"MOVE !" A film by Fanny Jean-Noël

A few days later, it is the Kiningan ceremony, the ceremony to celebrate the deads. Like our Halloween.

Nyoman invites me and asks me to come at 7am to help her a bit and mostly to be able to film everything.

First thing when I arrive, she offers me to get breakfast. Goo ! I didn’t have time to eat that morning.

She asks me to help myself in the kitchen. It is a bit dark in there. I find myself a plate, grab some chicken in the pot, some vegetables, some rice of course, well, you know, the typical breakfast in Bali. Then I sit down in the courtyard to enjoy my meal. And what do I discover in my plate ?!

See picture below…

Funny memory ! Then Nyoman starts to get everything ready cause the family will arrive soon for the prayers and all. I follow her for hours with my camera. Such a peaceful moment together !

Then the different members of the family arrives. To give offerings, to pray, to eat. And I am so proud to be part of it. I’m even offered to do so. Nyoman shows me how to do it, with the holy water on the head, the rice on the front head and the flower on the ear.

Then it’s time to go to the cemetery, to give offerings to the deads, before we dig them out and burn them next July. Nyoman’s son takes me with his scooter there and I get to see all those graves, covered by robes.

In the afternoon, after helping a bit Nyoman cleaning everything up in her temple, I end my day at the market’s temple, to see other people from Ubud giving offerings. They are hundreds of them everywhere !

After Munduk, Rico dropped me in Ubud. It had been 10 years since I hadn’t been there. What a change ! I almost didn’t recognize anything.

I found a nice place to stay a bit outside of the crazy crowed center.

The next day I realize I am on holiday, thinking I am done with my movie.
20 more days, before the end of my trip, to be on holiday ! Yesss !!!
But something bothers me. And I don’t know if it is because it is the end that I am feeling useless all of a sudden or if I just feel this is not right to end it so fast when Bali is one of the most beautiful places on earth with some of the greatest dances. So here I am, walking around Ubud, trying to figure out how to make more images, with who, what kind of dance etc…

As I enter Kajeng street, I see a small family temple. Something attracts me there.

I go inside. There is a woman preparing the Kuningan ceremony, happening the next couple of days. She says « Hi » in a good english, she’s beautiful, friendly with a big smile. Her name is Nyoman. We start chatting together, I sit down next to her in the temple. She’s the mother of 3 children. She is playing in a Gamelan women band, my favorite music in the world.

All the members of her family are performers. Her oldest daughter Ani is a dancer. Perfect ! Let’s meet her ! She offers that I come by in the afternoon to meet her. She will be teaching little girls how to dance. I can even film them if I want to. So I come back.

She then invites me to participate in a ceremony in a temple 20km outside of Ubud that happens only every 10 years, amazing timing ! The whole family will be performing in a Ramayana Show that night, in that temple. And I get to film it as well ! Awesome !!!!!!!!!

Just before leaving, I had the great luck to film her putting, her make up on.

They let me borrow a traditional costume to go to the ceremony in the temple. I already had the batik.

When we arrive at the village, it is fantastic. People dressed up in the traditional way everywhere. A nice atmosphere of joy and serenity. Women carrying offerings on their heads. Music playing in the background from the temple. Magic night !

We go to the temple and I discover Nyoman playing in her band. Then just before the show starts, I get to film the preparations of the dancers, backstage. Then I film the entire show with my new dancer, Ani, playing the princess. She’s so beautiful !

I am so happy ! I have found a new family !

When we get back home, I think I have just been in a dream. On the way back walking to my hotel, I see the full moon by the Palace and I realize my dream is reality.

Here is the video made for Rico for promoting his work : RICO’S COOKING LESSON

Munduk, Bali, Indonesia.

You can make this at home ! Delicous !!!

Last part of my trip was Bali and before starting traveling around the world, I knew I had a great contact there : Rico alias Cocorico de Bali. He is a touristic guide who also offers cooking lesson in French (as he can speak it really well) and his wife could dance he had told me (like most Balinese women).

Only 24 hours after arriving in Kuta beach, that I just hated by the way (photos below), he picks me up with his big car and off we go to his house in Munduk, up in the mountains, where he kindly invites me to stay over for the time of the film. It is in his charming house, shared by all the members of the family, that I discover the real life of a Balinese family. How lucky again ! Much better that living in a hotel with stupid Ozies and Frenchies interested in all but partying and getting drunk !

