No. 23 NSSN Bulletin 'Them & Us'

Without links as FB keeps blocking this message - noticed that was happening with FBU strike info and links too and some peoples profiles were dissapearing.. What was also good was that another support group with a wider audience cut and paste the whole bulletin and sent it round to their 1,514 members!

THEM:
The huge cheers as cuts were announced in parliment, spoke volumes of the real interests and concerns of this CONDEM government. With half a Million public sector jobs to be slashed, now a total of £18 million from Welfare, and more taken from benefits than will be collected in the bankers levy, this is not us all in it together!

The 'Debt' is not ours to pay, it has come from the Bankers bonouses, the wasted Trident spends, MP's expenses, and the uncollected taxes of the rich. The £6 million pound uncollected taxes of VODAPHONE, which provoked a protest this week, is just one example.

AND US:
When it became clear that the TUC Congress had pulled back from organising a demo in response to the ConDem Comprehensive Spending Review this year, the NSSN, along with RMT, FBU, PCS and NUT London representatives decided to go ahead and call one which was led by Firefighters and RMT members. Fuller reports on our website.

As the Scottish TUC took the initiative for a national demo 20,000 took to the streets. Over 2000 people attended the Bristol ANTI CUTS alliance protest from across the South West and were shamlessly attacked by Police. Great marches also took place in Manchester, York, Sheffield, Wrexham, Cardiff, Belfast and Lincoln. Inside the SERTUC rally Bob Crow raised the temperature and gained a standing ovation.

SO WHAT NEXT?
An NSSN model motion for united coordinated action and a national demo is now being circulated. The NSSN in London and elsewhere will encourage all its supporters to push for a 24 hour public sector strike and a national demo before Xmas! PCS at its recent NEC is also supporting this and will be pushing for this too. (PSC NEC Link disabled). This is alongside continued work within our unions, alliances and community campaigns. We will then follow up with an Anti-Cuts Conference on January 22nd.

INTERNATIONAL
TAMIL NADU - 500 workers jailed in dispute with FOXCONN. The company signed an agreement with a union belonging to the ruling party in the state -- a union which had no support at all among the workers. Messages of protest requested:
www.labourstart.org

PROTEST 2nd Nov, 4.15pm, Australian High Commission, The Strand, London: Ark Tribe is an Australian construction worker and trade unionist who faces jail for refusing to face an interrogation by the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), an anti-trade union body set up by the previous Howard government.

Friday 12 November 2010, Demonstration in memory of Jimmy Mubenga RIP Died while in the hands of G4S private security guards, , Assemble 10:30am @ the Angolan Embassy in London (22 Dorset Street, London, W1U 6QY). Nearest tube stations: Baker Street/ Marylebone. March to the Home Office (2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF)

GENERAL ANTI CUTS
Large Anti Cuts Lobbies & meetings took place this week in Hackney, Bromely & Greenwich.

30th OCT March
Hastings - Stop the cuts with a Halloween theme, fancy dress welcome. Robertson ST, HASTINGS
Brighton - 12 noon The LEVEL BrightonStopTheCuts-owner@yahoogroups.co.uk
Portsmouth - 11.30 Guildhall Square - louismacdonald@ntlworld.com
Plymoouth - 11am Plymouth Guildhall
Meeting WIGAN Trades Council Public 10.30am UNITE office, Wallgate.

Facebook LIKES PAGE
We will keep this group page going for now, and have set up a LIKES page as its becoming challenging to input all information into a weekly bulletin. With a this kind of page we can share information on a daily basis. Your thoughts and suggestions welcome. Please LIKE us :) NSSN - Fighting Cuts and privatisation.

NSSN WEBSITE
The new design is almost ready to go live which will be great to better navigate information and updates.

Join - Affilate - GET INVOLVED
info@shopstewards.net

'Join us in this painful battle'

others words...

Screening spaces weblink

Might show Ways of seeing 40 with L's film in Nov.
Link of other places based on seating available SCREEN ROOM
Mostly bigger venues but still good.

Technique or emotion?

Walked into this darkly...later than I wanted to. And it was, is a moving, depressing but actually thoughtful film. I sat at the back and could see and could hear the silence, we were thinking, we were there, emotionally engaged.

To talk about this film as genre, authenticity and lies was not enough, I think we needed to, should have allowed for the emotional response to it and then moved to how was that done and what are the challenges with that.

Part way through he opened up a personal reason why he wouldn't be around, and cried. A collective hug and warmth was there... you don't have to perform your way through this, today, tomorrow or yesterday.

Representing Resistance? Performing Resistance

Representing Resistance
(Doing it)
By Representing are you Performing
But can you, can I represent resistance whilst performing it?

