Private Thoughts In Public Spaces

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing La Llorona Productions’ play ‘Private Thoughts in Public Spaces’. It was clever, playful, and damn sexy. A part of the Casa Festival 2012 happening in London right now. I do love this city!

Wok+Wine

I first heard about Wok+Wine from friends in San Francisco. I’ve been waiting for a year for them to hit up London again, and am ecstatic they finally did! The concept is brilliant – 40 strangers sharing 40lbs of jumbo prawns and 40 bottles of wine. What’s not to love?

It was slightly tortuous having to wait for the prawns to cool down. I can assure you, the smell from the wok and the table was heavenly. Peter gave us a demonstration of how to eat prawns correctly: Rip. Lick. Bite. Suck.

Wok+Wine take the time to scope out the most inspiring places. In the past, they’ve used everywhere from an abandoned library in Auckland to a hair salon in Vancouver. Tonight was hosted in The Hub Islington. The Hub is such an incredible co-working space. My accountancy college is literally across the street… how did I not know this place existed? I wish I worked from home, just so I could come work here!

Great crowd, great food, and some delicious limoncello to end a great night.

Secret Cinema: Prometheus

Hats off to Secret Cinema on their latest production, Prometheus. The meeting point was the Robert Stephenson statue at Euston train station. I sure enjoyed the bemused expressions of travellers who had no idea why so many people in BNV costumes were gathering!

We were escorted by officers to the Brave New Ventures HQ to prepare to board the ship. Suits were completed, missions were handed out, and of course everyone was decontaminated.

Everyone boarded the ship from different docks depending on their occupation: matter analysts, ore surveyors, field analysts, data scientists, containment officers, investment aides, control stabilisers, control operators or guidelinks. As an investment aide, I entered via the Executive Lounge.

Soon it was time for take-off, so everyone had to retreat to designated hypersleep chambers.

After the ship docked and we emerged from hypersleep, I somehow found myself as part of a mission to collect matter from foreign lands. This involved suiting up even more…

Every time, the level of detail to everything seriously astounds me.

Just before it was time for the film to begin, things got a bit dangerous. Infected officers were quarantined. Not everyone made it.

Prometheus is definitely not my kind of film, but the Secret Cinema experience was so epic that I really enjoyed it. Already looking forward to the next one!

Holi in London

Last weekend I attended the Holi celebrations in Richmond, with Giulia and others. It was chaos but hilarious! On the way there, Giulia and I were worried about getting coloured powder over our cameras… but we should’ve known it’d be inevitable. To be honest, it was much more fun once I relinquished control and accepted my colourful fate – even if I still have purple specks over all my camera gear a week later.

This dashing photographer was much better prepared. He had his Canon 5D MKII carefully wrapped in plastic secured round the lens hood. Lesson learnt.

This is how I looked at the tame stage. Later on, all the colours blended into a blue-ish purple, and I had to walk home looking like I’d been severely beaten up. Awkward!

Secret Cinema: The Third Man

So the latest Secret Cinema turned out to be… The Third Man, an Oscar-winning film noir set in post-war Vienna. Wouldn’t usually be my sort of film, but that’s the beauty of Secret Cinema – the incredible location and build-up draws you in so you’re already living inside the film by the time the credits roll.

J and I were meant to be ‘esteemed visitors’, but we accidentally stumbled upon the black-market rogues (far more interesting!) and were hushed and led through alleyways, into the underground entrance to the International Zone.

The ‘Black Marketeers’ taught us the secret handshake and codes to warn each other of approaching soldiers. One man offered me 10 shillings for my camera but don’t worry, my bartering skills aren’t that dire!

Casanova Bar, Mozart Café, the German opera, a very disturbing children’s hospital, Harry’s home, and other scenes from the film…

While J was quite happy to seek out missions to earn his illegal Austrian passport, I was more swayed by the Commies! In the Russian office, the soldiers certainly seemed happier… maybe it had something to do with the shots of vodka between speeches. They taught us a Russian dance, and how to help them capture the rogues.

I’m not sure we were supposed to keep changing alliances the way we did, but next came the British Consulate. The officer told us to inform him when we find the illegal penicillin lab. The lab was my absolute favourite area. I could’ve spent an hour photographing every detail in there!

