27-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelI just went on a short trip for a shoot to Newport. This old colonial style town I really liked, and I am sure I will visit it again sometime to see a bit more of the cultural sites, like the preserved houses and museums. Those houses and estates are enormous and amazing! Like the Breakers, a famous house once owned by the Vanderbilt family.
I could choose: Airplane or train. Since I try to fly as little as possible, I took the train. The Acela express takes you in less than 3 hours from NYC Penn Station to Providence. From there I was picked up by a car service, to get to Newport. The train was pretty nice! My business class seat was probably on par with one in an airplane. But this is so much more convenient! Free wi-fi and food shop on board. Add the lack of lines and security screening, and this made it a very convenient trip.
I stayed at Hotel Viking. A really old hotel with nice rooms in the middle of town. They have a good gym, that I used a lot, and a nice indoor pool. Although their food did not look too organice( They “Proudly serve Starbucks Coffee”) I did find some green things in this hotel.Check their environmental policy! For instance, my key card was made of recycled paper, and was recyclable too. Good choice! And they use biodegradable detergents... and more!
I always try to mix work with fun, that means either getting a massage, watch a good movie, or go around town. This time I did not have too much time, so I spent it working on Organiceyourlife.com, which is a major pleasure factor for me!
I woke up very early, and went to the gym. 15 min treadmill, 20 min bike, 15 min excercises. Unfortunately when I arrived to the shoot, they only had breakfast from Starbucks, so I ended up eating 2 bananas for breakfast. Lunch was better, and I overate on potatoes (so good!) When I get back I am going to do a cleanse or something haha!
The people I worked with were very nice. We shot at The Marble House, also a house once owned by the Vanderbilt family. As the name already shows, it had a lot of marble, and is definitely worth visiting when you get to Newport. It was a nice day and I enjoyed the sun.
When I went the train station of Providence, I noticed they put baskets out, where people could leave their unwanted newspapers and magazines, to get recycled. That’s a little thing you can do but does a lot! All that paper can be used in many new different ways… like for the production of my keycard at the hotel I told you about before!
I was hungry, and saw a lot of junk food, as you usually see at gift shops around America. Then I try to choose the thing that is the least harmful, and it became raw almonds. While there are stories out that tell us that those almonds are maybe not so raw as the company say they are, I prefer those over chips, colorful chocolates, or cookies that never go stale. Next time I pack a few more of the healthy snacks I usually bring (nuts, dried fruits, granola)
The best thing of getting back to NYC, was that I went straight to meet Anne-Marie at Purumé, the new organic restaurant on 13th street. The bokchoy dumplings are sooo good!
A great end to this fun weekend !
02-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelIt starts tomorrow!
From June 3rd to 6th is when DEFF, the Dutch Environmental Film Festival, organized by Strawberry Earth is happening.
3 days of films all about environmental en climate issues!
Sounds amazing to me and I really want to go!
This year it will be in Amsterdam (Studio K) and Rotterdam ( Lantaren Venster)
Check the link below for the time schedule.
I am really interested in the film Garbage Dreams, a film by Mai Iskander, about 3 boys that try to survive in Egypt, by recycling waste. It won the Al Gore Reel Award and a lot of other prizes worldwide. I am looking forward to the film Carbon Nation by Peter Byck a film about the climate problems and SOLUTIONS ( Yes! Something positive!)
Will you come watch the movies?
On June 6th, the "GOLDEN STRAWBERRY FILM AWARD" will be awarded to the best documentary or film, in Hotel De Goudfazant.
31-05-2010 | Posted by: Maruja RetanaSeen any good movies lately? Well, I saw 'The imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' yesterday, AWESOME! But before that I was invited (thanks to Lonneke) to see something more serious... Beautiful Tuschinski in Amsterdam hosted the premiere of a documentary called 'Sea the truth', a film made possible by political party 'Partij voor de Dieren' and the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation. So...early in the morning a large group of people gathered in front of the cinema. Mostly politicians and activists (I felt a little bit like an oddball fashionwise) that were interested to see the sequel to 'Meat the truth'.
Sea the truth describes the alarming situation concerning the fishing industry, focussing mainly on 2 aspects: the shocking decrease of fish in the oceans caused by commercial fishing, and the incredible amount of poison that is polluting the fish. Interviews with scientists and other experts are accompanied by amazing underwater footage of diver Dos Winkel, reminding us how wonderful ocean life is.
