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| Adorable kid, exotic Bolivia star in magical 'travel' video Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:01 PM PDT Naughty Boy's "La La La" has hit No. 1 in the U.K. Here's the story behind the coolest "travel" video since Coldplay's "Paradise"  Naughty Boy 'La La La' video courtesy of Virgin Records Limited. The minute we saw the video for "La La La" by Naughty Boy, we had questions that went far beyond how the catchy tune got us singing "la la la" so fast. Where was this thing shot? Who's the adorable kid? Could that incredible pooch steal Boo's crown as world's cutest dog? Now that British artist Naughty Boy's "La La La" has gone No. 1 in the U.K. and the video has a gazillion views on YouTube, we figured it was time to get some answers about our favorite "travel" video of the summer. And when we say travel, we mean somewhere other than a random studio shoot. Turns out that to shoot the video for the earwormy "La La La" (featuring newcomer Sam Smith on vocals), Brit filmmaker Ian Pons Jewell (on Facebook) ditched the beaten path of trendy travel and headed for Bolivia. Or rather, he stayed right where he was. More on CNN: Qasim Virjee and Indian electronica music Pons Jewell, who is an off-the-beaten-path kind of guy, was in country shooting Bolivia's Cholita wrestlers for Landshapes' "In Limbo" video when Virgin EMI video commissioners James Hackett and Sam Seager tapped him to create something equally compelling for Naughty Boy's "La La La." Pons Jewell jumped at the chance to stay in Bolivia and got to work writing a treatment and pulling shoot details together with his Studio Murmur crew, who then co-produced the video with the Bolivian production companies Foqus and Gran Angular. The song isn't only burning up the U.K. charts, it's a hit in Bolivia, where it's been played in parliament and where the ear-plugging "la la la" gesture is a new way to say "shut up" on college campuses. We talked with Pons Jewell about the video from his new home base in La Paz. CNN: Why shoot a video shoot in Bolivia? Pons Jewell: It's all about Latin America! There's a lot of incredible work being produced in Argentina, but Bolivia is very rarely seen; it's not somewhere filmmakers tend to settle, and I'm not sure why. It's got such a vast, varied landscape and a surreal edge to it. CNN: What are some of the locations we see in the video? Pons Jewell: We shot in La Paz center (the hotel scene), on El Prado; then you have Obrajes, which is the gym and traffic cop scene. Then you have Uyuni, where the train cemetery is, then the Salar (salt flats); and finally Potosi, the mining city. I wanted to show an almost alien and epic journey. [These locations] were the best suited for the time we had in traveling and and shooting, and on the way to the mines of Potosi, which were essential for the story. CNN: Speaking of the story, we've heard everything from it's a take on a Bolivian legend about the demon El Tio and a little boy fleeing an abusive home to a reboot of "The Wizard of Oz." Pons Jewell: It's "The Wizard of Oz" for sure, but twisted into Bolivian mythology and urban legends. It also has other para-political, high weirdness themes not as apparent, but I prefer to let audiences read it as they wish. CNN: So, who's the cute kid? And you're just killing us with that dog! Pons Jewell: The kid is called Franco Miranda, an incredible kid from a wonderful family. His sister, who is also a ridiculously talented natural actress, starred in my last video, and I also had a cameo from his mum and little brother. Franco was an extra in a corporate-type video I had done for the government. I wrote all about him in a post. [In the post, Pons Jewell calls Franco "the greatest kid in the world." As the blog reads, there's a great back story to his casting in the video: "Franco was just an extra but struck me as soon as I saw him. He gave off this really amazing energy, an adult's energy. As if he'd lived a really long life. His image stuck with me for the following week and I wracked my brain as to what story he belonged in cinematically."] The dog was streetcast! I stopped the owner on the street and got her number in case the video came off. More on CNN: Musical love letter to New Orleans CNN: So being able to streetcast a chau chau, the local penchant for funky traditional hats … what's not to love about Bolivia? Pons Jewell: It's pure freedom. We hear "freedom" so much in the West, mostly churned out by the U.S. government. But what have we found out? That around-the-clock surveillance and private information-gathering has been going on [for years] on everything from e-mails to phone calls to Facebook. There is the constant fear mongering of terrorism, economic crisis, threats abroad and at home, and I was very tired of digesting this every day in the U.K., which is headed on the scary path of becoming another U.S.A. Bolivia has the most "freedom" I have ever experienced. With all the good and bad that comes with that, of course. But I haven't felt anything near the level of anxiety and depression I would have in London. For filming, Bolivia is just incredible. There's mountain, desert, jungle, city, colonial buildings, old ruins and you can access it all easily. CNN: What else should people know about Bolivia that they don't? Pons Jewell: That the whole thing of Bolivia being voted most unfriendly country for tourists is absolute bull---. Bolivian people are lovely. They are humble, quiet souls, in La Paz anyway. But then you can go to Santa Cruz and it's like Brazil, full of more overtly chatty people. Then there is Tarija, the "Capital of the Smile," where you drink red wine all day in the plazas. I have yet to really explore Bolivia, but am so excited to. You can watch a "Making of La La La!" on the Studio Murmur website. Naughty Boy 'La La La' video courtesy of Virgin Records Limited. Tags:      |
| A town called George: Why now is the best time to hit Penang Posted: 17 Jun 2013 03:01 PM PDT George Town is a UNESCO heritage city. Organizers of the annual George Town Festival aren't letting you forget why  Even on the average day, George Town is a cultural overload for visitors -- the city is rightly famed for its food, history and diversity. Clearly, UNESCO knew what it was doing when it listed the Malaysian city located on the island of Penang as a World Heritage Site back in 2008. To mark the five-year anniversary of that designation, organizers of the annual George Town Festival have amped up the island's cultural offerings, stuffing a huge amount of art, film, music, dance and food into a single month. Despite the heritage connection, the festival isn't just an ode to the city's history. This year's George Town Festival offers a balanced lineup that highlights the best of George Town and Penang culture while adding international performances and arts. "George Town is a very special place, the people here take ownership of their space," says George Town Festival organizer Joe Sidek, who says funding is the biggest challenge in planning such a large arts event. "It about us sharing our town as a 'canvas' for our visitors. George Town provides the most important backdrop for the Festival." The festival started earlier this month and carries on until July 7 –- the day before the official UNESCO-listing anniversary -- though some events last till the end of July. Here are a few highlights. For the full schedule, visit the George Town Festival website. 1. Theater of Ships
Situated between the city and town halls on Jalan Padang Kota Lama, the sculpture uses interwoven bamboo -- inspired by local culture -- to create a theater. Visitors can check it out for free. "Taking the structure of the boat as a symbol of the importance of the sea in Penang's identity, Joko creates what he calls the 'Theatre of Ships' as a public 'theater' for locals and visitors alike to come together and celebrate the enduring legacies of travel, trade and cultural exchange," say organizers. 2. Obscura Photography FestivalThis inaugural photography festival, on from June 21-30, aims to engage and exhibit photography by both professionals and amateurs through a series of public exhibitions, talks and forums, workshops and portfolio reviews at locations around Penang. Participating Obscura photographers include Texas-born Maggie Steber (who worked with the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic), Ian Teh from London (Time and Newsweek). For the full schedule of shows and locations, visit the Obscura festival website. 3. Sutra
Inspired by and starring the famed Buddhist Shaolin monks, Sutra features 17 monks from China's original Shaolin Temple accompanied by a live orchestra performing a piano, percussion and string score by Polish composer Szymon Brzóska.
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