Amelia’s Magazine | Pam Hogg: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Catwalk Review

Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Gaarte
Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Gaarte.

On Saturday night I stayed later than any other day at fashion week so that I could attend the Pam Hogg show, something I have looked forward to every season since she returned to LFW: I don’t know if I will stay away late from my baby again. As usual this was a massively oversubscribed event, with plentiful rock royalty in attendance; humming and hawing at each other in the melee before the show started and then adopting a look of massive boredom for the duration of the main event, which began an hour late. Nick Rhodes, Jefferson Hack, Rankin and Princess Julia were just a few of the people in my line of sight. At this show there were named seats stretching three rows back, so I ended up far far from the action, badly positioned behind Daniel Lismore and his gigantic hat.

Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander
Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander.

Pam Hogg is nothing if not predictable: you know what you’re going to get when she puts on a show. Catsuits? Well of course, that’s her speciality. A bit of tit and muff? Check. Some outrageous headgear? Yup, all present and correct. A semi famous model? Well, here I must confess that I don’t know if she did have a famous guest this time. If she did, they weren’t on my radar.

Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Amy Dover
Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Amy Dover.

Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory

This season Pam Hogg decorated her models with huge pleated cylinders and glossy boxes. Sheer panelled catsuits were worn by avante grade ballet dancers who wheeled and swooped midway down the catwalk; a muscly male stood sentinel before taking his whirl towards the cameras sporting ominous curled black nails.

Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander
Pam Hogg A/W 2013 by Daniel Alexander.

The colour palette featured more Pam Hogg staples; plentiful white, black and red. A dusky pink sequinned fabric that was used in abundance last season returned for another outing, as did other familiar shapes: the hooped dirndl of previous seasons made a reappearance, covered once more in ruched fabric and ribbons. Much has been made of a Britney Spears-esque glossy red catsuit (circa Oops! I did it again) but it was such a ‘Pam‘ look that I doubt she even realised the reference. My favourite looks were more of a break from the norm: a stunning A-line coat made dashing with sharp lines of red satin scorched on black, and a skin tight metallic dress that reminded me of the outfits in Blade Runner. The final looks came accessorised with huge furry headpieces that tumbled down the back.

Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory

When Pam Hogg came out for her final turn she too sported one of her trademark catsuits, a red and gold number that was saucily slit under the buttocks. I have it under good authority that her catsuits are superbly made and able to smooth out even the lumpiest of bodies. Maybe, at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing of all.

Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg AW 2013 photo by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg A/W 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,Amy Dover, ,Blade Runner, ,britney spears, ,Catsuits, ,catwalk show, ,celebrities, ,Daniel Alexander, ,Daniel Lismore, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gaarte, ,Jefferson Hack, ,London Fashion Week, ,naked, ,Nick Rhodes, ,nude, ,Oops! I did it again, ,Pam Hogg, ,Princess Julia, ,Rankin, ,review

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2010 Catwalk Review: Pam Hogg and Nick Cave, Peaches Geldof, Mika

Pedal-powered cinema: doesn’t require a spanner in the works

Oxford, approved for the most part, viagra is an academic, see civilised city, but last night it was very much in store for some monkey business. Yes, GAFI (The Great Apes Film Initiative), SOS (Sumatran Orangutan Society) and the Ape Alliance were in town at Oxford Brookes University holding a screening of a primate-driven conservation film, powered, not by dirty old carbon, but by pedal energy.

We’ve covered the subject of pedal-powered cinema in the earth section recently, of course, but this event partnered the unusual film viewing experience with an interesting initiative – namely, using it to help raise awareness of and finance for pedal-powered cinema opportunities in the remotest parts of the world. GAFI, under the wind of its c-founder and filmmaker Madelaine Westwood, has committed itself to showing conservation films to the public in remote areas that highlight the damage they and their society are doing to their own environment.

Madelaine, present at last night’s event, said that GAFI took up pedal-powered cinema as a resource after children in Cameroon had to walk 20 miles to a GAFI screening, only for a priest who had agreed his church could be used as the venue for the screening called it off, leaving the children to walk all the way back home without even having seen the documentary. A pedal-powered cinema kit, made up merely of a bicycle, a car battery, a DVD player and several different cables and coming in at a top price of just £2,000, was the answer. Thanks to this technology, GAFI can now screen films anywhere; on the side of a building’s wall or even a blanket.

Clever piece of kit: all you need is a bicycle, car battery, DVD player and lots of cables

Admittedly, last night’s screening may not have raised much towards this project – admission price was only £3 – but it was certainly well attended by an audience of up to 50 people, and not all of them obvious students either. And, in my opinion, the major feature shown, ‘Losing Tomorrow’ (directed by Patrick Rouxel), was certainly a success. Unlike the disappointment that was ‘Ice Bears Of The Beaufort’ I sat through at the Artivist Film Festival last weekend, this documentary successfully highlighted the problems – complex as they are – that blight both Sumatra’s primates, most of them orangutans, and the people who are involved in the logging industry that is depriving the monkeys of their habitat and the island of its rainforest.

Over the course of the last century, 50 percent of Sumatra’s rainforest has been cleared for logging, so dominant is the industry there – indeed, it’s estimated that just each day an area of rainforest the size of Manhattan is wiped out. However, suddenly to curtail the logging would rob a large number of people their livelihood – impoverished as they are – while, on the flip side, if the logging continues the country’s rainforest will be entirely wiped out and the logging employees without an industry to employ them anyway. It’s a fine Catch-22 with no easy answers. All the same, the audience was informed there is something they can do – contact their local MP or MEP to put pressure on the British government and the European parliament not to allow the import of timber furniture and wood pulp-produced paper that comes out of Sumatra – 75 percent of which is illegal anyway, so widespread is the logging industry there. The British government has so far made no move in this direction, but the European parliament has been looking into it, so there is some optimism, at least.

