Gaza, Dear Child II, Bepuwaveh, Lupe and the Galactic Corn Cake: A Halloween Reflection

 In the hero's journey, we first meet the horeoine in the Ordinary World, her normal state of affairs. It is only when the Inciting Incident occurs that the heroine is catapulted into the unknown. Ilsya Spencer's Beupevah ought to be considered the Ordinary World of every child: a fun, welcoming, creative, school environment where children are nurtured and are allowed to shine and flourish. This Halloween, I would like to reflect on the very real horros facing a child in Gaza, courtesy of a brilliant short animation film called Dear Child II, directed by Devin Peters and inspired by a letter written by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Chris Hedges.

"You know only the security barriers and fences patrolled by soldiers that surround Gaza."

Bepuwaveh is all about bridges, friendship, fun and freedom rather than barriers and fences: "Pojoaque Middle School students create a dialog, drama skit and culture around welcoming at their school and in their community." The children of Gaza experience the opposite - unspeakable horrors: "Trapped under the piles of smashed concrete. Your playmates. Your schoolmates...You see the chalky faces and limp bodies when they are dug out. I am a reporter. It is my job to see this. You are a child. You should never see this."

Creativity abounds in Bepuwaveh. In the first few seconds of the film, we are welcomed with a drawing of an alien in a spaceship. A few minutes later, we see an art teacher explain how "Faux Food" -  a delicious looking burger - was made from toilet paper, water and paint!

"You are hungry. The bakeries are destroyed. There is no bread. You eat one meal a day. Pasta. A cucumber. Soon this will seem like a feast."

The next part of the letter sounds like a good plot for a Halloween movie. Sadly, it is the reality of many people around the world: "I tried to tell your story. I tried to tell the world that when you are cruel to people, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, when you deny people freedom and dignity, when you humiliate and trap them in an open-air prison, when you kill them as if they were beasts, they become very angry. They do to others what was done to them. I told it for seven years. Few listened. And now this."

Dear Child II is "stylish, artistic and horrifying, yet hopeful that we can do better, centering the story around children in this way affirms a message - that we must." Children are at the centre of Bepuwaveh, but there is no denying that the adults - the teachers and the filmmaker, Ilysa Spencer - believe that we can do better. From their actions, it is clear that they are doing better and are doing right by the children.

One adult, a New Mexico history teacher, gets emotional when talking about her grandmother: "She always made me feel welcome in her home...she always had food, my favourite food."

A child and her grandmother are at the centre of "Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake", directed by Javier Badillo, written by Nat Marshik and Javier Badillo: "Lupe doesn't care about her abuela's cooking lessons, she just wants to rock with her badass punk band. But when Lupe finds herself battling an alien monster with her band, her abuela's lessons remind her that punk rock is more than just loud music, and connecting with her latin roots may just save their lives."

In the book "The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless", Noel Carrols's chapter is titled "The Fear of Fear Itself: The Philosophy of Halloween". He tells us the history of Halloween then writes: "In fact all manner of monsters can inspire Halloween mumming - even those who hail from outer space - since they would fit into the Christian redefinition of the Halloween universe as demons..."

During the inaugural Global Artivism conference that was held this September in South Africa, Louisa Zondo listed some demons that we must fight: “We must address the scourge of poverty, inequality, corruption, gender-based violence, deteriorating mental health and well-being and the imminent threat of climate change. We must push for the end of genocide in Gaza."

You can read the full letter by Chris Hedges to the children of Gaza at: https://scheerpost.com/2023/11/08/chris-hedges-letter-to-the-children-of-gaza/

Why "Mono" is a comedy-horror film

Yesterday, I watched the very entertaining and aptly-titled film “Mono”. It brought back interesting memories of my time in a boarding high school. I remember those four years with mixed feelings. There were moments of comedy, joy, sadness, rebellion and always, always, the underlying feeling of “I want to go home”, which was the title of the very first poem I ever wrote, during my first weeks as a form one student -  a “mono”.

What makes "Mono" a comedy-horror film? The comedic elements are very clear. Upon reflection, I picked out the following horror elements:

TRAPPED: It’s right there in the name. Boarding. No going home. No escape.

MONSTERS: Two monsters are portrayed in the film: physical monsters (bullies) and psychological monsters. Psychological monsters are usually brought to life by the physical monsters and are outlined in the Psychology Today article by Karl Albrecht, The (Only) 5 Fears We All Share: “These fears include extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego death."

