tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11671131608633895802024-03-20T04:16:35.590-07:00Scrap VesselA film on a ship's journey to becoming a phantom.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167113160863389580.post-502128730446887662011-02-24T10:41:00.001-08:002011-02-24T11:56:43.989-08:00<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">Jason Byrne is part of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film for the year 2010: </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><a href="http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2010/07/25-new-faces-part-2/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2010/07/25-new-faces-part-2/</span></span></span></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">"...lyrically tracks the final voyage of a cargo ship</span></span></span></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">filled with touching traces of former workers that</span></span></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">will linger even after the boat itself is no more."</span></span></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">-Manohla Dargis, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">The</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">New York Times</span></span></i></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> </span></i></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">"Fantastic. There's something very fresh about the </span></span></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> whole piece; sometimes funny, often very beautiful... </span></span></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> I hope the feds don't ever get hold of Jason and have </span></span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> him make 'normal' films."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> -Jem Cohen, filmmaker</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">"Mesmerizing"</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> -San Francisco Bay Guardian</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">SCRAP VESSEL is part of the</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.blackmariafilmfestival.org/Tour_Venues.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">2011 Black Maria Film Festival</span></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, now on tour in the U.S.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div></div></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span> </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span></i></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167113160863389580.post-13053760761078221142010-06-05T14:25:00.000-07:002011-02-24T11:12:32.485-08:00Out of the BlueA former sailor of the ship when it was called the Bulk Promoter, Stein Ivar Solfall from Norway, found our site and sent us photos from his time aboard. You can't script better pics from the 70s. Stein is playing golf in the last pic.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We are lucky to find this man:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Hello Jason. Thank you very much for your reply. I have some pictures from 1975 to 1977. When I come back to the ship where I work today as Pumpman, I will scan the pic and send them to you. Bulk Promoter was a very good ship. I was onboard for 17 1/2 month with no break. I was oiler the first 6 month and the last 12 month as motorman. I come onboard in Bandar Abbas, Iran in September 1975. That time was when the shah family was thrown out from Iran and it was chaos there. We was laying at anchor for 4 -5 month loaded with rice from New Orleans. There was 180 ship waiting outside Bandar Abbas for discharging. After finish there we sail to Ko Si Chang in Thailand and stay there 12 days loading animal food for cows, in bulk. Nice days there with 30 nice girls wisiting us onboard....After finish loading we sail to Singapore for loading Teakwood on deck. Then we sail to Antwerpen in Belgium, Drydocking in Holland and then we start sailing between Britich Columbia with lumber to France and England for 1 year. Again, Thank you for your mail... Stein Ivar Solfall, Ørnes, Norway."</div><br />
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Stein is on the left.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167113160863389580.post-61101463552579864662010-03-01T17:45:00.000-08:002010-04-14T10:07:42.104-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Landry Gothic'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">West Coast premiere!</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">at the great San Francisco Int'l Asian American Film Festival</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">two shows: March 15 and 17</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">review: <a href="http://www.sfbg.com/2010/03/09/ghost-ship">San Francisco Bay Guardian</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167113160863389580.post-45217528802953234842010-02-25T10:42:00.001-08:002010-03-01T17:03:28.976-08:00A few hours before the first shot...<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Late one night a few years ago, just before Christmas, my friend Theron and I walked out into a small harbor in Singapore and boarded a medium-sized industrial fishing boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This boat looked similar to one I would see growing up near Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all the fishing cranes and nets were removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A large square palette lay in the center containing enough food for 18 merchant marines for two weeks, and the two of us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first hour was quiet. We passed some illuminated cruise ships in the distance. But once we crossed into the O.P.L. (Outside Port Limits) during the second hour, a city of tankers and container ships lay anchored, slowly tilting back and forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our small boat weaved through these massive ships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theron and I had no idea what size of vessel we would board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were only given information to be at the Singapore Harbor just past midnight for a three-hour journey to a vessel called Hupohai. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After another hour of navigating around these massive ships, the engine eased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fishing trawler, not nearly the size as other ships around, was at anchor in front of us. As we inched closer and closer, the driver slowly turned our boat to the left and gently circled around the vessel. What was anchored behind was a large bulk freighter ship that had just come from China. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While approaching this ship, the engines turned off and we slowly drifted toward its tall vertical red and rusty wall. Bright spotlights gleamed down on us, in back of many silhouetted heads that moved back and forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were shouting something to the driver of our little vessel but the strong winds and our boat grinding against the side of the massive Hupohai made it hard to understand their voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they must have been discussing was how we were going to get aboard, because within a minute, a rope ladder rolled off from the top of the vessel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The ladder was both frightening and comical due to its crookedness in its makeshift sizes of wood used to make each step. I wanted Theron to go up the ladder first so I could film his ascent, or maybe it was more to test the strength of the wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After boarding, thoughts of this enormous man-made machine floating in the deep, dark water, and soon setting sail towards its demise, made my heart flutter. At that moment, I could not comprehend why we were there, or if this space really existed. A few hours later at dawn, the Hupohai would lift its anchor and set sail for the graveyards of Bangladesh. This is where <i>Scrap Vessel</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> begins… </span></div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com