A longer than usual update after a few weeks of absence on this weblog. That happens when you’re on the move and caught in the tropical rhythm of non-stop moving, hypnotized by the sound and the fury of Paramaribo by day and night with intermittently wild space and forest and urban development flashing by the open car windows.

Strange to be back in Europe since 2 August, but yet to find my rhythm back. In Suriname I was shooting or editing from 8 am till late afternoon the last few weeks, driving through streets occasionally congested with rows of impatient cars in the middle of hot weather interrupted by heavy rains in between.

I was involved with several companies and missions, but the main commissioned project was a corporate documentary about a shipping company that I was filming and editing with veteran filmmaker Borger Breeveld, famous from his lead acting role in Wan Pipel, the 1975 film directed by Pim de la Parra (and the inspiration for the later Mississipi Massala by Mira Nair). It was a surprisingly refreshing collaboration with his professionalism and good sense of humour and plenty of action in the middle of port and ship operations. Just filming on the “Sentinel II” alone (the largest ship to come all the way up the Suriname river) was an experience, with the engine room alone covering three stories.

Then with numerous computer crashes slowing down the editing we managed to complete the documentary just in time before Borger had to direct the Suripop XV gala on Friday 1 August, which he kindly enough asked me to assist on. Jorgen Raymann (the Surinamese comedian-presenter, voted as TV personality of the Year in The Netherlands) was presenting with Henk van Vliet, so it was great to learn how a big show like this with singers, dancers and musicians had to be organized and orchestrated from start to finish. Unfortunately I could only experience the general repetition and pre-general rehearsal because the remaining flights were full and with business to do in Europe I couldn’t risk getting stuck for the most of August.

So here I was, descending that Saturday onto Schiphol Airport, into a grey Legoland where more Kafka style paperwork would be waiting to fill precious braincells with useless information. Good thing there were also productive meetings and new projects, one being a Dutch horror feature film production where I’ll be involved as 2nd unit director and Fight Choreographer.

After a week in Amsterdam I’m finally back in London now after 10 weeks, with a 50 cm stack of post to process. On the underground train it was sad to read that Isaac Hayes died last Sunday, a great composer and as a brilliant arranger a great influence on my filmmaking. From his work it was obvious that a very playful but tightly disciplined (and not to forget Soulful) mind was at work, creating layers of sound and mood into unforgettable albums like the Shaft soundtrack, To be Continued or the brilliant track “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic” on Hot Buttered Soul. Check it out.

Mister Hayes will be missed by millions of people, respect to the Man and rest in peace.

By the way, last time I didn’t activate the Free ride mountain bike clip as a link, so here it is:

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHMcOf3Ya0

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