tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54601852012-01-25T21:40:37.624-08:00TRAVEL ALONG WITH PRODUCER AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER LIZ NORD AS SHE CHRONICLES ADVENTURES WITH HER FILMS AND OTHER TV & VIDEO PROJECTS, ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL TRAVEL, POLITICS, MUSIC, AND MEDIA MUSINGS.Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.comBlogger1031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-18800390777219261752011-06-26T06:59:00.000-07:002012-01-09T13:33:11.375-08:00

For the next long while, I'll be doing most of my blogging at the Battle for Jerusalem site. During June and July, I'll be working on the film and Jerusalem Unfiltered, and blogging straight from the heart of the Holy Land. Please come along for the ride, and stick around there for future posts as we delve into post-production!

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-87150525071092425222010-11-05T15:25:00.000-07:002010-11-05T15:27:45.518-07:00

Yup, I'm gonna be that guy for the next six weeks, asking you, my loyal friends, to support my new documentary BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM. Click the image above to see brand new video from our first shoot in Israel, donate to the campaign, and get some great perks in return. THANK YOU!

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-82258337002247709592010-09-28T19:02:00.000-07:002010-09-28T19:34:02.359-07:00

@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Perhaps as the Universe’s response to my working on production for the National Christmas Tree Lighting last year, this one ended up being chock full of Jewish-oriented clients and projects.The most

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-12134468280708148322009-12-24T07:09:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:49:06.441-08:00

Ocean MacAdams, former head of MTV News and easily the coolest person I’ve ever worked for, approached me with an unusual request last month. He wanted to know if this latke-flipping, dreidel-spinning, sheyne-meidel would be interested in working with him on the National Christmas Tree Lighting show. Because it was Ocean, and because I’m always up for trying something new, I jumped on the

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-261643925464943192009-12-14T06:56:00.000-08:002010-03-16T07:14:58.801-07:00

The lovely Italian writer and photographer Chiara Barzini visited Brooklyn this past June on an assignment for XL Magazine to find hot, up-and-coming NY filmmakers and learn how they were approaching their work and finding success outside of Hollywood during this economic crunch. Miraculously, I was on her list.I had the pleasure of joining doc-makers Margarita Jimeno (Gogol Bordello Non-Stop),

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-75906838754021558432009-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:002009-09-17T08:45:04.693-07:00

In the past three months, I’veAttended the funeral of a best friend and the wedding of anotherBeen to two foreign countries in two different hemispheresTurned 32Thrown the bridal shower for my closest-thing-to-a-sister, a friend of 27 yearsHelped clean and move out the apartment of a beloved aunt who left 40 years of swingin’ NYC life for a retirement community upstateStarted and finished a

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-30330788412594167732009-08-03T14:50:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:43:41.448-08:00

A filmmaker friend just told me about his 2 months spent in Chad, interviewing victims of Darfur. I was like, “Woah.” I then told him that I just returned from Haiti, having shot footage for a short documentary on Wyclef Jean’s inspiring organizaton, Yele Haiti. He was like, “WOAH!” I guess that should give you some impression of what I was getting myself into…Haiti is a unique country—the first

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-25763025245749027572009-07-19T10:03:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:49:26.758-08:00

The trip was not nearly over after the amazing ROI experience. Seth flew in on the last day of the summit, and joined me for another week of mayhem, Israel-style. I won’t get into all the nitty gritty here, as I am packing and prepping for the next adventure…leaving on Monday for Haiti to shoot a short doc on some young people who have benefitted from Wyclef Jean’s incredible organization, Yele

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-84971429305766003952009-07-19T09:27:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:49:26.758-08:00

I must admit, my ancient Israeli roots reared their obstinate heads at the beginning of the ROI Summit, leading me to enter it with a hearty dose of skepticism. For one thing, we did a group exercise on the first night that asked all sorts of questions to gauge the makeup of the group at large. One asked if people would feel comfortable being married by a female Rabbi and the answers came back

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-53782113865752272392009-06-23T17:24:00.000-07:002009-06-23T18:01:48.023-07:00

A handful of intense and heartbreaking events have gone down recently that leave me counting my blessings, so what better time to visit the Holy Land for a little spiritual centering? The last time I was there was to screen Jericho’s Echo at DocAviv four years ago. Good thing I'm leaving on Friday for the ROI Summit in Tel Aviv!I was so honored to be invited to this gathering of "young Jewish

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-21409468780820331152009-05-14T21:20:00.000-07:002009-05-14T21:54:09.415-07:00

It's hard for me to write this post because it's hard for me to admit that things aren't awesome. But they're kind of not. I've been dealing with a family health emergency, and that paired with this economic situation has really been getting me down. Plus the damned rain just won't seem to let up. Mother Nature, what part of APRIL showers don't you understand?Most of you know that my last gig

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-85868792037777403582009-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:002009-08-03T15:46:51.306-07:00

Keeping up with all this social networking hoo-ha can feel like a full time job, and I haven't even gone virtual. Hell no. You won't find me in Second Life, because I'm too busy with my digital life!I've got a website, this blog, and three active email accounts. In trying to streamline, I've phased out Friendster and myspace in favor of a Facebook/Twitter combo, and I keep photos on Flickr. I