Here are some shocking 'highlights' according to the documentary:
- if we continue overfishing, there will be no fish left around 2048. That means we have about 40 years of sushi left (if we're lucky)...
- most commercial fish (except for haring) contain an enormous amount of mercury, much higher than science advices us to eat. And mercury poisoning does not seem fun...
- In the North Pacific Ocean there is a so-called 'island of plastic', (also known as 'plastic soup') a large area of litter in the middle of the ocean. This is obviously terrible for the ocean and it's contaminating the fish that we put in our mouths...
- to make fish oil, a mere 3-5% of the fish is used. And the omega 3 doesn't even come from the fish, it comes from algae.
'Sea the truth' was a good piece of information about an important part of the food industry. Even though the tone of the documentary was slightly moralistic (which always makes me a bit rebellious), I still found it very useful to hear the facts and figures. I thought the problem was well represented, and eye-opening in a way. What I absolutely missed was a 'ray of hope'. Having done research on behavioral change, I am convinced that people will only change if they believe there is a better way. I've never seen someone change their behavior when somebody told them what's wrong without offering a better alternative. The only message I heard in this documentary was: stop eating fish. I never eat meat and very rarely eat fish, but I almost felt like my mommy was scolding me! (and yes, as a result I had a sushi-fest a few days later)
Food is fuel, and what we eat affects our bodies as well as the earth. I myself have been experimenting with my diet this last year to see what makes me feel most healthy and energized, using mainly local products that cause the least waste for our planet. Having said that, I strongly believe that even though we should absolutely take this seriously, we should also feel like this is not a restriction, but rather a choice to live a healthier life. Telling people what to do is rarely effective, but informing people how to do things better for themselves and the planet might have a shot.
But, maybe I'm doing the same exact thing in this blog... ;) So, watch 'Sea the truth' and decide for yourself!
16-05-2010 | Posted by: Nancy BommelI don’t believe in coincidence, so when I meet special people, there’s always a reason for it. So was my meeting with Hetty van der Linden. An artist with a great artistic heart for disadvantaged children.
Hetty’s enthusiasm and dedication leave an indelible impression after a conversation in which her message is even more clear with all the examples and stories she uses to help you understand.
She travels around the world and asks children to paint their dreams so that one day their dreams might come true. Established and well-known artists from many different countries are inspired by the dreams the children paint and incorporate them into their own works of art. The paintings are sold and the proceeds go directly back to the child - helping to fulfill their dreams and create a better future for them and their families.
Picture: Lalaine from Madagascar She had never seen a paintbrush up till then but still painted the word Bienvenue and a buffalo. She lives in the tiny village of Beloa, three hour’s drive from the capital Antananarivo. Her school was provided with teaching materials and each the 191 families recieved a chicken, a bucket, a shovel, all kinds of seeds and various household utensils with the proceeds from this painting.
Currently Hetty is visiting Peru and who knows one day we will be travelling together to the native country of my daughters, Guatemala, where we will be painting for the future of Guatemalan disadvantaged children. If you meet her she probably comes in her fantastic, painted bus, home to all kinds of dreams. Don’t forget to watch her movie about Madagascar while visiting her site!
05-05-2010 | Posted by: Anne-Marie Van Dijk
With a special thanks to Lonneke, Eyal and I were invited to a very special occasion - an introduction and sneak preview of Christy Turlington's first and new documentary movie, "No Woman, No Cry".
The event was attended by a nice group of people, including famous designer Diane Von Furstenberg and model Liya Kebede, who is also known for her tremendous charity work.
"No Woman, No Cry" is dedicated to addressing the lack of maternal healthcare in countries around the world leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women each year while in 90% of those cases the deaths were completely preventable!!
It is shocking to learn about such high numbers when in fact, the technology is there. America alone has a high maternal death rate, but not just because there isn't enough maternal care....... ethnicity plays a role in this case with caucasian women having a higher chance of receiving proper care than women of different color.
This is shocking and deeply tragic.
If you feel as strongly as we do about this or would like to know more, visit the links below.
We, at OYL, will of course keep you updated when Christy's film comes out in the cinema!
In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful trailer - Eyal and I were especially touched by Christy's sincerity and devotion to the cause.
She stands behind every word she says and is a true 'ambassador' when it comes to maternal healthcare.
