End of Week One, Shooting the Bush League :: 12. 5.06
Been in Zolokere for one week. Shot much more than expected. Origional plan was to take some time to survey things, but its all happening fast. Following the local soccer team and trying to tell the story of HIV through the players lives. From afar didnt have a concrete approach, being here seems like a no brianer, though its still tough going.
Rainy season is ratcheting up daily. The afternoon sky is a showcase of dramatic cloud formations.
Yesterday evening, driving across valley floor, dusk light, a figure came out of the bushes and laid on the dirt road in front of us. Thought it was a teenage boy pranking us. A second figure came out and dragged the first off the path, as we roll by I could see it was a woman. The second figure called out. It was a sick woman trying to kill herself she explained. The whole thing went down in a strangely everyday way. My admiration for the natural surroundings feel frivolous.
Today in the medium size town called Mzuzu, two hours out of village. Charging batteries, then back in tomorrow or tonight.
Found: Ancient American Pregnancy Magazine Serving Villager for 15 Years :: 12.19.06
Declared war on the night time insects that cruise through the giant openings into Jakes little mud brick house in the village. So far have taken out at least five wasps, a giant millipede thing, the biggest cricket like creature I've ever seen, a scorpion, a bunch of beatles and some beefy roaches. Guess with the rainy season hitting top speed, all the bugs are shagging like mad. But getting used to it. At the dinner table last week smashed a roach with my glass and continued eating with an appetite. Its getting normal.
Shooting is going well. Have a few priceless moments on tape already. Talking with a newly wed man about sex (background for the HIV angle) he told me masturbation is, "a good system" and a couple days later brought over a magazine from 1983 written for pregnant woman. Yes, he's been using it to his own ends since he was 15. Men are all the same!
Dust and dirt only real issues since it might kill the camera. Otherwise, steady as she goes. Back to the village tomorrow morning.
Whisky and Coke Christmas :: 12.27.06
Was hit by some kind of funk on the 23rd. Got a pretty good fever going and had the weird sick dreams that always follow suit. Seems like the standard issue stuff, but its no fun at all. The bathroom is a key shaped hole in a concrete lid over a hole in the ground. At night, its pretty heavy, big insects hanging around. By Christmas morning thought I'd bounced back, so Jake and I got into a bottle of Knob Creek I brought for the holiday. Probably a little too early though since even now I'm still a little weak.
All the same, happy with things and having a lot of fun. I've got around 20 hours of footage so far, some I know is good and what makes me happy is that a lot of it is pretty funny. The problems here are truely heavy, so I'm glad to be getting the lighter sides of life as well.
I'm continually impressed by the people here. They're strong as hell. Chatwa is the team captian. The night before one of the games, he slept under a tree in the dirt while it was raining then got up, farmed a little bit, ate a big chunk of boiled corn mash then led the team against the local rivel. He's about six inches shorter than me, but seems much larger.
Got some good news today, the Orphans will screen at the Pompidou Modern Art Museum in Paris. So damn amazing. Also sounds like the premier in Lithuania went really well. Both the actors spoke and I guess they were happy about it all.
Hope everybody has a great new year, back to the village tonight after another repair to Jake's truck.
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