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEATH – Thankfully, there are no physical deaths in the film but the psychological deaths or ego deaths are many. Albrecht explains ego death as follows: “… humiliation, shame, or any other mechanism of profound self-disapproval that threatens the loss of integrity of the self; the fear of the shattering or disintegration of one's constructed sense of lovability, capability, and worthiness.”

The film’s TRAILER shows us some examples of ego deaths

“Whatever your parents taught you stays at home.”

Corporal punishment.

One's food being taken by the older students.

“Why are monos taking window seats?”

A concerned mother asks her son: “What happened to your face?”

Being insulted by those in authority: “Your head is full of porridge.”

I was in high school when the first ever radio station to play rock music was begun. Perhaps, my experiences in boarding school helped me to appreciate this music that I had never heard of before. Bands like U2 with their anthemic songs. Like “Pride (In the name of love):

“Originally Bono wanted to write a song about Ronald Reagan’s arrogant pride in his military power, which inevitably led to heightened nuclear tensions during the Cold War. However, after reading biographies on Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, he decided to focus on the pride ingrained in the causes of the African-American Civil Rights movement, and the comparison between the violent and nonviolent approaches each leader took.” (https://genius.com/U2-pride-in-the-name-of-love-lyrics)

Female rock stars like Alanis Morrissette who through songs like “You oughta know” (1995) made it okay to express dissatisfaction:

And I'm here, to remind you

Of the mess you left when you went away

It's not fair, to deny me

Of the cross I bear that you gave to me

You, you, you oughta know

Playful, fun yet thought-provoking pop-rock songs, reminders that life is complex but life is still good. Songs like Hanson’s “Mmbop” (1997) and Desree’s “You gotta be” (1994)

You have so many relationships in this life

Only one or two will last

You go through all the pain and strife

Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast

Oh, so hold on the ones who really care

In the end they'll be the only ones there

And when you get old and start losing your hair

Can you tell me who will still care?

Mmbop…

In “Mono” we get to see the beginnings of relationships that may last a lifetime. The beauty of this film is that it has potential for so many spin-offs: the main characters in their last year of high school, the main characters in their first year of university, the main characters as adults, the main characters as old men losing their hair, recalling their days as monos…J

One of the characters that stood out for me was the female literature teacher who positively impacted the monos. She challenged them without breaking them, chastised them without belittling them.

Listen as your day unfolds

Challenge what the future holds

Try and keep your head up to the sky

Lovers, they may cause you tears

Go ahead, release your fears

Stand up and be counted

Don't be ashamed to cry (Yes, there was a scene where two monos cried).

You gotta be

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser

You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger

You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together

All I know, all I know, love will save the day

Herald what your mother said

Read the books your father read

Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time

Some may have more cash than you

Others take a different view

My oh my, eh, eh, eh

It’s no wonder that the monos respected this literature teacher so much that they…well, you have to watch the movie to find out! J

Artificial Intelligence and Horror: A Halloween Reflection

I was interviewed by Irene Mugo of the Daily Nation about how artificial intelligence is impacting me as a creative. I mentioned that when it comes to AI, I am an optimist but I am also aware of the drawbacks.

Some of my interview answers did not make it to the article so I will share them here. Regarding the drawbacks, I said:

One challenge posed by AI in the creative space is bias. Most, if not all, AI tools are trained on data that is largely Western. This issue is being addressed and corrected but more still needs to be done to ensure that AI tools are representative of diverse cultures, philosophies and aesthetics. Another challenge is the disruption that AI will cause and is causing in the creative space. Many creative jobs will be rendered obsolete or will change drastically due to AI. This presents both a threat and an opportunity. Creatives who upskill and learn to use AI to complement their creative process will be able to ride this AI wave rather than drown in it. I also think there is a big opportunity for educational institutions to begin incorporating topics such as "AI and Creativity" into their curriculum."

I subscribe to David Shapiro's YouTube channel and in his video titled "AGI Revolution: How Businesses, Governments and Individuals can Prepare", he outlines some of the horrors of AI. In the section about "Forever Jobs" (minute 26:14), he points out that even jobs such as "childcare, entertainment, and hospitality" which are deemed "likely to persist due to intrinsic human desire for human-performed services" will not be spared by the AI monster.

I am a fan of psychological horror, where the monster is invisible and therefore more horrific because our imagination becomes very helpful in filling in the blanks.

Artificial Intelligence is that unseen monster that, according to some experts, may literally end the world.