And we’re off! The cyclist pedals and the audience watches on

But what, specifically, of the pedal-powered cinema experience? Well, I must say, on a personal level, it’s rather an invigorating thing to be part of – or at least watch. On this occasion, as something of a gimmick, British cyclist and 2012 Olympic hopeful David Smith took to the pedals and, to give him his due, kept up an impressive tempo for about 45 minutes, before – a bit pooped – he handed over the reigns to another volunteer. There is certainly something agreeable about watching something worthy and well-crafted, while you’re aware the power that’s generating it is carbon free and directly man-produced – either that, or it’s just proof of the old maxim that it’s always enjoyable to watch someone working while you’re lazing about doing nothing. Either way, the pedal-powered cinema kit worked perfectly well and was a great advert for GAFI’s aspirations.

‘Losing Tomorrow’ was followed by the short documentary ‘Dear Mr President’. Filmed by Madeline Westwood herself, it showed reactions of Sumatran locals while watching the first documentary and then featured one or two of the viewers addressing, direct to camera, the Sumatran president at the time, asking him to do something about the primate/ logging problems in the country. ‘Dear Mr President’, we were subsequently informed, was indeed shown to the president, but just how much that act has achieved, of course, remains to be seen.

And how much can be done, in general, about Sumatra’s rainforest debacle remains to be seen too – but, as mentioned, we can all do something. For those interested, the MSc 10th anniversary conference on primate conservation will also be held at Oxford Brookes University on the April 23 and 24 – it’s open to everyone; the public as well as students and academics.
Pedal-powered cinema: doesn’t require a spanner in the works

Oxford, thumb for the most part, is an academic, civilised city, but last night it was very much in store for some monkey business. Yes, GAFI (The Great Apes Film Initiative), SOS (Sumatran Orangutan Society) and the Ape Alliance were in town at Oxford Brookes University holding a screening of a primate-driven conservation film, powered, not by dirty old carbon, but by pedal energy.

We’ve covered the subject of pedal-powered cinema in the earth section recently, of course, but this event partnered the unusual film viewing experience with an interesting initiative – namely, using it to help raise awareness of and finance for pedal-powered cinema opportunities in the remotest parts of the world. GAFI, under the wind of its c-founder and filmmaker Madelaine Westwood, has committed itself to showing conservation films to the public in remote areas that highlight the damage they and their society are doing to their own environment.

Madelaine, present at last night’s event, said that GAFI took up pedal-powered cinema as a resource after children in Cameroon had to walk 20 miles to a GAFI screening, only for a priest who had agreed his church could be used as the venue for the screening called it off, leaving the children to walk all the way back home without even having seen the documentary. A pedal-powered cinema kit, made up merely of a bicycle, a car battery, a DVD player and several different cables and coming in at a top price of just £2,000, was the answer. Thanks to this technology, GAFI can now screen films anywhere; on the side of a building’s wall or even a blanket.

Clever piece of kit: all you need is a bicycle, car battery, DVD player and lots of cables

Admittedly, last night’s screening may not have raised much towards this project – admission price was only £3 – but it was certainly well attended by an audience of up to 50 people, and not all of them obvious students either. And, in my opinion, the major feature shown, ‘Losing Tomorrow’ (directed by Patrick Rouxel), was certainly a success. Unlike the disappointment that was ‘Ice Bears Of The Beaufort’ I sat through at the Artivist Film Festival last weekend, this documentary successfully highlighted the problems – complex as they are – that blight both Sumatra’s primates, most of them orangutans, and the people who are involved in the logging industry that is depriving the monkeys of their habitat and the island of its rainforest.

Over the course of the last century, 50 percent of Sumatra’s rainforest has been cleared for logging, so dominant is the industry there – indeed, it’s estimated that just each day an area of rainforest the size of Manhattan is wiped out. However, suddenly to curtail the logging would rob a large number of people their livelihood – impoverished as they are – while, on the flip side, if the logging continues the country’s rainforest will be entirely wiped out and the logging employees without an industry to employ them anyway. It’s a fine Catch-22 with no easy answers. All the same, the audience was informed there is something they can do – contact their local MP or MEP to put pressure on the British government and the European parliament not to allow the import of timber furniture and wood pulp-produced paper that comes out of Sumatra – 75 percent of which is illegal anyway, so widespread is the logging industry there. The British government has so far made no move in this direction, but the European parliament has been looking into it, so there is some optimism, at least.

And we’re off! The cyclist pedals and the audience watches on

But what, specifically, of the pedal-powered cinema experience? Well, I must say, on a personal level, it’s rather an invigorating thing to be part of – or at least watch. On this occasion, as something of a gimmick, British cyclist and 2012 Olympic hopeful David Smith took to the pedals and, to give him his due, kept up an impressive tempo for about 45 minutes, before – a bit pooped – he handed over the reigns to another volunteer. There is certainly something agreeable about watching something worthy and well-crafted, while you’re aware the power that’s generating it is carbon free and directly man-produced – either that, or it’s just proof of the old maxim that it’s always enjoyable to watch someone working while you’re lazing about doing nothing. Either way, the pedal-powered cinema kit worked perfectly well and was a great advert for GAFI’s aspirations.

‘Losing Tomorrow’ was followed by the short documentary ‘Dear Mr President’. Filmed by Madeline Westwood herself, it showed reactions of Sumatran locals while watching the first documentary and then featured one or two of the viewers addressing, direct to camera, the Sumatran president at the time, asking him to do something about the primate/ logging problems in the country. ‘Dear Mr President’, we were subsequently informed, was indeed shown to the president, but just how much that act has achieved, of course, remains to be seen.

And how much can be done, in general, about Sumatra’s rainforest debacle remains to be seen too – but, as mentioned, we can all do something. For those interested, the MSc 10th anniversary conference on primate conservation will also be held at Oxford Brookes University on the April 23 and 24 – it’s open to everyone; the public as well as students and academics.
Pam-Hogg-A/W 2010 by Etiene  Del Monte
Pam Hogg by Etiene Del Monte.

