H Tep Adrong

I was honored to be able to record traditional weaving at its prime. I have never seen it before so really didn't know what to expect. I chose to the weaving as my documentary for a couple reasons (1) I wanted to have enough time to edit my project and not worry about it, (2) I wanted video tape something very uniquely creative, (3) and I wanted to see understand the culture as much as the people. H Tep Adrong is the weaver in this film. I hope you enjoy.

The Final Goodbye

Digitally technology is complicated. If, you  have read my later posting you can see, especially in my entry Generation Y: Digital Love and Hate,  love is mixed and my overall feeling for it is not hundred either way. It does provide a good resource and helps people tremendously. But it also causes a lot of pain to people live, addiction, breakups, health issues. Yin and Yang is the ultimate response to this. It has its good attributes and bad ones. I just want to say a final good bye to the topic of is it bad or not. It seems this year it has been talked about way more then they past I don't know if that's because of elders finally realizes things about it or it's just the topic of the school year. So goodbye to this topic

Baraka (Wavin Flag)

CLICK LINK FOR VIDEO:Baraka (Wavin Flag)

I felt that these two were examples of people doing a traditional piece of work but put a contemporary twist to it. Baraka is a movie but with no narrative just images that convey a story and I felt that broke the traditional ideology of films. And K'naan puts a lot of African instruments and culture into his songs broke the traditional idea of rap by doing that. So I decided to combine to people that do very traditional work but put a contemporary twist on it and do my own contemporary by combining their work and making a music video.

What We Do For Art

The influence of art has effected the human race since the beginning of our existence. Drawings on caves, clay sculptures, oral story telling. If we didn't have art we wouldn't be half as evolved as we are now. I believe that's what truly defines us from other species. A lot of people are artist especially nowadays with the internet and other digital forces. But the same reasoning for doing art hasn't changed for instance, old painters and poets use to go on the street and sell their art for money and that being the only reasoning of doing that art. The only difference is that you don't have to barter people on the street; don't even have to meet them you could just sell your product purely digitally through web stores or blogs such as this one. This also allows the artist that does art for more then money or not for money at all to explore the options. For example, Issa a donation policy with her music allowing the person to buy an album from hundred dollars to absolute nothing. Radiohead also did a campaign like that one, and various artist post there music for free. The idea behind the art or reasoning for it can be totally different then the art itself. Hopefully, people have a passion for what they do. Digital apecst have helped people to reach what they wanted to do way more now then has every done before. It's easier to record songs only need a computer or phone. For instance, Atomic Tom they're instruments were stolen but they decided not to give up but find an alternative which happened to be their iPhone's. What they did was stupendous and respected. Some people would give up but they didn't. And it all leads down to one question. What would you do for your art?

Generation Y: Digital Love and Hate

Generation Y or my generation was born at the peak of digital media. Being able to see and be part of the new inventions that are now so prevalent into days society such as, cell phones and computers. People are able to express themselves in a whole new manner and making their art more accessible to others. For example music and paintings with the internet flourishing as it is allows people to show case their work in 'binary style' to the whole world and not to just one sector or audience. So we are having more and more talented people being notice for their art because of that. Although it has a created a great resource to allow artist to get their work noticed it also is hurting them. Piracy has become the main issue in day to day life. The internet, DVD-R's or CD-R's makes it hard for the artist that do decide to showcase their art on a digital form more easily got to for people that want to either get it for free or sale their art. This has become most used I believe in literacy on the internet. College/High students copy and pasting information they found on to the internet into a paper they have to write for class. The newly found or created easiness of getting information off the internet has made todays people more about temporary knowledge only trying to remember what they need to get by because if they do need to get the information again they have easier resources to remember it by. Overall, The digital era has helped us a lot in a plenty of ways like medically, intellectually and other. But was is the consequence to all that greatness maybe be the loss of connection between people, the retaining of knowledge or even being to create art. I love digital media like any other but I do realize what it has made us and it is a very love and hate relationship.

Our Ancestors

People Not The Society

History and culture is what makes a community. The music and environment is only manipulated by the people in it, although adaption places a big part, it only determines what we become but not who we are. As a film maker I find myself more interested in the people themselves or history of the people then just solely the music, food, fashion. Because any culture people have their differences on what they believe is good food, good instruments or even what is even part of their culture or not. So directed towards the Montagnards I would most likely want to talk to clergyman at first to understand the past culture, religion then talk to many people currently transitioning to America and talk about their concerns about this country concerning themselves and others in the community. 

http://www.unpo.org/article/8195

http://www.cal.org/co/montagnards/vlife

angelfire.com/dc/dega/

Framing of Life

I believe everything in existence is just a framing of life. Codes that we have to find the answer to everyday, words, feelings, gestures. Once we find the answer we are able to communicate. Because what is life but just the interactions with others. Solitude only brings genius if the genius isn't in solitude meaning that intelligence is only brought by others before you to grow from. And with that you can figure out how you frame out in this world. From the people around you. People coming to another country trying to start a new life look at others for guidance to find the regular or medium. Being considered part of their society seems to become more relevant than their past or future. Consider countries as a big portrait filled with all their traditions and culture. And the immigrants goal is to figure how to get into that picture how to be part of the frame. The frame of life. Its not easy to find your place but once you do it becomes way easier and you realize that life is just like a frame and you will find its hard to part of it but if you just realize that frame isn't something to get but something you have already then you will find you were in the frame along.

Picture Me Pictureless

Where's Sasha?

Ashanti Region Ghana, Africa

Wittenberg, Germany

Question's About Sasha's Life

Who are you? 
I'm many things a son, uncle, brother but a lot of people also consider me an artist in many fields I am a rapper,singer,poet,writer, and quite few others


Where are you from? 
I'm from Los Angeles, California (Miracle Mile/West L.A.)


Do you have siblings? 
Yes, five sisters (one of which is older than me by a year)


Do you miss where you came from? 
Yes, coming from Los Angeles to here was totally different kind of a slight culture shock you could say


How many generations ago did your family came to the United States?
On my mothers side this would be the fourth generations (German Jews) and my father tell the truth I have to re found out that answer  


What do your parents do for a living? 
My father is an actor/filmmaker and my mother is a esthetician/publicist 


What are the main problems to watch out for in the United States, particularly for young people?
I came from L.A. I don't think that all young people have the same problems cause from state to state young people are doing different things in L.A. are different I worry more about gangs a lot more than probably people out here do in Winston-Salem but one thing state by state is the same the amount of drug use that young adults do 


What is the role of new/digital media in your life?
Well, it's weird thinking about that to tell the truth cause when I look at my sisters it's seems like physical things are becoming more less and less needed like Human Contact or even smaller CD's or don't even bring up Cassette Players 


Have you ever been involved in growing food? 
Yes, My grandmother use to have a garden in her house


When did you get interested in art? 
When don't you get interested in art. Little kids draw, build blocks, make shapes and different colors I think our nature is to create but what people consider art is their decision not mines 


What advice would you give teenagers who are newly arrived in the United States? 
I really can't think of any advice for people first time in the U.S. 


Have you traveled or lived in foreign countries? 
Yes, Italy,Capri and Jamaica 


If so, what did you learn from your experiences? 
I was so young when I went to Jamaica and Italy I learned I need to go there again but this time I won't be locked up in my hotel for majority of the trip


Did you grow up in a multi-cultural area?
Yes, Los Angeles is pretty diverse