Single Women in Europe: Black Girl in Berlin, Germany Travel Guide; Where to Go For Fun and Culture
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| On my Berlin film set with my shooter Ines. |
I was happily engaged went I when on my solo trip to Berlin. I have had to travel a great deal alone because of work so I have the Single Woman Traveling thing down to a science. However, I didn’t think that I would get along with Berlin, Germany.
Between the Berlin Conference where the European nations met to divide the African continent for colonization and the fact that at least 25,000 Afro Germans were killed in concentration camps, I felt no connection. Plus, how much techno music can one woman take?
So when I received an invitation to shoot my short film “Stranded” in Berlin I was wary. Would Berlin even be safe for me as an African American woman traveling solo?
Well, I am pleased to report that I found a thriving Afro German community and became an official Berlin Homegirl. Some Afrodeutsche families have lived in Germany for a couple hundred years. Afro-Berliners are not only descendants of African American World War II GIs, but many biracial people are the children of African fathers who left them to be raised by their German mothers.
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My production company in Germany was so incredibly supportive. If I could always work like that I would be one very happy director. Now, it’s about getting my super-producer Anna a list of opportunities, and watching her market the heck out of our little movie– a delicious romantic comedy. Yay!
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And that Is the correct date & time, ladies & gents! I am back in NYC, preparing my app for Tribeca’s Lab and after 2 days of intense jet lag, I am finally wide awake, I think. I’ve been watching my movie, and my only regret is that both the art department & I forgot to put books on the table so that the character is reading, and not just a cute, silly, quirky, black girl who goes to the white man’s house who has all the books. Yikes. OK. No way to change it now, so I’ll have to live with it, but I fought my battles with producers and sound to leave 2 nice long suck-teeth chups in there. Maybe I’m not so awake, I suddenly feel the need to take a nap and begin in an hour. Luckily, it’s Presidents Day.
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Ok so soo this time will be up-to-date. I’m on the plane, and versus a few days ago when I felt like Berlin was kicking my ass, I am now feeling like I did the damn thing. I took Germany, and I am so ready to go home, but also I am so ready to come back. During the screening I was on pins and needles, but we got such a positive reaction PLUS, I like the movie. Although I will regret to my dying day (such a drama queen) not having th books on the table during the bar scene so that Mali is not just a dingy sexy black chick, I am overall happy with the film. Disappointed that my stars weren’t there—an indication perhaps of the climate of the set? But I will send them personal letters because I was very happy with their work. I feel vindicated.
Can’t wait to go back in May… Oh– the time & date is a schnappsklapper– my crew would really enjoy this!
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make that 5:40 am…
You ever hang out with 2 people who clearly really do not want to be hanging out with you?
Ever been hanging out with a friend and a love connection develops between her and someone else and now you’re the 5th wheel to the coach, but you don’t want to leave her alone with the guy, although she secretly wishes you would, so you sit in a bar you don’t want to be in, nursing something you really don’t drink, and pretend that her conversation is amazingly hilarious to build her up to the guy who’s not really listening to you anyway, at 5 in the morning when you’ve just finally finished your total movie and really want to be home sleeping in your warm bed instead of on a spontaneous date between 2 people who don’t know you’re there in a cold, miserable European bar full of hideous butt ugly junkees of some sort who unfortunately are really the only people who seem to notice you as you turn your engagement rock around on your finger New York Subway style because you get the feeling that if they lunged at you that neither your friend or the future boyfriend would really notice, and the junkees seem to be laughing like they’ve seen that trick before?
Uh-huh.
Story done.
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posted by Abiola,
11th February 2004
Tags: berlin homegirl, dating, diary, film, friends, parties, scandalosity, self-love, sex, travel, utterly unfab
Plus 6 more hours means 1 am german time. I just spoke to my man and it felt really good. I love you, baby. I really miss everyone, but it was good to get away. Well, color correction tomorrow! Tonight we finished the sound, and my producer gave me a hug for getting it done. That felt really good. We artists are so much like puppy dogs. Someone scratches our tummy and throws us a bone and we eat it right up. Well time for bed. Alisclad. (sp?) Tschuss!
Now how do I manage to stay until next Tuesday? I have yet to take the subway here. Tomorrow will be my first experience with it. I guess I’ll be one of those deer in headlight foreigners that I’m always rolling my eyes at at home.
Oh, you know what. I really like my movie. It’s light, fun and adorably cute. It’s definitely a very different tone for me, and will lighten up my reel. That’s the amazing thing about working with a writer, and I definitely plan to do so as much as possible. It moves one away from personal recurring themes, although this movie is now so Abiola.