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-26807302333415974662009-03-26T11:54:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:12:02.326-08:00

I'm headed to Texas for the second time in 2 months. Not sure if I like this trend, but at least it's Austin this time! #sxsw 11:11 PM Mar 17th That was my first “tweet” related to Austin’s massive, annual music fest and conference, South by Southwest—otherwise known as “SXSW” or “Southby” by music industry types who want to seem cooler than you. I headed to Texas’s dusty capital with my

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-36294550309289308882009-03-24T18:32:00.000-07:002009-03-24T18:43:56.240-07:00

We are in an era of faster, more, and I do try to keep up. I shoot digital video; I take zillions of digital photos and post them on Flickr and Facebook and then Tweet about it. I live in a big, noisy, wild city and I love it. But...despite all the visual and audio stimulation constantly streaming in and out of my brain, I will always put great stock in the good, old fashioned WORD.I was

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-20746602064143081302008-12-26T12:39:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.362-08:00

This incredible journey has been a lot of work...schlepping, hiking, freezing, defecating in holes in the ground, sleeping in train cars while being stared down by Chinese men or on rat-infested boats. Well, today, we were unexpectedly rewarded with a one-day-beach-resort vacation.We boarded the top-level of a double decker bus on Hong Kong Island and went up, up, over the mountains until

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-21211990584906611802008-12-24T17:39:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.362-08:00

Today we walked...and walked...and walked...and got a pretty good feel for Kowloon and the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Our adventure began with the route between our hotel and the Kowloon Harbor. The area around the harbor (Tsim Tsa Shui) is one of the most touristed in Hing Kong, with its high end shopping malls, expansive view of Hong Kong Island's glittering skyline, and Hollywood-esque

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-90382423650232729192008-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.363-08:00

We arrived in Hong Kong this afternoon. Even though the islands are officially part of China again (and not the UK), we still had to go through customs. This involved filling out departure cards, leaving China, walking 300 meters, filling out arrival cards, and entering Hong Kong. They do love the red tape in these parts!We are staying in Kowloon, which is across the harbor from Hong Kong Island

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-53383414016332090172008-12-21T12:26:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.363-08:00

Our full day in lovely Yangshuo was one of the best of the trip. We started out with a 15-or-so-mile bike ride through the countryside. Once out of town, the views of the massive, rocky karsts was uninterrupted by buildings. We rode past streams, tiny villages, rice paddies, cows, chickens, bulls, mandarin orange trees, and beautiful views on all sides.(Along the bike route) We stopped for lunch

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-16447849246343807612008-12-18T00:18:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.363-08:00

Our trip is quickly being redeemed in the friendly and colorful town of Yangshuo. We arrived before sunrise from our overnight train ride and cleaned up a bit, and then sauntered out for a morning look around. It's a small, pretty town with Westerners aplenty (There are several English language schools here) so it was easy to feel comfortable walking down its stone-paved streets.And then we

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-57793669337119259552008-12-16T05:52:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.364-08:00

We spent much of the next day on another, smaller boat, exploring China's Three Gorges. I suppose they were beautiful--one of them is depicted on the ten-yuan note--but honestly, my head and the sky were both so foggy that nothing much registered with me.the second night on the boat wasn't as bad as the first, with the help of earplugs, Tylenol PM, and extra blankets. Our meal was tolerable, too,

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-22570081517326739862008-12-16T05:39:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.364-08:00

Every trip has its low points, and after many highlights, I think we've hit ours. On the insane chicken/duck bus ride I mentioned a few entries ago, we were told that the five-star cruise that we were supposed to take down the Yangtze River (usually a highlight of this itinerary) stopped running in winter, and we would be taking a "regular" Chinese boat. That also meant that we would be spending

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-15843208926501290082008-12-16T05:30:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.364-08:00

In the morning, we made our way back down Emei Shan, this time taking a more leisurely pace and getting to fully appreciate the glorious jade jungle, incredibly fresh air, and waterfalls.We stopped for breakfast at the cleverly named Hard Wok Cafe about 1/4 way down the 1,200 steps. We had also eaten there the night before, as the curious establishment was the only restaurant for miles. It was a

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-7378695734797549342008-12-14T05:48:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.365-08:00

Our poor night's sleep at the monastery was especially unfortunate since the following day would be our longest and most physically challenging of the trip. The payoff, however, is that it was also the most breathtakingly beautiful and magical, taking us through landscapes that looked like living versions of ancient Chinese paintings. I honestly don't think I can do justice with the written word

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-12505276546012953032008-12-14T05:32:00.001-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.365-08:00

We left Chengdu to escape smoggy, urban China for a few days of exploring Buddhist holy sites in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Our first stop was the appropriately named "Giant Buddha," a 1,200 year-old statue built into the side of a riverside cliff. It's the largest Buddha left in the world after the previous record-holders were destroyed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. To put it in

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-55558971587343182232008-12-09T20:51:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.365-08:00