Representing Resistance? PERFORMING RESISTANCE

Lobby of Government

Today I should be off to a TUC organised lobby of government.. it was only promoted by email a few weeks ago, they are so slow in leading. The energy from others, from us, has pushed them a little harder but its interesting to see that only an email from the leadership can ignite an interest, leadership matters.

I might go later but not for the indoor rally... though depends on some of the networks and organisations I work with now. Will you all be there?

And as I text others... I get a call to come along.. its funny I am being egged on to attend by stewards from 1111

Triptych

Chris E had said I should consider the form and its history in art. So on Sunday, whilst searching for loo to use between films and walking, I went into the National Gallery and asked, any triptchs. She sent me to the Sainsbury wing and said most were from 1400ish religous pieces.

Here is a little more from wiki. and I didn't realise till I got to some of them that they were panels in churches... whilst I looked around I wandered, if they took away the two sides what would be left? What do we loose without those panels.

One panel I looked at had a prayer on a side and just reading the wiki in 1944 Fracis Bacan, a dark but very interesting artist I like, did one, 'Three studies for figures at the base of a crucifixation'. Of this he said, "I could not paint Agamemnon, Clytemnestra or Cassandra, as that would have been merely another kind of historical painting…Therefore I tried to create an image of the effect it produced inside me."[32]

Silent Souls, Stray Bullet

Went to see two more films on Sunday as part of the LFF.

Silent souls was a Russian film and again limited dialogue with some narration from one of the characters, which it could have done without, or found another way to speak. Some things were good to explain but perhaps some other way or overall it could have been cut. BUT I found this film quite moving, and quite stark too. Slightly mesmeric in it visual imagery, repition, slow long shots, incredible music.

Even some sympathy with the man at times, though he knew he was with a very young woman who 'obeyed' him. All the films I have seen express women's oppression... The woman is dead in this and its the ritual of what someone does in this small area of Russia, but it tells much about her life and how her husband used her. Sickening and sadning.

Stray Bullet was more mainstream in its narrative and form, a woman who didn't want to marry her uncle in the context of the war/s ongoing in Lebanon. Great titles which made me think it was going to be even more interesting as a form but it wasn't.. gave me a direction. Sat in for the Directors Q & A the director asked, did she win? He said with a smile, leading us... Another man in the audience said yes, she didn't marry him. That's right, she was made to leave her home, her mother was shot and she ended up in an asylum! 'Course she fucking won!?

Winters bone

Watched this at Rich Mix with Sophie yesterday. Glad to have called her, she had been asking people in Liverpool about the project the day before, she has a committed considered energy, probably doesn't realise how important it is.

A very moving, sometimes shocking journey of a young woman trying everything, anything to save her home. Holding the hands of the man who took you there as they are sawn off is fucking harsh.

Very few words are spoken, long shots and a tension built. One of the best things I have seen this year.

Flack seeds and surrealists...

Accidently passing the Tate, we step in...and off to my favourite floor. I should know so much more, remember but I don't, so here... just the walls of the floor, I love the text.





On the way out we looked at the Flax seeds... at a distance they do little for me, or her. The film by Kate Vogel of the process of producing these was good.. stunning shots but the tension between the artist who wants to feel the workers who made them were connected and the workers materiality in relation to this. Will they ever see what he did, be part of it at the end? Enjoy? Reflect? Or wait and hope for another job, a better job as food falls off the table into greedy mouths of our leaders. Stolen.



Purple Cake is a possibility...a visual protest. Our protest. Protest how you feel comfortable or are we way to self and media concious? Its a luxory to be here. And K said all the people like us are cleaners and security, she's right. But we have the right to be here too, perhaps even more right, right now.

Purple Cake

Its not what you say but might do... Might we?

Wear Purple, share cake...

Each day, each hour, each moment is filled, what do we do, what can we do?

Looking towards each other for answers and together to be stronger.


I need to work out the difference between a United Front and a Popular Front too.. what is it we are aiming for?

NSSN website

One organisation I work within is the NSSN. Its been a breath of fresh air in the challenges that I have faced with Stalinist officials and those whose class interests keep them limited in their view of the world...

So this year I helped develop a facebook page. In 21 weeks we have gone from no 'friends' to 536, the biggest flurry was to start, then building for conference gave us another 100 then the lobby and recently it seems to be one or more a day. We have another conference in January so that will lift us. I hope for 700 by then.

Meantime I have been the person who writes a weekly bulletin, yes me! Its nuts but thought I would start the ball rolling with short updates of disputes and demos linked mainly to industrial issues as thats the purpose of the network and focus.

