DJUNEID DULLOO - A BERLIN ARTIST

Hey folks, here’s a little video I recently put together about a dear friend of mine in Berlin, Djuneid. It is not the final version, as I was exporting the final version unbelievably my hard drive failed jeopardizing a year’s worth of video work! Let’s hope I can retrieve the data! 

In June 2012 I had the opportunity to shoot my first short documentary while living in Berlin. My subject was abstract Berlin artist, Djuneid Dulloo, who had become a friend over the 2 years I lived there. I wanted to capture a personal view of one artist’s experience with his own creative process.

I filmed Djuneid over 2 days in his studio apartment during the creation of a new painting. As Djuneid painted new skins on his canvas I attempted to get under the artist’s skin; sometimes Djuneid was very introspective and reflective, however most of the time he did not talk, instead he let the brush replace his words, descriptions and dialogue. During the painting he said, “What you see is what you get, but you can never get what you see, so it’s always a contradiction you know”. The subtle complexities of art are exactly that, contradictions for anyone who wishes to pigeon hole it, especially abstract art and especially an artist as original as Djuneid Dulloo.

Quick Survey on Gun Laws in America

As most of you may know, this past week has spelt more tragedy for America, with yet another inconcievable slaughter of young innocent lives. I was in tears when I read the news, but it didn’t just make me sad, it made me angry that this kind of lunacy can continue in a country that seems to get democracy confused with it’s Second Amendment.

Democracy is supposed to be about freedom, but not the kind of freedom that strikes fear into the hearts of families and their children, or allows for unforgivable massacres to occur. 

Please take a moment to complete this survey. I will be sending the results to the Barack Obama administration. 

Click here to take survey

One Day on Earth

Hey folks, I have been lucky enough to be selected to help shoot One Day on Earth this year! In fact next Wednesday on the 12:12:12 is the day! 

To become involved in the worldwide project just visit this link and to follow my progress with the project visit this link. 

On December 12th, 12.12.12, across the planet, documentary filmmakers, students, and other inspired citizens will record the human experience over a 24-hour period and contribute their voice to the third annual global day of media creation called One Day on Earth. Together, we will create a shared archive and a film.

Founded in 2008, One Day on Earth’s first media creation event occurred on 10.10.10. and the second on 11.11.11. The 10.10.10 collaboration was the first ever simultaneous filming event occurring in every country of the world. One Day on Earth collaborations create a unique geo-tagged video archive as well as an annual feature film.

Together, we are showcasing the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occurs in one day. We invite you to join our international community of thousands of filmmakers, hundreds of schools, and dozens of non-profits, and contribute to this unique global mosaic. One Day on Earth is a community that not only watches, but participates.

Here is a trailer for the last film, released this year. 

One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer from One Day on Earth on Vimeo.

Verloren

A trailer for my first short film titled Verloren. A dramatization based on real events, about a character who escapes a self destructive life in Berlin to find peace in the wilderness of Germany. However, during his isolation he is confronted by his own demons and the loss of his girlfriend. Verloren is also a philosophical journey, questioning mankind’s detachment from nature and a man’s search for his spirituality amidst the loss of direction in his life. The German title ‘Verloren’ translates to ‘lost’ in english, because it is essentially a film about finding oneself after all seems lost.

Actors

Jona Byron (male character, male narration)
Bianca Praetorius (female narration)
Neža Dolžan (female character)

Filmed in Berlin and Schorfheide forest Chorin, Germany 2012. 
Written, Filmed and Directed by Jona Byron.
Additional cinematography by Richard Koenig. 
Edited by Jona Byron.

‘Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears’ 
Music by A Winged Victory For The Sullen.

Extinct Hearts (bonus edition) currently free to download!

Recently I had some problems with Paypal Australia. In a nutshell they decided to block my account because I could not provide them with certain security information including proof of my current Australian address and more proof of ID and more bank account information. I tried everything, including sending a requested copy of my scanned passport. Apparently this was still not enough! The thing is, how is an artist supposed to mail-post all this ‘proof’ when he has been living overseas for over two years? It’s virtually impossible. So now when people go to buy one of my albums on Bandcamp they are blocked from payment, and so therefore I am blocked from receiving that payment/donation. It sucks big time and it’s an anal security issue that Paypal seriously need to adjust, because musicians and fans are suffering! 

So I want to happily share my debut album Extinct Hearts with everyone on the planet for free because I’d rather have my music be available than blocked by a corporation. You can download the album here or hit the ‘buy’ button below. Happy downloading!