Another overnight train ride (16 hours this time) brought us to the charming city of Chengdu, home of our trip leader, Ammy, and of the Giant Panda. The train rides are kind of fun but also kind of weird. Because we are in sleeper cars, there is nowhere really to sit except for the bottom bunk or small, foldout seats in the main aisle at the feet of the beds. Therefore, Chinese patrons take turns

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-83875017580795917812008-12-06T15:44:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.366-08:00

Xi'an is the ancient capital of China--home to around 12 dynasties during the first thousand years of Chinese dynastic history. The layout of the city and its surroundings is supposed to have good fen shui (Our local guide told us that girls get prettier and boys grow taller within a year of moving here.) and I actually did get a good feeling being here. That could also be due to that fact that

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-15132420414466632872008-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.366-08:00

Today began with an exhaustive group tour of Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. Visiting Tienanmen Square was really weird for me. I was about 12 years old when the student protests and subsequent massacre of protesters occurred here, and I still remember it so clearly. I was deeply moved by the fact that these young people, only a few years older than me at the time, were fighting and

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-3529111051525665172008-12-05T00:35:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:48:24.366-08:00

I am sitting in the craziest place. It's the Beijing West Railway Station around 9 PM and we're awaiting the overnight train to Xi'an with about 1,000 other people, standing and sitting in just about every surface--the floor, chairs, boxes, luggage--and raising an incredible clatter. Our little group seems to be the only foreigners in the huge hall. This is the most like what I expected in

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-80706668607370952182008-12-03T02:30:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:50:41.659-08:00

If I'm being honest, I really wasn't that excited about seeing the Great Wall of China, as compared to other sights planned for the trip. It's probably because the only other "wonder of the world" I've seen--Stonehenge--was a little underwhelming. Pile of rocks. Whoop-de-do. However, low expectations have served me well in the past and yesterday was no exception.Seth was kind enough to take the "

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-7721494880664505682008-12-01T04:39:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:50:41.660-08:00

Ugh. Jetlag. It's 3:37 AM. Should be sleeping. Might as well take the opportunity to start writing!We haven't even officially started the first day of our trip with Intrepid Travel--which begins in about 4 hours with a visit to the Great Wall--and there is SO much to say already!First of all, I am really proud of myself & Seth and our "accomplishments" so far. Our first day and a half in China

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-21649120215238962832008-11-23T11:36:00.000-08:002008-11-23T12:44:52.074-08:00

OK, so I haven’t blogged in a while. A year and a half, to be exact. I’ve been a little busy with one of the most amazing personal and professional experiences of my life. If there was ever a year to cover politics from a youth perspective…THIS was it, and I got to help run the campaign that invented the very notion of youth-oriented election coverage: MTV’s Choose or Lose.I watched—and

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-29241000433508993852007-06-27T07:09:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:47:39.113-08:00

I first connected with Adam Hootnick, director of Unsettled, a few years ago when he was still a producer at MTV News, and I was talking to them about Jericho’s Echo. At the time, I thought, “how many Adam Hootnicks can there be in this world?” and it turned out that yes, he was the same Adam Hootnick who grew up in my hometown and attended my rival high school. It also turned out that we were

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-44067408033678819772007-06-12T06:03:00.000-07:002007-06-25T06:57:43.619-07:00

(Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge)Those of you who have been following my adventures for a while will know that I love New York City. (Thank you, Andrew WK, for putting an excellent tune to that sentiment!) Now, thanks to the aligning of stars and an open-minded husband, I can call this amazing city my home!!!I am so excited to be here, and to be closer to my old friends and family, and to

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-18196806532796581272007-05-12T11:09:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:51:35.168-08:00

(Ocean Beach on the evening of our going-away bonfire)After seven rollercoaster years, Seth and I are packing up and leaving the Bay Area. As these entries are mainly film related, I'll spare you my mushy goodbyes and just talk about getting to go out with a bang, as the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival happened to coincide with the weeks of our departure.For the past 4 years, I

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1167889084879831792007-01-03T21:27:00.000-08:002007-02-19T07:40:39.826-08:00

Children of Men, the new movie by Alfonso Cuaron. Go see it. I will be trying to interview the brilliant Cuaron for Death + Taxes this year, as he is also doing the movie of my new favorite book, The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I have never used this blog to make recommendations for you all, but here it is. A new year. Check it all out as soon as possible: Children of Men, Alfonse Cuaron,

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1166413239366091512006-12-17T18:20:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:51:35.168-08:00

Happy Hanukkah, Hipsters!This looks to be one of the best Chanukahs ever...thanks to the Hardcore Hanukkah tour!(Brooklyn's Golem Makin Chanukah Look Good)The lead up to the tour was pretty good in and of itself...with the Film Arts holiday party at a pub where my team kicked arse at pub-wide trivia and won ourselves each a whopping $5! That was Wednesday night, and Thursday rocked even harder at

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1166504354459952532006-11-30T23:51:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:51:35.169-08:00

