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currentlyinmars-blog · 4 years

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A Look into Traveling the World for Music (When It Was Allowed)

The regular person only goes to a handful of shows a year. Seeing an artist live for an average fan is just something to do when the artist comes to town once every few years, maybe twice if they’re fans of Billie Eilish.

However, we don’t exist in a world where something like music only has average fans. It is a powerful artform that affects people in many ways. So, for people who feel strongly about the music, sometimes seeing an artist or band just one night isn’t enough.

Those people don’t let the show end when the lights come up after just one night. They buy bus tickets, book flights and hotels, search through tickets for cities and venues they’ve never been to or heard of, all to experience the night over and over again. In feeling so passionately about the music, the feeling of wanting a show to never end is turned into an action - going to that next show means that the night can go on forever, or at least for multiple nights.

(Los Angeles before landing, Maranda Leecan, 2020)

However, with a worldwide pause on large gatherings due to the current pandemic, going to one show, let alone multiple, is impossible. Live music can typically provide happiness and escapism in times like these. Walking into a venue and seeing your favorite artist perform for hours can be a getaway from the challenges of the real world but unfortunately, we can’t do that right now.

In traveling for music myself, I’ve made friends along the way, in other cities and even online. To reflect on what it’s like, I talked to four people. For Chama, Mare, Eva and Sally, going to various cities for music are regular occurrences and is part of the reason I’ve met them all.

As a whole, these four people have traveled across a majority of the United States and abroad. Combined, they’ve been to cities like Boston, Philly, New York, Chicago, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Detroit, Dublin, Glasgow, Belfast, London, Manchester and Sheffield and countries such as Malaysia, Portugal, Italy, Holland, Poland and Germany.

Traveling to multiple shows for an artist can lead to questions of why, like “Aren’t you just seeing the same show over again?” While you’re seeing the same band and the songs played may stay the same, a common motivation of being in the audience multiple times is just that – being able to experience your favorite songs and the entire show once more. And while the show may stay similar, the experience at each show is what makes them different.

(Crowd at a Billie Eilish show, Maranda Leecan, 2018)

Social and demographic differences are found in the crowd of each city, Chama and Mare touched upon. “With New York shows, it’s always crazy. So it’s like yeah this band is huge but oh, when they’re playing in the middle of nowhere, two people show up,” Mare stated.

Traveling for shows can be the reason for knowing people all over the country as opposed to just where you live. Whether you’re waiting in line all day to be first at the barricade in the front of the show or you’re just surrounded by strangers in a crowd, that common interest of music can lead to new friendships.

For those who mainly do this as their hobby, it’s the primary way of meeting new people. “It’s my pastime so I don’t really have friends from anywhere else. So, of course, I have a bunch of friends like this. It’s all I do,” Mare said.

(Lollapalooza, Maranda Leecan, 2018)

In some of these interactions, communication can end after the show but, they can also lead to long term friendships. In these, traveling may be the few times you get to see those friends. Those relationships are built from the love of music so, reconnecting in these spaces becomes even more special.

For example, the music festival Lollapalooza was Eva’s favorite experience when they went in 2018. “I know a lot of people hated Lolla but for me, it was so fun because I reconnected with my friend Harry. It was really fun to be with him. We were exhausted and everything else was horrible, the walking and the weather, but it was cool to be with people that it was fun to be with,” they said.

Along with new people, going to multiple shows can lead to becoming familiar with the artist or band and their crew. Everyone I interviewed mentioned a wide variety of artists that they’ve traveled for - from arena and stadium acts such as Harry Styles and Lorde to big acts such as The 1975 and Tyler the Creator to smaller, independent bands such as Shame and Sunflower Bean.

(Sunflower Bean @ Governor’s Ball, Maranda Leecan, 2019)

When it comes to the Harry Styles’ of the industry, it’s harder, though not impossible, to be noticed for traveling because of the larger crowds and inaccessibility of such a big act. This is different for smaller acts. Every ticket, shirt and album sold at a show directly goes to their bills and life. When they see someone support them by coming out to more than one show, they recognize it and are that much more appreciative of it.