That first night, I enjoy a great dinner and the mother and the sister let me use their bedroom. The next day we start filming all day. Rico is a great sound and director assistant but so is his brother who is in charge of the making of and his future wife who helps with accessories and wardrobe. His wife, Elli is the main character/dancer of the movie. His father stars in the movie as well, playing percussions and even teaches me.

I film Elli all around Munduk, at the market, on her motorcycle, going up and down the hills, doing the offerings for the gods and also dancing in an old temple upon a lake. In one day, everything is shot. We even have time to film a cooking lesson at home, in which I take part as a student. It is for Rico to use to promote his business on line.

Here is the video : Rico’s cooking lesson

The next day, it is time to say good bye to Rico who drops me in Ubud, where a friend and other incredible adventures are waiting for me…

From New-Zealand to Bali I was supposed to fly over Melbourne for just an hour and then go to Singapour for 10 hours, by night. Not very attractive.
Lucky me, the steward at the check in, offers a better option : only one stopover for 8 hours in Sydney, taxes free of charge and my Australian Visa (good for a year) paid by the company. Woohoo !

Let’s go to Sydney ! So here are pictures of my Australian quick adventure.

Taniora’s free time and the nice weather allow us to finish the filming very quickly. Therefore, I was off on vacation again. So I decided to go to the South Island to end my trip in NZ. I’m a lucky lady to meet Stefan and then Luc, a French hitchhiker, with who I spend some time exploring the Tasman Park and the Golden Bay. Magnificent landscapes, fun great time together ! Then Back to Nelson, a charming little town, where Ellie, another lovely British girl hosts me.

I end my trip crossing all the North island by train, the Overlander, back to Aukland’s aiport for my next and last destination : Bali !

Here are the untouched images of the film

I don’t have many pictures of the making of as I was mostly alone during shooting. But thanks to Toni, Taniora’s wife, I have a few.

Photos credit  : Toni Kidwell

Arrival in Auckland, quick visit of the biggest N-Z town.

Then I head to Hamilton where Steve can help me with my movie.

Good surprise, his parents have a school bus in their yard in which I can sleep. What a great home, with sweet Clare (Steve’s mother) as my neighbor and Kathy, her great daughter who visits often and immediately becomes my best friend.

Thanks to awesome Steve who let me use his car everyday, I explore the North Island and meet new friends. I went surfing to Raglan, on the west coast, with black sand beach, then enjoyed the east coast with white sand beach and beautiful turquoise water. One of my high lights is Waiotapu, steaming craters, in Rotorua region with hot springs.

Then I went down to Lake Tapo where I did some kayak with Sophie, a French Canadian NZ resident.

Meanwhile, Maoris from Hamilton with who I have contact, don’t want to be in my film. So I go down south to Wellington where Taniora Kidwell is waiting for me. He had told me prior to my departure from France that he would be interested. Indeed he’s my new dancer for Maori dance. And what a great dancer !

There, Helen Moulder, a lovely actress hosts me with her roommate Irene, in their beautiful house, up the hills of the capital. Great view !

Richard Allouch, a journalist from the local newspaper in Tahiti « Les Nouvelles » did my first article about my film MOVE ! interviewing my dancers and I.

Very soon, another one will come out in the Brazilian magazine : « Epoca ». A Brazilian weekly news and analysis magazine, which has become one of the country’s most widely read magazines. Yeehaa !

What a better idea to start the year than swimming with dolphins ?

That is exactly what I did on the very first day of 2012.

Not only I was lucky enough to be in Moorea in French Polynesia, but I’ve also got the chance after a great New year’s eve party to go swimming with dolphins, thanks again to Anthony Lagant.

Here are some untouched images from the videos made in Tahiti

Here are some images from the making of. Locations are both in Tahiti (at the Marae Arahurahu) and Moorea.

Thank you again to all my new good friends who helped me so much in making my movie possible in French Polynesia.

If you ever need good dancers, contact Harotea Bob Jones and Rachel Oito. For underwater images contact Anthony Lagant.

Everything started just like a dream in Tahiti Nui.     

First, a friend of a friend, Jean-Philippe, kindly hosted me in Paea, in his beautiful house by the lagoon. Wonderful feeling to wake up at 6am and jump in the lagoon to go swimming with the colorful fishes in the beautiful reef garden, then do some yoga in the beautiful tropical garden and eat coconut fish fished by the roommate.

