An awkward introduction

Hi:

This is my  first blog  and sort of an awkward introduction. So please  forgive me as I am stumbling along.   

 I have been an independent  filmmaker for almost 25 years  and as you see  in my professional biography(  “about”) ,  the type of films I have been making open themselves to so many issues , so many groups and communities . Yet  for years I realized that a traditional release  of a film hardly communicates the richness of the experience of making it;  the immersion in the subject matter, the amazing people you meet on the road etc ..  So  in the next few months I am going to experiment with different modes of communication that hopefully will take potential audiences beyond the experience of watching the film. It will introduce them to the host of issues that  propelled me to make a film in the first place,  to the various communities out there who can connect around the issues raised by the film. I want to be able finally to use this uncharted territory of the Internet to transform the film into another hybrid, where the film itself is only a small part of a project.  Films are very labor intensive. They  take a long time to make , months and years of fund raising and a  huge research effort. Only a fraction of this work makes it to the screen.

But what about the great interviews and scenes that did not make it? What about  the blogs of some of the participants who have wonderful things to share and who barely appear for a minute or so on the screen? And how about the many organizations  and groups who work around the issues that were raised in the film and can help deepen the experience of watching it?

If it all sounds dry and academic -it is not ! It is all  about human beings with compelling stories …a whole fabric of life that only a fraction of which you experience when watching the film.  

So instead of my “New Year Resolution”, here is my August’s one:

Starting with this blog I will begin documenting and writing about all these issues I mentioned above. You will be able to read , in few days, this blog on my web site (www.tamouzmedia.com). More over, my web site will transform into the kind of communication center I tried to describe above. It will be the place where you will be able to watch video clips and interviews that never made it to the film. You will read lots of fascinating background material only a tiny fraction of which is on the screen. Slowly we will establish forums , discussion groups, and link you with many groups and individuals whose dedication and vision inspired the film. It is going to happen gradually and not over night…but it will happen!

My real motive is to get you involved. As I develop film projects and get them off the ground ,I would love to hear your comments. I would love to transform the making of the film from a private sometimes torturous experience into something that can be shared . I will share with you the my hopes, frustrations and my ideas of what the film should be. I hope in return to get your feedback. I believe both of us will be enriched by the experience as I am sure many of your ideas somehow and in some way will be reflected in the film.

So each blog will focus on a particular project and different aspect of it . Together and over time I believe  you will become an integral part of my work.   I will try to publish the blog as often as I can and hope to hear your responses.

You can leave a comment here, or write me  at ilan@tamouzmedia.com

 Take care,

Ilan Ziv

PS    Though I have been in the US  for over 30 years I still  have to apologize for my written English , lovingly described by  friends as “Hebrish”. I am sorry but  laboring on each blog for hours will take all the fun and spontaneity away.