It was good, has been good to do, cyber politics and profile raising.. if we're not online, we're not alive! Hmm.. hate that but with a media that does not and has not represented society and industrial action and issues fairly then making use of tools that help is important. With NSSN we have a limited website, infact it drives me mad now.. a re-design is due as the form it takes stops people engaging in the content. As such there are perceptions about the depth of the network and its reputation. Another campaign has no grass routes meetings, events, campaigns or the kind of TU backing we have but has a stunning website and they have profile raised through that and the use of celebs... but the 'celebs' for us are us....Anyway, its now just about to be re-designed, got a young man to start the ball rolling and suggested how it might be organised. Would love to spend time on the look but can't so how it might gently appear but importantly what will go where, timescale it, and re-launch it...I think it will help us and right now, we need to share information as effectively and effeciently as possible.

Memory - Test

Was just reading a book - (and tempted to look at my notes for the names) one chapter relates to a postgrad project of several students who worked together and each one would pick a theme and then speak about it. Afterwards they would write up notes about that experience, those who presented and those who didn't. It was expected people write up in an hour, no more, to stop the self censorship. Interesting, like morning pages and also surrealists.. how do we know what we right is how we feel, what we recall.

Made me comfortable and happy to give myself this again as I worried, after reading some of the notes how badly it was written... who might read it and what they would judge from this. Somehow I seem to have had a few more people read this than I have shared an odd page with..Latvia and Isreal are two areas.

That book was one of 3 I scrimmed earlier, another chunky one called the art of memory. Decided not to take that, due to its weight, its heavy, and full of Greek history on what people did and how and examples across history. It draws me but I can't, don't wish to take all my time up there, however interesting. But would it give me ways of reflecting on how mine works in a historical context and what I could learn from that. I learn with you, through you.

What else today?

Doc lecture and film earlier: PT & Second years
Began with SELF REFLEX FILM - THIN BLUE LINE
I still think its got as much poetry and expos and performative elements as Self Reflexive.

Titles incorperate the thin blue line, as many films I have recently seen, the title visualise and incapsulate the aim and intention of the film. I liked this and thought I might fall asleep in the warmth of the room, and general sleeplessness but it was engaging and the reconstructions worked well as well as the delicious images: The clock, the milkshake thats thrown away, the red light (anger, energy, stop the injustice, circular) repeated and well used. I like the frame within frames of one shot that had us looking into the window framed, and with another frame of the building. I loved the use of text and ECU of typing, it looked beautiful and I want that and have that within 47. Past and present, what you have said and what was done.

The work of the filmmaker was to explore the 'truths', examine them with the camera, through converstion and some previous documentation and in the process of developing relationships unravel the injustice. Within a year Adams was released. The truths that people imagine and have been fed that the moving image, that documentary is the whole truth, as opposed to the constructed, pre determined artifact that it is.

Thought about why re-construct? Take us away from H & S shots, visualise the moment, show not tell. The facts of the case exist in writing but thats not enough to speak and explore with others, visualise it. Breathe in and feed upon it.

I drew shots instead of writing mountains of notes that I do, though I did that too. The process of writing as I hear helps me focus, remember, think, even if I have heard about it. Painfully fast and slow at times..

He was also encouraging us to this arty... what else could this film be about beyond the story, beyond your basic subject. It is a film after all.... I like that, it gives me a pit stop in the battle ground of my mind. I have one heavy part of me that knows that working in the way I would like to will limit the audience.. on another would I be dis honest and going against what I see and feel. I perform resistance daily.. in some many groups and moments... do I wish to create a populist piece on this period? Yes and No, it wouldn't make sense.

Looking inside and out

Which way to go?

Stalker film

I need to put something in about this. Watched it on tuesday - the film was a 1000 photographs, rich, layered and stunning.

Made in Dageham review from Time out

I thought this review was interesting, the critic refered to 'our labour' history. Unusual to align himself but good. He ends to and I wonder about his assumptions, my assumptions of the audience:

'Politically it’s light, but its mission is honest. It highlights an important episode in a style that you imagine would appeal to the same women it honours.'

David C (Time OUT)

Doc 2 with PT

Second part of Nanook and I'm still but its slower and in some ways more beautiful and mesmeric than the first part. Winds and snow blowing in one direction, Nanook and family walking towards the camera, in the other direction. Coming towards 'us'.

Night Mail
Machines, Alienation, industrialisation, machines more important than humans, part of bigger picture, know your place. accept you place.
Night mail starts with a 3d title, we are about to show you more depth, though its contained within these boxes. It ends with a more transparent end title, though still not clear, but with a train behind it. Wires across the sky, they are more prominent, more important. Role of men, invisible women, contrast, rhythmic, rap/poem of Auden.