I promised I'd write about the Film Arts 30th Anniversary bash from the last post, but next thing you know, I was too full of turkey and stuffing to get anything down on virtual paper...The gist of it is that the event was a smashing success...and made me feel quite proud to be part of such a venerable institution that has aided so many truly independent filmmakers, in a city where Hollywood

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1162673231082750222006-11-04T12:28:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:51:35.169-08:00

Hello, my long lost friends!My, it *has* been a while. And Lizzie has been busy!The foremost occupier of my time has been a fabulous new job as the Youth Coordinator at the Ninth Street Independent Film Center, home of Frameline (SF LGBT Film Festival), SF Jewish Film Festival, Center for Asian American Media (Asian American Film Festival) and the venerable Film Arts Foundation. It is at this

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1153595804649450312006-07-22T12:15:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:09:14.706-08:00

A few months back, the up and coming indie music magazine, Death + Taxes, featured a piece about Jericho's Echo. During the interview, I was shooting the breeze with Managing Editor Stephen Blackwell, and I suggested that the new mag add an indie film column to its well-rounded music coverage. "Great idea," he replied, "Why don't you write it?"So that's how I ended up in Henry Rollins' Hollywood

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1147028541065261222006-05-07T11:57:00.000-07:002006-05-26T14:05:41.850-07:00

OK, so I never post these online quizzes, but since I am still recovering from the Germany trip, I wanted to at least say Hello to you all...and hey, it's movie related!I just took this quiz this morning and found it amazingly accurate (unlike the "FInd Your Inner Rock Star" quiz which assured me I was Britney Spears!!). I saw High Fidelity and CRIED, even though it was sposed to be a comedy...

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1146006117986955442006-04-25T15:58:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.222-08:00

After four flights in two days, I descended through the clouds back into drizzly San Francisco. I’ve now had a little over a week to catch up on sleep and reflect upon the incredible set of experiences that made up Jericho’s Echo’s first European tour.The last few screenings whizzed by in a blur. We had my record-setting longest Q & A (a full hour!) in Trier, and met excellent people in Aachen,

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1145643925574373522006-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.222-08:00

Things lightened up considerably after Weimar. The drive to Munster was one of our longest, but I think we were both happy to put the experiences of the previous day far behind us.The screening was at an upscale arthouse cinema (cleverly named "Cinema Munster") and we had a 50+ person crowd. Johannes and I remarked at what a wide variety of venues we've screened in on this tour...everything from

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1145229939883262882006-04-16T16:19:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.223-08:00

Weimar was totally intense. I never got quite comfortable in the town where Hitler came to power; in the town that sits in the shadow of the notoriously murderous Buchenwald concentration camp.We drove in via clean, cobblestoned streets and pleasantly pastel townhouse facades, when we were suddenly assaulted by a huge eyesore--a dirty, brown, broken-windowed ramshackle of a place, covered with

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144864122226053282006-04-12T10:42:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.224-08:00

Nothing of particular note happened at the screenings in Solingen and Braunschweig--small cities, small crowds, nice people. It was inspiring to note in both towns, however, the motivation of small groups of people to make things happen. I have found this all over Germany, like with the communally run youth centers, and I've definitely been impressed with the results.In Solingen, for example, our

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144567742224435372006-04-09T00:03:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.224-08:00

I've been thinking about doing a documentary on indepenent cinemas and the crazy characters who run them, and Carsten from the Lichtmess Kino in Hamburg is a fantastic candidate. An experimental filmmaker himself who collects projections of color-check girls from the leaders of 35mm prints, Carsten is hte former bassist of a hugely popular, older German punk band whose name translates roughly to

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144490999537491972006-04-08T03:01:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.225-08:00

Neubrandenburg was about as different from Berlin as you could get in one country. Only two hours drive from the urban, educated, sophisticated West German cultural mecca of Berlin was the tiny, rural, largely unemployed East German village of Neubrandenburg. I was amazed at the snobbery that still exists toward East Germany among West Germans. One guy at the Berlin screening asked, "Why would

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144490370344410672006-04-08T02:36:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.225-08:00

The Berlin shows were amazing--definitely our best yet.We arrived at the Eiszeit Kino amidst a wild hail storm, the likes of which I've never seen. We had planned to arrive early so Johannes could give me a little walking tour of the city, but I was so cold that I barely remember anything we saw, except for a beautiful synagogue which is one of the few to have been rebuilt among the almost 2,000

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144143359314160912006-04-04T02:14:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.226-08:00

Last night was one of our most prestigious screenings in New York at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It's the first big screening where I have not been present, but fortunately Steve Lerner was there to represent, along with my best girl Heather, who was planted in the audience for strategic question-asking. ("Are there DVDs available online?")Obviously, I couldn't make it because I had my own

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144098901052097482006-04-03T13:57:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:11.226-08:00

I have to admit that I was a little creeped out upon entering Nürnberg (Nuremburg), a city so closely associated with Nazi history. I certainly didn't expect the outcome of the evening, which proved to be our best screening yet. We arrived early (for once) and took a self-guided walking tour of the beautiful old city. It was the first time since I've been here that I really felt the presence of

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1144054682184499242006-04-03T01:25:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:53:41.481-08:00

The last two shows could not have been more different from each other. The first was in a remote mountain village, inside a beautifully old tannery ("Alte Gerberei")converted into an avante garde cultural performance space. We screened in front of an austere audience of about 15 people. The second show was in a lakeside town, inside an activist youth center, where our audience consisted of at

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1143791480545970332006-03-30T23:29:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:53:41.481-08:00

Some people backpack. Some people take big group tours. Some people cycle. But let me tell you, next time you're hitting up Europe, going on an independent film and lecture tour is the way to go. It gives you an automatic ticket to some of the coolest venues and most interesting people in town. Take our show in Linz, for example. After crossing the Germany / Austria border to a breathtaking view

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1143762854940162272006-03-30T15:37:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:53:11.228-08:00

The 5 1/2 hour drive from Kaiserslautern to Munich flew by due to Johannes's good company (not to mention that we saw three-count em-THREE rainbows!). We are finally getting to know each other in person after many months of planning this tour via email, and thnakfully a warm and easy friendship has already developed. (Johannes leaving Kaiserslautern!)Johannes is the tour's lecturer, manager,

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1143538042969869782006-03-28T01:23:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:53:11.228-08:00

Arrived in Germany safe and sound. Phew. Johannes and his girlfriend are darling. They have an orange toaster and matching bread slicer. Plus lots of books and shoes. My kind of people. We are resting here in Kaiserslautern tonight before our first tour date in Munich tomorrow night. Im soooooooooo sleepy. More soon...(Johannes & Adina's kitchen)

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1142997237387782432006-03-21T18:44:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:53:56.533-08:00

Ceeee-le-bration time, Come on!Why am I celebrating, you ask? Well, it's been a year since our amazing sneak-preview premiere at the Victoria last year, and so many wonderful and fabulous adventures have been had with Jericho's Echo in the ensuing months. (Read this very blog to learn more...)So how am I celebrating? Naturally, with a big, fat trip to Germany. For those of you who don't know me,

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1140405640952941652006-02-19T18:53:00.000-08:002006-02-19T19:20:41.006-08:00

I have been working on this here fine piece of internet reading material for as long as I have been working on Jericho's Echo. Mostly, I have been doing this to document the making distribution of the film, and to keep my fans posted on these endeavors (Hi, Mom and Dad!). Another main reason, however, is to let other D.I.Y. filmmakers know that they are not alone--and hopefully have them learn

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1138905040614140192006-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:002010-01-09T21:08:29.004-08:00

One Way Letter Video Shoot Originally uploaded by lizfilm. You have probably been keeping yourself up at night wondering what has been keeping me busy while I'm not on the road with Jericho's Echo. Well, worry yourself no longer. As I get prepared for what will probably be the final JE tour...to GERMANY, no less...I have been doing a few interesting freelance projects.The best one is

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1131860555627582942005-11-08T21:36:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:54:58.978-08:00

Soooo much happened during the Boston leg of the tour, and I don't even have time to catch up now but I'll tease ya with a few highlights until I have time to elaborate, such as...hobnobbing with famous Israeli actors, a raucous 150-person crowd at our midnight screening, hanging with Pakistani punks, and Seth flying all the way out to Boston for 24 hours so he could see the movie play at the

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130963485593122292005-11-02T12:27:00.000-08:002010-01-09T20:54:58.978-08:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Israeli rock band The Genders is on tour right now in the US and Heather and I had the pleasure of checking out their CD release show last night at the Lit Lounge. They are probably stopping in your town soon, so GO SEE THEM.……Not just because they are a band from far away who got off their asses to come all the way over here……Not just because they put on

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130963244984536152005-10-28T12:26:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.979-08:00

Last night’s screening at Makor (part of the renowned 92nd St Y) was fantastic. It was a little hectic at first because the venue had just about overbooked itself, but once the dust settled, it was all good on many levels. (Remember: the Tao. See 10/22.)Typically, during the actual screening, when I run out of phone calls to make, I sit around outside picking my nose or something while I watch

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130963124913418952005-10-27T12:24:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.979-08:00

“In the biblical story of Jericho,” the handsome, African-American baritone explained, “the ancient Hebrews broke down the walls of the city by raising a great noise. Filmmaker Liz Nord has found some young people in Israel today who are also raising a great noise…blah, blah, blah…”Cut to said filmmaker, talking about her movie, Jericho’s Echo: Punk Rock in the Holy Land, on the WB11 morning news

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130781468968733682005-10-25T09:49:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.980-08:00

I love New York.(Descending into the 181st Street Subway)I love the buzz, the hum, the whir, the sputter, the vibrating energy of the place.I love that when I descended into the city's underbelly this morning and surveyed the subway car's rowed seating, every single person on the entire car was seated next to someone else of a different color, with a different story, a different departure point

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130432978679172042005-10-23T10:08:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.980-08:00

Contrary to my expectations, last night’s screening at the Syracuse JCC catered to one of the most diverse crowds of any event yet. The ages ranged from 11 to about 75. There were Jews and non-Jews, peaceniks and staunch Zionists, Israelis, Americans and a mix of other nationalities. I never would have guessed that it would be a crowd in the medium-sized metropolis of Syraucse, NY (as opposed to

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130172620652722362005-10-22T09:38:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.981-08:00

I grew up in a very small town. It only has two traffic lights. I never really realized how small it was until after I had been away in big cities for a few years, and I returned to the shocking truth that even the word “town” is an overstatement. I grew up in a village.It made tonight’s “homecoming” screening all the more fun, since all sorts of characters from said village and the surrounding

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130000236803141432005-10-21T09:55:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.982-08:00

Central New York is so beautiful. The fact that I took it for granted when I lived here was confirmed, as I glimpsed out of the soon-to-be-landing airplane window onto what looked like a model train set. The multi-colored train cars bisected huge, green, silo-dotted expanses that were offset by blazing red and yellow patches of autumn trees. It was stunning.After hitting the ground, my dad drove

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1130000053271887062005-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:54:58.982-08:00

I am sitting in the airport terminal en route from the Big Apple to Syracuse, NY. (G-d bless JetBlue for their wireless internet hubs. Oy! The wonders of modern technology!) Syracuse would not necessarily be a tour stop for everyone in my situation, but what can I say? Before moving to Boston, London and now San Francisco, the little teeny Syracuse suburb known as Fayettville, NY, was my home.The

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1128679283150389462005-09-21T02:52:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:55:43.125-08:00

If you are reeeeeeallly interested in all of this nonsense, you can check out all of the pics from the tour through the fabulous Flickr service here.Portland was OK--a great crowd made up for some lousy technical difficulties that were had. I think my grammar is improper there but hey, it's the middle of the night. Give a girl a break! The best part about Portland was that my brother and his

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1127507002414505002005-09-19T13:22:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:55:43.128-08:00

(Out the train window between Olympia and Seattle.)The Seattle dates (4 shows at the super cool living-room-parlor-style Grand Illusion Cinema) were great because of the rays of sunshine emanated by the amazing people around me. The presence of these people made it OK that one of the shows drew an audience of only 4 people. Yes, 4, as in one-less-than-five. (Well, I said to myself, it's an

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1127162064105823442005-09-17T13:22:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:55:43.129-08:00

All I really knew about Olympia before I arrived was the above line from a Hole song, which as I recall, didn’t have the most flattering things to say about the town. I also knew that bands like Hole had come out of the area, and that Olympia had been a hub of the Riot-grrl movement that I so admired in high school. (I was never a huge Hole fan but I did make my high school sweetheart wear a Hole

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1126913611866991602005-09-16T16:33:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:55:43.130-08:00

So the train got a little less romantic as my arrival in Eugene was further and further delayed to the point where I was afraid I would miss my screening and my body started to feel like a stale pretzel left out on a park bench. However, it was all for a good cause. Turns out that Amtrak doesn’t own the tracks. They are owned by the freight trains, so the passenger train has to pull over and wait

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1126913576068218512005-09-15T12:31:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:55:43.131-08:00

It’s all so romantic! Seth reminded me last night, as he dropped me off for my first overnight train trip, that I should appreciate the experience because it may be the last time I am able to take such a ride. After all, passenger trains are a dying breed in this country. That made it all the more exciting when the silver train approached, glinting and howling at the moon. I pictured myself

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1126468247146526592005-09-11T12:41:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:55:43.131-08:00

I finally got a digital camera! Woo! Here I am using it for the first time:I mention this because I am about to hit the rails with Jericho's Echo which means a new slate of blog entries, and now it will be much easier to pepper them with photographs for your viewing pleasure!So yes, I leave on Wednesday for an overnight train trip up to Eugene, Oregon where the first show of the "Jericho's Echo

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1124918756934692672005-08-05T14:21:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.120-08:00

I wasn't quite sure how the stereotypical Berkeley, Birkenstock-sporting, post-hippie, PC intellectual would take to my film, but as soon as I saw the skinny kid with braces and a "Punk's Not Dead" t-shirt in line with his mom, I knew I was in business!The SFJFF Berkeley screenings this year were at the Berkeley Rep Theatre. This venue is typically used for stage productions so the seats are set

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1122688729648442102005-07-28T18:37:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.120-08:00

Well, it was great. All worries dropped the minute the party started. Although I do worry like a grandmother with an ulcer before a big event, I have the uncanny ability to stop worrying the minute the action gets going. Phew.Our pre-party at the Lucky 13 Bar was fun. The bar has a rocknroll vibe and a good jukebox so that helped set the tone. This crazy old hippie-punk-activist guy called "

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1122471317311821492005-07-27T05:33:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.121-08:00

It's about 5:33 AM on the morning of my big Castro screening. Did I say big? I mean BIG. At least that is how I am feeling right now. By all rights, I should be sleeping. The screening doesn't even start til 10:30 PM and there's a short playing beforehand. That means that I have to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for a Q & A about 19 hours from now. But what am I doing? I'm sitting at my

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1122356553968877042005-07-25T22:34:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.122-08:00

"I believe it is the role of the Jews to be on the side of the oppressed."-Walter Bernstein, former blacklisted writer and SFJFF Freedom of Expression award recipientI have found the festival programming this year to be extremely thoughtful and thought-provoking, particularly on the topic of Jewish morality.More soon--gotta run for now. xx

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1122191733082396892005-07-24T00:38:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.123-08:00

What is a towering, blonde, aryan-as-anything man in a cowboy hat and a tight blue woman's sweater vest doing at the SF Jewish Film Festival? This should have a great punchline but it doesn't--it just has an answer. He is Erik Van Loon. He is here all the way from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and he is my official partner-in-crime for the festival. As one of the local filmmakers here, I feel I

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1122145581723535182005-07-23T11:49:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.123-08:00

I'm getting to that point of almost euphoric anticipation that happens before a big screening. (This precedes the all night tossing and turning, worrying about everything that could go wrong). The excited feeling comes from the opening events that have taken place over the past couple of days. They're getting me all ramped up for the adventures to come.The big opening event at any festival is, of

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1121881680242578022005-07-20T10:23:00.000-07:002010-01-09T20:56:26.124-08:00

(Inside the amazing Castro Theatre)I am SO excited. I have dreamed about this festival, and screening at the gorgeous old movie palace, the Castro Theatre, for years. Here's what I wrote in a recent article for Film/Tape World on the topic:“I could totally do that,” I thought to myself, as the filmmaker smoothly answered questions on the stage of the Castro Theatre before a sea of newly won-over

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1115738336809693242005-05-10T07:53:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:03:23.644-08:00

E-mail from Seth:“Remember to eat maple syrup, play hockey, and say something nice to someone. Those things are all Canadian.”Airplane-breath me is just returning to San Francisco from Jericho’s Echo’s second international premeiere and I am looking forward to being home for a while. Don’t get me wrong--if every festival experience is as wonderful as the last two, I could definitely live with

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1113855898424321292005-04-17T13:24:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.187-08:00

My last few days in Israel were so awesome--just in time to make me really sad to leave. When I departed after the initial shooting trip, I knew that I would eventually be coming back to Israel to screen Jericho's Echo, but this time I was just being reminded of how much I care about so many of the people in the film when I had to pack up and leave...and I really don't know when or if I will ever

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1113424199966879152005-04-13T22:09:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.188-08:00

In an earlier post I mentioned how crazy it is to be reminded every so often here in Israel that it actually *is* a warzone. On the flipside, there are also those little things here that remind you that Judaism is an undeniable part of modern Israeli culture, and for me that can be a good reminder. Earlier tonight I flipped on the TV while waiting for yet another band who flaked on an interview (

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1113391091339918332005-04-13T15:25:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.189-08:00

There is much to report as always from the past couple of action packed days--business meetings, film festival shenanigans, and of course late night drinking (AKA the national pasttime of the Israeli punk).Above and beyond all of these activites are the bands--that's the important stuff. I've gotten a couple of really positive comments from some of them since that initial release of criticism.

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1113225014566694922005-04-11T05:55:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.190-08:00

After all the time I've spent in Israel, I still get shocked by those small reminders of ongoing war. For instance, at the second night's screening, my view of the film was obstructed by the HUGE rifle on the lap of the teenager sitting in front of me. Avital told me that soldiers are required to carry their weapons with them if they have no place to lock them up at home. I don't think anyone in

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1113089827577720132005-04-09T16:19:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.190-08:00

It was a bit like a one-night-stand when you have a really good time but he/she doesn't call in the morning and you wonder if you did the right thing...There is so much to report from the past two emotionally-rollercoastery days but I'll skip ahead to what everyone surely wants to know...how were the screenings? And the answer is that I am still figuring out how I feel, but I can list a whole

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1112964974333236612005-04-08T05:32:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.191-08:00

I am sitting on Avital(my lovely, generous host)'s balcony in my underwear, eatting hummus as only Israelis make it, looking down on Tel Aviv's hipsters flirting by on the street below and out further to the sea that laps up against the city's shore, and I'm thinking,"My life is pretty fucking sweet right now."I am also remembering why I'm SO BAD at keeping a blog! I just get too caught up in

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1112811038637859852005-04-06T11:09:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.192-08:00

Dear Mom and Dad,I arrived safely in Israel.You can get some rest now.Love,Liz

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1112715277109935522005-04-05T08:29:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:07:13.840-08:00

I was laugh-out-loud happy to arrive in Amsterdam today en route to Tel Aviv. I am now in the airport waiting for the next leg, but let me just say that there is just about nowhere that I'd rather have a 9-hour layover than this beautiful city. And it's not just that they serve hot french fries in paper cones, covered with homemade mayo, in the airport!Being here, even just for a half-day, brings

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1112491486208088972005-04-02T17:09:00.000-08:002010-01-09T21:06:43.192-08:00

I am soooooo excited. I'll be leaving in a couple days to head back to Israel for the offical festival premiere of Jericho's Echo. Those of you who have been following the film's progress and holding my hand in some way for the past two years (thank you! thank you! thank you!) know that this is like coming full circle for the project. We shot the film in Tel Aviv, and I can think of no better

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1057137742104107872003-07-02T02:22:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:08:05.551-08:00

07.01.03...Behind the MovieMichal Kahan is one of the James Dean-esque people who actually make cigarette smoking look cool. She's a long, lanky blonde Israeli, who sings garage rock in Spanish in an all-girl band. Wow. She invited me last night to hear her play guitar for an Israeli rockabilly singer, and when she showed up in a strapless hot pink tiger-striped dress and $4 sandals she found at

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1056802847489896522003-06-28T05:20:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.193-08:00

06.28.03...Only a week left? I am leaving Israel about a week from today. Hard to believe how much I've seen and more importantly, thought about, in only three weeks so far. I'm now trying to decide what footage will be important to get in this last week. One of my mentors in this project, Joe Rubin, warned me to keep in mind that just because I am documenting people, it doesn't mean that I am

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1056733271600331212003-06-27T10:01:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.193-08:00

06.27.03...Been Caught Slackin' Oy vey, behind on the blog again. I have actually taken a couple nights off from working, for events like Guy from Useless I.D.'s wedding! Don't even have time to write now, as am off to interview Chaos Rabak, the "street punk" band I mentioned earlier. It should be great. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with my exciting news: An article was written in Ha'aretz, the "

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1056449008024332592003-06-24T03:03:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.194-08:00

06.23.03...So Many Shows, So Little Time Wow, I am so behind on this here "blog" now. Finally, after my fourth show in as many days, I'm sitting down to write. Tough to decide where to begin...so maybe I'll start with last night and go backwards. Know, of course, that these entries only scratch the surface of all the bands I'm seeing and people I'm meeting. One of the great things about going to

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1056218144707547612003-06-21T10:55:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.195-08:00

06.21.03...It's a Small World, Afterall When I first arrived at the show yesterday, I was tempted to hide in the corner and try to disappear. There were a bunch of kids hanging out outside the show, and I didn't recognize anyone, and here I was with this camera, looking like Ms. CNN. It's such a small scene, though, that within a very short time, many of the people I've met so far showed up.

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1056104240300747522003-06-20T03:17:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.195-08:00

06.20.03...Hot Time, Summer in the City Late night Tel Aviv. Thursday night is the night to be out because the weekend here is Friday and Saturday, due to the Jewish Sabbath. I was wandering around the city last night after returning from Haifa. I was the antithesis of the "see and be seen" city folks, sipping on a pouch of chocolate milk as I passed by bars overflowing with well dressed, tan,

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1055960746709375172003-06-18T11:25:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.196-08:00

06.18.03...Be'er Sheva and Haifa Haifa is such a beautiful city. It's built atop Mount Carmel and from the mountianside you can see the whole city and out into the Mediterranean. It's a far cry from what I saw of Be'er Sheva, which is the dusty desert city I was in yesterday. Dafna, the girl singer I met there, claimed that Be'er Sheva was the REAL Israel, because it it home to such a diversity

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1055761326124770732003-06-16T04:02:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.197-08:00

06.16.03...Wow, I'm really making a movie After a frustrating weekend of many roadblocks and not much action, things are finally really happening. If all goes as planned (ha ha), I am booked every day this week. I am off to Be'er Sheva, in the South, today, to talk to the 16-year-old girl singer of a ska-punk band. Tomorrow, up to Haifa, in the North, to finally spend some "quality time" with

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1055521212426700432003-06-13T09:20:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.198-08:00

06.13.03...I'm so not Israeli It's funny because in some ways I feel so immediately comfortable here. After all, as Ari said, these are my people. In other places I've travelled I've felt like a real foreigner, where I had to really watch my step so as not to make an ass out of myself. But here, I feel like I already know these people--I already fit in here. Part of that comes, of course, from my

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1055439312150684102003-06-12T10:35:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.199-08:00

06.12.03...Too much to say already! So I got my first taste of the political punks yesterday. I was supposed to meet this guy Gutzy at the Mapah. Gutzy runs an Israeli punk and politics website where I did a lot of my research, and the Mapah is a political and social center where a lot of the political punks hang out, live, reharse and record their music. I was really excited to go there and see

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1055364481404797842003-06-11T13:48:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.199-08:00

o6.11.03...To politic or not to politic I'm soooo tired but I'll try to get a bit out. First of all, for those of you following me along here--DON'T WORRY! I'm sure you heard about the bombing in J-lem today. Well, I am still in Tel Aviv, far from Jerusalem and it feels like that happened on another planet. I haven't even heard the details myself. The people I've met act so casual about these

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460185.post-1055312907991044612003-06-10T23:28:00.000-07:002010-01-09T21:06:43.200-08:00

06.11.03...Settling In...Sweat-ling In Boy, it's pretty hot here! Haifa was great--I was really spoiled having Ari there to help out. We did an interview with Ishay and Guy at Guy's work. Those two are so personable and such characters. It was a really good affirmation of my being here. Also, of course, they had some intersting things to say and they are pretty articulate. It's hard to imagine at

Liz Nordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370267468241998599noreply@blogger.com0