In his video (minute 24:28) David Shapiro talks about Emotional Adaptation, "The range of emotional responses people may experience in response to significant changes..." He lists some of these emotions: "uncertainty, fear, anger, existential dread, anxiety, hope and awe."

One of the interview questions that Irene Mugo asked me was whether artificial intelligence will threaten creativity. I hope my answer to her question will inspire hope and awe in all creatives as we face the wonders and horrors of AI.

As an optimist and as a creative, I do not think AI poses a threat to creativity. Yes, AI can mimic creativity and sometimes can produce creations that are better than what human creatives can produce. However, this in no way is a threat to creativity. The creativity of AI does not take away my creativity. Comparison is the enemy here. I create because it gives me joy, it is a way for me to express myself, to communicate and to create value. There are other creators - both human and AI - who can create things that look or sound better than my creations. However, there is only one me, and no one - whether human or AI - has my unique perspective, experiences, values and beliefs. One could argue that soon, human beings will be able to upload their consciousness to robots and duplicate themselves...but that is a conversation for another time! To quote lines from a song called  “Sons of Robots” by one of my favourite Kenyan rock bands "Rash":

“with all of their technology, they can feel no more.” 

I think as long as we creatives continue to feel, we will always be a step ahead of artificial intelligence.

Satire in Horror Films: The Case of “Witchin” - directed by Christina Diamantara

“Both comedy and horror are often viewed by critics and the general public as “low brow” genres with little social relevance and few redeeming qualities.” - Dr. David Gillota, associate professor of English at University of Wisconsin - Platevlle. 2019.

On October 3rd, 2019, Dr. Gillota participated in a forum that examined “how satire in horror films exposes systemic societal issues.” He provided an analysis of Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and argued that this film “straddles the line between humor and horror in order to critique systemic racism and expose the hypocrisy of white liberalism.”

It can be argued that Christina Diamantara’s short film “Witchin” does straddle this humor-horror line so as to critique systemic patriarchy and expose the hypocrisy of sexism and misogyn. Pallavi Prasad outlines the difference between these three intertwined concepts in her article “The Difference Between Sexism and Misogyny, and Why It Matters": “If patriarchy is the overarching social organization in which men hold the power, and from which women are largely excluded, then misogyny and sexism are the two drivers that uphold this system. If patriarchy is the state with a capital S, the sexism is the ideology, the legislative pillar….Misogyny, then, is the method. It is both the executive and the judiciary, in that it enforces the ideology and reprimands where there is a breach of law. It is the hostile policing of those women who violate patriarchal norms and expectations, thereby setting a precedent for the cost of feminist transgression.”

In her Director Statement, Christina Diamantar highlights the fact that her film is about “a young idealistic witch, on her quirky-spells-and-pink-glitter-filled quest to find the notorious and elusive Big Dick Energy ingredient…” Although the story is set in “the world of fantasy and make-believe” Christina insists that her short film “is deeply rooted in human reality, and more so by the current social context that first inspired it.”

The Instagram hashtag #bigdickenergy is one of the elements that inspired “Witchin”. Christina finds that “this idea - that your confidence is as big as the size of your penis - is not only perpetuating a toxic interpretation of masculinity, but is also inevitably suggesting that, yet again, confidence is a male thing. I thought it would be funny to use this term as a physical ingredient - and in a way create a satirical metaphor about women who do all the right things, in terms of working towards their goals, only to realize that the  most important step for their success is to find some way to capture the essence of male privilege.”

Christina Diamantar - Director of "Witchin"

In her article titled “Standing Up: What Men Can do to counter systemic sexism in the office”, Liz Elting writes: “With privilege comes power, and there are so many ways you can use that power for good: speak up and call out sexism and misogyny amongst your peers, stand up for and champion women, point out when a woman colleague came up with a great idea (especially when credit is misatrributed to a man), hire and promote women, and the big one I’ll focus on today, opt out of boys’ clubs and fratty workplace culture.”

Here is the trailer for “Witchin” plus two insightful interviews where Christina further expounds on “Witchin” and her overall filmmaking journey and explains more about the secret ingredient BDE.

