Eleven

I have found 2 new boys to interview for ELEVEN, Obey I met through a boxing club in the east end. Billy is chatty and lives in Angel. South of France next week to shoot more for Eleven.

Had a good time at Sheffield Doc Fest last weekend. The highlight was seeing We Are Together, am amazing film. Check out their website www.wearetogether.org
You can read about the film on the site.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/childrenofagape/from/simunyeproject
If you click here you can listen to my fave song from the film, sung by am amazing 7 year old, who is now approaching 11, if you get my drift! I now have my heart set on going to South Africa to meet Mbali. Her song is number 2, Pigogo, you can only hear a sample but her spirit comes blasting out of the speakers! I love it! Going to buy the CD now.

Happy Day is also very cool, but even more fun when you see the kids singing it in the studio. Such amazing faces and voices! I want a copy of the film to watch over and over. Now thats the sign of a great film! Its also extremely sad. It is such an important film, and I hope it gets released widely in Australia.

Long time no blog

I have not blogged in a while, I have been very busy shooting and editing in London.
Have just finished 3 new music videos, take a look!



This is for Miou Miou shot Sep 1 in East Bohemia Czech Republic.




This is for Peggy Sue and the Pirates shot in London and Brighton , UK.




This is for Oklahomo Trio shot in Harajuku Japan.


I am currently focussing on ELEVEN finding interesting kids here in London to shoot. Next week I head to the South of France. In December I am going to Morocco to shoot at a blind school which I am looking forward to very much.

We have updated www.genbailey.com and there are links to lots of new production stills.

High Vibes

On Sunday I took Hari and Ani to High Vibes Festival in Northcote. They had a good time, although there was a lot of asking for cholocate, lollies. sausages, corn going on.. which is unusual for these two. We all were treated to the awesome sounds of TOUCH TYPIST who we love.

We bumped in to lots of new and old friends as you do at street festivals, Aindrias all the way from Ireland here for a Melbourne Fringe season of his show. Ani was stoked to find Hazel in the Touch Typist crowd, I stumbled across some high school and uni mates, and Pikelet who I met in London last month. She was there playing in a kids band The Purple Stripes! Hari got in to their song about the tooth fairy.

I saw Hazel and Nick play on Saturday night and they make me so happy. SO talented. Check them out

www.myspace.com/hazelbrown1



www.myspace.com/acityasleep
(pic from touch typist myspace)

Back on the road again

This Saturday I leave Melbourne for Japan. I can't wait. Anyone who has ever heard me speak about Japan knows I am hooked. I should really be working for Tourism Japan the way I carry on with such convincing arguments about why it really is one of the MUST SEE places of this world. Not that I have been everywhere, but still. It is a treat to say the least.

Check out the video shot there Dec 2006 for the lovely EVA POPOV, the exceptional Melbourne singer songwriter




I have been editing the music video for infectious Czech Band MIOU MIOU shot in the picturesque East Bohemian countryside, September 1. It will be finished soon, premiering on Czech TV next week! Miou Miou were a delight to work/dance with!



Looking forward to getting back to SHOOTING PEOPLE!

Some time...

...between posts. I flew back home to Melbourne... I will be back 'shooting people' in a couple of weeks. Flying back to UK/Europe via Tokyo, my fave city. So hoping to capture some wonderful stuff there. If anyone has any contacts that know 11 year olds please contact me www.iameleven.com

Thanks

Edinbrrrrr

Edinburgh festival was great! Writing soon! For now, photos!Aindrias De Staic.



Andrew McClelland, wonderful Melbourne comedian... fingers crossed he is in Czech Rep next week starring in my new music video for Miou Miou.


Claudia and David O'Doherty my fave Irish comedian.


Jumping for joy, as usual.

I saw some amazing films and had fun helping Aindrias promote his show, he got great reviews and coverage in the paper. I met GREAT people through the film festival including the man whose work inspired me to actually make ELEVEN, so that was super. More soon... I am packing... Off to Sweden tomorrow, shooting my 11 yr olds then Czech Rep next week for shooting. Meanwhile please visit www.genbailey.com to links for portable film festival. I have 7 entries in this year.

Demons and Angels

Last week David and Jo, visual artists from Sydney and Henrik and I went to see Demons and Angels, the most insightful exhibition I have been to in my life. I will never forget the work I saw that day. I wish so many people could see the work in the space it is exhibited, with the sounds and smells there. It was haunting. But the next closest thing I can do it post some photos.
‘When this young boy and his brothers were small their mother used to starve them, leave them in the house and disappear. The neighbours opened the cat flap and threw cupcakes in. Despite the abuse, the neglect, and the abandonment, the parent remains deeply loved. It’s a paradoxical position to be so profoundly in need and dependent upon the very person who is abusing you. The rolling pin can make cake, but it can also batter to draw blood. This is their mother all in one.’