The fish was indeed delicious but the roommate, a nightmare ! After only two days in Paradise, I had to leave the house. I didn’t know where to go. The only contacts I had was Jean-Philipe and two other french persons, « popas » as the Tahitians call them. Unfortunately, French people don’t have the greatest reputation as best hosts in the world (there are exceptions of course !). And Tahiti is super expensive, 50€ for a dorm in the cheapest hostel. Not in my budget !

But as luck has always seemed to be on my side, I found a wonderful Tahitian family right next to Papeete, willing to host me. Lina was the great mother of 3 lovely daughters. One of them happened to be a dancer in the Grands Ballets de Tahiti, that I had filmed a couple days earlier. I thought I had my dancer and that I was set ! After a week scouting for locations and waiting for the rain to stop, she didn’t feel like dancing for my film anymore. Sigh ! So a friend of her accepted to do so. But after just one hour of shooting she bailed on me the next day. Double sigh ! It is called in Tahiti, the « few attitude ». Meaning « feeling lazy ».  So here I was, under the pouring rain, with no dancer, and on top of that my computer crashed ! Oh well… !

Even though I spent a delightful Christmas with my new family and even received a cute Tshirt from Turia, the oldest daughter, I decided that Tahiti Nui wasn’t working for me concerning my film.

So I left to Moorea, invited by my wonderful other hosts Barbara and Manu. Barbara is what they call there « a fa’a’amu » child (to feed). A very old Polynesian tradition allows families that can not raise a kid properly to give him in adoption to relatives or friends. Barbara was therefore Tahitian but adopted by a French family, raised in France and then returned with her « popa » partner to Moorea, closer to her original family.

In Moorea, within the first night, everything started to clear up. And I was able to make a wonderful film with my beautiful star dancer Rachel Oito, along with my handsome dancer Harotea Bob Jones, and with the great help of all my Tahitian friends : Lina, Eli, Diana, Barbara, Manu and their son Moana and many more…

Without forgetting Anthony Lagant who did some awesome underwater shots for MOVE !

His demo reel : Demo Anthony Lagant

The luxurious hotel Pearl Resort agreed to let me film there and the locations in Moorea are just breathtaking. I also got the chance to be invited to a Tahitian wedding thanks to Rachel’s friends.

This time I was back in Paradise !

I had the best time ever in Moorea and one of the best new year’s eve party of my life !

I will miss all my new Tahitian friends who were so genereous, nice and so helpful with my film. I love you all so dearly.

Another dream of mine was to visit Easter Island. Even though my plane from Santiago to Tahiti stopped there, I was not allowed to make a stopover. But I was quite happy to see a bit of it from the sky and the lovely tiny airport had some local statues as well.

It made my day !

Visiting Chile had always been my dream…

Over 3 years ago, one of my best friends Géraldine, moved over there to change her life. She opened a small bar in Valparaiso in the colorful hills and fell in love with an Argentinean guy. I meant to visit her a couple times but didn’t succeed and then she came back to France, heartbroken.

This summer, only a few days before my departure to this big adventure, she hanged herself. I lost one of my greatest friends.

My flight from Buenos Aires to Tahiti was going through Santiago de Chile. I decided to stop over and go to Valparaiso as a sort of pilgrimage. On the way, I was delighted to see the Cordillera de los Andes from the sky, with all the snowed caps. So amazing !

Then, I stayed the first night in Santiago, at Javier’s, a friend of Gégé who I had met before in Paris.

He showed me where she had stayed in Santiago to finish her book (which is about to get published at Actes Sud). I got very emotional, and the strangest thing is that, just a couple seconds before he showed me, I felt something very peaceful and pleasant in that neighborhood, I even told Javier how I felt… Coincidence…?

Then we both went to Valparaiso. The one and a half hour drive was so beautiful, hilly landscape with vineyards, eucalyptus and pine trees all around.

Once there, Javier showed me my friend’s former small bar, which has become a sushi bar. The next day, Javier had to go back to work, and I decided to stay there. I found myself a really cheap room with an amazing view on Valparaiso’s bay.

I visited the poet Pablo Neruda’s gorgeous house, took a boat ride on the sea and finally wandered a bit more around town with a New-Yorker.

At night, I stayed watching through my window, the moon reflecting on the bay and the thousands lights on the hills around, doing nothing but just that for at least 45 minutes. Such a beautiful and peaceful night !

Here are more pictures of Valparaiso :

Here are the untouched images from the film :