winding down

well hey there.

cannes is great and things are winding down. I leave monday back for home and finals...yuck, but this has been a really genuine experience, I hopefully would love to do this more. I've been updating you kiddos on my favorite films of the festival and it's come down to this. I won't attach anything if I've already done it in previous posts.

GREAT FILMS---

Heartbeats ---> absolutely love

Animal Kingdom ---> A twisted Australian American Gangster meets Cinderalla Film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5BsYRmMfus

straight up ballsy and awesome

straight up ballsy and awesome

The Myth of An American Sleepover ---> super totes magotes

Exit Through The Gift Shop ---> best ever

GOOD FILMS---

Bang Bang Club ---> Black Hawk Down meets Pullitzer Winning Photographers

Blue Valentine ---> Heartbreak film. Really powerful

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps --->Surprisingly Good

Happythankyoumoreplease ---> a really good feel good film

These are my favorite and they are simply great.

you really must try and see this film

The Myth of an American Sleepover.

This film was just great and well done. Really made me dream of highschool and growing up in middle school and everything that went with it. I straight up missed it after watching this movie. Don't get me wrong it's a very mature film, but it's a journey and an experience, all in one night on the last day of summer. I LOVE it. I mean that picture enough sold me on it.

You know. Here's a quick trailer. The trailer isn't really great to be honest and it doesn't accurately protray the film but maybe it will we your appetite.

http://vimeo.com/9315965

I remember highschool days and it's really nostalgic. It was quite fun. I even remember getting stressed out several times, but those concerns pale in comparison to what I experience now. Remember when all you had to worry about was school, sports and your latest crush? Man. that's all I have to say for now.

Another film that kinda impacted me was Blue Valentine.

http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/7924/Blue-Valentine-First-Look-Clip

I think it will hit american theatres, maybe, maybe not, but if you have ever been in love, and gotten your heart broken, like deeply. This is really effective. It really explores it. It stars ryan gosling and michelle williams and it's really well done. It leaves you exposed with real feelings, and intriqued and interested regarding this institution called love. How people fall in love, and how they sometimes fall out of it.

Ok I have become incredibly lazy trying to attach video and photographs however everyone of these films are great, and deserve your time and energy to appreciate them, so I strongly suggest you do.

One more thing.

The other night I had dinner with the man behind www.firstshowing.net everyone needs to go here. Just a great heads up on films and the industry and he's really cool and rad and knows what's up. Most of the links I send ya'll are from him so just a lil shout out. He has more info on a lot of these films I have seen as well for sure check it.

www.firstshowing.net

Ok right now I am rambling and not making any sense, and I'm really scatter brained sooo i'll have to go.

P.S. I think I am discovering something. Like I had mentioned earlier....stay tuned

au revour america

love and war; good and evil

I'm not quite sure where to begin.

Have you ever had so much to say you just choked up and weren't really able to express anything?

that's me right now.

love and war, good and evil. these are heavy institutions. sometimes films can help you understand them and feel for them. for better or for worse. here is a film you just may enjoy, and truly feel for. In American it's called heartbeats. It's simply great.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/04/30/gorgeous-trailer-for-xavier-dolans-les-amours-imaginaires/

love and war; good and evil

tis a gift to be simple

The past couple days have been quite the learning experience. Honestly I've seen some pretty incredible films as well as some crappy ones (Robin Hood). I've met a lot of intriquing and interesting people and I've gotten some time to really meditate on some things. I've decided I hate american cinema. Well....most of it. It seems like most of the films here in Cannes truly capture something. It's amazing. There are some really compelling stories built from the ground up trying to really capture something, not looking for some big payday.

Sitting down to think about it, people here have come for various reasons. Some to sell and distribute films and others to party and have a good time. One common theme however among several Cannes goers, seems to be this sense of status. Indulging in money, power, and pleasure. Whether subconciously or not these people are all here being driven by this force of nature to constantly want this fruitless sense of security.

