Thursday, April 24, 2008

Leaving on a jetplane...

"Tomorrow I am leaving on a jet plane and by the time I get to Phoenix love will keep us together, ...'Cause I'm just an embryo, with a long, long way to go, but I know too much to go back and pretend!..."

- Hedwig and the Angry Inch, (1999 stage)

Well I'm not going to phoenix, pretty much in the opposite direction (Seoul), and no loving waiting there as far as I know. At least not the girly boy love, some friendships and some people I care a lot about and truely love, and sex, definitly sex waiting over there. Whatever, I just love that line from Hedwig stage performance, which by the way I like better than the film adaptation.

So... leaving on a jetplane, don't know when I'll be back again, quite literally. I made the step I've been telling everyone for over a year. I've packed up my vagina and I'm gone! (or stole my vagina from Dutch health insurance policy, if you will). Some call me stupid, others call me insane, guess I'm just bold. No idea where I'll live, if I'll have an income, if I'll ever regain my sanity or not end up on the streets forever lost. Well I'm being dramatic, things just seem like it.

Guess I'll figure things out on the run...

Monday, April 21, 2008

IGONG Sex Work film program




상영작품 리스트 (10편)
<코스와스 특별전>

섹션1.(60분)
거리 위의 생존자 - 嘜相害 [street survivor]
- 임정걸 林靖傑,진보영상공작팀 向左走影像工作隊 | 21min | 2006
나이 든 아가씨들 : 베일런과 소녀들 - 老查某─白蘭和她們 [Old Chicks : Balian and her girls]
- 채안산 蔡晏珊 | 39min | 2006


섹션2.(50분)
추앙받았던 성노동자, 구안의 전기 一代名妓——官秀琴紀念短片 [Memoir of Miss Kuan, A Celebrated Sex Worker]
- 정소탑 鄭小塔(Zita Jeng) | 25min | 2007
구원의 초 [Our Life-Saving Vinegar]
- 정소탑 鄭小塔(Zita Jeng) | 25min | 2007


<특별상영>
밤의 요정들의 이야기 [Tales Of The Night Fairies]

<한국의 성노동 담론전>
꽃파는 할머니 박성미 | 1999 | 42분 | 다큐멘터리 | 제4회 인권영화제 상영
세라진 김성숙 | 2004 | 21분 | 극영화 | 서울독립영화제2004 본선경쟁작
마마상 조혜영, 김일란 | 2005 | 65분 | 다큐멘터리 | 서울여성영화제 여성신문상 수상
언고잉 홈 [Un/going home] 김영란|2007|34분 23초 | 다큐멘터리|인디포럼2007 개막작
언니 계윤경 | 2007 | 90분 | 다큐멘터리 | 인디다큐페스티벌 2008

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Rant against Fitna

I recently saw Fitna, the highly debated and criticized film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, and it made me sick. There is no constructive argument whatsoever, just one message: Islam = Evil. It's a dangerous 15 minute insult to both religious freedom and freedom of speech. Quoting Geert Wilders "I don't oppose Muslims just Islam ideology", what the f*ck??!! Maybe on of his great, charismatic one-liners that make him the politician he is, but this is even beyond stupid for him and that is saying something.

The Qur’an is no more evil than the bible is, or any other holy book. They all have things in them that should be interpreted in a historical context, and they have old traditions in them that should be discarded or changed. That's just that, traditions change, which is a process that happens all the time often unnoticed by most. And discriminating traditions should change, words in the Qur’an and the bible shouldn't be taken seriously. I mean I can find a fair amount of sexist and violence inciting quotes from the bible that are very similar, but hey... historical context! Interpret the text, don't rip sentences out there to re-brand to serve your own ideas. Those books aren't written for that.

I oppose religious extremism and violence, as I oppose any form of violence. But to equate and ideology with violence? or to start lecturing Muslims on having the tear pages from the Qur’an while the bible still stands intact? After insulting them? Wilders is crossing a line here, one of common sense among others.

He did do cause something that I thought would never happen, it made me agree with Jan Peter Balkenende, current Prime Minister of the Netherlands (unfortunately...). I never hide my dislike of him and his damn moralistic politics but his comments on Fitna: "The film equates Islam with violence. We reject this interpretation. The vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence. In fact, the victims are often also Muslims... ...We therefore regret that Mr. Wilders has released this film. We believe it serves no purpose other than to cause offence." mark the first time that I will admit agreeing with him.

From my point of view Geert Wilders poses a much bigger threat to the Netherlands than the Qur’an ever will. Rant over.