Just before the film started, the actors re-enacted a few scenes. Soldiers chased Harry up the sides of buildings and down into sewers.

What I would give to be a proper photographer for a production like this…

Earning my wings

It’s almost time for the next Secret Cinema event! When I bought the tickets, I sent an email saying “I am an angel and I’m always looking for adventure”. Last week they sent out two missions: 1) write a love letter to a stranger, and 2) leave an ‘ice flower’ in a place of science or medicine.

I didn’t know what to write in my love letter, so I quoted some lyrics I wrote as a ridiculously angst-y 15 year-old:

It’s been a hell of a fight
This battle of mine
When it’s all said and done
I’ve nowhere else to run

But you
Are my shelter, and my shade
My hand was made
To fit in yours
And I surrender, I’m only yours

This week I got a follow-up message from an Alexander F Jerrenwald, telling me to meet him in the Victorinox store on Bond Street. So I entered the extremely classy store, sauntered sheepishly up to the sales assistant, and asked him if there was an Agent Jerrenwald there. He stared blankly at me for a few terrifying seconds, and then said “you’d better try the basement.”

Downstairs, A F Jerrenwald had a little office in the corner of the store, and was looking mysterious in his trenchcoat and bowler hat. He asked me if I’d completed my ice mission, and when I confirmed I had, he shook my hand and told me to open my bag.

Then he slipped a cardboard box into my bag, handed me a letter with two more missions, and wished me luck. And the mystery contents of the box…?

Wow! I chose to participate as fully as possible this time, because it was a welcome break from my never-ending revision. But it’s incredible how Secret Cinema reward their fans for taking part. It makes the whole experience even more thrilling… although I still have no clue what film will be aired in two weeks’ time. Any ideas?

Future Cinema: The Lost Boys

Don’t know about you guys, but I dread the pressure of coming up with my own birthday celebrations, especially for the typically significant ages. In the past I’ve gotten away with it – my friends threw me a surprise party for my 18th, and my parents took me to New York for my 21st.

So I was freakin’ ecstatic when I received an email from Future Cinema, announcing the spectacular event that was to happen on my 25th birthday weekend. They turned Canary Wharf into Santa Carla for an epic screening of The Lost Boys. Two things I love – California and Secret Cinema. Perfect!

Depending on surnames, everyone dressed up as a Lost Boy (vampire), Frog Brother (vampire hunter), surfer or hippie/acidhead. In 1980s California, man. Sweet.

The crowd looked incredible. They screened The Lost Boys on Saturday and Top Gun on Sunday, and both days were completely sold out (that’s 8,000 people!)

Oh and what was I? …a Frog Brother ”fighting for truth, justice and the American way!” Those vampires didn’t stand a chance.

I shot a video when we were singing along to the opening credits ‘Cry Little Sister’. We sound terrible, but we were having so much fun!

Secret Cinema: Battle of the Algiers

I am a big fan of Secret Cinema, and would recommend it to anyone. They do not tell you what film is to be screened until the credits roll, but you get a cryptic clue or two, to allow you to dress for the occasion.

This time round, the French identity documents and choice of attire (1960s European or loose-fitting whites) might have given it away if I’d actually heard of ‘Battle Of The Algiers’. But being as useless as I am with films, despite its critical acclaim, I had no clue. They’d hired the Old Vic tunnels under Waterloo, and I was blown away at the attention to detail to transform the entire place. Suddenly I found myself in a tense colonial Algeria, witnessing plots and being shouted at by French officers (hired Secret Cinema actors).

After a few hours of exploring the mosque, milk bar, scientist’s home, Air France terminal, torture chamber (all scenes in the film), we were summoned to an announcement by the French officials. During the speech, a bomb explosion was simulated, and we were ushered into the theatre… and it was time to watch the film that we were already living. Amazing.

Molasses, and very tasty popcorn from Love Da Pop!

On a technical note, there were so many amazing people and scenes that I could not photograph – simply because the light was very low and I refuse to use the flash. I did my best with my humble 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, but oh how I lust after the likes of the 24-70mm f/2.8…