I am deeply happy that among this sort of venture and lifestlye there are eye opening films that challenge this concept, that make you really think about what is important throughout the complications and worries of life. One of these films that did this for me was a sweet little documentery called Exit Through The Gift Shop, created by the one and only Banksy.

Now I gaurentee many of you have never heard of him, but let me start by saying I highly recommend anyone and everyone to see this amazing piece of artwork. I don't even really know where to begin.

This film literally rocked my brain on so many different levels. I think I'll just send you the link to the trailer and you can get the gist of it. As amazing as this trailer is though it doesn't do the film justice.

check out the trailer here

http://www.banksyfilm.com/

From this film....I learned and experienced a peace through simplicity. Many of the people portrayed here just lived. I don't know how to explain it. They found their passion, they just did their thing and didn't care about anything else but how to touch other people. This seems to be quite an interesting way to live huh? To really...just live? to not worry about today or tomorrow, or this or that, but to just....live....

here is some of his artwork, enjoy this.

Another thing that often gets in the way of people just living is money...

this an amazing film coming to theatres sometime this summer called

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. This movie stars Shy La Buff (most definitely spelled incorrectly) and Michael Douglas.

It is simply great. Really amazing. This too also just makes me want to live and not be consumed by the greed, and foolishness we are all so susceptible to.

so far Cannes is cool. good stuff. but more then the good stuff, I'm learning great stuff. It's like the cream filling, or the other side of the rainbow, or the city of el dorado......but not quite.

au revoir

p.s. I'm really tired

at it again....

You know, a lot happens in a year. It’s always funny looking back on things. In retrospect they seem like one big celestial blur, but when I sit down and think about it, it was a big deal. I think sometimes we take lots of things for granted. For example I think it’s a great blessing for me to be alive this year and to able to do the things I am doing and have been a part of. A year ago today was a very long time packed full of very different life shaping things. All in a year. One year….I’m sure everyone has had different crazy experiences in the past year. I know I have, no doubt about that one. I’ve met new and interesting people, been through shape shifting ordeals. I’ve had the craziest of highs, and the most dreadful of lows. I’ve been through emotional trials and I’ve been blessed through it all regardless. Things happen, people come and go, things come and go, nothing ever seems certain. Life seems to always be this shape shifting amoeba. At one moment you’re this and that, and at the flash of the clock you’re something else. Somewhere else, with someone else. I cannot stress just how daunting it is the people and experiences I have engaged along the way. I cannot express the things and people I may have lost as well. Truly the only constant is you, is me, is the person. How one grows, and changes and deals with the shape shifting. It’s always changing, but you’re still you. You’re still you…..

“You”, “Me”, “He” ,”She”. It’s funny there are a lot of people in the world. It sounds like such a cliché thing to say but think about it. It’s so very true when you meditate on it. I’m chilling in the airport staring at the various faces around me. I wonder what might be going on in their lives, what they might be going through, what they’ve been through, what they will go through. And then I think about how there are thousands of other airports, millions of other people cycling through day by day, interconnected with even more people. People from all the four corners of the world (even though the world is round). All of us shape shifting, most of us oblivious to an idea of what this crazy larger picture of our existence might be.



One of the craziest things to happen to me last year was my opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival. Not expecting it at all I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to go there again this year…today. I’m shape shifting. I’m at it again, and I don’t quite no what I feel. I think it will be all interesting with the screenings, and the people, and the atmosphere, but with the grand scheme of things…it can be well, I’m not quite sure.

It’s funny, I’m going to be revisiting some people I never thought I would see again, being involved with situations I thought I could never re-live. I’m intrigued to see the change. To see the shape shifting in myself, and in others. So many experiences are going to be brought to the table. It might be a good meal, or it might be some nasty slop. Who really knows?

It’s as if for a moment in this celestial blur, all eyes will turn to Cannes, France. A convention of shape shifting people, a celebration of life. There will be people from literally all over the world convening in one place. What a thing. I just can’t express it. Different people from different places, all here due to their life changing, shape shifting existence. Like myself and my experiences, they have their own things that have led them to the very place.