Pam Hogg can pull in an all star rocker crowd and she knows it. I wondered if this begat the complex star sticker system on our invites, drugs which involved double gold stars for rock royalty (or just quite crap celebs), salve single gold stars (presumably for those not destined to make the next day’s paper but still quite important) and any number of other coloured stars for lesser mortals. The mere presence of a star was in itself no assurance of speedy entry, so it was lucky that I and a few of my contributors were already in Victoria House, drinking cups of tea on funny shaped chairs next to an abandoned display.

Amelia Gregory, Sally Mumby-Croft, Satu Fox
Yup, looking happy there girls. That’s me with contributors Satu Fox and Sally Mumby-Croft. Who don’t like posing clearly.

Jodie Marsh at Pam Hogg.
Jodie Marsh at Pam Hogg. This is what you look like if you make an effort, for a bit of contrast like…

This meant that we got to the front of the queue where we were able to get a perfect view of all the celebs as they came prancing in. Jodie Harsh looked every bit as wonderful in the flesh as she does in photos, but much less false (she puts natural born women to shame) and was more than happy to pose for me. Then came Tim Noble and Sue Webster, scowling as usual… Nick Cave swept through like a gothic prince, then came Pearl Lowe (dreadful biography, don’t do it) the execrable Jaime Winstone, Peaches Geldof (shoot me now) and apparently Mika in drag, though I didn’t see him at the time (bonus of leaving your write up awhile and being able to trawl the internet)

Jaimie Winstone at Pam Hogg
Jaime Winstone in the front row. She kept hoiking up her dress.

Peaches Geldof at Pam Hogg
Peaches Geldof in the limelight. Again. With a man who looked like the mascot for KFC. Great look.

We were also unceremoniously shoved aside by lots of arch looking people who I am sure were very rock ‘n’ roll but I have absolutely no idea who they actually were. Behind the barrage of hapless PRs – “Don’t worry, you’ll all be able to come in soon” – we could see people sloshing back free booze from a makeshift bar. How convenient that it should run out by the time us plebs were hastily shepherded in, just moments before the show started. Named Valley of the Shadow of Darkness, our noncommittal grey invites all had a tribute to Alexander McQueen at the bottom of the invitation, reading Lee RIP 1969-2010. Were they good friends? Or was she just showing fashionable solidarity?

Siouxie Soux at Pam Hogg by Amelia Gregory
Siouxie Soux at Pam Hogg. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Cult 80s singer Siouxie Sioux opened the show, looking extremely dramatic in barely there lace topped with a netting puffball. Unfortunately I don’t think the look did her many favours – she looked so severe that not only did I have no idea who she was, but I actually thought she was a middle-aged man in drag. Woops. She is 52 years old at the time of writing but she looks a helluva lot better in recent pictures found on google, so yes, Siouxie, I know you and Pammie have been bessie mates for, like, forever, but next time you might want to but your foot down before stepping out in something so unflattering. Here in an incongruous shot of the pair of them with Dame Shirley Bassey: surely not a bessie too?

Pam Hogg. Sophie Willing, photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. Alice Dellal. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. Ben Grimes. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Pam Hogg. photography by Amelia Gregory
Sophie Willing at Pam Hogg

Of course it’s well known that no one does glitzy catsuits and sexed-up bodycon quite like Pam Hogg, and so it was that we were treated to starry model after starry model attired in all manner of skin tight mesh pants suits, mini-dresses, many more netting hair bombs, and lots of bum-bouncing tulle with a bit of well placed ribbon or fluff. Panels of rubberised fabric, lace and shiny lame gave a futuristic feel which was emphasised in the bold black eyebrows, and splashes of silver, gold and bright red punctuated the otherwise steely palette of black, dark grey and white. One of the most striking red outfits was modelled by Alice Dellal, she of the asymmetric (currently) blonde hair and sulky pout, and has since been modelled by no less than Lady Gaga (on the short trip from the O2 Arena to her hotel, if reports are to be believed), though I’m not sure she really pulled it off with those ripped fishnets. I think Pam Hogg is worn most successfully when all around is sleek.

Pam-Hogg-A/W 2010-sophie willing & jethro cave, by Etiene Del Monte
Sophie Willing & Jethro Cave, by Etiene Del Monte.

When the lone male model stopped for a mannered snog with one of the girls halfway down the runway to whoops and cheers, I knew they must be well known. A google search further revealed the real reason for Nick Cave’s attendance: the beautiful skinny boy was none other than his son Jethro Cave, and he was kissing Sophie Willing, a fellow Ozzie model and also his girlfriend. Together they appear in a tacky bondage inspired photoshoot called Boys Will Be Toys. Tasteful. Apparently daddy was very proud. Also in attendance was model du jour, Ben Grimes. That’s a girl in case you were wondering.

Pam-Hogg-A/W 2010-Etiene Del Monte
Sophie Willing plays the sexy angel, by Etiene Del Monte.

Sophie Willing and Jethro Cave at Pam Hogg

Siouxie Soux and Pam Hogg
Siouxie Soux and Pam Hogg.

At the end Pam came right down along the catwalk in a hug with Siouxie Soux towering over her – she looked very much like a cartoon character in skintight shiny black, sporting fake bright yellow hair. She has always catered well to rock royalty but I can suddenly see why she might appeal to Lady Gaga’s pop sensibility as well. But I’m left with the pressing question: who dyed their hair that vicious shade of Ed the Duck yellow first?

Categories ,80s, ,Alice Dellal, ,Ben Grimes, ,celebrities, ,Etiene Del Monte, ,Fluff, ,Free Bar, ,Jaime Winstone, ,Jethro Cave, ,lace, ,Lady Gaga, ,Lame, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mika, ,Net, ,Nick Cave, ,Pam Hogg, ,Peaches Geldof, ,pop, ,Rock ‘n’ Roll, ,Siouxie Soux, ,Sophie Willing, ,Tim Noble and Sue Webster, ,Tulle, ,Victoria House

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | From One Extreme to the Other at Idea Generation Gallery

Michael filming_01
Mikey filming in the beautiful Huancabamba valley.  All photos courtsey of Mikey Watts.