Grierson - 'I look at cinema as a pulpit'
'Problems facing society had gone beyond comprehension of most citizens'
'Night mail was seen as industrial enabler for social change?'

"Art is a hammer, not a mirror'
(I thought that was Brect?)

UK GPO
US Corprate
RUS Experimental
Makes sense of world affairs, economics and movements

(Was thinking whatever I create for MA, I am still representing and performing resistance, NSSN, HADPS, Web, social networking campaign profiles, support film distribution)

HOME F
We should aspire to the suburban life and the wife, the children and rest our male worries.
Rich live in the west of london, like now! And with HB cuts and general house prices little has changed. 10 years of your life goes down as you go from Kensignton to Aldgate.

Study of Film, Study of Literature
Class society accept

Even if I dont speak I am within a collective converstation, space. Why silent? why speak?

SPARE TIME F
How do workers spend thier time from 3 industrial sectors

Time 'we' call our own
Music obvious - takes one scene to next.

ACTION
Get notes from PT
Ask about DSLR camera workshop - smaller cam with lenses.. lovely!
Check filmstore on Mare st

Meeting - Poll Tax & 47 footage

Inbeween all this or inbetween all that I find here. .. re find.

Last night was at a meeting about ' How we beat the tories last time', it started with some footage of the Liverpool 47 and whether they would set a budget which meant cuts and Derek H. Then of the Poll Tax campaign and Tommy sheriden building the anti poll tax union.. and with Terry Fields talking about whether he would go to Jail or pay the poll tax. He went to jail.

Good footage and a great way to start the meeting.. so if its all already there then what difference or more could I add or share?

Nanook - Some history which annoys me

Cinematography 2

Research in practice, being within a group, hearing and seeing.


To start the day I watched 10 minutes of The DIVING BELL & BUTTERFLY
Even ten minutes gave an flavour... Titles beautiful use of xrays, soft focus, with a nice gentle french vocal.

Opens with a POV shot from patient, waking in from a coma. Shots of fragments of faces, eyes, blurring in and out, with occasional blips of black. Nicely framed and close.

Then Read a little of Auden & Documentary and Masc - Steps right in and argues what is a workers film? As the 30's saw documentary subjects being focused that way but a lack of clarity of that meant. For a worker, by a worker, with a worker and what was a worker? Lack of class analysis suggested, yet also clear. Workers, or the working class are not uniform in thinking and being but are connected by their/our relationship to the means of production. Do we live without selling our labour? Can we? Older versions related directly to manufacturing but there is still a power, in a smaller group of workers in Britain concentrated and vilified for daring to taken any action, expect anything. RMT, RMT, RMT.

It did ask questions around gender noted the invisibility of a woman, cut out of the screen, the story the frame. That is important to note, the history of women documented is also limited, those who create, those that are portrayed, subjects, stories, and focus.

Then back to Cinematography -

Hitchcocks rule - Size of character related to size on screen

Overlap
Size change
Verticol - Above and below - Japanese
Horizontal - Eyes scan from L - R (West)

Linear perspective - 15C
Alberti - 1406 -77 Italy pre Renaisance
'Battle of xx' Converging lines
Visual depth

Foreshortening
Use of body - hand in front of shot, larger..

UCCELLO - 1432 'Caravaggio - 1601'
Supper - Low light and high contrast

Looked around for a minute, of a room of 13, two thirds men. 3 women write notes.

Haze filters out more longer wavelengths than shorter ones. - Depth

F STALKER - 15 years before Chernoboyl

CHIROSCURO
Lighting technique (Italian R)
Self Portrait - Rembrandt 1629
'Graduations of light & dark'
= low key lighting


F Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick 1975)
Kubrick wanted to show how life would have been, no film stock could capture such low levels of light, until Nazi's began to develop a lens. Later Ziess developed it with an .7 Fstop allowing double the apperture of normal light.

Content of piece - the framing mirrored formality of society through the slow shot.

F 'In one'
No camera movement, long static
Individual Challenges Frame

Many filmmakers reacted to Hollywood mainstream by using long shots.
Abbas Kiorostami - 'filmmakers only make one film in life' its just broken into cinematic fragments. Does not want people to feel guilt but think and consider.

PLAN SCENE - Each film one shot
F TOUCH of Evil

Consider what tools we have to experiment and develop mood.
Tripod, Angles, Aperture, Focus

Also noticed how no-one wants to speak, the silence of doing. Don't want to be seen as leading but doing. Interesting, perhaps we have text and fb to engage so leave gaps in reality.