This festival is going to be something. I’m not quite sure how much I’ll be writing and blogging, but lets be real, yes there will be awesome films, and recognizable people, and for the sake of doing it, I’ll let ya’ll know about it. But I want to go deeper. I want to go above and beyond the event, beyond the media hooplah and the red carpet gurus or the trending thespian socialites. I want to try and take it into a deeper level, and discover something….who knows what I’m searching for. Who knows what anyone is searching for….

I’ll keep you posted on my explorations.

I’m just a boye in Cannes, but I’ll see what I can do…


P.S. Longboarding in the South of France is the best thing ever,

Movin On Up

Last night we saw the premiere of up. Dressed to the nines in a bow tie. It was pretty legit. In fact it was awesome. I am awake and really tired so let's see how that plays out in this blog.

So up. watched it with 3D glasses. It was legit. I think 3D is still in it's pioneering stages, but I can imagine like in a year or two we will basically be in the movies, i'm pretty stoked.

But yea Pixar continually just cranks out those great ones. Everyone should go see up, especially if you have liked Wall-E and Monsters Inc. Etc. It just keeps coming.

Yesterday was sweet, I started my internship and stuff so I got to run some errands do and that whole thing. My adventures brought me through some pretty sweet hotels. The Carlton and and Martinez are no joke.

The Red Carpet was legit too. When I was on it at the later screening of up, we had a lot pictures being taken and stuff and I felt so legit unitl they were handing out cards for us to go buy them haha.

Anyways I should most likely go take a nap. My thoughts are scatter brained for sure ( surprise surpise)

Before I depart though I just want to leave you with a thought of the day.

Yesterday I learned something really important that I would say is well, really important. Well maybe it's a couple things. For confidential reasons I won't be dropping how I came to this conclusion but basically I think everyone who is reading it should really be thankful of where they are. Yea we don't always look this way and that, and maybe we don't have this or that, but You have something! and that is what is important. There is something about you that is awesome, and great and can set you a apart. And maybe you have a couple of things going against you.

This just means you get to experience life in a whole new light. You can still persevere through i'm convinced about anything. It comes down to who you are, and what you hold on to. They sky's the limit. Look UP.

Haha no pun intended. But seriously. Keep thinking and letting those brains work. Payce.

The Calm Before The Storm

No Picture today.

Just imagery.

Imagine being at the Worlds biggest festival the day before it's goin to happen.

Its calm. Kind of cool. Really interesting.

Today all the kids in the program got aquainted with the city of Cannes, it was pretty sweet, cept for the fact that our train that got delayed arrived like an hour before the tour so like no rest really cuz my train stunk.

Anyways got a bus pass, got this sweet cannes backpack and my accredidation badge, and started some pre-production for our film. It's been pretty rad. But i fear it's just going to be crazy.

I have already started doing work for my internship getting all my boss's gear ready before she arrives and stuff. Looking at what screenings I want to go to etc. etc.

So yea right now getting ready for the next two weeks, it's going to be an adventure and I think I'll learn a lot about myself. Maybe meet a star or two, meet some contacts. I actually met one on the train today. His name was Marvin, or Melvin. I should remember I know, but sometimes it happens. Anyways we talked about his film career and his faith, and it just really made me think. If you don't know me by now, I love to think. Almost too much, haha. But it's all good. He talked about Islam and how it was his anchor, how it was his light in this crazy industry called Hollywood.

What makes Melvins faith true? When you look at Christianity, Agnosticism, Atheism, and all these other isms and anities, what makes one more right then the other? What makes one more special? Marvin/Melvin seemed to think that Islam was the only true light and truth why I argued the opposite. We were each so sure of what we believed. Are you sure of what you believe? I sure am, I still think the dude is wrong, but I still love the guy. Anyways just a little thought of the day. Think about what you believe, and ask yourself if it is really your truth. If it isn't figure it out, talk to me about it if you want!

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Can I just say when you go into another country make sure your phone is freakin unlocked, don't just think it is, but make sure, I dunno it just might save you 4.50 Euros a day. aka like 7-8 bucks. It adds up kids.