Mare said: “When you see a band a bunch of times, you kind of build a relationship. It makes it so much more rewarding because you get to see what the artist is doing. The bands that we like, they don’t post anything or do interviews like pop stars. So, you kind of have to show up to get into the know.”

Aside from music, another motivation for traveling is just that – getting to go to another place. By going to shows in other cities, you get to explore new venues, landmarks and places you’ve never been to. Shows can be an excuse just to travel somewhere new and learn new things around the country, or even the world.

For Sally, her experience at Chicago festivals like Pitchfork and Lollapalooza did that. “It made me realize how much I love Chicago. Chicago’s like my favorite place … Their music scene … the energy for their shows is just so much more fun and it’s people our age, majority. I find that so cool, and everyone’s always super energetic ... It suits me, it’s why I want to live there,” she said.

(Joshua Tree, California, Maranda Leecan, 2019)

Traveling for shows can be an “if you know, you know” experience where people who don’t do it, don’t understand it and criticize it. Sally’s parents do because it’s something that’s out of the ordinary for a hobby and “sometimes they’re just worried.” Chama has a similar experience, saying her parents, “think it’s too much”.

Sometimes criticism can also come from people similar to you. People who go to the same shows tend to see each other and know each other, both at shows and online. In these spaces, it’s easy to see what someone else is doing and to criticize it.

Both Eva and Mare touched upon this. For Eva, they said that criticism from others is primarily indirect, “I feel like people do it in secret … In their head, they’re like why would you do that but don’t say it out loud.” Mare had the opposite experience. “Back then [when she first started going to shows], I feel like I wanted to prove that I’ve been to this many shows because I feel like I got a lot of hate early on,” she said.

To the criticism, they all respond the same way – it’s my choice and it’s what makes me happy. While no one expressed any regret in traveling, Sally bought up some downsides. “If you’re talking about going somewhere, I feel like I’m always miserable going to that place because I hate traveling, like layovers or driving at night. All those things kind of suck. You spend like 6 or 7 hours driving in a car. Those are the uniquely bad things people kind of gloss over,” she said.

(A photo from a long drive, Maranda Leecan, 2017)

Yet, she still travels for shows despite that. For Sally, and most people, if they can afford it and it fits into their schedule, they’re going to do it. At the end of the day, this all happens because of the love for music, the feeling and the passion that it brings them. These four have been to thousands (yes, actually thousands) of shows collectively, and each show is important because music can be the force to drive people to new places and things.

In this current absence of shows, it’s nice to reflect on having an artform like this that inspires people to do these things. While the indefinite halt on live music has caused sadness for people, thinking of the past can make the future even more exciting for when we get it back.

With complete certainty, as soon as this is all over, everyone interviewed and everyone in the world that can relate even just a little bit to this will be sprinting to the first show back to start it all over again.

#text #traveling #covid-19

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noplanwithavan · 7 years

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THE AGE OF INDEPENDENCE

Our time in Greece has come to an end. We’re in Albania now, and it’s quite clearly not Greece. We realised we didn’t know anything about this country, nor anyone who had been. Now I know why. The only bonus so far has been the cherries. You pay the same per kilo (£1.50) as you’d get for 100g back home. We are probably 10 years too late in coming here. Fresh from the grip of communism, the “Albanian Riviera” along the western coastline was undoubtedly something to behold. Aside from the odd bunker, I imagine it’s was virgin land, unspoiled, undeveloped. Now it is a homage to concrete. And no in an interesting way either - not the communist brutalist architecture Marcus was hoping to see. If there isn’t an uninspired high-rise hotel already, they’re sure planning to put one there. The entire place feels like a building site. You can’t escape the ceaseless scraping sound of diggers building their way towards progress, or some hellish vision of it. The beaches are largely inaccessible unless you are staying at a resort. Unable to camp as we’d like, we’ve given in and booked into a hotel. At £40 a night, at least luxury comes cheap here. It makes me realise just how special Greece was, a country full of surprises, because:

1. I hadn’t expected it to be so much fun, immersing ourselves in the cradle of civilisation. But I’ve always had a theatrical bent, and walking in the footsteps of the heroic age proved irresistible. All those stories, it’s hard not to get carried away! 2. Who knew Dill was so delicious? Back home, this green feathery friend is rarely used except as a light delicate herb to compliment fish. But here, it’s ubiquitous. You find it in salads, grilled vegetables, on just about everything. And it’s REALLY good, bringing such a fresh tasting light zing. We should use it more. 3. I hadn’t realised it was so mountainous. Greece is marketed to the UK as a place to go for island hopping and lounging by a pebble-dashed turquoise sea. But there’s so much more. Ancient cities, alongside fantastic rivers, gorges and mountains. Many are unspoiled, and relatively undiscovered on the tourist trail. 4. It feels as if we’ve passed a maturity milestone. What I hadn’t been paying attention to as we travelled back in time, way-marked by the signature Doric, Ionian and Corinthian pillars, was the mini epoch my own family was entering. Maybe it’s the developmental leaps between 5 and 6 years of age. Yet suddenly the girls seem so grown up. Within weeks of each other, the baby front teeth have all come tumbling down, the old succumbing to the promise of the new. With ragged ruinous smiles, the Age of Independence has crept up on us.

This last month has seen all our birthdays now completed. In April we spent mine in Kardamili. A magical spot where you can bathe in the sea and stare down the long lens of the Viros Gorge at snow-covered Mount Taygetos. I told the girls for my birthday I really wanted to go trekking up into the Gorge. I’m not sure they actually like trekking that much, but they like everything associated with it. Elsie can be persuaded to do just about anything if it involves a backpack into which she can cram snacks. And Lulu is highly motivated by the prospect of cooking on a trangia. So, we packed some food to nibble and more to cook and set off along the ancient kaldermini (cobbled footpath) that led ever upward, decked by wildflowers and statuesque cypress trees. It’s not an exaggeration to say there’s a story under every rock in Greece. Passing the tombs of the Dioscuri (the Gemini Twins), stories about Castor and Pollux somehow gave way into tales of ancient Sparta, and before we knew it we’d arrived at Agia Sofia, a promontory overlooking the gorge, with fantastic views down to the tie-died turquoise waters below.

Clocking that the girls now have some serious walking credits under their belt, we decide to push it a little further. That mountain we spied at the end of the gorge, Mount Taygetos, was a sacred spiritual place to the ancient Greeks. A church now stands at its peak, 2,400 m high. Marcus is itching to climb it. While scanning a noticeboard for a route to the peak, he spots a mountain refuge halfway up. The kernel of an idea begins to take root, supplanting his original intention to march off on his own for 5 hours of uninterrupted peace and quiet. Perhaps he can take us all halfway, and then set out for the final ascent alone. He doesn’t have crampons, and is warned by the few hikers we meet he won’t make it up without these.

After seeking and receiving firm assurances from Elsie and Lulu, we email “Kanel Trekking” and book in for a night in the refuge. No going back now. This will be the hike of their lives - 8km up a mountain. Lulu’s happy as long as the trangia comes along to fry up haloumi en route, and Elsie’s determined not to pass up the opportunity to sally forth with a suitably equipped backpack. The day’s lesson is orienteering, getting the girls to look out for the way-markers and decide which direction to go at any junction. It’s a steep but lovely climb, through pine forests sprinkled with crocuses, and snatched glimpses of the last snow clinging to a triangular peak. But any dreams of mountain solitude are soon drowned out. For our companions talk incessantly, a continuous rattle, moving jaggedly from one question to another while the first has barely formed in the air. We’ve run out of children’s books to read them now, moving onto adult fiction instead. They love a detective story about a policeman in India who’s trying to solve a murder case while simultaneously bringing about the downfall of a notorious crime boss. Fascinated by the intricacies of the plot, we spend several kilometres predicting what will happen next and why certain characters behave as they do. It’s hard going towards the end, plenty of stumbles and trips, but out of sheer bloody-mindedness Elsie astounds all expectations by keeping her backpack on the entire day. It’s only after we arrive towards nightfall at our mountain cabin, that she lets me inspect its contents. Inside are a scarf, 2 books and a torch. Surprisingly the last item is actually useful, as our cabin is so perfectly rustic and wild there’s no electricity. It’s exactly the kind of place where you could imagine finding Heidi. Even down to our host - an old man called George, who could easily pass for Heidi’s kindly grandfather. He was fantastic with the kids. Hailing every effort with a hearty “Bravo!’, he recruited them to gather kindling, light the fire and the oil lamps, before setting about mending Lulu’s shoe, which had disintegrated under the pressure of the hike. She was smitten, following George everywhere, sneaking into the kitchen to help him prepare food, even trying to whistle along the same way he did. That night he played us his Bouzouki (a Greek Lute) as they danced by the fireside. The culmination of it all - to be somewhere so magical, so different, and to feel so proud of the girls for climbing what would have been unimaginable just 6 months ago - made it one of our most memorable experiences so far. The next morning we wave goodbye to Daddy, warning him not to put himself at risk for the sake of glory. I’m expecting he’ll be gone for hours, but by mid-afternoon he’s back.

