah, with whom Samson is completely in love. Delilah is a mature-beyond-her-years young woman, who spends her days caring for her only apparent relative and companion, her nana, Kitty. Delilah wakes Kitty each morning to take her medication. She wheels Kitty to the local health clinic and church, then spends the rest of the day helping her to paint the dot-paintings that are in such high demand. The utter poverty in which they are forced to live is made all the more poignant when, later on, you discover how much these dot-paintings are sold for in the cities.
There is little more than a few sentences of dialogue in the entire film, perhaps less than half of that is in English. The lack of conversation between characters makes every gesture and glance feel as though it were magnified. The director, Warwick Thornton's, attention to visual detail amplifies this even more. He is also the screenwriter. For someone who loves dialogue and conversation - I was surprised that I didn't want to hear anyone speak. Like there was a danger it might detract from what was unspoken.
The beaten-black-and-blue love story between Samson and Delilah barely equates to more than a smile and a quick peck on the forehead, but rarely have I been so moved by an on-screen love as I have with these two.
This film must come with a warning: it will confront you and, quite likely, move you to tears, as it did me. You're likely to feel the absolute desperation that these kids are living. You might ask yourself, 'how did we come to this?'and you might, like me, want to slap a few smug cafe-dwelling whities... I guess I should start with myself?
Samson & Delilah opens in Australian cinemas April 30th.
Director: Warwick Thornton Screenwriter: Warwick Thornton Cast: Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson, Mitjili Napanangka Gibson, Scott Thornton, Matthew Gibson, Steven Brown, Gregwyn Gibson, Noreen Robertson Nampijinpa Behind the Scenes with the film's Director/Screenwriter.
- Interviewed Sarah Millican and Josie Long on Girly is Good last week. Can I just say that these two are some of my favourite comedians around?!?! Had met Josie once before (on the show, this time last year, actually) but had never met Sarah. This woman is frikkin hilarious!!! If you're like me, and partial to a bit of rude comedy told by a charmingly nerdy northern-england-accented lady with glasses, then you'll love her too! Both of them are performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 26th. Get on it!!
Nina Conti is on the show this week - she won the illustrious Barry award last year, so i have high hopes!!
Tune in to Girly is Good on 3CR Melbourne radio this Sunday 12th April 2pm-3pm...
This guy not only paints the most amazing, bright, and bold portraits of some of the most recognisable soul sisters - but he video-tapes the whole thing, speeds it up, adds a funky remix of one of the artist's tunes, and makes it available to all y'all!!
My favourites so far include this one of Tina Turner (who, fyi, is the only celebrity I ever sent a fan letter to - back in my youngin' days. Perhaps I am making myself sound cooler than was the reality. No doubt. If my 14 year old self's journal at the time is anything to go by... my cringe-o-meter just exploded...); anyway, there is an Erykah Badu piece that is THE SHIT! Other portraits in this particular series include - Aretha Franklin, India Arie, Minnie Ripperton, Jill Scott, and Chaka Khan.
Another nugget of sweetness is that you can purchase your own little slice of artistic diva goodness, by way of a print of the artwork of your choice, for under AU$40! Hit up the link way back at the top of this blog...
Check out the video of Tina Turner 'Bold Soul Sister.
So, I recently had a party-shindig-soiree at my humble abode. This signals for me an IDEAL time to take the ol' Canon out for a spin. However, my dilemma has always been thus: I don't have any fancy flash diffusers, or anything of that nature. So my heart cries a little when I have to take night photos with an ordinary flash and watch in hopelessness as the colour/ambiance/mood of the scene being photographed is washed away in a flash (pun SO intended). Now, I know you can put it on a kind of 'night portrait' setting, which gives novices like me a helping hand. The result is as follows...
Which I like the look of, mainly because of the deep orange/red of the overall image. But I didn't want EVERY photo to look like this. Then Martin told me of a technique he had heard about of placing a spoon in front of the flash. This would disperse the light and create a more realistic-looking image. So we did this for a while and it certainly got the wheels in motion for some creative flash-play! He also told me of people putting cellophane in front of the flash for different colour effects. Well now, I didn't have cellophane -
but I had a light blue Gin bottle...
A green beer bottle...
A brown beer bottle...
And a clear glass bottle...
Something so simple - yet outrageously fun, with great results!! Now I look forward to taking night photos, yeah! I win, flash!!
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