Anyways have a good one on the other side of the world or wherever you are. Do good things. Do great things, but don't do it for yourself.

Oh and Ice Cream is best in Europe.

I still love America though.

kind of.

Spain and Paris in a Nutshell

Ola! Como Estas!
Bonjour! Parlais Vous Francais? ← (spelt this wrong for sure but don’t care)

Hey there. Boye Here.

(Picture of me)


Alas this is the long awaited blog you have all been waiting for (not really).
Many of you know why myself and my compadre Colin are in Europe, but if you didn’t know here’s the 411.




Colin and I due to the vast amount of time on our hands have decided to participate in the famous Cannes Film Festival located in the South of France. Some of our expenses were paid for due to the “Why My School Rocks” Competition that we had won (thanks to your help of course), so we decided to throw in a Europe tour to add to our adventures.

We arrive in Cannes tomorrow and we have already a week of touring completed, so let me get you guys up to speed.

First I must say the trip has been nothing short of amazing, intriguing, and any other similar vocabulary words you can think of.

We arrived into Madrid last Sunday May 2 and we were immediately blown away. I honestly believe we would have been lost if it weren’t for Ramon and Angela. Exhibit A

(picture of ramon y angela)


Thanks to Colin’s mom ( thank you Allison) we were able to meet up with some locals in Madrid, and I’m sure glad we did. We immediately were aquainted with Spanish culture, the city of Madrid as well as free food and hospitality : ). We even got to hang out with
Their son peter. Or Pedro I believer it is officially.

(Picture of Pedro.)


Can I just say most Spainiards are very nice, and their food is very rockin. So good, and so different. Have you ever had Jamon y Melon? I doubt it! Ham with Melon? It’s good! I dunno look it up on the internet or something!




Anyways so we had bomb food and for our two days in Madrid we had a great time, saw some great sites and took some great pictures and video, I can definitely go into it more in person! But these are some of my favorite pics from Madrid.






From Madrid we went to Sevilla! Beautiful city, and full of Americans. I guess studying abroad it is the city of choice. It was funny because we could definitely tell who the Americans were. The girls all look the same, it was kind of weird. Like picking out a needle in a haystack, Then I guess we decided people prolly were doing the same thing to us and felt awkward.

I mean we are 2 tourists wearing American Casual Clothing, which is wack compared to the way Spainards dress. We had lots of Cameras and backpacks. Man I felt like a dad or something like that.



You know moving along with the theme of dress. Can I just say that Europeans have the best dress style you can ever imagine? They are so avant-garde. Like you think you dress good? Come to Spain and you’ll realize you don’t. Except maybe Daniel Han I think he could fit in haha. NEWAYZ. They just have the best shoes and straight up style.

Some of it’s different too. Like I dunno if this is something the West will adopt but I noticed from time to time I saw girls wearing male Jeans so that like it was really baggy, instead of like fitted jeans, or bell bottoms or wutever girls wear. Now I know that thought of wearing baggy jeans is crazy but if you ever get to see what I’m talking about (sorry I don’t have a picture) it just works out.

So little things like that, just take my word for it.


So back to sevilla. After we had settled into our hostel. We walked the city. LOTS OF WALKING. We are too cheap to pay for taxis. It get’s kind of pricy I mean using Euro’s and everything.

Sorry I keep getting distracted.
Sevilla! We are walking down the street and all of a sudden we see Candace Cook! Out of nowhere!

Just kidding haha. That probably wasn’t funny, however; we really did meet up with her

Exhibit A


She has been studying abroad for the semeseter with her friend Joelle so we got a solid foot on Sevilla as well. So far we have had bomb tour guides I love it!

Sevilla reminded me of a college town. Very beautiful lots of people our age. Check out the pics. They be fresh, you know.

Pics of sevilla









After Sevilla we took the Ave train to Barcelona. These trains are rockin. The Trains stations are rockin. The Metro’s are rockin. Anything involving a train is just awesome.