“Didn’t need crampons in the end,” he says confidently, showing us a video he took of himself at the peak. It clearly places him completely alone, picking his way over a snow-covered ridge with a steep drop either side.

There followed a culture clash - as I landed straight from our mountain retreat back to London for another whistle-stop UK tour. 2017 must be an auspicious year for love. The wedding bells were ringing again. This time my old university pal, Hannah Hewetson, was getting married and wanted me to deliver a speech with my partner in crime Natalie Hill. It was a day to revel, and one to catch up with many familiar faces. Everyone asked about our travels, and wanted to know how we did it, what it was like. Did the school mind? How do you teach them? Some were quite shocked to discover that Elsie and Lulu hardly have any toys to play with. I can see how to some this may feel like a form of child neglect or even cruelty. But the truth is, that is honestly one of the things they have never complained about. With the Spring temperature in the mid to late 20’s everyday, we are outside most of the time. And everywhere becomes a playground. When you strip back entertainment on tap, you really see their imaginations working hard. Elsie is a big fan of hauling everything out of the van and creating “sets” for her shows. A tree stump can be Rappunzel’s tower and keep her entertained for hours as she hauls things up and down on rope. They paint faces on pebbles to take part as extra “characters” in their performances. I’ve seen them loading the Calpol dispensing syringes up from a stream to use as water pistols, and plastic bags billowing out behind them are “parachutes”. They have become masters at the card game UNO. When my sunglasses broke and I had to buy more, Elsie said,

“Can I just check i can see a reflection in them?” “Why?” I asked. “Because otherwise I won’t be able to see your cards when we’re playing Bingo!” (for some reason she refuses to call it UNO).

Lulu loves to help cook, especially if it involves knives or foraging (the latest being elderflowers to make into cordial). The knife-obsession sounds a bit worrying, but she really has a flair for chopping and dicing. And she practices whenever she can, whittling away on any bit of wood she can find. We bought her a pen knife just to stop her going through our kitchen drawers. But perhaps the best example came one night when they each picked up a rock and studied it. Elsie declared her half broken brick was an “ant ferry”, Lulu said hers was a helicopter. To be honest neither had a particular resemblance, so it was already quite a stretch of the imagination. After a few minutes Lulu dropped her rock and it smashed. She began to protest, but on bending down to pick it up she held it’s new jagged outline to the moonlight, a slow smile transforming her frown. “Now it’s a wolf face, look!” she said. “And if I turn it around, it’s a foxy!”

From the Peloponnese we move on to the fortified town of Nafplio, then on a cultural tour de force. Taking in the ancient city of Mycennae, with its links to the Trojan War, Perseus, and the pursuits of super-strength Hercules. For a city that once ruled the Hellenic world, and inspired countless legends, it’s amazing how small it is. I guess there just weren’t that many people 3,000 years ago. The girls love the tragic tale of King Agamemnon’s betrayal, but it is the tombs which leave the greatest mark. Below the city a giant, underground cavern shaped like a beehive inspires them to test out the strength of their echoes, and they begin giving impromptu oratories which Marcus captures on video. Next comes Epidavros, with it’s incredible amphitheatre - an awe-inspiring testament to human endeavour. We take it turns standing on the central stone circle and calling out to see if you can hear all the way from the cheap seats at the back (you can). The acoustics make your voice resound, and it’s an incredible feeling. Overcoming inhibitions before strangers I proclaim and project like a true thespian. Well, if not here, then where better?

