On art, life and planet earth

For the stuff of stars! The occasional missive from a nomadic filmmaker, producer, musician and media artist.

[andrew-garton]

On the occasion of my 61st birthday we were greeted by twin rainbows.

[andrew-garton]

One of the bravest men I've known and had the privilege to work with, photojournalist Shahidul Alam @shahidul001 arrested, beaten. Bangladesh is turning lawless... Let us not lose hope nor lose momentum of this important campaign. Freeing Shahidul is about protecting our fundamental right to #freedomofexpression online and elsewhere every where #freeshahidulalam #freeshahidul

[andrew-garton]

Graphic novelist Mirranda Burton working on her new book in her Nutfield (there is such a place) studio. #graphicnovels #illustrator #comicart #mirrandaburton #mirrandaburtonartist #graphicnovelist

[andrew-garton]

How did we ever manage to travel by train with all our gear? Two remote locations required overnight train trips. Porters got us through the chaos. Help us complete Ocean in a Drop. We're crowdfunding at https://igg.me/at/oceaninadropfilm

[andrew-garton]

It was not uncommon to attract an audience. DoP Jary Nemo was surrounded by curious youth as we attempted to shoot a rural wedding ceremony that seemed spontaneously appear at the near end of an interview we were shooting nearby. Help us complete Ocean in a Drop. We're crowdfunding at https://igg.me/at/oceaninadropfilm

[andrew-garton]

Many of us, including the Indian crew, hadn't realised just how diverse the language of Hindi can be across India's north-east. We were fortunate to have Ravi Guria accompany us as his knowledge of Hindi dialects was indeed vast. He became our interview translator bringing to the team a background in documentary production too. Help us complete Ocean in a Drop. We're crowdfunding at https://igg.me/at/oceaninadropfilm 

[andrew-garton]

After shooting in 14 villages of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, translating 60 of 100 interviews; readying a 3-hour rough cut for a fine-cut trim, we need your support to bring Ocean in a Drop to screens anywhere. We're crowdfunding at https://igg.me/at/oceaninadropfilm #indiegogo #crowdfunding #india #digitalinclusion #ICT4D #post-production #non-fiction, #oceaninadropfilm #documentary #webseries #secessionfilms #onebillionby2020

[andrew-garton]

Ocean in a Drop - About the film

Ocean in a Drop describes the impact the internet is having on India’s rural and tribal communities; a silent revolution. Governments aren’t being overthrown, something more long term and subtle is emerging. A film about entrepreneurs, community leaders, youth and children who’re making this happen. After shooting in 14 villages of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, translating 60 of 100 interviews; readying a 3-hour rough cut for a fine-cut trim, we need your support to bring it to screens anywhere.

https://igg.me/at/oceaninadropfilm

[andrew-garton]

We began with marimba parts today. Kate Adam's sublime arrangements emerged from our deeper understanding of each other's musical language, beginning some seven years ago when we met at Dunmoochin, the artists residency we'd both had the opportunity to participate in. #recording #mobilestudio #smittenbridge @bandcamp #artistsinresidence

[andrew-garton]

Mr G & The Smitten Bridge performing folk fusion originals at Fitzroy Pinnacle 22 April and 30 April at Bridges, Hurstbridge #melbournemusic #hurstbridge

[andrew-garton]

https://soundcloud.com/andrew-garton/home-town-vibe-demo

[andrew-garton]

A beautiful, restorative tune from Australia's gentle swing and eclectic jazz songwriters MUDMEN

[apc-25-blog]

“Finding like minds online during the early days, as APC was forming, was a source of both inspiration and motivation. Those pioneering days were the result of a small hand-full of people, some who have remained within APC and others who remain close, as friends, but have moved on.” –Andrew Garton

Pavel Antonov and Andrew Garton shooting “Nailing the Commons”. 2008, Sapporo, Japan. Photo by andrew garton

[andrew-garton]

I’d been on the road a year already. Nailing the Commons remains as one of the few uncompleted films on my personal slate. Two previews were completed in Sapporo. https://vimeo.com/1439611 https://vimeo.com/1446261

[apc-25-blog]

APC’s first international collaboration, email comms centres at Earth Summit,  Rio, 1992

[andrew-garton]

Participants using APC’s services, in the NGO Forum venue, Hotel Glória

Photo: Paul Wilson 

[andrew-garton]

I'm a loyal cafe patron. Cafes are my social and creative hub, a habit one can trace back to grandparents on both sides of the family. There's the sculpture and fresco restorer who would frequent the cafes of Spittal an der Drau, a small village in upper Austria. The other, a white Russian painter and musician would play piano whilst her son sang for their keep in the cafes of Novisad in the former Yugoslavia. That singer would become my father. One alternates between Bridge to Eden in Hurstbridge, Piccolo in Diamond Creek and in the CBD it's always going to be Migo's Industrie on Flinders Lane. #coffee #cafes

[andrew-garton]

Today I saw another future. It was as akin to hearing my first radio, seeing Armstrong step onto the moon and coding hyperlinks on a web page. However this was virtually real, immersive, uncomfortably intrusive and yet emphatic. #oculusrift #cloudsoversyria

[andrew-garton]

"Our unity is our strength." Editing preview reels for #oceaninadrop currently in post-production @mubeen_wanders @upliftdoco #DEFindia @APCNews