I’d first heard about Mikey’s film back in October. Perusing The Guardian, thumb I noticed a video and article about alleged torture in the province of Piura, erectile northern Peru, linked to a mining company called Monterrico Metals. It was a British company, and yet there was barely a whisper of news about it in the UK. In 2003 Monterrico had pressed ahead with a copper mine project that the local population had not agreed to. The mine was going to occupy vital agricultural land and would pollute the valley’s water sources. Monterrico had a legal requirement to obtain the consent of at least two thirds of the population. They didn’t, but were supported by the government nonetheless and so went ahead with the mine. In 2005, locals, including children and the elderly, made their way to the mining site in a last attempt to have their objections recognised. They were tear gassed, arrested and tortured by police and the mine’s security guards.

It was a photographer from Peru, a friend and old flatmate from Barcelona, who sent me the link to Mikey’s video on vimeo.   Laguna Negra is a 20-minute study of how mining has affected people in the Huancabamba valley, northern Peru. The film follows two people, Servando and Cleofé, as they describe their lives, land, protest, how they are perceived, and question the purpose of environmentally and socially destructive ‘development’.   The film will be screened at an event tomorrow (Thursday), along with a Q&A with the director.  Mikey is only recently out a Documentary Film MA, but his film has already won two awards: Best International Documentary (Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu 2010), and the Rights in Action International Award (Bang! Short Film Festival 2009) and he has some great projects coming up. I caught up with Mikey last week to discuss how it all started, his stay in Huancabamba, the impact of and inspiration behind the film, and the projects he’s working on now.

Cleofe and family

You started filming in the region in 2004, following research for a dissertation. What first inspired you to focus on opposition to mining in Huancabamba?

I started off studying Latin American studies at Liverpool and in my third year (2004), I went to do research for my dissertation in Peru. While I was in Lima, I started hearing about the anti-mining movement that was going on in Tambogrande. The mine got cancelled in the end, so it was big news over there. It was then that I decided to research the effect of mining on traditional farming societies. A journalist, Nelson Penaherrera, helped me a lot in planning who to interview and where to go. It was when I went up to meet him for the first time that Remberto Racho, one of the farmers opposed to the mine in Huancabamba, was killed by police (my first film ‘Rio Blanco: the story of the farmer and the mine’ was about this) so I decided to include the Rio Blanco conflict in my dissertation. My friend, David McNulty, came to visit me in June 2004, and since he had a camera with him we gathered footage for what eventually became that first documentary, Rio Blanco.

Your film centres on the experiences of two farmers, Servando and Cleofé. You break away from standard documentary style, forgoing a voiceover and talking heads, and devote the film to your protagonists’ accounts. What was the thinking behind that?

I wanted as much as possible to tell the story through the words and experiences of the people directly affected by the mining project. Although through the editing I, as the storyteller, choose what to include and what not to include (and so Servando and Cleofé’s words become the narration) I still feel that by removing myself almost entirely from the action the audience feels more directly involved with the place and its people. A voice-over narrative I think would take the story away from the people it is about. Also, in a practical sense, Servando and Cleofe sum the issues up in a far truer and personal way than I ever could – after all, they are the people who live day to day the problems the mine has brought – I was only there for three weeks.

Cleber _preferred choice_

The film opens with the scene of a boy sitting with a radio, with a broadcast about how selfish and ignorant the farmers are in not wanting the mine. The scene is a powerful contrast to what we hear later, yet also so simple and clear, and the boy is a true natural on camera! How did you come up with the idea?

The use of the boy with the radio happened through a chance encounter – I met him as we were walking the countryside around Huancabamba one day, he followed us for the day and we became friends. At the end of the day I asked him if he would mind being filmed with his radio and he did the rest! The reason I wanted to use the boy with the radio was to put across the mining company’s opinions through the local population’s experience of them. I could have tried to get an interview with Monterrico Metals, but really this would only have served to get the company’s PR responses to a Western student’s questions. By showing the day in day out propaganda machine the mining company uses to grind down any opposition to the project, the film can start to allow its audience to understand how the community experiences the mine. I was lucky to find the boy with the radio and his disinterested but commanding expression.

Tambogrande seemed like a real success story. Is there any similar hope for Huancabamba?

Tambogrande was a success story in the end, but the reasons for the cancellation of the mine really point towards what the Peruvian government’s plans for Piura are. It wasn’t officially cancelled because of the opposition to the project; it was cancelled because Monterrico lacked the necessary funds for the government to approve it. I am sure the huge protests and international campaign helped a lot, but officially this wasn’t why the mine was cancelled. So really this means that the Peruvian government isn’t conceding it was wrong over the project, and it continues to push on all fronts to make Piura into a mining department (like it’s done with nearby Cajamarca). I wish I could believe that the community in Huancabamba will be able to stop the Rio Blanco mine, but deep down I don’t have much hope. The mine is now owned by a Chinese company and the Peruvian government has just signed a whole load of trade agreements with China. The only real hope I think is for Tierra y Libertad, a new political party led by Marco Arana, to do well in the next elections. Marco Arana has been heavily involved with the anti-mining movement in the north of Peru and seems dedicated to the cause and the people who are having their lives destroyed by these mining projects.

Huancabamba landscape_01

So what specifically has changed around Huancabamba since you made the film?

Well, the government is still pushing the project forward, and is now militarising their presence in the region because of an attack in November on the mine site, which ended with the deaths of 2 security guys. The next month the police killed 2 farmers in a village near Huancabamba. The police had gone down to the village to arrest villagers they said were connected with the November deaths, the villagers formed a barricade to stop the police entering, and the police attacked them, killing two villagers – post mortem reports show that they were shot in the back as they were running away. So there’s still a lot of tension, the government is still refusing to re-engage through dialogue and simply insist the mining project is of national necessity and will not be abandoned.  