A stop in Delphi is a must - given it’s the name of our niece. It’s setting is as beautiful as the 8 year-old girl herself. Built on the hill-side of the mountains of Parnassos, you ascend through a series of terraces - once avenues decked with monuments, votive offerings and statues to commemorate Ancient Greek city states. People came to hear the prophecies of the Oracle, but in so coming brought with them information about the state of affairs back at home. Gradually Delphi rose to become a microcosm of information - about who had what, who needed what, who was up, who was down. A kind of ancient Google. Far easier for an Oracle to make predictions when armed with such knowledge.

When you see the plinths and traces of writing, you get a sense of what a showcase it once would have been. Still to some, ruin-fatigue can settle in. We overheard one couple arguing. The man was enraptured, pointing out every minute detail. His face crumpling with disappointment at the realisation his information had failed to hit the mark with his companion. Some accusations followed, then I heard the woman say,

“I didn’t say I DIDN’T want to see it. I just don’t want to look at any more walls.”

We judged the girls had probably had enough culture by this point too. In truth they were more interested in the variety of bugs and the tortoises you spot at frequent intervals, rather than the Temple of Apollo. It was time for action. All those stadiums attest to the fact the Greeks understood about the importance of physical exercise, and so did we.

If there are two places I would recommend visiting in Greece for sheer natural beauty and a place to run free, it is in the North where we next headed. First to the Springs of Acheron River. An idyllic spot where the rocks are bone-white and the water crystal clean. By night the place lit up with pinpricks of green and yellow light - intermittent fairy lights pulsing in the bushes. Fireflies! The girls are in their element, dashing about trying to catch the tiny moving targets. Elsie swipes 3 and holds out her hand, saying, ”I’ve caught a disco!”

The water was cold so we donned our wetsuits and went tramping up stream, through a canyon where you half-waded, half-swam in parts. We would fill up our water bottles each day from a spot up-river, and watch the few listless guides, hanging around with no tourists yet to offer their outdoor adventures. Bored, they gave the girls a free ride on a zip wire just for the sheer need to see someone using it. We repaid their kindness by agreeing to go horse-riding. Marcus demurred, so it was just me and the girls. Our guide was a bit short on English, but after a few minutes pulled me aside and said,

“I think you are experienced. After I take you off on my own.” I think he was just mistaken but I didn’t have the heart to admit it.

It felt a bit remiss, dropping the girls off and telling them to wait for their dad who’d gone walkabout, while I rode off into the blue yonder with a man on horseback. He started showboating, riding with just one hand and urging the horses on into a canter then gallop. It’s the most I can do to cling on for dear life, grit my teeth and hope it ends soon. Horse-riding, like Motor bike riding, is an activity Greeks don’t consider requires much in the way of health and safety. At first I thought the very many strange little church-like houses dotted along the roadside were mail boxes. Turns out they are shrines to someone who’s either died or had a near miss in a roadside collision. Despite this very tangible and visible reminder to the contrary, nobody seems to think motorbikes or horses are best ridden with a helmet. By now, woefully out of control, I put this point to my guide.

“No, helmets are not necessary if you are a good rider,” he tells me.

“I do have them though - you know, just for the tourists.” What the hell does he think I am? Some weird hybrid free-loading campervanning nomad who doesn’t fulfil this criteria?

