Step by step our documentary is getting finished. Cue Cultural Capital: Finding Art in Dubai montage sequences:

Cultural Capital: Finding Art in Dubai Teaser from Katy Mer-chan.

* Music for the first video (Art Dubai) by Moby, with his ace Moby Gratis that lets indie filmmakers like me use his music for films. Thanks!
** Music for the second (Bastikaya Art Fair) by Katy.

It’s only the 5th, but 2010 already has wonderful neolgisms like terror-prone and environmental refugee. May we humbly introduce another one? Atomicpunk. Not to be confused with the Van Halen album or the tribute band, atomicpunk describes the literature, art, design, pop culture and subculture happening now that references the Atomic Age, with all of its technological progress, paranoia, destruction, and optimism. Why should all ye new-olde tech be lumped into steampunk (which we love on its own way) that references the Victorian era? Atomic-era designs need to have their own classification. Examples of atomicpunk include the Brionvega tv and the Philco PC redesign by California-based SchultzeWORKS. There are even comments debating whether this is or isn’t steampunk. This isn’t, but it is atomicpunk.

We held our annual holiday celebration at the iconic sail-shaped Burj al Arab to support our adopted city. We strolled past a giant seawater aquarium and had afternoon tea which stretched into cocktails 200 m above sea level in the marine themed space. Even with so much to see, I was most taken with the random circuit board hallway with LEDs and the red LED wall with blinking lights. Are they the brains behind the Burj’s (robot) fish?

I’m working on the synopsis for Cultural Capital: Finding Art in Dubai and instead of thinking of words, I keep seeing images. The film will have hybrid live-action and animation. The animations/drawings comment on and interplay with the live-action, reinforcing the interconnection of art and life. Drawing and etching on film is of course the concept, but it takes a technocuddly-turn when the “film” is HD and the drawing is done on a graphic tablet.

Len Lye is an inspiration with his A Colour Box, made in 1935 by painting directly on film. And Norman McLaren’s Boogie Doodle has just a few simple shapes and it’s just riveting.

McLaren even plays with an optical printer in the 70’s to trippy effect. The thing that strikes me the most about these films is the way the music has such a big part in the film. For my documentary, I think we’re close to getting someone amazing to do the soundtrack; I used to watch him on stage but later realized he’s a close friend of someone very dear to me. The other thing that makes me think is how wonderful that most of these films were funded by the National Film Board of Canada. It makes me depressed that there’s really nothing like it in the US, but filmmakers have gotten smarter about other ways to fund a film.

Laptop bags are so ubiquitous, it’s a little yawn to be writing about them. But this Gareth Pugh collaboration with funky French retailer Collette caught our eyelashes and drove them batty. We’re into the bold graphic geometric pattern and especially adore the silver star quilted lining. If you want something equally as graphic but a little more sweet stateside, may we suggest the white/black/red bow lap top bag?