Were you involved in any way in the court hearing that went on in London recently?

I’ve carried on filming here in the UK so went to the court hearing, but I wasn’t involved in any way, just documenting it really. The court hearing at the end of the day won’t stop the mining project though – it will mean the victims of torture that took place in 2005 will get compensation, but the new Chinese owners of the mine (Zijin) will just say it took place when they weren’t owners so it isn’t their responsibility.

So there’s no hope the mine will be dropped?

In all honesty I don’t have much faith the government will see reason, Zijin will push ahead with the project, cause huge friction and destruction to the rural communities of the area, and possibly destroy the agricultural potential of the region as a whole. The really sad thing is that the government has now sold off nearly 30% of the land area of Piura to mining interests – they are all waiting for Rio Blanco to start operations and will then do the same themselves. The mind boggles really, just doesn’t seem to make any sense, but then again the draw to short term financial gain seems to always win against smaller interests such as the small scale farming practised around Huancabamba.

No to mining

How strong is the stereotype of the ignorant or violent campesino in Peru, and to what extent is it used to undermine the importance of agriculture?

The stereotype is definitely a prevalent view in the cities and mainstream media. Campesinos are often portrayed as backward and as not knowing what is best for them. Development is always in the context of growth rates, GDP, money – small scale farming practised by campesinos is not really given the appreciation it deserves considering it provides city dwellers with their food. Rhetoric of backwards looking violent terrorist campesinos is often used in the media to give justification to mining.

And how unified is the opposition to mining among the rural population?

What interested me was that most of the campesinos I talked to didn’t lambast mining in the way the government accuse them of doing. They understand the potential of mining to create jobs, and funds – they just are asking the government to think about where these mines are being built. If they are high up in the mountains, away from important water sources, and not in areas of agriculture then they can have a positive impact for the country.

Was the mainstream national media broadly for or against the farmers?

Broadly speaking the national media and the government give huge support to the mining industry – mainly because the mining lobby in Peru has huge power. There is however a large part of the Peruvian population who are campaigning for a different Peru which prioritises its people over its resources.

Servando and Dorila

How do you see the role of the documentary filmmaker and what do you hope to achieve?

Yes, I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot.  Sometimes I wonder what good it does, whether it goes any way to actually changing the situation.  I guess it is a hard one to gauge but all you can do is try to document what is happening in a creative and original way.  I think film is a great medium to tell the story of what is happening in these communities as images often speak louder than words.  I would be very happy if the films I make help to inform Peru’s urban population of the abuses suffered by the rural population.  I guess documentaries are one part of the general campaign to make things better and fairer for these communities. 

I guess on the role of the filmmaker I think it is important to go into a project with an open mind, a good deal of background research and the humility to listen to and give people a platform to speak about the issues that affect them.  I also think it is important to make a film that stands on its own as a good story, and as a beautiful film.  Campaiging films sometimes lose sight of this need and just focus on the issues.  I think the danger here is that the films will only preach to the converted – a film that keeps the attention of someone who doesn’t know about the issues, or actively supports what the campaign is against, is what I think the goal should be. 

Any plans to carry on documenting this issue?

Yes, definitely – this is kind of turning into a niche issue for me, and I definitely want to carry on making films about it. I really now want to make a feature documentary that connects the experiences of different communities around Latin America that are seeing their communities torn apart and their environment destroyed by large scale mining. These communities suffer very similar abuses at the hands of both their governments and the mining companies – I want to make a film that reveals this trend; that multinational companies based in countries like our own go to developing nations and do not respect the same laws they would have to here. So that is what I’m trying to do at the moment with my friend and co-director David McNulty. We are going to Guatemala and El Salvador to firstly document a conference that the Latin American Mining Monitoring Program is organising entitled, “WOMEN, MINING AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Beyond the Challenge.” We will then be going on to film research footage for our feature idea as well as producing two short documentaries about two communities affected by mining in Guatemala and El Salvador.

I think it’s a really interesting and important issue to focus on as it in many ways reflects the question of our time – do we continue taking all the resources we can from the earth or do we start thinking and acting in a more sustainable way to ensure our future generations have a decent earth to live from?

Neoliberal economics I think only prioritizes monetary growth, and doesn’t take into account other considerations such as environment, culture and worldview. I think the social conflict and environmental problems caused by mining really reflect the general question of how humanity chooses to act in the years to come – do we continue exploiting the earth without thought to the consequences, or do we start living more within our means?
Michael filming_01
Mikey filming in the beautiful Huancabamba valley.  All photos courtsey of Mikey Watts.

I’d first heard about Mikey’s film back in October. Perusing The Guardian, health I noticed a video and article about alleged torture in the province of Piura, northern Peru, linked to a mining company called Monterrico Metals. It was a British company, and yet there was barely a whisper of news about it in the UK. In 2003 Monterrico had pressed ahead with a copper mine project that the local population had not agreed to. The mine was going to occupy vital agricultural land and would pollute the valley’s water sources. Monterrico had a legal requirement to obtain the consent of at least two thirds of the population. They didn’t, but were supported by the government nonetheless and so went ahead with the mine. In 2005, locals, including children and the elderly, made their way to the mining site in a last attempt to have their objections recognised. They were tear gassed, arrested and tortured by police and the mine’s security guards.

It was a photographer from Peru, a friend and old flatmate from Barcelona, who sent me the link to Mikey’s video on vimeo.   Laguna Negra is a 20-minute study of how mining has affected people in the Huancabamba valley, northern Peru. The film follows two people, Servando and Cleofé, as they describe their lives, land, protest, how they are perceived, and question the purpose of environmentally and socially destructive ‘development’.   The film will be screened at an event tomorrow (Thursday), along with a Q&A with the director.  Mikey is only recently out a Documentary Film MA, but his film has already won two awards: Best International Documentary (Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu 2010), and the Rights in Action International Award (Bang! Short Film Festival 2009) and he has some great projects coming up. I caught up with Mikey last week to discuss how it all started, his stay in Huancabamba, the impact of and inspiration behind the film, and the projects he’s working on now.