Still intact we crept closer to Albanian border via the Vikos Gorge in the Zagori region. At 1km from top to bottom it’s said to be the deepest in the world. Photos do not do it justice, you just can’t gauge the scale. Stopping at a viewing point in Oxia, Marcus gets twitchy, his fear of heights kicking in as you stare down into an abyss. The girls spend days making elaborate cards for Marcus’s birthday, and we decide to treat ourselves by checking in to the Primoula Guesthouse, a luxury hotel. Elsie’s beside herself, jabbering away, clowning around. They enjoy the large movie selection on offer, while we rate the outdoor spa complete with hot-tub and mountain view. It’s amazing how much you appreciate a soak in the bath when you haven’t had one for 8 months. Exploring the area, we make the most of what’s on offer, hiking through the gorge and taking the girls for their first taste of white water rafting. I love seeing their faces when we do these things, beside themselves with excitement, unsure of whether the instructor is joking or not when he tells them to push any crocodiles they see away with their paddles.

I’m having to hold on to these signs of gullibility, for they seem to be fading fast. Lulu caught me out one day when she quizzed me about how many syllables were in the word “pistol”.

“Two, I said.” “What’s the first one?” she asked. “Pis”, I answered to gales of laughter. “Ha!ha! I made you say the rude word for wee!”

Yet interspersed with the clear evidence of change - the gradual improvement at taking responsibility for themselves, helping with the chores - there are still plenty of gaps. Most days they still forget to put their pants on. And when Elsie enters one of her hyper moods, LuLu rolls her eyes and says, “Oh no. I think she’s got fur ball diaorrhoea again.” That’s one phrase I’m in no hurry to correct.

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juliandmouton30 · 6 years

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Architecture film is "a genre in the making" as festivals multiply

Architecture film festivals are booming, as filmmakers turn their attention to the genre, new events launch, and audiences grow.

2017 has been a particularly standout year for film festivals dedicated to architecture, with new festivals opening in London and Melbourne, and already established ones adding more dates and cities to their programmes.

"I noticed that increase over a number of years," Kyle Bergman, founder of Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF) told Dezeen. "And now, since there's more and more festivals about it, there's more and more films actually being made on the subject, because there's a great audience for them."

Bergman already runs screenings in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, which this year included a documentary about Australian architect Glenn Murcutt and a movie set among the modernist gems of Columbus in Indiana.

He will add Washington DC and San Diego to the ADFF festival roster for 2018. He said the popularity of architecture on film is "snowballing", with filmmakers being driven to produce by the demand for film festivals, and vice versa.

More festivals means more films, which means more festivals

ADFF started off in 2008. In addition to its solely architecture and design offerings, Bergman has also successfully lobbied larger film festivals such as the Chicago International Film Festival and Doc NYC to include sub-sections for architecture films.

"I think that really stems out of us showing, and other film festivals showing, that there is a real interest in this little niche," said Bergman.

"I'm not even sure it's established as a genre yet. But we're working on [it]," he added. "It's a genre in the making."

Across the Atlantic, London played host to the inaugural Archfilmfest in June 2017, a six-day festival exploring architecture through screenings, installations and workshops.

"To be honest I was really surprised there hadn't been one in London before we started. There's such an obvious relationship between architecture and filmmaking," the festival's co-director Charlotte Skene-Catling told Dezeen.

Movie protests demolition of Helmut Jahn's Thompson Center in Chicago

For Skene-Catling, the traditional drawings and renderings employed by architects had become staid in comparison to the avenues opened by employing cinematic techniques.

"Architects for so many years have represented buildings devoid of any kind of activity in them," she said. "People are always cartoon like or they are wiped out completely. Places are filmed or photographed completely empty. That's a very primitive approach to what architecture does."

Film can bring drama to architecture

Skene-Catling, the co-founder of architecture studio Skene Catling de la Peña, had been experimenting with using filmmaking in her practice and became fascinated with how the two overlap. She said film can push architects to design more exciting built environments.

"Buildings can be so incredibly powerful in creating an atmosphere. That's something that filmmakers seem to be more in control of than architects," said Skene-Catling. "There's so much architecture that exists at the moment that feels very devoid of atmosphere or emotion."

"Buildings need to have some of the drama of great films, so you have a beginning, a middle and an end. You have a series of events, you have drama, you have excitement, you have things that make your heart race," she said.

While architecture has played both a starring and supporting role in film since the medium began, technological advances have made it easier than ever to capture exciting and dramatic footage of the built environment.

