Ukraine: Documentary, July 17

Two things happened that made me decide to stay until September: One, the rabbi of Zhytomyr was attacked. Again. Secondly, a company I worked with last summer on my climbing camp has greatly expanded themselves and now own a television channel and set themselves up a production studio. They have a documentary. They need someone to do the English translation and hock it in America. I need post-production work. They're not going to do it for free, but at a discount of what is already obscenely cheap compared to America.

This is a massive risk because when I go back, the teaching year will have started and there may be no slots. I might find a job, I might be waiting tables until next fall. But I now have enough faith in what I've filmed so far to think that this movie will sell. I never thought that before: it was a personal project. But I've gotten enough great footage--not just good, but great--that I feel I can make a powerful film with what I have, let alone some of the interviews I have been promised, which migh kick it up another notch (sorry to be vague, but unless I have something, I don't like talking about it).

On other news, A woman in Chicago who works for a company that doesDNA testing for Jews looking to find which graves hold their relativesheard about my project (from an attendee of a presentation I gave inTucson in March on the Holocaust in Ukraine; how random is that?). Ifilled her in on the status of the documentary and, finding that I wasself-funding it, she offered to find my some funding from hercontacts. She asked for a dollar figure and I have no idea how muchto ask for. I could finish the film for $2,000; I could finish it for$50,000 or more, depending. I have been afraid to crunch numbers because I didn't really want to think of how difficult it might actually be to finish the film when it comes to post. But I've now started doing all the research to put the final budget together.

Somone finally came through with finding me some skinheads. Twogroups, one in Kyiv and one in Zhytomyr have been informed I want to talk to themand they are willing. The Zhytomyr group had already heard of me:apparently word has already gotten around that the American constantlyseen with a tripod strapped to his back is doing a film onantisemitism. I've also got a lead on an antisemtic group in Poltavathat holds regular meetings and wouldn't that be a hell of a thing tofilm...

Also, I found a perfect song for the film, by a Ukrainian group calledBoombox. It's called Kviti v Volocia ("Flowers in the hair " inUkrainian), but it's not so much the lyrics (about a couple who promise to be together forever, but the boy is called away to work overseas) as themood of the whole song. It's this slow, haunting melody on accousticguitar, punctuated occasionally with brief turntable scratching. Somesoft singing by the (male) lead singer in Ukrainian, then it kicks inwith a slow break drum beat, the guitar continuing and soon the guy iswailing over all it it. As soon as I heard it I was seeing the imageslaid over it of graffiti, broken gravestones, broken windows andsnippets of Ukrainians bashing on Jews (which, I've found have beenprogressively easier to get; Mariana I have been "bombing" inZhytomyr, Kiev and surrounding villages. She walks up, microphone inhand, me with and already turned on camera and starts asking aboutJews. Caught off guard they start talking and it's all unvarnished.Asking permission, we have found, gets us nowhere, and since it'sobvious the microphone is connected to a camera pointing straight atthem, it's not like they don't know what's going on). I had beenwanting to get a more modern, sad, but still obviously Ukrainian song. i think I've found it.At first, I thought I'd put together a "music video" for the film tothe song and toss it on YouTube, which the fundraiser in Chicago hassuggested I do to help her show people what I have so far. I figuredI'd never get the rights to the song for use in a distributed film asBoombox is a nationally known group here. But I mentioned wanting touse that song to a friend of mine last night. She reminded me of aguy who works at a Zhytomyr radio station that is friends with herbrother, who also works there (I met all of them about a year ago atan event put on by the station). He's friends with the members ofBoombox, who happen to live in Rivne, near where Jon used to live.Apparently they'd be cool with something like that and would probablywelcome the American exposure, she said. She's going to try to get mea meeting with them. And I have also become aquainted with a coupleof PR people working in Kyiv who are now bothering their mediacontacts about getting me footage that the news has shot for variousstories (finding the graves, the Torah scrolls being confiscated, MAUPloosing their accredidation, etc.).So, a lot of potential, but I'm not holding my breath. Still, I havefound telling every person I meet about the film means that usefulstuff gets back to me. Now we just have to see what comes through.Extending to September, though, was a good idea. Otherwise I'd be inan insane time crunch and if I've relearned anything, it's that stuffcan happen, it just takes a lot of time. Especially in Ukraine.