Before I get into Barcelona I just wanna talk about some stuff that I learned and observed.

So Spain for a long time has been Roman Catholic. Recently however they have basically become a socialist liberalist country, and it seems to be working for them. Well kind of. I don’t know how and why, but most people just have all this money hanging out. We come here and stuff is expensive yet I see kids our age droppin the same amount of money. But get this, THEY DON’T WORK. It seems like their parents will support them till they are out of college. This isn’t foreign to me, because it seems like every country except for America operates like this. It just kind of makes you think.

Healthcare is free. Transporation is easy and simple. Everything is rockin. I almost want to move to Europe! The only thing though is I feel a lot of people have no hope. I see it in their social life. At least in Spain. The essence of life seems to be centered around the party. Or fellowship. To me this seems empty. I’ve had some sweet talks with some people. Even with the languae barriers so I’m hopin to see their future thoughts on the matter.

Soooo this is the typical day of a Spainiard of any age. Wake up around 7ish, so far so good. Go to school an hour or two later. By 2-4 everyone is done with their work and they take an afternoon nap, called a siesta. And then adults go back to work. They get home around 9 eat dinner, and then stay up very late. I’m takin super late, and then repeat the cycle. It sounds a lot like a college kids with the late dinners and afternoon naps.

I mean so if you want to nap forever come to spain!

Well Back to my adventure I guess. This I think has been the highlight thus far. Barcelona! Beautiful place. I almost don’t even know where to begin.
Yesterday was our biggest day. We decided to take a bike tour and it was the best decision of our lives. We biked around a lot of Barcelona, saw the sties, learned the history and ate the food. Did some beach action. It was spectacular, and we had the best tour guide ever. He was like South African and spoke four languages. Everyone speaks at least two languaes here it’s crazy!

Anyways so we did that whole thing then we went to Parc Guell to see the Gotti Architecture. I hope you all remember Western History and Art so you know what that is. I sure didn’t even care until I saw it! Anways the location we were at overlooked all of Barcelona which made for a beautiful site, NBD.

From there we saw Star Trek with Spanish substitles. Best Movie Ever. Most def go see it! That’s all I have to say on the matter.

I guess I kind of cut that trip short but I feel like this is getting too lengthy. I am on the train to Paris currently, and I basically stayed up all night so I’m kind of tired too.

Now it is this night before we go to Cannes. We got to hang out with Clement and his family friend. It was awesome. We rented some bikes, and biked some sites today, like the eiffil tower, and notre dame. Biked at night in sprinkling rain in Paris. Best ever.

So yea night before the infamous Cannes Film Festival. Getting prepped up and ready to role. I'm trying to figure out how I can best come out of this experience positively and not dead after all the fatigue. But hopefully it's all gonna work out great!

You know one thing I have noticed so far after being in another country. Is just kind of putting life into perspective. I am basically on the otherside of the world. And even though things are so different. Things are still basically the same. In Europe there are children, people have families. People work. People Party. There are the popular people, the awkward people. The sick, the poor, the wealthy, the criminals. Houses, cars, boats. Free Wi-fi. Do you get the picture? All I’m saying is that there is something that ties all of us together here in this life. For everyone to be so different yet so alike must say something about our existence. I dunno it just makes me think, I hope it makes you think as well.

Basically though, Europe is awesome, I suggest everyone come over here. Lots of walking, new food, new sites, cultures. Experience life please and don’t just stay stuck in the city or region you grew up in for the rest of your lives because you are afraid to leave or try.

You only live once, and I say that one life you live matters.

Hopefully more to come in the next day or two, if you pray keep us in your prayers, if you don’t pray, talk to me, haha anyways have a good one. I hope things are going well with you, more soon!


oh and P.S. I guess I have a sort of limit on photos because my pics were starting to act all wack soooo instead go check out colin's photos on the whole gig. pretty marvelous.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1858064&id=504356199#/photos.php?id=1279200064


oh and here is some legit new music!

http://www.myspace.com/parissocialclub

http://www.myspace.com/thelastshadowpuppets