Drinking the TIgris: New Shots from Baghdad :: 10. 6.08
Some new shots from Baghdad. Click on the picture for the stories. The most important one, is the bottom shot with note included.
This, for me, is the untold story of this war. All the labor; cleaning, cooking and washing is done by S. Asian laborers. Their pay is meager. The guys who clean at the Dining Facility work 12 hours per day seven days a week and make, in total, $350.00 per month. If Nike or Coca Cola made a fat profit off their backs the way KBR does, people would be up in arms. But nobody knows about this, and it's happening at every base in Iraq. In our Dining Facility there are NO Americans serving food. Maybe one now and then. The staff is well over 25 guys per shift and they serve thousands of meals per day. They clean the floors, take out the trash, pour the coffee, they work the registers at the PX, they do everything except fight.
This will be part of the American legacy in Iraq. Someday these guys will go home and tell their friends and families about us. What will they say? It breaks my heart to even think about it.
Malawi Dispatch: Words from Jake Post #3 :: 10. 8.08
Hey Cy,
Just got to Mzuzu last night. What a week! The elements are starting to take root and as a result I'm losing a bit of focus. I had a near replay of your food poisoning episode on Thursday night from midnight to about 5am with both the entrance and exit door at work. I too got all the way down to the yellows of my stomach. Every time I replaced water it shot right back within 30 minutes. I've finally woke up with a bit more strength today thanks to the comfort of Zanyiwe's house and hospitality. I drank 7 bottles of Cokes last night as I watched Feroz, Fat Joe and Robert get drunk. (Feroz has been fasting for Ramadan and he's been wanting to hang out since I arrived) When I woke up Zanyiwe cooked me chips, cabbage and chicken livers for breakfast. Man it's hard to take care of yourself here. Unfortunately, I had Friday set up for 3 recording sessions and two for Saturday. I made two of them Friday and missed both Saturday due to another funeral in Kapalala. If I told you last time I didn't yet start to panic, scratch that, now I am. Again, as I already knew organizing and mobilizing people who are living, due to their circumstances, in such an immediate way is nearly impossible.
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Malawi Dispatch: Words from Jake Post #4 :: 10.11.08
Hey man,
Its Saturday and I just got to Mzuzu and read your emails. Made me laugh though I haven't felt normal now for two weeks. There was one good day when I had to go to Zambia and pick up a dead body. I felt 100 percent on that day. Now I'm in town I'll rest for a few days then head down to get you. Recordings are a screw in my temple. I had two important sessions set up for yesterday and rain come from the heavens. I can't believe God is even against me. It hasn't rained in October in Hewe in centuries and it decides to pour for two hours when the Roman Catholics are their way to my house. Consequently, we've got to get to Hewe by Friday morning as I've scheduled with them for that afternoon. Thosi sent me a letter and said he'd make himself available but he doesn't know anything about the interview he thinks we want to greet him. So we can do that the day you arrive and head north or on our way to Mulanje. Don't worry about the bed I've already got something set up outside. People still trying to decide whether I had Malaria or not. I'll write more tomorrow. Looking forward
Jake
Bush League: Shooting THE END ::
I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I start the trip back to Malawi tomorrow. It'll take five days to get from Baghdad to the village. I'll have a full week to shoot the epilogue for Bush League then Jake and I will make our way to the south of the country.
I'm really excited to see everybody and really hoping there isn't much bad news. Gama, the guy who took care of us in the village, died last autumn of HIV/AIDS. I'm a little worried about who else might be sick, or worse.
It's been two years since I started shooting the film. I don't know how much longer it will take, but I hope it doesn't end too soon. I love that place and I've learned a great deal from its people.
For anybody who just stumbled onto this blog, a quick explanation. I (Cy) am a filmmaker living/working in Baghdad. Jake is a former Peace Corps volunteer who worked for three years in Malawi, Africa. Jake is co-producing my documentary film BUSH LEAGUE which was shot in the village of Zolokere where he volunteered. Jake is back in Malawi at the moment working on a really cool ethnographic music recording project and I'll be joining him there in a couple weeks to shoot the end of the movie.
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