04-05-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelLast week I went to Ouarzazate, Morocco. You get there by flying to Casablanca, and then onwards to Ouarzazate. This is a different world than I am used to that is for sure!
Ouarzazate, is a place in Morocco known for the big blockbuster movies that are made there. A few of them: Gladiator, Alexander, Kundun and the new Prince of Persia featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, and Sex and the City 2 have all been filmed here! I saw the whole set of the Prince of Persia movie when I was there, and even sat on a horse that was used in many movies!
I was shooting for a luxury Italian designer who is mostly famous for his cashmere, with a hug crew of about 25 people... I was far away from home with people I did not know at all!
For 4 days we were there, and spent the whole day together. You suddenly are very intimate with people you have never met. I sometimes find that weird, as you act like best friends for the days you work, and most of the time, don't see the people for years after that job, and sometimes you don't even see them ever again...
But nice friendships can evolve, and you definitely experience things together, that you will not forget the rest of your live. That is why I love my work, you go to amazing places, experience things you never imagined and build interesting relationships with the people you work with.
Back to Morocco: I ate vegetarian Tajines with local and seasonal vegetables everyday.(very healthy) I saw the most beautiful sand dunes I have only seen in movies ( and the sand dunes in the movies where exactly the ones I saw now). It was simply amazing. ( even though we had to wake up every day very early to catch the first sunlight, as the early sun and late sun are the best light for pictures).
We drove to Merzouga to shoot a bit more, a drive about 6,5 hours with stops included. It was far, but so worth it. That is where I saw the sand dunes, and camels for that matter. We stayed in an amazing "sand castle" a hotel named : Kashbah Timbouktou.
Driving past all the small villages, made me realize how lucky I am. People sometimes don't even seem to have the basic necessities. they live locally, and some will probably never leave the area they live in. Like the boys who take care of the camels there , camels used to have tourists ride them. They have a very special relationship with the camels, who follow them with every step they make. Some of these young boys also sell items to tourists, like bracelets and stones and fossils, which this area is known for. They learn english, italian and even dutch from tourists... That is their life, everyday, work in the desert. But it will be very unlikely that they will travel anywhere the rest of their lives....This is their life, and that is it.
I was amazed by the contact the locals have with nature. They don't complain, they just live with the heat, the sun, the sand. They don't seem to need much. They live on the streets. Animals like dogs, cats, horses and donkeys, seem to have a much rougher life too, than our pets that get organic food and go to the groomer every few weeks...
One more thing: I did notice in the afternoon you only saw men together on terraces enjoying tea( where were the women?). I do know where this comes from... but hey, I like to drink tea too!
We did have an "Arabian Night" one night with the whole team, and danced in the middle of the desert with music by locals. It was full moon, saw many stars and we ate great food, and had an amazing time!
Morocco was definitely a great experience for me, and it opened me up to a total different world, different nature, different people I am used to, and I am very grateful to be able to do that, and share it with you :)
I will add pictures later on the community!
in the meantime: Are you just as excited as me to see Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia? And Sex and the City 2, who both coincidentally come out on the same date: May 28th 2010?
25-04-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
20-04-2010 | Posted by: Mallory June
26-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
12-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
12-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
08-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelTODAY IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
Every year on March 8 it’s international women’s day
The first international woman’s day was declared by Clara Zetkin at the international woman’s convention in Copenhagen in 1910. Reason for this was the massive strike on the 8th of March in 1908: 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
After that, every year on March 8th, people in several countries would hold marches and conferences about women’s issues.
Unfortunately the 1st world war ended this custom.
With the feminist movements of the sixties the interest in the Women’s day returned and in a lot of socialist countries like China, Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam it’s an official holiday and has a status equal to mother’s day.
Throughout the world there are many events today:
One of them is tonight’s premiere of the movie Desert Flower in Amsterdam
This movie is based on the biography of internationally famous supermodel Waris Dirie.
In this book she tells her story from being born into a nomad family in Somalia, about being circumcized at only 5 years old! How she escaped her family when she was to marry a very old man, and eventually moved to London and that's where she, while working as a cleaning lady in Mc Donalds, was discovered as a model.
Waris Dirie became an UN ambassador for the abolition of female genital mutilation, and since then raised her own foundation (www.waris-dirie-foundation.com)
I’ve read her book a few years ago and it moved me very much! Seeing this movie will definitely be on my list for things to do this month!
by Irene Dirks