I left the exhibit feeling really strongly about not walking away and not doing anything in response to this work. I am learning so much from the inspiring kids I am documenting through ELEVEN. I am excited to be giving them a voice. In different ways we can all do something to help make kids lives happier/safer etc. I do not want to sound preachy and list ways! But, have a think, please. I admire people who work hard with kids, and persist despite how emotional this kind of work must be.
David wanted to support the artists and buy these chairs but his suitcase back to Sydney wouldnt allow it!
I had a really happy childhood, lots of freedom and creativity, gorgeous dogs, a big park, food on the table, room to play and rest. I have read about London gangs and attacks on youth here and after seeing an exhibit like this, it does not suprise me that kids are leaving their family unit in search of another one, in the form of gangs. Words cannot describe the work or the effect it can have, but here is some info about the Kids Company.
Considering how many talented artists, be it filmmakers, writers, actors, vjs, dancers etc I know back home, I would really like to help offer more art therapy services to kids in Australia. If you are interested in helping in any way at all please let me know. I was a kid with real people in my life regularly that I looked up to, but I can only begin to think how it must feel if your only idols are in magazines or tv.

As the rolling pin work explains

The rolling pin can make cake, but it can also batter to draw blood. This is their mother all in one.
It is obviously not just physical abuse that traumatises these kids.

Kids Company

“Love is all it takes”

Kids Company is a charity founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996 which offers practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner city children and young people. The services offered are holistic, child-centred and multi-disciplinary.

In 2006, Kids Company supported over 11,000 children and young people through a range of services which are based on therapeutic principles. Many of those who come to us suffer significant mental health and emotional difficulties due to experiences of neglect and sexual, physical or emotional abuse. We aim to provide an environment where relationships of empathy and attachment can be fostered between children and trusted adults.

Over the past 10 years, Kids Company has helped transform the lives of thousands of children and young people. We believe that all children and young people deserve to be loved and cared.

We aim to return to children their childhood.

Aindrias De Staic - A Must At Edinburgh Fest 07

Edinburgh Festival is massive, huge, colourful, overwhelming and full of beans. Much like Irish musician/performer/writer Aindrias De Staic who has done festival goers the world of good by bringing his sell out show Around the World on 80 Quid - Journey of a travelling fiddler, to this years Edinburgh fest. Despite there being more than enough to choose from in this massive festival, I highly recommend a dose of De Staic because I can honestly say he is an infectious performer, one you will want to, and should meet after the show. Aindrias performed to rowdy and excited crowds in Melbourne and I don't want to give anything away other than to say, boy does this boy know how to play a box. His memorable and hypnotic eye and jaw movements when playing the fiddle reminds me that this man is truly doing what he was put on earth to do, be it at Edinburgh fringe, Prague, Galway Arts or Melbourne Fringe where he performs next month. Go see him, he is a gem. Other super gems to note are Irish man David O'Doherty, fellow Melbournians Lawrence Leung and Andy McClelland who all have exceptionally addictive giggles too. They will make you squeel. Go! Enjoy!

London Times!

I have landed.The garden view from the kitchen.
It is hard to believe I have been here in London 4 weeks! It is obviously huge and there is so much to see. I have so many ideas and stories I would like to explore here. I will be shooting a new chapter of Last Time I Cried soon, as well as a new documentary working title "London Cutters" about the diverse, colourful range of hairdressing salons here in London. I am hoping for this documentary to be more observational in style, something a little bit different. I can't wait!

Feeling like a tourist, but hey, squirrels are pretty novel to a Melbourne girl.


Coconut milk at Broadway Sunday Market.
Of course, I have been shooting ELEVEN which is my main focus, and I will blog about that soon. It is really fun exploring cities with kids, I am off to a steel drum competition Monday... more soon...

Stoke Newington

So today I made time to explore the local area properly, and I was really suprised to find all this around the corner, especially excited to find deer! This is Stoke Newington, North East London, where I am staying at the moment. There are more under 5 year olds here than anywhere in England apparently.

Good Morning Bangkok! Jul 9 - 13

So, with the support of the British Council, British Airways and NAB the journey begins... Melbourne Sydney Bangkok. Was very glad to be welcomed at Bangkok airport by Panu, Thailands host with the most. I had never been to Bangkok before and was really excited to have the chance to stop there on my way to London. It was a hot and colourful night. I noticed how many stray dogs their were straight away. We went for a drive around town and I really love how colourful Bangkok is.

Good morning Bangkok! I was eager to shoot my little heart out, even though I was only there for 3 nights. Panu took us to his old work , an NGO, in search of an 11 year old... we met Watt and Ritt, the sons of Panus workmate. Of course Watt is aged 11 so I interview him for my documentary Eleven, one of the reasons I am travelling! More about that soon.

Straight to work, interviewing Watt outside the grounds of the royal palace. Everything was going well until...


we got his by a monsoon! Ahhh, not my gear!! Pretty fun though!

Resuming the interview. It is quite clear Ritt wants some action in front of the camera!


Ritt the kangaroo.

Ah that is better, I love shooting at sunset.
Tuk tuk.
Watt showing me his handwriting.


More soon, but for now a huge thanks to Realise Your Dream for helping me take this exciting journey. I have been in London for nearly 3 weeks now, but too busy to blog til now. Catch up soon! Good luck to everyone in this years competition!