Filmmakers of the world— apply to the talent campus– although I have yet to attend. Nothing beats this experience. Gotta call the airport tomorrow! And get reimbursed. Oh, a big lesson that I am pleased to be learning is when working with producers, ask everything before acting. Definitely not instinctual for a control freak, but I can make it happen.
// posted by abiola @ 6:51 PM
Well not all of them, but it’s definitely an asshole culture in the same way that barbados is a sell out culture (sorry bajans), jamaica is a warrior culture and guyanese are sun shiny loving, beautiful people…
// posted by abiola @ 9:00 AM
I’ve come to conclusion that germans are assholes.
// posted by abiola @ 8:50 AM
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Ugh. I’m working with my composer and suddenly feeling alot less anxious than I have in a week. Here’s to positive work environs and Thank you Ognan…
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WELL> It’s starting to seem like I might have a movie folks. I am almost exhaling, but not quite.
I know exactly what adding insult to injury means!
When will my Berlinale luck change? (Actually, I didn’t believe in luck until I came here!) Germany– you are stressing me!!! In the past hour, I’ve been locked solo in a travel agency after hours (kinda funny now) and lost my contacts cover in the sink. So wow, I am now in Berlin’s Times Square. I’ve been here 2 weeks and didn’t even know they had a “Times Square.” It’s loud and rude and graphic, and I suddenly feel very much at home.
There’s BK and Mc Donald’s — I had it for midnight dinner, and the first time fast food didn’t make me feel guilty. I am exhausted.
My NYC peeps would not recognize me. Miss anti-jeans and tees looks very butch. Yeccch! I looong for my black, high heeled, cute boots. Who would’ve known that it would be so warm here?
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OK. SO I am finally able to speak about my movie making experience in germany because I’m almost finished. Oh, Ok. Jeeeez. This was literally the most painful but exhilarating job of my life. And that includes the V.I.M. sneaker sales job that I had when I was 18 and realized that the $300 I asked my parents for every 2 weeks to get my hair braided was alot of money. OH. Ugh. I don’t even know where to begin and still can’t talk about the whole thing. Instead, I’ll do my own movie review.
No, I’m not happy, but I am satisfied. The film is really cute, quirky and funny. One of the frustrations was not enough time for anything. However, that’s one of the parts of our little experiment here. The most amazing thing is getting to work with an international cast and crew. I’ve had convos with a Ukrainian, Jamaican, Serb and Croatian all on the same day.
Thursday night we premiere, and that I’m very nervous about. Will my humor translate? My life has definitely come more into focus while I’m here. And I am more resolute than ever in my purpose. My only regret, and it ways HEAVILY on the soul, was not creating a safe work environment for my cast and crew, and allowing them to be abused by a total asshole AD. Ugh. I’m gonna need therapy after this.
I just did not know how to respond (more later) when my first assistant director told me that she did not want me to touch her. Wow. They’re out there with it here, like that!?
I keep playing the shoot over in my head, where I curse the %#$$%^ out and fire her on the spot.
but alas, i didn’t.
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posted by Abiola,
8th February 2004
, Categories: art
Tags: activism, art, berlin homegirl, diary, film, politricks, self-love, self-sabotage, travel, utterly unfab
11:20pm berlin time
Ok, everyday a fresh hell, but also every day a fresh blessing. My composer—god bless him—is torn between doing his work and going to lectures of the talent campus. I do feel his pain as it is about music this year. Anyway, g’nite.
Ya know… There’s something either romantic or melancholy about traveling solo. But it’s definitely not pathetic. Definitely not. Right? I feel so singular in the world, and so mobile now too. Like I can pick up & go live in Zimbabwe for a year. Well, maybe not Zimbabwe, but definitely Ghana. I just found out that someone who I really respect and who Had to be 30, at least is only 24. Funny thing about adulthood. It hits different folks at different times. I’m ready to work on taboo. Still feeling awesome about 2004, and issues not withstanding, I am doing the damn thing.
I’m thinking about things. Possessions. This laptop and heavy 2000 lb camera that I lug everywhere. My bags of more luggage than anyone I’ve seen. My many products for skin and hair. My books and writing things. My clothing and clothing and clothing. My satin pillowcase and velvet pillow that I had to bring. My leopard pj pants that I’m wearing. Is it all necessary?
Ya damn skippy! Well maybe not the ton of clothes, but the things that make me more physically comfortable and able to do what I came to do. Yup.
We’re all really in this thing by ourselves aren’t we?
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