Cleofe and family

You started filming in the region in 2004, following research for a dissertation. What first inspired you to focus on opposition to mining in Huancabamba?

I started off studying Latin American studies at Liverpool and in my third year (2004), I went to do research for my dissertation in Peru. While I was in Lima, I started hearing about the anti-mining movement that was going on in Tambogrande. The mine got cancelled in the end, so it was big news over there. It was then that I decided to research the effect of mining on traditional farming societies. A journalist, Nelson Penaherrera, helped me a lot in planning who to interview and where to go. It was when I went up to meet him for the first time that Remberto Racho, one of the farmers opposed to the mine in Huancabamba, was killed by police (my first film ‘Rio Blanco: the story of the farmer and the mine’ was about this) so I decided to include the Rio Blanco conflict in my dissertation. My friend, David McNulty, came to visit me in June 2004, and since he had a camera with him we gathered footage for what eventually became that first documentary, Rio Blanco.

Your film centres on the experiences of two farmers, Servando and Cleofé. You break away from standard documentary style, forgoing a voiceover and talking heads, and devote the film to your protagonists’ accounts. What was the thinking behind that?

I wanted as much as possible to tell the story through the words and experiences of the people directly affected by the mining project. Although through the editing I, as the storyteller, choose what to include and what not to include (and so Servando and Cleofé’s words become the narration) I still feel that by removing myself almost entirely from the action the audience feels more directly involved with the place and its people. A voice-over narrative I think would take the story away from the people it is about. Also, in a practical sense, Servando and Cleofe sum the issues up in a far truer and personal way than I ever could – after all, they are the people who live day to day the problems the mine has brought – I was only there for three weeks.

Cleber _preferred choice_

The film opens with the scene of a boy sitting with a radio, with a broadcast about how selfish and ignorant the farmers are in not wanting the mine. The scene is a powerful contrast to what we hear later, yet also so simple and clear, and the boy is a true natural on camera! How did you come up with the idea?

The use of the boy with the radio happened through a chance encounter – I met him as we were walking the countryside around Huancabamba one day, he followed us for the day and we became friends. At the end of the day I asked him if he would mind being filmed with his radio and he did the rest! The reason I wanted to use the boy with the radio was to put across the mining company’s opinions through the local population’s experience of them. I could have tried to get an interview with Monterrico Metals, but really this would only have served to get the company’s PR responses to a Western student’s questions. By showing the day in day out propaganda machine the mining company uses to grind down any opposition to the project, the film can start to allow its audience to understand how the community experiences the mine. I was lucky to find the boy with the radio and his disinterested but commanding expression.

Tambogrande seemed like a real success story. Is there any similar hope for Huancabamba?

Tambogrande was a success story in the end, but the reasons for the cancellation of the mine really point towards what the Peruvian government’s plans for Piura are. It wasn’t officially cancelled because of the opposition to the project; it was cancelled because Monterrico lacked the necessary funds for the government to approve it. I am sure the huge protests and international campaign helped a lot, but officially this wasn’t why the mine was cancelled. So really this means that the Peruvian government isn’t conceding it was wrong over the project, and it continues to push on all fronts to make Piura into a mining department (like it’s done with nearby Cajamarca). I wish I could believe that the community in Huancabamba will be able to stop the Rio Blanco mine, but deep down I don’t have much hope. The mine is now owned by a Chinese company and the Peruvian government has just signed a whole load of trade agreements with China. The only real hope I think is for Tierra y Libertad, a new political party led by Marco Arana, to do well in the next elections. Marco Arana has been heavily involved with the anti-mining movement in the north of Peru and seems dedicated to the cause and the people who are having their lives destroyed by these mining projects.

Huancabamba landscape_01

So what specifically has changed around Huancabamba since you made the film?

Well, the government is still pushing the project forward, and is now militarising their presence in the region because of an attack in November on the mine site, which ended with the deaths of 2 security guys. The next month the police killed 2 farmers in a village near Huancabamba. The police had gone down to the village to arrest villagers they said were connected with the November deaths, the villagers formed a barricade to stop the police entering, and the police attacked them, killing two villagers – post mortem reports show that they were shot in the back as they were running away. So there’s still a lot of tension, the government is still refusing to re-engage through dialogue and simply insist the mining project is of national necessity and will not be abandoned.  

Were you involved in any way in the court hearing that went on in London recently?

I’ve carried on filming here in the UK so went to the court hearing, but I wasn’t involved in any way, just documenting it really. The court hearing at the end of the day won’t stop the mining project though – it will mean the victims of torture that took place in 2005 will get compensation, but the new Chinese owners of the mine (Zijin) will just say it took place when they weren’t owners so it isn’t their responsibility.

So there’s no hope the mine will be dropped?

In all honesty I don’t have much faith the government will see reason, Zijin will push ahead with the project, cause huge friction and destruction to the rural communities of the area, and possibly destroy the agricultural potential of the region as a whole. The really sad thing is that the government has now sold off nearly 30% of the land area of Piura to mining interests – they are all waiting for Rio Blanco to start operations and will then do the same themselves. The mind boggles really, just doesn’t seem to make any sense, but then again the draw to short term financial gain seems to always win against smaller interests such as the small scale farming practised around Huancabamba.

No to mining

How strong is the stereotype of the ignorant or violent campesino in Peru, and to what extent is it used to undermine the importance of agriculture?

The stereotype is definitely a prevalent view in the cities and mainstream media. Campesinos are often portrayed as backward and as not knowing what is best for them. Development is always in the context of growth rates, GDP, money – small scale farming practised by campesinos is not really given the appreciation it deserves considering it provides city dwellers with their food. Rhetoric of backwards looking violent terrorist campesinos is often used in the media to give justification to mining.

And how unified is the opposition to mining among the rural population?