Spotlight on ROFFEKE Followers: The Texchris Davesaw Massacre

You can listen to Chris and Dave's "weekly ramblings about their favorite movie genre, one bloody film at a time" on iTunes or on:
texchrisdavesaw.wordpress.com

And now, a brief exploration into the soundtrack of the film that inspired their podcast name:

In a Rolling Stone article titled "35 Greatest Horror Soundtracks: Modern Masters, Gatekeepers Choose", The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is number 27."...background noise turned avant-garde soundtrack, foley work gone too far. A huge influence on bands like Animal Collective and Wolf Eyes, it's one of many expertly frightening elements that make The Texas Chainsaw Massacre so singularly scary."

In Spin's article "40 Movie Soundtracks That Changed Alternative Music", Texas Chainsaw Massacre is number 14.Avery Tare of Animal Collective is quoted as saying: "Some of those sounds on there sound like weird violin-industrial errrnwhiirrrrnnn....How does he get those sounds? I wanna know how to make sounds like that." The article goes on to say that "Animal Collective's all-over abstract sound owe to a sophisticated list of influences from '70s and '80s films, but none shot the epochal band into the outré realm of experimental music faster than the scraping, squealing sound-design of the 1974 horror classic directed by Tobe Hooper."

And what of Wolf Eyes? The same Spin article points out that "Wolf Eyes' Aaron Dilloway is a professed Chainsaw fan". A certain self-confessed music nerd who is behind the blog "Evol Kween:A Musical" writes: "Every time I listen to Wolf Eyes, scenes from Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre begin flickering through my mind. Vacant desert-scapes; fucked up Hillbillies with rotting teeth; Leatherface slamming a sledgehammer into someone’s head; and that god awful living room filled with bones, chicken feathers and furniture made from left over humans. There are plenty of similarities between the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre soundtrack and Wolf Eyes."

So why subject yourself to such music? Or to a horror movie? Mr. Music Nerd puts it well: "The whole attraction is based on the fun of scaring the crap out of yourself. Just like watching a well-made horror movie."

"Everytime I See You I Go Wild": Directed by Paul D.

"Kim Wilde, clad in a skin tight black PVC catsuit, battles zombies, vampires, werewolves and demons, as she fights to attract the attention of the man she loves, but what will happen when they finally come face to face?"

ROFFEKE: If you could take one prop and one character from the "Toadlickers" music video and use them in the "Everytime I see you..." music video:
a. Which ones would you pick?
b. Why?

PAUL D: Huw Heftoad would have a ball in the club featured in 'Every Time I see You I Go Wild'...though he might have to swap his smoking jacket for a green leather outfit.

(Watch bluegrass-flavoured "The Toadlickers" by 5-time Grammy Award nominee, Thomas Dolby)

Thomas Dolby - 'The Toadlickers' (Canon 5D Mark II HDSLR) from Paul D on Vimeo.

ROFFEKE: Lighting is important in horror projects. Tell us about some of the lighting techniques/tricks you used in the "Everytime I see you..." music video.

PAUL D: I discuss the lighting techniques/tricks we used in an extensive behind the scenes feature that's published on my blog: http://paul-d.tv/blog/2013/07/24/b-e-f-kim-wilde-behind-the-scenes/
In brief though, my approach to filming and lighting is old school in that, where possible, I like to get it right in camera, rather than to fix it in post, or rely upon grading to create a look. In the club scene there's a big reveal that's punctuated with a change of colour palette. Many DPs would have spent hours going through the tortuous process of taking test shots, creating & exporting LUTs, colour calibrating cameras & monitors and importing those LUTs into them, before shooting; whereas we spent about ten minutes simply re-gelling the lights. As Wing Chun teaches us, the shortest path between any two points is a straight line.

ROFFEKE: What was it like working with Kim Wilde?

PAUL D: Kim was an absolute delight to work with. She is a consummate professional, took direction extremely well, and worked very hard.

(Watch "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde)

KIM WILDE~ KIDS IN AMERICA from Jeniffer Juniper on Vimeo.

ROFFEKE: Advice for aspiring music video directors?

PAUL D: Get a proper job!

ROFFEKE: Your favourite female directors?

PAUL D: Nora Ephron, though more so as a screenwriter than a director;
Sophia Coppola - I loved 'Lost in Translation';
Dawn Shadforth & Claire Boucher for their music videos;
Molly Dineen for her documentaries;
George Hencken for her film 'Soul Boys of the Western World', which is by far the best documentary that anyone has made about music in 1980s Britain. I know that much is true.
Juliet Forster is one of the UK's best theatre directors. She is consistently brilliant.

Happy Halloween!

About Paul D.

B.E.F. featuring Kim Wilde - 'Every Time I See You I Go Wild' from Paul D on Vimeo.