Drone-mounted cameras have become particularly prevalent when it comes to capturing previously inaccessible shots, whether it's Hong Kong high-rises shot from above, Zaha Hadid's museum on a mountain-top, or footage of Robin Hood gardens pre-demolition.

Architects can learn from filmmakers

For its first London line-up, Archfilmfest functioned as a showcase for how buildings are sometimes more alive in the hands of filmmakers than the architects who first designed them.

Skene-Catling is keen to show that the symbiosis of architecture and film is very much the future. For students today, the boundary between the disciplines of architecture and film-making are increasingly fluid.

More universities are offering courses that train architects in filmmaking, and students are adopting new technologies such as CGI and 3D modelling with vigour. Of the seven students that the RIBA awarded its President's Medals to this year, three of the winners used short animated films as a central part of their project.

"They can start moving naturally between different disciplines. They have to become more fluid, more mobile," said Skene-Catling. "They have a way of strategising and diagramming, but also of representing ideas through visual media that includes film. That's very seductive, it's very convincing."

Established festivals keep getting bigger and better

In May and October, Sydney and Melbourne respectively hosted film and documentary screens alongside panel discussions, as part of ArchiFlix festival.

The success of this year's ArchiFlix, which was founded by business developer Sally Darling and producer Ron Brown in 2013, will see the programme expanded to include three-day festivals in Perth and Brisbane, along with the four-day festivals in Melbourne and Sydney, and satellite events in Adelaide and Hobart.

"The first ArchiFlix film night was held in 2013, with the audience demonstrating a real thirst for the inspiration and storytelling of architectural documentaries," Darling told Dezeen. "After a couple of years of these one night events, I felt the industry was ready for a festival."

The pair are set to launch ArchiFlixTV in the near future, offering a global streaming platform solely for architectural films.

Architecture at its best is "pure fiction" says Bjarke Ingels in new Netflix documentary

While ADFF, Archfilmfest and ArchiFlix are relative new-comers and fast growing in the world of architecture film festivals, more established film festivals continue to go from strength to strength, as enthusiasm and awareness for this putative genre grows.

Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) was established as a biannual architecture film festival in 2000, with a particular focus on architecture, film and the city.

In 2007, after a brief hiatus, the AFFR came back with a bigger programme than ever, with each edition centred on a theme exploring architecture and urbanism. Past themes include Think Big, Act Small, Time Machine, and City for Sale.

The 2017 AFFR was so successful that the organisers announced earlier this month that the festival would become annual instead of biannual. AFFR 2018 will be its 10th edition, and the foundation that runs it also organises screenings and events throughout the year.

Budapest Architecture Film Days was started in 2008 after its founders, already keen to bring the conversation around architecture and film to Central Europe, were spurred on by an encounter with AFFR co-director Jord den Hollander.

"He was very supportive of the idea of establishing a similar festival in this region," spokesperson Gábor Fehér told Dezeen.

Architecture films are alerting people to urban issues

Now in its 10th year, Budapest Architecture Film Days is organised by KÉK, the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre, which is an independent organisation run by young architects and artists.

They chose film as a medium for its broad appeal, hoping to attract as wide an audience as possible.

"Our motto 'Do you live in a building? Do you watch movies? Good reasons to join us!' perfectly captures the principle behind the festival," said Fehér.

"[We're] making use of the medium of film as an egalitarian tool to converge people towards the topics of not just architecture, but also to various issues surrounding urban conditions and communities, neighbourhoods, and living spaces."

When they started out, awareness of how architecture and film could interact was limited. The first festival was held in a single room in KÉK's former headquarters.

Since then the venue has been Toldi, an art cinema with 250 seats. Today screenings are often fully booked out, prompting the festival to hold multiple showings.

As the audience has grown, so too has the number of films being made. Fehér has also noticed a growing trend for longer architecture films being made, suggesting filmmakers have more time and resources to dedicate to the subject of architecture.

"We are receiving more and more submissions each year to our annual call for films from filmmakers all over the globe," he said. "The cinematic scene of architecture and design is definitely going strong."

It all began in Florence

Marco Brizzi founded what was arguably the world's architecture film festival in 1997, which was Florence's Beyond Media event.

Beyond Media charted the new ways in which architecture and audiovisual tools were being created in relation to each other. Over nine editions, it documented how architecture and the media interacted.

The Florentine festival ran until 2009, spanning a period of immense change for the media and a time of rapid technological advances in filmmaking.

Screenings were at its core, with past line-ups including early videos from architecture notables such as UNStudio, MDRDV, Rem Koolhaas and the late Zaha Hadid.

The online audience for architecture films is also booming

Online, people can't get enough of architecture on video. Dezeen's total video views across all platforms have doubled to 60 million from last year, with a series on moving buildings racking up 17 million views on Facebook alone.

Netflix has been getting in the act too. Earlier this year the digital streaming service launched an eight-part series of documentaries profiling big names from the world of architecture, including BIG's Bjarke Ingels.

Architects have been enjoying their fair share of the spotlight too. Last year Dezeen sat down with Tomas Koolhaas to discuss his film REM, which was the result of following his superstar architect father around the world for four years.

Rem Koolhaas "doesn’t respond well to having a lens shoved in his face" says his movie-maker son

Photograph is by Fabio Duma.

The post Architecture film is "a genre in the making" as festivals multiply appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/12/22/architecture-film-movies-genre-in-the-making-festivals-multiply/

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galapagosvacation-blog · 7 years

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3 Things which You would Love to Do During the Galapagos Islands Tour

Even being one of the most inaccessible and remote parts of the world, what attracts tourists from different corners of the world to visit the Galapagos Islands? Well, it’s the wonderful diversity, breathtaking landscapes, and fascinating flora & fauna of Galapagos which attract tourists from all around the world to have an amazing holiday experience in this wonderful archipelago. Recognized as one of the most popular and vibrating tourist attractions, the Islands of Galapagos offer a fascinating opportunity to explore the amazing flora and fauna which exist only in this fascinating reason. One of the best things about Galapagos is that you cannot find any two islands which are exactly the same. All the islands of Galapagos are strikingly different from each other. For instance, you can find some islands which feature active volcanoes while other flaunts exotic wildlife habitat and idyllic beaches. If you are also planning for Galapagos Islands tour then you must read this blog to know about some of the popular things which you can explore, do, and enjoy in this wonderful archipelago.

La Loberia

If you are too fascinated about watching sea lions, you should surely include La Loberia in your travel itinerary. Located northwest to the downtown Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island, this wonderful beach offers a great opportunity to have a close encounter with numerous sea lions, pups, and other fearless creatures wherever you will take your eyes. As there are so many things to do and explore, it would be easy for the travelers to spend some quality time on this wonderful island. Apart from sea lions, you can also spot and capture some of the most nostalgic pictures of wild iguanas, yellow warblers, lava lizards, and various other fascinating creatures.

Turtle Bay

The Galapagos Islands tour will not be considered as complete without giant turtle excursion. People from different corners of the world prefer to visit this wonderful place to have a close encounter with giant marine turtles. If you plan your trip between November to February, you can even catch the fascinating site of black turtles laying their eggs on the sea beaches. You cannot miss a chance to have a close encounter with giant turtles if you had planned your Galapagos Islands tour between June and July. This is the time when the hatchlings emerge and make their way towards the sea. Even if you are not interested in exploring giant turtles, you can still visit this island to have a close encounter with marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs.

Snorkeling & Diving If you are someone who loves to explore the rich marine life, Galapagos Islands will surely be one of the best destinations to consider. Comprising great and fascinating marine life, the islands of Galapagos offers a wonderful chance to have a close encounter with some of the most fascinating marine creatures. Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Isabela Island are some of the popular places where you can plan your trip to have an amazing Galapagos traveling experience.

These are the three famous places which you should add to your itinerary to have an amazing holidaying experience in the Islands of Galapagos. It would be great to find a reliable and renowned tour operator in order to plan out an amazing trip to Galapagos. If you are looking for one of the best Galapagos Island tour organizers, you should look no further than http://www.galapagossafaricamp.com/.

#galapagosislandstour

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