What interested me was that most of the campesinos I talked to didn’t lambast mining in the way the government accuse them of doing. They understand the potential of mining to create jobs, and funds – they just are asking the government to think about where these mines are being built. If they are high up in the mountains, away from important water sources, and not in areas of agriculture then they can have a positive impact for the country.

Was the mainstream national media broadly for or against the farmers?

Broadly speaking the national media and the government give huge support to the mining industry – mainly because the mining lobby in Peru has huge power. There is however a large part of the Peruvian population who are campaigning for a different Peru which prioritises its people over its resources.

Servando and Dorila

How do you see the role of the documentary filmmaker and what do you hope to achieve?

Yes, I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot.  Sometimes I wonder what good it does, whether it goes any way to actually changing the situation.  I guess it is a hard one to gauge but all you can do is try to document what is happening in a creative and original way.  I think film is a great medium to tell the story of what is happening in these communities as images often speak louder than words.  I would be very happy if the films I make help to inform Peru’s urban population of the abuses suffered by the rural population.  I guess documentaries are one part of the general campaign to make things better and fairer for these communities. 

I guess on the role of the filmmaker I think it is important to go into a project with an open mind, a good deal of background research and the humility to listen to and give people a platform to speak about the issues that affect them.  I also think it is important to make a film that stands on its own as a good story, and as a beautiful film.  Campaiging films sometimes lose sight of this need and just focus on the issues.  I think the danger here is that the films will only preach to the converted – a film that keeps the attention of someone who doesn’t know about the issues, or actively supports what the campaign is against, is what I think the goal should be. 

Any plans to carry on documenting this issue?

Yes, definitely – this is kind of turning into a niche issue for me, and I definitely want to carry on making films about it. I really now want to make a feature documentary that connects the experiences of different communities around Latin America that are seeing their communities torn apart and their environment destroyed by large scale mining. These communities suffer very similar abuses at the hands of both their governments and the mining companies – I want to make a film that reveals this trend; that multinational companies based in countries like our own go to developing nations and do not respect the same laws they would have to here. So that is what I’m trying to do at the moment with my friend and co-director David McNulty. We are going to Guatemala and El Salvador to firstly document a conference that the Latin American Mining Monitoring Program is organising entitled, “WOMEN, MINING AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Beyond the Challenge.” We will then be going on to film research footage for our feature idea as well as producing two short documentaries about two communities affected by mining in Guatemala and El Salvador.

I think it’s a really interesting and important issue to focus on as it in many ways reflects the question of our time – do we continue taking all the resources we can from the earth or do we start thinking and acting in a more sustainable way to ensure our future generations have a decent earth to live from?

Neoliberal economics I think only prioritizes monetary growth, and doesn’t take into account other considerations such as environment, culture and worldview. I think the social conflict and environmental problems caused by mining really reflect the general question of how humanity chooses to act in the years to come – do we continue exploiting the earth without thought to the consequences, or do we start living more within our means?
MEN-promo-pic.aspx1

We’re completely entranced by the art/performance band that is MEN. How can you not go weak at the knees for a diverse musical stew that fuses dance and electro beats with rock music and combines this with a dose of political and social activism that takes in complex subject matters such as gender roles, sickness wartime economies and sexual politics? Oh, ed and their live shows are pretty wild too.

For the uninitiated, a little backround info: MEN are made up of JD Samson, best known for her involvement with Le Tigre and a 2006/2007 playmate of Peaches in her backing band The Herms, Michael O’Neill (Ladybug Transistor) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR) as well as fellow Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman who remains in the backround alongside artist Emily Roysdon and contributes as writers, consultants, and producers; as you can see, MEN have a pretty stellar pedigree.

silence

A short while back, we managed to catch them in their fly by night visit to the UK, where they briefly rocked up in Brighton, Soho’s legendary Madam Jo-Jo’s and the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen (where Amelia’s Magazine squeezed our way to the front of the room). The crowd were made up of a mix of music label A&Rs (MEN are very much the hot ones to watch for 2010, don’t you know) and devoted fans of JD from her Le Tigre days.

JD, the charismatic little devil that she is, had the crowd wrapped around her little finger and calling out for more, as witnessed in the rapturous reception she received as she bodypopped her way through ‘Simultaneously‘. As MEN’s guitar riffs joined forces with a deep electro beat, friends of the band stood at the back of the stage holding banners high, as you can see from the photos.

fuck youred shot

A couple of days later, we had an email chat with JD and asked her to tell us a little more about what makes MEN tick……

We loved your live show, it was electric! Combining the elements of art and performance seems like an integral part of a MEN gig, can you share with us why this is important to you?

Being on stage is an opportunity to explore that space of performer, musician, and artist with an audience and bringing together elements of agit-prop theater, dance music, and the live rock band is a project we’re totally invested in.

What messages do you want your audience to leave a MEN gig with?

Questions about who we are in the world, where our money comes from, and how powerful it can be for people to gather together and share our space and time.

MEN don’t shy away from including hard hitting subjects such as sexual politics and war-time economics in the lyrics, unlike many other bands and singers. Is it safe to say that there isn’t enough activism in music right now?

I don’t want to judge other artists about what they want to talk about in their own art. We make music that talks about our lives and what we think about and where we exist as humans on this planet. Not many people talk about war time economies and gender fluidity but we do. and we are happy to be a queer activist band.
JD, Is your involvement with MEN different from your part in Le Tigre and if so, how?

Of course this experience is different for me. I am working with two new musicians whose collaborative efforts bring totally new elements to my music. I am still me, so a lot of my music and aesthetics are similar, but I have grown since writing with Le Tigre and I think its clear that we are doing something different and have new discussions with a new audience.

Celeste-Dupuy-Spencer.aspxIllustration by Celeste Dupuy-Spencer

What are the plans for MEN in the next year? And what subject matters would you like to tackle next in your songs?

