Gone with a friend to find his father he has never met. Instead we find a gravesite and ghosts of the past.
Our ghosts
FESPACO
3 glorious, and somewhat disorienting days in the 115 degree heat in Ouagadougou, watching film after film at Africa’s largest film festival — FESPACO. I saw films on forced marriage in Mali, men who flee from Senegal towards Spain in giant canoes, prostitutes being “rehabilitated” in post-independent Mozambique, some strange homo-erotic ode to Marlon Brando in Tunisia (actually I walked out of this one.) It was inspiring, kind of lonely (I felt out of place in this new film world), and mind opening to see these stories. I’ll go back . . . hopefully with my own film.
Family Song: On the Occasion of my Grandma’s 90th Birthday
A full family chorus on the occasion of my Grandmother Burger’s 90th birthday (written by my sister Rachael and I, annotated by my cousin Laurel). Performed here by Rachael, but eventually by all 50+ of us. Some artistic differences in the making – I wanted more “drunken Irish pub song” and Rachael more “Indian classical music fused with 1950’s melodicism” but I think we got it.
House Warming Party
Worlds coming together, if for a moment . . .
Mashoga (my wife): 18-20 October, 2012 Glasgow, Scotland
A 10 minute play performed as part of the Glasgay “Any Objections” Festival. A Congolese woman flees her village at night and runs into a young man. Both have something to learn about where the enemy lies.
133 Word Play
My Southside 133 word play is now on the Royal Court Website: Song of the Hungry Grocer
My Books . . .
My books have finally arrived after four months. I now feel at home: their clamor greets me as I wake and soothes me as I fall asleep.
Life imitates Art
Tractors on Bole Road in Addis Ababa. Almost an exact scene from my film (still being written). I’ve lost writing confidence, not sure why. Need to find my way back as life and art continue to overlap.
Throwing Stones . . .
My new glass house in Johannesburg . . . .
Rumble Play Reading: 13 April
Last night I held a reading of my “Rumble in the Jungle” play at my new glass house in Johannesburg. Blessed to have everyone participate and bring this beast to life. My head and heart is now full of changes to make. Thanks everyone . . .