In 2010 we will be working on our album, finishing our album and then sharing it with the world on tour. We’re excited to be making a new performance in Mexico City this summer with live hand drummers and our painter friend Celeste Dupuy-Spencer. We’ll also be performing at the 35th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival!

MEN-promo-pic.aspx1

We’re completely entranced by the art/performance band that is MEN. How can you not go weak at the knees for a diverse musical stew that fuses dance and electro beats with rock music and combines this with a dose of political and social activism that takes in complex subject matters such as gender roles, buy wartime economies and sexual politics? Oh, cheap and their live shows are pretty wild too.

For the uninitiated, this site a little backround info: MEN are made up of JD Samson, best known for her involvement with Le Tigre and a 2006/2007 playmate of Peaches in her backing band The Herms, Michael O’Neill (Ladybug Transistor) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR) as well as fellow Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman who remains in the backround alongside artist Emily Roysdon and contributes as writers, consultants, and producers; as you can see, MEN have a pretty stellar pedigree.

silence

A short while back, we managed to catch them in their fly by night visit to the UK, where they briefly rocked up in Brighton, Soho’s legendary Madam Jo-Jo’s and the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen (where Amelia’s Magazine squeezed our way to the front of the room). The crowd were made up of a mix of music label A&Rs (MEN are very much the hot ones to watch for 2010, don’t you know) and devoted fans of JD from her Le Tigre days.

JD, the charismatic little devil that she is, had the crowd wrapped around her little finger and calling out for more, as witnessed in the rapturous reception she received as she bodypopped her way through ‘Simultaneously‘. As MEN’s guitar riffs joined forces with a deep electro beat, friends of the band stood at the back of the stage holding banners high, as you can see from the photos.

fuck youred shot

A couple of days later, we had an email chat with JD and asked her to tell us a little more about what makes MEN tick……

We loved your live show, it was electric! Combining the elements of art and performance seems like an integral part of a MEN gig, can you share with us why this is important to you?

Being on stage is an opportunity to explore that space of performer, musician, and artist with an audience and bringing together elements of agit-prop theater, dance music, and the live rock band is a project we’re totally invested in.

What messages do you want your audience to leave a MEN gig with?

Questions about who we are in the world, where our money comes from, and how powerful it can be for people to gather together and share our space and time.

MEN don’t shy away from including hard hitting subjects such as sexual politics and war-time economics in the lyrics, unlike many other bands and singers. Is it safe to say that there isn’t enough activism in music right now?

I don’t want to judge other artists about what they want to talk about in their own art. We make music that talks about our lives and what we think about and where we exist as humans on this planet. Not many people talk about war time economies and gender fluidity but we do. and we are happy to be a queer activist band.
JD, Is your involvement with MEN different from your part in Le Tigre and if so, how?

Of course this experience is different for me. I am working with two new musicians whose collaborative efforts bring totally new elements to my music. I am still me, so a lot of my music and aesthetics are similar, but I have grown since writing with Le Tigre and I think its clear that we are doing something different and have new discussions with a new audience.

Celeste-Dupuy-Spencer.aspxIllustration by Celeste Dupuy-Spencer

What are the plans for MEN in the next year? And what subject matters would you like to tackle next in your songs?

In 2010 we will be working on our album, finishing our album and then sharing it with the world on tour. We’re excited to be making a new performance in Mexico City this summer with live hand drummers and our painter friend Celeste Dupuy-Spencer. We’ll also be performing at the 35th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival!

dyWarhol-and-Edi-with-scarfAll photographs courtesy of Idea Generation

The Warhol connection is a looming one, ambulance overshadowing many of the artistic talents tied to it, viagra their skills and achievements gobbled up by all that The Factory and the surrounding pop culture of 1960s New York has come to represent. But had it all been down to a single blonde-bobbed man – brutally brilliant as he may have been – it’s doubtful that the events of those days would continue to resonate so deeply through modern-day music, film and fashion. While aided by their associates, ultimately these individuals made themselves, be that via their romantic trials and intoxicated tribulations – or their undeniable creative talents.

dykhmer-6

Photojournalist Nat Finkelstein was ‘there’ – that is, perched on the couch in the Velvet Underground practice room watching Nico catch up on the headlines mid rehearsal; trailing Bob Dylan as Andy Warhol led him on a guided tour around The Factory; snapping a dreaming Edie Sedgwick absentmindedly sucking on her necklace chain, all oil-slick eyes and innocence. But he was also under the tutelage of the legendary Harper’s Bazaar art director Alexey Brodovitch; a star member of the PIX and Black Star photo agencies’ teams; in the thick of the civil rights movement as a documentary photographer and activist; and, as a result of these provocative actions, traveling the Silk Road through the Middle East from 1969 after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the United States.

dyassata

The ‘From One Extreme to the Other’ exhibition – now in its final week – that celebrates the work of Finkelstein is a broad and deep retrospective of a photojournalist whose visual documentation provided rare unguarded insights into the US subcultures and political movements of the latter 20th century. ‘From One Extreme to the Other’ spans Finkelstein’s life works, five decades of photographs through which he brought not just The Factory’s wild innards but the searing political heat of America’s mid-‘60s anti-war protests and the heady thrills and debauched spills of the New York rave scene of the ‘90s to his viewers.

dyduchamp

‘From One Extreme to the Other’ runs until 14th February and is an essential date for anybody interested in the power of the camera to capture more than its subjects consciously choose to expose. The exhibition, which took over the Idea Generation Gallery just weeks after Finkelstein’s death in October of last year, is a fitting tribute to the man whose shutter clicks drew the world’s attention to US unrest and underground tribes. Here – as the likes of Warhol knew – was a maker of icons; a man who had the ability to propel their image around the world.

dylanwarhol

Categories ,Andy Warhol, ,Bob Dylan, ,celebrities, ,Exhibition Review, ,Gallery, ,Harper’s Bazaar, ,Idea Generation, ,music, ,musician, ,Nat Finkelstein, ,Nico, ,photography, ,Pop Art, ,The Factory, ,Velvet Underground

Similar Posts: