Zaff-Dates

Zen, Love and why it's hard feeling it at the moment, but wish I did: (Very much so)

2012-02-19T01:56:00.000-08:00

I was a little worried, actually I have been worried a while, dismayed and discouraged by my feeling for humans, and even friends as we spread ourselves so thinly in today's networking age. I think it is a little to do with my problem solving autistic brain (I'm nearly sure) where social kindness is part of this world of mine and as particular as everything else going on in here and so, when things go wrong or sometimes even different they seem to fly out of my brain and don't concern me in real terms and become very big problems of principle.

I then realise that I can care for my children so resolutely so profoundly, and I used to care for humans and humankind in the same way but a few knock backs by certain people and I spin off orbit so badly that I become more a human kind lover but only in the bigger scheme of things. I do still love my friends, family and humans in general, but I feel tainted by wankers very badly and I would like to not be swayed by wankers anymore.

For one, to some I'm sure I am one of the wankers.
For two, I seem to expect others to dig my ideals the most and that is bad and hurts.

I still think, a land where ambitions are for love and beauty, and money is a by-product, and fame is a by product: how massively and wondrously would we evolve. Our eyes would turn and be bright, not callous and blurred. The focus would come in our focus to such that humans aspire to but rarely practise as a practise. The closest I have come to researching this kind of life is a more Zen life where ones work is a practise of the moment. Where Perfect is perfect anywhere, not because it has riches in mind or fame or a big city. Craftspeople and artisans, true ones.

I am trying and have always tried to be this resolute about humans, but I still feel alien. Maybe because I'm 4th generation Italian on my mother's side and 2nd generation Italian on my Dad's side I never fit in here,.. But I think the Artistic Autism is a major factor or that I am in fact an alien. But the resolute love and understanding and tolerance I have for my children, I would love to feel a decimal integer for others. I will try because I would like to evolve now not in some Darwinian generation 10,000 years from now.

Godard and the Stones

2012-01-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

Two of My Favs

Stones and Godard's Documentary/Film of the Making of Sympathy for the Devil

Awesome

Amelia - Lalala Human Step

2012-01-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

The First time I saw this I was blown away and forever more too:

I hope you enjoy

mz xx

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

MGMT - Time To Pretend

2012-01-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

First time I saw this was a glorious moment!

I think it was on BBC coverage of Glastonbury

The song became my first song I needed to hear on the way to Cornwall.

Now it is "My Cornwall Song" as my boy Finn says

I had this amazing moment with my daughter singing Love Rescue Me

2011-12-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

I had this amazing moment with my daughter singing Love Rescue Me .. She starts singing all the time just describing what she sees all the time... I thought I'd show her off again!

mz xx

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

An old song from an old film

2011-12-04T13:17:00.001-08:00

An old song I made for The Vendetta made far too many years ago now.

Filmed on super 8 by my lovely wife Becki while at Niagara Falls (Canadian side)

Remember this Laura!!!

mzxx

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Epics and Stories a coming!

2011-12-01T12:28:00.001-08:00

These photos I took for the 'Epics Series' with the help of very special talented friends,.. Have now started to gather and create something, another world to work from and within in the writing. A mythic world bleeding into this one, into a few individuals in lands of poetry and visions. Then a landscape to match which is found beautifully by means of writing as no other discipline seems to allow the desciption of such place(s) as Ink and scrawl.

The models and hair stylists and Make-up artists are all listed on www.the veranda.co.uk

mz x

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Ginsberg reading HOWL!!!!!

2011-11-27T15:17:00.001-08:00

(How do we feel when such words and thoughts...)

Kerouac reading to the Beat of his Beat! .... Sigh!!!

2011-11-27T15:12:00.001-08:00

Sylvia Plath reads 'Daddy'

2011-11-23T13:22:00.001-08:00

Sylvia oh Sylvia!!!

Amazing xxmz

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

James Joyce reading from Finnegans Wake

2011-11-23T13:11:00.001-08:00

.. The Great voice of James Joyce reading from Finnegans Wake .. I only ever got to page 130ish but one day I'll try again... A little more tricky than Ulysses and that was a fucker. Amazing but a fucker!

What a voice and mind!

mZ xx

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

David Belle Parkour Free Running Daemon! Amazing (Love these guys!)

2011-11-23T12:54:00.001-08:00

David Belle here Jumping like a daemon. Incredible!

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Huddersfield Indoor Market

2011-11-23T02:48:00.001-08:00

28TH MARCH 1970MARKET HALLThe Old Market Hall closes for trade. The New Market Hall opens for business on 1st April.

I was in the Indoor Market in Huddersfield off the Piazza yesterday with Becki and Indigo and we were looking for wool and possibly some fruit and some sweets to fill our advent calendar.Shame on me I had never looked up from the dreary lighting, the shop stalls and my shuffling feet.Okay so I looked up and the photograph below taken on a phone just depicts, very badly what wonderful stuff happens when you look up.

This is always more obvious on the High Street when shop fronts are there to advertise brands and logos and forgetting the brilliant architecture above is common place but looking up is somehow done more ofter.However I looked up for the first time in 38 years and see something that should be in the Barbican, or amongst the concrete structures on the South Bank in London, next to the Haywood Gallery, In York, where a wonderful cafe might reside next to a Cinema. This structure could house something of absolute brilliance. And a market could be this. Huddersfield Markets are amazing, the second hand market on Tuesday for example would again be a revelation in London Town! Back to the Market... this building with imagination could be a market, it could be a theatre, a festival environment, a spacious place for light and culture alongside the tradition and pride of working class in Huddersfield giving outlets current to our population.

The imagination which is my biggest bug bear in life at present is diminishing the longer things go on. The negative comments about this building are abundant and that is because it is so badly decked out. This place could be amazing, this place could be akin to the National Theatre, a place to rest and think (Oh no don't waste space in place to think sorry) A place to sell things aswell!!! The ideas could be massive and expansive and the building is there ready to be developed! No new build necessary! Just a gutting and then some thought!

MZ

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Free Running - Parkour - Eastern Euro-Style

2011-11-15T13:20:00.001-08:00

Once this gets going its breath taking at times:

This East European Run has a different vibe to other vids I've seen

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

The Gaps (Sneak Preview)

2011-11-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not showing you the site of the new project but just check out the first 2 scenes if you wish to 'The Gaps' Very proud of my boys acting! Watch out for scary bit!! :-)

Going to be a cool show eventually
MZ

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Delta Sleep - Sweet Music

2011-10-31T05:10:00.000-07:00

I found this video on the BandCamp Site (pretty sure that's where it was) and thought of you!
MZ

more links like these http://www.kino.gb.com/LINKS.html

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

KINO - A film 100 minute, Arthouse/Thriller, A Film by Marco Zaffno

2011-10-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

KINO - 100 minute
Arthouse/Thriller
A Film
by Marco Zaffino.

For media Pack Synopsis/Cast/Crew etc: CLICK HERE
(Awarded 'Golden Kahuna at the Honolulu IFF 2010 for excellence in filmmaking'.

I hope you enjoy

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Andy Huang Video (Quite something)

2011-10-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Andy Huang

http://www.andrewthomashuang.com/about.htm

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

MindPop #8 1/2 - A clip from 8 1/2 by FELLINI

2011-10-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I can quite express how much I love 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita. Such elegence, self consicous truth-making-film of that time and also such self-criticism of the idea in itself.
Fellini a major influence to great filmmakers of the future David Lynch, Baz Luhrmann, Terry Gilliam etc etc Me! :-) just ran rampant, brave in his artistic expression while creating characters and story of the era. The story of cool, of paparazzi (In fact I think the name was coined in the film La Dolce Vita) and fame, of art versus entertainment, truth versus fantasy while somehow blending all the above! A Fucking amazing feet!

The Coolest M.F. in film and a major reason why I make films. This is my favourite film of all time.

Love love

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Mind Pop #5 Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning & MIND POP #6 with Finn and the Tao

2011-10-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Mind Pop #5

Mind Pop #6
Someimtes I think about Nothing, is that ok Finn said just before bed and we had a talk about the space between planets and the Tao! I was so proud of his thoughts about nothing!!!

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

MADE IN HUDDERSFIELD - PUNK CLASSIC DOC

2011-10-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

First Tuesday - Made In Huddersfield (Punk... by Saklas

More Huddersfield cool shit!!!

I think Mike Shrimpton who helped me in The Veranda (my debut film) was cameraman in this historic Punk video!! ) How fucking cool is that!!! But I'm not certain ...

MZ :-)

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Laura Marling - SOPHIA just gorgeous!!!

2011-10-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

When I heard this I thought I was listening to Marianne Faithful for a moment then when I heard it was contemporary then when I heard It was Laura Marling I was so happy! What a gem!!!

XM

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Yeah YEah Yeahs - Modern Romance

2011-10-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Love
XM

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Why I surf by Donavon Frankenreiter

2011-10-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

After Mc Ds I had to look at waves. Here's a lovely Why I surf by Donavon Frankenreiter

Lovely MZ :)

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

McDonalds in the Hudd

2011-10-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Just found this on Nik T's FB... The amount of times I was stopped coming out of tescos for this.!! Kind of cool though I think seeing big cameras in the hudd for a time !! Although as the previous post on nutrition says, I'm not a big fan!

xxm

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

A Moment that made my mind Pop #4 - Fear and Loathing

2011-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

p.45'Then you hear yourself mumbling: "Dogs fucked the Pope, no fault of mine. Watch out! . . . Why money? My name is Brinks; I was born . . . born? Get sheep over side . . . women and children to armored car . . . orders from Captain Zeep." '

Hunter S. Thomson . . . Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Flamingo Modern Classic

The rhythms in this writing, the flow of that brain! Fuck!
XM :-)

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

GoCookYourself

2011-10-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say how cool it was to bump into Robin (Goodswen) (of GOCOOKYOURSEF Fame)
A blog and service of brilliance and the attitude of Hero! A cooking Hero with down to earth, stylish evreyperson cuisine.

This blog will be huge
http://gocookyourself.com/

MZ :-)

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

A Starling

2011-10-14T08:34:00.001-07:00

To stop it being perfect, a feather stuck out from below the star strewn browns and greens. Its just a fucking Starling but disguised beneathe the taudry normality of this bird is the supersensory, dazzling grandeur of a whole hidden universe! And it can fucking fly!

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Gregs, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Take Away, URL Links for Nutritional Value - MIND WENT POP #3

2011-10-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

I used to well Fruit Veg, Good meat good cooking but I also would have a gregs steak back, a baguette, and a cream cake before lunch!! I think I was killing myself pretty quickly! (Actually my doc said something similar-For rEAL)
Not to mention the other take aways, Curries KFCs... Scary man!!!

BELOW BBC GUIDELINES AND ADVICE below that THE NUTRITION TO THE TAKE AWAY GIANTS
scary!!!
mZ

Guides for Nutrition and DAILY Guidelines
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/nutrition/index.shtml

McDonalds
http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/food/nutrition/nutrition-counter.mcd?dnPos=-242

Gregs Nutrition
http://www.greggs.co.uk/assets/Uploads/NutritionalInfo-July2011.pdf

Burger King
http://www.burgerking.co.uk/files/documents/NutritionalInformation_26092011.pdf

KFC
http://kfc.co.uk/our-food

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Moments That Made my Mind Pop #2 - Pulp Fiction

2011-10-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

I remember going to watch Pulp Fiction, in what now seems to be the most recent golden age in popular cinema that was still able to re-write the history of filmmaking.

I went to see this film with my now wife and I had chills throughout watching the movie and a headache for 48 hours after because of the intensity and the release and the intensity and the release.

(becki did laugh at the Ketchup joke as the tension of the whole overdose story came to some peace and some fuckwit went ha ha ha sarcastically in front of her!
My mind did pop!

I want these to be short and sharp so I'll stop there with the shiny LA imagery, the wonderful script, the glorious perm and the picking up of brain from the back of a car, reminding me about what film can be :-)

MZ

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Moments That Made my Mind Pop #1

2011-10-13T05:08:00.000-07:00

HOWL
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving
histerical naked,"

a quote from Allen Ginsberg 1947-1995
Penguin 2001

read the rest of this poem by a man who dug it the most! Prophecy and Power in these words!
MZ xx

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Coffeev, Huddersfield

2011-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I am proud to say I saw Jez and Jim setting up a new coffee shop. Before which there was only the original Blue Rooms and after them The Mocca Stop which was situated across from the railway station where the Italian (ish) restaurant resides now. (is it ciao Bella?) Well the blue rooms espresso at the time was like filter coffee and although at the age of 17 this was an amazing bohemian place to dwell a while it went down and down and unfortunately the mocca stop just failed for lack of business nouse. Then I smelled the on coming of a new age and there it was. I knocked on the door and I was told by the Coffeev Owners that they were opening soon. If I walked around the block by the time I returned the coffee machine should be ready. I was really excited. Somehow knowing how I needed coffee to work and an atmosphere that added to ideas. It was actually exciting to know this place was here. Huddersfield had a base for ideas. Jim actually brought a massive dictionary in once describing his notion of what a coffee shop should be. 'Coffeehouse' and its definition being the bohemian home for ideas, and artistic beginnings! Not many coffeeshops begin like this! Isn't that great?! When I returned after my walk around the block in the grey morning, I think I had the first espresso served here.

Well today, as I like to write about my coffee stops I thought it time to write about the best Independent Coffee Shop I've been in. I went in today to write abit of a new novel about an Adolescent Minotaur. I have in the past done much storyboarding and script writing in the old Coffeev and in the new one. I have sadly not gone in as much as I used to lately because of the great thing about here. I know too many beautiful people here andso I don't have the right mind to work. It is sad that I have let the atmosphere become more of a reminiscence rather than a constant experience but I can't work too well here. Andso I wanted to say here how great a place it still is.

Served a double espresso and iced glass of water by James today was second to none. Perfect crema and a strong espresso that held everything together in a perfect cup.. A rainy day writing about deserts and Minotaurs to a perfect coffee made by a top bloke. His brother next to him Jeremy, funny, erudite and a Barista Viola genius! A gorgeous experience as always!

So sorry I cant frequent as much as I used to because I am obsessive work wanker but a little statement here to say how much I love the place!

God Bless
Marco

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Berlin Show

2011-09-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.artslant.com/ber/events/show/171906-the-harmony-of-elements
BERLIN SHOW
Here is a link and the photo of Francesca Depledge is the image used here for the group show. I feel honoured .. and in a big way to be in a show, to be in the same room as something by Joseph Beuys.. Extraordinary time...

From an Art Slant Page (Copied and pasted)

> EXHIBITED WITH THESE ARTISTS

Joseph Beuys has exhibited with these artists:

This made me Smile Man!!! :-)

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Berlin:Group Exhibition

2011-09-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Berlin:Group Exhibition

Time	Tomorrow at 18:00 - 22 October at 16:00

Location	HF Contemporary Art -Berlin Schererstrasse 10 - 11 Berlin, Germany

For	Marco Zaffino - Film/Art Updates

More info	Group Art Show tomorrow in Berlin Works by Joseph Beuys, Paul Marks, Elke Mohr, Tobias Pils, Christoph Schmidberger, Nicholas Socrates, Axel Staudinger, Helen Steele and Marco Zaffino 30th Sept until 22nd Oct VENUE / ORT: Opening Hours/Geschaetszeiten: HF Contemporary Art -Berlin Tue - Sat 11-18hrs Schererstrasse 10 - 11 Berlin - Wedding, D-13347 und per Vereinbarung

Lovely post in the Examiner and Amazon Reviews so far

2011-09-29T06:16:00.001-07:00

http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/arts-news/2011/09/29/almondbury-cult-film-maker-marco-zaffino-shifts-his-dark-arts-to-print-86081-29505012/

Cheers Dave Himelfield

And first reviews coming in from Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B005ME3EAW/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

MZ :)

New Look and thoughts on new Film Company

2011-09-23T05:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a little montage image for the blog from stills we've got from the new film, being made as and when new thoughts come and players gather. It's a strange yet wonderful way to make a film. I can't say I'm comfortable without my skeleton and stability : the script, storyboards, shot lists, but it is a hell of a learning curve, which is kind of the point really!

AND with the advent of new Zaffinos participating in the films and future projects the name may change from MINSTRELWALLEYE PRODUCTIONS to ZAFFINO WORKS or PRODUCTIONS etc or something similar.... It will be again strange but I feel the Kids and Becki may surpass my furthest dreams and if we can combine and become a carnival arts family!!! How perfect!! And how exciting!!!

Lovely people amazing images.. lets hope the film holds it!!
MZ

Special (RX) Specioprin Hydrochloride (DIR: HAL HABERMAN & JEREMY PASSMORE

2011-09-23T02:02:00.001-07:00

I watched a film that was given to me by a friend the other day called "Special" by HAL HABERMAN & JEREMY PASSMORE starring MICHAEL RAPAPORT It had a ridiculously bad cover and some festival laurels depicting that it may have done well on the festival circuit. I wanted to watch something that wasn't slick but that was thoughtful and mind provoking and possibly beautiful and somehow this terrible cover suggested this might just work. Or it might be one of those lo budget film where you feel infected by something so badly made and thought out that you question your whole existence! (I love the performance by the young sensitive friend)...

www.Imbd.com link below to SPECIAL
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479162/
Well with Special, I got the above. Firstly the hand held centrally composed camera work was beautiful. Very beautiful. I had seen the main actor in Bamboozled and I think it was True Romance in an audition. He was great in this roll. His very confusing roll was sensitive, absurd, soulful and believable in a story that hit home deeply in this age of wanting to be a famous hero for no good reason but for being famous for no good reason.

In Special because of a drug that allowed one to believe in oneself the hero became a hero with special powers. These were almost certainly only in his own mind. Although some of the powers did seem to surface truly at times. With great powers came great paranoia and the drug company's efforts to nip in the bud this thorn in their sides: a runaway self-believer come super hero tackling petty crimes! It conitinues into a crescendo of self empowerment at the lowest moment of the film.

This was a great film and I highly recommend it!

I'll publish this and find out some of the names when I get home and imdb links etc

MZ

Love Rescue Me . . . alla Indie and Me

2011-09-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

God I love this Girl!!!

Neros Huddersfield

2011-09-12T14:26:00.001-07:00

Neros is a massive organisation and I think we feel that when we go to many Nero cafes .. And who can blame the staff as they are always so busy and the aggressive area management to stay on top form must be very hard to stay genuine and polite! From the Huddersfield staff have nearly always been gracious and serve a high standard of coffee. However under the most recent management and the staff of present a real warmth seems to be issuing through. i can only commend this latest team of Huddersfield staff and a good few of the past gems here for dealing with the long days and busy working conditions. The coffee is always of top quality and if a coffee doesn't meet required tastes of the patron the staff are very polite and only too pleased to meet those requirements.. and watching this happen i never see negative afterlooks. 5stars all around and if the bloody council would allow them out door seating they would have a great cafe!
5stars all round *****

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Pitseleh and Chihuahua

2011-09-12T12:31:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to note my excitement here. 2 days ago Pure Bred Chihuahua, my debut novel arrived. It's amazing what a positive partner such as Matthew Read at Pitseleh and editor of PBC and an outlet can have on the energy to write! It took 11 years for this novel and 17 years of novel writing and filmmaking for this to happen. I feel grateful, happy and in need of a great sigh that never seems to come.
MZ :-)

A kind of Trust : Love and Letting Go

2011-09-05T14:09:00.001-07:00

A few times now a soft yet powerful whisper has told me of what lies beneath after the letting go. For me there is always something I feel like I have forgotten and before I start work, writing, or thinking about the films and such the energy wasted and time needed to focus on whatever it is I'm focussing on is too great to describe.

I felt a rumor lately about two more false things to worry about. Two things greater than Christ or Buddha and they are Love and Letting Go! I thought,.. you know,.. I think it is time to let go of letting go and love. This felt too hard and after many realizations that left the only ambitions possible to be these two and the main one being the last ambition Love... I could only manage the idea of letting these slide for ten breathes or ten clean breathes anyway. I'd say clean breathes are those where nothing else is thought about. So many constructs, so much scaffolding hold these false Gods there because they actually describe what lies beneath. They describe in feelings how a language tries to describe in the best of what we have, or the most beautiful place we know. Feelings of love and the high concept of letting go try to describe in our most masterly language we posses what lies beneath. Feelings our most precious language but still a very sensitive language non the less.

Then when these last bastions are put to one side for the slightest moment the stupid arguments about letting go and love vanish. The stupid arguments of ego and all that go. When these are let go of our centre is turned on. To that which is bigger. So bigger. And all those things our amazing feelings have tried to describe hoping we'd catch on are not felt but are ARE! This viscous silence, probably golden, Taos around us and those things we feared that we'd lose or that fucking religions told us to lose and die for are there so plentiful and loving and threads from our loved ones attach to us and we can love them as family without even thinking of letting go of them to be truly enlightened and we can slither that web outwards more and more with ever silence we allow. With every golden silence we allow the thread can weave it's way in and through all existence everywhere and in every atom and the zero freak can truly feel more freedom and love than our lovely storytelling personalities ever dreamed of. Even if it is just for five breaths.

Just a thing I felt at the station yesterday. Thought I'd share it :-)
Mz xx

Cafe Hut with Mel and PBC#2

2011-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

So my first review of a cafe experience happens like this.
I drive to town from work for my lunch break and park in Kingsgate and walk upto the Caffe Hut. It's a beautiful day and I have a notebook in my back pocket, A5 in size and it now goes everywhere with me. In my wallet is a couple of quid for coffee and parking and a mini pencil and an turquoise mini retractable pen.

Melanie Sian Vandesande one of the hardest working people I know serves me a double espresso and a cup of water and I sit in one of my favourite spots in town to write. It's warm and I have a view right up the King's Street. Mel is a friend but as a cafe review too her service is lovely and the coffee is beautiful, it is a little more acidic maybe because of the paper cups than some of the smoother multnational's espressos but I'm in the mood for it and I love it, it hits the sides and wakes me up (i'm still asleep at 11.30 ater being up like 5 hours). There is always a friendliness and a down to earth way at the Caffe Hut while sitting with the ladies who would have smoked behind the bike sheds about 60 years ago. I imagine there are some interesting stories in the heads of these customers. I'm thoroughly anti-smoking because my Dad died so young because of smoking and so I feel quite bizarre in a corner of smokedom but I like it.

Then I see Mel wander up to the cutest couple, elderly and in love... she returns with kind eyes and lovely words of her grandparents. I see them holding hands.

Alongside this I write the 1st 2 pages of Pure Bred Chihuahua #2 and so note the time and Mel and the coffee as a momentous occasion for me in this wonderful moment of coffee, sunshine and old romance and a great energy coming through my double espresso.

On this particular visit 2nd Sept 2011
Service-5 stars, coffee-4, Experience-5 out of 5

BTW Huddersfield is a great coffee hub Most coffee at most places s at a 4 or 5 standard ... I'll go into that when I review the cities

MZ :)

Beware Wolf Ideas

2011-09-01T04:55:00.001-07:00

These were the first doodles for the pr stills and video! The first tests look fuvcking cool!

CoffeeShops- Maybe time to start giving my opinion on those I visit

2011-08-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

Coffee Shops - Maybe time to start giving my opinion on those I visit you know quality, care, view and atmosphere and how it effects the writing and doodling!
MZ

next Project

2011-08-29T01:31:00.001-07:00

In between major projects it always feels hard to focus on one. The large projects that are all simmering at the moment and vying for attention are sorting out draft 2 of MASANAGA a feature screenplay, a screenplay for Pure Bred Chihuahua #1 then two Novels Pure Bred Chihuahua #2 and I think the favourite is The Adolescent Minotaur another novel and while these are written and vying, THE GAPS an experimental feature is being filmed and slowly edited. I THINK I NEED TO FOCUS ON... The Adolescent Minotaur (check the spelling too) and leave the others until they need attention... Although i'll probably have the others continuing at 2 or 3% speed while the novel kicks off on hand written notepads... Then I'll need a change and one of the others may kick in... So espresso and thoughts on the Minotaur ...
Mz

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Whitby

2011-08-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

Typing by a reading light in a bell tent as my two children talk about being best friends and Finn (6 years old) tell Indigo his little sister (3 years old) that he'll always look after her. Wow there were tears in my eyes. Now Indie is talking to me later than she normally stays up, tucked up tightly in her sleeping bag and playing with a mini wind up torch.. Becki my wife is walking round the bell tent at about 9.30 in the pitch black taking fotos of the surroundings.. Maybe its not pitch black .. God this is beautiful. We have a portable stove now and the possibilities for family travels are beginning to really sound exciting. I think a coastal journey beckons... Anyway a little blog or journal as we chat and swipe a daddy leg from my phone lit face.. Becki just called it a mummy long legs! Perfect. Now to sleep or read or something ready for tomorrow at the beach maybe a little more north!

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DO we have to think now?

2011-08-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Quite odd thinking about thinking and the notions of revolutionary thinking and why the great, more transgressive literature seems to be stemmed by the great fears of terrorism and now thuggish non thoughtful riots that hold again fears of revolution by a mainly a-political point of view.
And so the more playful yet darkly hitting works critical of the norm, the status quo and materiality are more and more in the background and as it crosses my mind maybe the writers are even having to think before this very free flow writing is expressed and published. What might the work ensue or glamourize, if say made into a film and then seen by a wider audience? Accountabilty and transparency being the political buzz words at the moment as the world becomes more and more fearful over economic disasters and human corruption and the globalisation of all nations... moral fundamentalism is coming to the fore and religious fundamentalism and dogma is so particular and insular their answers are increasingly unusful but for those involved in their cause and their followers.
Radical thoughts for a freer, cooler, more kind society that is usually described by embittered pissed off dryly sarcastic usually wonderful authors who wish they'd been around when Easy Rider was made or that they were in at least one Kerouac truck or railway carriage, sit and write, and now do we have to actually think about what we say with an accountability in mind.? What an awful thought but I feel an atmosphere where any rockng of a boat might actually make it tip. So unstable and thoughtless have we become? Just a question really as I blab on... Argh big brother on channel 5 is starting!
MZ

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A Small Realisation about PBC

2011-08-17T02:01:00.001-07:00

Its taken a while but in a nutshell Pure Bred Chihuahua and future PBC books are about the war for Awareness, individually and in every dimension.. In and of which we are an integral part! I take a while to gather the big picture!

MZ

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2011-08-16T12:08:00.001-07:00

Working on MASANAGA at the minute a feature screenplay which is very exciting and also the next novel. A bit undecided which idea to focus on for the next novel or if I should try and write them both. There is the second book in the world of Pure Bred Chihuauha but also a another book that is totally unrelated but involves whaling ships, carnivals and hobo adventures by a mythical creature who also happens to be a 13 year old child in hard times. Hmm??

Proof

2011-08-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

So just come off the phone with Matt my Publisher and it's time to check the proof for the first edition run.. Really Exciting :-)

A very rambly Toos and Frows - of the Riots

2011-08-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a mini epiphany, kind of to do with Nietzsche and his ideas on Will to Power and softer and more positive or realistic ideas of Empowerment and Self-Empowerment .. An epiphany to do with anyone who lives on a dangerous estate, or one where you need a certain attitude or bravado just to walk with your head high; why these guys might be doing some of these mindless things we've seen on the TV, or been afraid of, been barricaded against in the actual hot spots.. I have been pretty safe here in Huddersfield and I have had some friends who have been not so safe in the midst of the fires of London and I have felt the shame and anger as strongly as anyone.

I needed to ask myself some questions. Where can one feel empowered? What power? And where does it come from? And how can it be directed positively? And isn't it something we all need as humans, a power, an assurance of ones own strength and ability to live safely with honour, with the option of being heard? How can one say anything, be anything without the self assurance, and IMAGINATION to do something of worth!? With out these tools, living in certain conditions, and being of a certain character, what mindless expression will occur? This is not a lefty social get out, this is humanity... I am sad that such humanity is going to waste.

I have gone through anger and wanting the perpetrators to get all they deserve and more.. I'm possibly still of this mind, however I feel ashamed that it took me a few days to regain some humanity. The lack of humanity we label those creating such mayhem, havoc and fear.

Mayhem, Havoc and Fear. I don't have to use these as a tool to regain some power. I can hold my head up high most of the time where I live and not think, who's that looking at me? Am I in danger? Do I have to show some strength just to go to the shop? That must be exhausting to live in fear or have to show feats of strength and intimidation constantly.

I am very lucky to have been given, or learnt the tools to imagine things to do. I don't need the government to supply me with basket ball courts and playgrounds, youth clubs etc etc to imagine a dream being fulfilled. How do we give these tools to the youth, and this is not just for those we so easily dismiss but to all those in school where statistics rather than inspiration within learning is so highly prized by the government and educational system.

I feel so very sad today as I walk around Huddersfield and see a few intimidating characters cycling around, big men on phones making out that things maybe about to kick off in town. That our police force may or may not have to deal with the situation, that innocent shopkeepers, shoppers, the innocent public may have to deal with fire, death, danger, havoc and mayhem, sneers, cajoling.

What I mean to say, what I find terribly sad is that when I see these intimidating characters I also see handsome men who could easily be models for Dazed and Confused or I-D Magazine, I see people organising this fucking mission of theft and/or intimidation, there are even strange talents of crossing physical social boundaries that are scary to normal people that could be useful in business and in the army and in the police force... there is humour and each individual behind the bravado and fucked up armour has kindness.... at least 98% do.

I am not saying we have caused this as a society.. I don't want to lay blame.

What is the answer?

Poverty, the word is bandied about and then you see fucking drought and true poverty in the 3rd world and the criteria we give to the word seems ridiculous. Objects & Materialistic poverty has nothing to do with this. It is the atmosphere of living in the world any human would hate to live in and having to get by. Bit by bit this would be soul destroying, character destroying to some and those it doesn't destroy, for those many trying to stick this out, how great is my respect to these people... and then there is this opportunity to stick 2 fingers up at the world and say fuck you, fuck off, we exist, and the mayhem and havoc and destruction is the two fingers. By these with lower character and lower strength and lower possibilities.

What else can these guys do to feel power? What can these people do to feel power that is safe, and can hold onto dreams and to try to fulfil them?

Imagination is not taught or .. very little thought about as something important. But this is all important. In a society where measuring poverty includes having flat screen TVs ... MAN!!!! (Although I myself lived in a family of 4 on £56 a week and that was for mortgage, bills, food etc, as a child... My Mum worked miracles.)

All the social things you all know about... I am not equipped as you may or may not be, to talk about these things but you know them. Single Parent Mothers trying desperately to deal with life and children, Low Incomes, Benefits (when gone wrong) making people lose faith in ones own power and possibilities... Discipline, the celebration of Mediocrity... While SATS fuck our kids up more and more etc etc And ambitions of success are measured by fame and material gain as opposed to happiness, community and getting by with pride and honour. Which lesson teaches honour and imagination at schools, which role model shows this at home. And how can this be taught at home in the environments discussed. Honour comes out in different ways. At worst, Gang mentality and neighbourhood wars.

Empowerment!!! We all want empowerment, to be alive and heard. Without the channels to do this, without the tools to do this we have a major problem.

I feel so sad that the Riots and the shitness of them, the hatred I feel for those purpetrators and yet I see Individuals who could so easily be those doing this stuff and I see amazing people wasted in some estate. That is fucked up. Playstation, Teaching syllabusses that are so tedious that I would want to leave school, lack of dreams and inspiration allowed in to teaching by the strict strict ways of the new structures, and lack of the need to dream and imagine. For what is the point!!! WE SEE THE POINT RIGHT NOW... No IMAGINATION, NO PRIDE, NO EMPATHY (EMPATHY COMES FROM IMAGINATION, HONOUR, and CONSIDERATION..) All these great considerations need high levels of Imagination to function properly and where are we teaching this.

How do I try to empower my children? By Loving them and giving them options for a world that is their oyster to see and partake in. How would you empower your children growing up in a difficult sometimes dangerous world, your home? You need imagination, consideration, honesty and yes even LOVE to try to understand.

And My HYPOCRACY would be I would be so very vengeful if someone had done anything of this rioting to me. And so I do want to say you are amazing to the FATHER who lost his CHILDREN in the riots and the POLICE who ahve been so brave and all those who have had damage and lives crushed.

I DO NOT CONDONE IN ANY WAY what has happened. It is shit and I hate it. I am just so sad so very sad that thousands possibly millions of people do not know how wonderful this world can be and some of these mindless harsh people turn to Mayhem, Havoc, Intimidation, thoughtless violence, thoughtless expression, in this kind of X-Factor moment of fame. And to those who try to survive peacefully in the more difficult places to live I think you are wonderful!

My Dad lived as a peasant in Calabria, 5 slept in a bed, my Granddad came from literally 3rd world poverty in the back streets of Naples (Napoli is often quoted as being near 3rd world conditions) and through imagining a different world, they left and started a new world. Without Imagination, visualisation we would accept the shit we come from and we would fight only the shit but still live in it, shitting in our own backyards as the short sighted did in these riots, without the thoughts of a grand future, without a reason! Without thinking themselves out of their situation or mind set. We are the only ones who can do this. It is our Power to change our perspective to visualise a different world and fucking go for it. I commend any who try. And I truly am in awe of any who deal with those streets day to day I would be fearful to walk down.

with Love
MZ

COVER ART for PBC 1st Edition

2011-08-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

The cover designed by my amazing wife BECKI and the blurb is all wending its way to Matt Read at Pitseleh Publishing this very second!!!

Pure Bred Chihuahua is nearly there!!!

200 Prints 1st Edition... Snap them up I say !!!
Before its a film and a cult success :-))))

MZ

PBC reading #2 Whispering Prophets

2011-05-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

This chapter (2nd Reading to-date) 'Whispering Prophets' is now about the 3rd chapter but it was originally how I started the book! And there's a lovely surprise at the end with a guest appearance from Finn .. my boy :-) MZ

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Notebook #1

2011-04-27T12:46:00.001-07:00

I just thought all my babbles go into my scribbles so I may start logging some of them alla blog! Here's an extract from the plan/ideas for new Pure Bred Chihuahua book (book #2)

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Pure Bred Chihuahua - 1st Reading of the 1st pages

2011-03-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hey, well I'm new to reading out loud and especially at reading out my own work.

I hope you find it a little intriguing and I'll find some more parts to read and upload those too.

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Zero Freak

2011-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

Chris Rusby and Myself and Francesca Depledge, are making a new short film called FORCE FEELING CASTANEDA JEDI ZERO FIELD FREAK!!! Its about a guy who sits, uploads the sits with the help of his girlfriend and sees the strange results and feelings that come back to haunt him from you-tube and blogger etc!

This is the first sit for you to view: (There are more angles in the film but this is the camcorder shot Zero Freak takes of himself.)

the first two scenes look beautiful and lets see how this experiment pans out!
MZ

Marco Zaffino asks Keren Weissman about making "Not a Single Tear"

2011-02-03T12:19:00.001-08:00

Marco Zaffino asks Keren Weissman about making "Not a Single Tear"

MZ.
Keren, how did you find the learning curve of your first film adventure?. What G-Force were you at?

KW.
Naturally, I'm overwhelmed. I don’t know where to start. As a writer, I was trained (at NYU, mostly, where I did my masters in dramatic writing) to write and let go. That is, to expect the best or the worst or something in between as the outcome of what I write alone in my room once it comes to life on the screen by someone else. A lot of someone elses.   And here I am, taking control of all of the process. Doing it from A to Z, all letters included. And I think it's too much to ask for.

MZ
How did you find the move from Writing for the Screen, for a Director and Directing yourself?

KW.
This short film is part of one of the many features I wrote, non to be produced yet. This is a flashback scene, so to speak. In most of the screenplay, my main character, Dana, is 29 years old. She is stuck in her old childhood home, in her old room, she has a life outside of it, but she refuses to take the final steps it takes to really grow up and let go of the past. I do know it is not possible to really grow up and really let go, but people have a way of playing it. By moving out of their parents' house, for starters. By earning a full living. By sometimes having kids. Etc. Dana is in one of those ever lasting loops, and when a shrink asks her if she wants to change her life, she cannot quite answer him. She is in great pain and she is suffering, but that still doesn’t mean she's ready for change. She doesn’t believe in change. And this is where this flashback comes. It was once a longer piece, but due to my lack of budget, I squared it in 22 minutes.

MZ.
Did you enjoy as Producer the orchestration of Film-making?

KW.
Going back to my departure from writer to writer-director. I wasn’t planning on it. I was forever told that I write like a director, that my writing is specific and visual, and cinematic, but I never had the guts to go out and say – I want to direct. When I thought of making a short film out of part of my feature, I was desperate to produce. I've been teaching film for years, my students at 18 years of age, have produced much more than I ever dared to, and though I love being there for them and being part of the process, that was never enough for me. I did get produced and still do so as a writer for children's animation films and shows, but those are not my babies, so to speak. So I wanted to go all the way with something I wrote, something, which is by the way semi-autobiographical, very personal – a very painful bit of my history. But I was going to be brave finally. And I chose one of my first student of 9 years ago, who has been making films ever since school to direct it. I was always there reading his work and supporting him, and I believed he could do a good job with the script. I still do. I offered to finance the film and he was happy to direct it. He loved the script. We had a contract made, in which I asked to be part of the artistic decision making, which was problematic from day one, even though, we both agreed on this clause, and despite the fact we also seemed to agree on most artistic decisions. But at some point it was clear that we cannot share the same chair, and we split. I had a few rough weeks in which I thought mostly of giving up. But a few good fellows, one director, one editor, told me: "If you can direct as you can write, you should do this". So I did. And this was the best thing I ever did to myself. I truly felt at some point, still do to a certain degree, that it doesn’t matter if no one likes this film, which cost me my son's and I lifesavings, I am so proud of daring.
   Despite the hardship, I loved everything about the process. I fell in love with the role of director, though I have yet so much to learn. So much. I liked certain parts of producing it. I did hire a producer to do all the hard work – such as making calls, getting everyone there on time, arranging the equipment, food – the works. But I did do the casting, some of the art direction and loved doing the costume design, which was one of my favorite bits. It wasn’t easy dealing with real live people, I must say. I was intimidated at first. But I think I learned that if I spend some intimate quiet time with each one of my cast or crew, later on, on set, they'd just know what to do.
     I had that experience with my cinematographer. We worked for a month on the shooting. We planned every thing to the last detail, and he had a full understanding of my vision, well, most of the time. Since I have a tendency for the surreal, some of my lighting choices and directions in general, were un-real. He did try to persuade to be more realistic, but I think, during the process, he discovered some of my more extreme choices were right for this project. I had it written in my script that Dana's room should be like two separate worlds cramped into one little space. Dana's side should be pinkish and bright, and her baby sister's side should be greenish, hospital like. When Ramy was working on getting the first night scene in that room, he kept asking me: "is this green enough for you?" and I kept saying "no", till at one point, he said: "well, this is going to look line an effect" and I said, that's the way I want it. Some people may look at those scenes and say: "well, that looks like a mistake.", and there is a fine line between mistakes and innovations. That won't stop me from trying.
    We had the same kind of "dispute" over the scene in which Dana runs downs the stairs into the light. That scene was originally supposed to be shot outside, in the street, but at some point during pre-production, I realized that I don’t have time to shoot outside and I'm not sure I have the money for it. I took out all the exterior scenes from the screenplay. Some were replaced, some dropped. I dropped the running scene just before the shooting began, because I understood we may not have time to complete the film in the 8 days we were given (the house belongs to dear family friends, who were staying in it all the time, and my actress had to go back to school). But the night before the last day of shooting I couldn’t sleep, and I tried to figure a way to replace that scene in the little close to nothing amount of time I had, because I knew it was essential to the story. I always saw it as Dana's only moment of freedom. Her sister dies, she goes into the light, but so does Dana. Disease is a terrible burden. And her sister was slowly dying for the longest time. Her death is a way out. For both of the girls. Dana runs into the light with her new pink bag, the bag that for her symbolizes girlhood, playfulness, whatever's left of all that. So during my sleepless night, I thought of using the few moments of shooting and have my actress run down the stairs. The house will be completely dark, for it is the middle of the night, but the door will mysteriously be open and a strong light, "the mother-ship" light, as I call it, will come through it. Of course I got reactions like: "why is the door open?" or "why is there light out there?", but I didn’t have time to explain it. When Ramy first got the scene together, there wasn’t enough light coming from the outside, the whole scene looked pretty realistic and not at all the way I saw it. We had 20 minutes before we were kicked out for good, and I told him: "forget about it. Don't shoot it." But he looked at me and said: "how much more light do you want there?" and I told him "everything you have. Just take it off the stands and put it all on the ground." And he did it. I told him to shoot the shot out of focus, and we watched that girl run into her light on the monitor and both felt the beauty.

MZ.
How did you find your leading Actress Bar Miniely

KW.
Bar Mineily was definitely the greatest asset on the set. She's a child actress and she's been around on TV for the last year, and the moment I saw her photos, I just knew she was the one. I worked with her for 3 months and she truly lived the part. The fact that she knew she was playing me really helped the connection. She could see through Dana's eyes. She is a true antsy read head, just as I am, but in front of the camera she's magic. She has so much patience. In scenes where she had to take the time, like the scene in which she had to stare at the bare side of her room, her dead sister's side, she did it, at her own pace, time and again and again. It was as if she saw what was not there. She's got a whole world of fairies and demons in her soul, and I used them to help her relate to the baby sister's illness and imminent death. It was such a great experience working with this child. I acted out the scenes for her before each first take, and she'd be playing a game on the computer, giving me half an eye, and yet, she did exactly what I did, she imitated me perfectly, not missing a detail. Amazing.

MZ.
Where have you shown 'Not a Sinlgle Tear'? And where are you going to show it next?

KW.
The film premiered in the Tel Aviv cinemateque to an audience of 437 people, and I truly hope it gets into festivals around the world. Since I am not a student and on top of it, the film is longer than 15 minutes, some of the important festivals won't take it, such as Cannes and Berlin. Other festivals insist on a 35 mm copy, which is way expensive. I haven’t got a cent left. So this all limits my festival prism. The Locarno Film Festival is looking into it. I will get the answer in June. I'm hoping for the best.

MZ.
How has the reaction to your film been?

KW.
All reactions to my film were emotional and strong and very positive, despite or because of the tears and grimness that goes with it. Hagai Levi (creator and producer of "In Treatment") was touched and impressed, and so were other local Israeli producers who saw it. My hope is for them to take on my feature screenplay, firstly the one from which this short is taken from, later others, which are just waiting.

MZ.
Will you make another?

KW.
After my first taste in directing, I have to admit, I want more. I'd love to keep on writing and directing, but I will also be happy if my screenplays will be taken and interpreted by other directors. I would be honored, as a matter of fact.

MZ.
Most importantly, where as a Mother of a wonderful son, do you feel your Film Dreams could take you? As a committed Father this is constantly on my mind and I wanted to get your perspective on this real matter?

KW.
Yes, I am a mother of a four year old, and on top of it, a totally single mom, one that does it all on her own and spends much of her time with her child, and yet, I think, for the sake of both of us, the more I create outside of the home, the happier we both would be. Even if it means missing each other. I know how proud my son is of my film. How grown up he was for not seeing me for long days, this after having me around every hour of every day and night from the moment he was born. He learns from me, he has his own projects, we also create together, and I know motherhood cannot be calculated by hours and minutes. On the contrary, I sometimes dream to be one of those "fathers" who are barely home, and when they do come home, their children admire them. Many stay-at-home-mom's feel like part of the furniture. We are often taken for granted. I don't want to be taken for granted ever again. Firstly, not by me.

Keren Weissman

I AM LOVE - (Luca Guadagnino's Film starring Tilda Swinton)

2011-01-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

I Am Love a film byLuca Guadagnino with Tilda Swinton in it. A film with maybe the pace of the 70s in there or of the 80s European 'Arthouse' films with humanity being explored, with a performance that makes you change breathing patterns as Tilda feels every moment with her heart and in her eyes making one change and wonder and love. What Kieslovsky and Wenders do to you is done here... a performance makes one enamoured and wish for beauty and freedom and care and to see a film in this age of facebook and the most idea-less Hollywood is profoundly inspiring, speaking as a Film-Maker and a man let think, that is. A few more films like this and I may want to join the race again. Thank You .....MZ

First Post is always the most awkward... So here's a trumpet call

2011-01-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

There seems to be alot happening and so I thought I might begin noting them down in this blog in case anyone wants to know. Thoughts, films, novels and family so here we go:

1st of January 2011. 2010 was an amazing year, and already 2011 is showing promise.
My Children are amazing and playing like dream boats, my throat is killing me and Becki my wife is telling me to go rest. A tequila then bed.

However workwise:

Pure Bred Chihuahua the novel is beginning and a film I wrote on a plane to New York in 2002 is now being read by a producer all on the 1st of January 2011. Geez!

Also on 10th January a solo Show at Leeds Design Centre opens.

All in all a good start!!
MZ :)

In Dialogue with Martin Herbert

2009-11-03T02:42:00.000-08:00

PRE-PROOFED or EDITED for the Photography Book to be called -

Beat-Ific
Work between 2008/09
by Marco Zaffino in dialogue with Martin Herbert

and can be purchased at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/980655

Q&A With Marin Herbert and Marco Zaffino

Martin Herbert is a writer and critic based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. His writing has appeared in magazines including Artforum, frieze, Parkett, Art Monthly, and ArtReview, where he is an associate editor. The author, most recently, of catalogue essays on Rebecca Warren (Serpentine Gallery, London), “Compass in Hand” at MoMA, New York, and Subodh Gupta (Hauser & Wirth, London), he is currently writing a monograph on Mark Wallinger, to be published by Thames & Hudson.

Marco Zaffino is a filmmaker and artist working from Huddersfield, UK. He has recently finished his 4th Non-Dependent feature film KINO and is presently working on a series of photography called 'The Epics'. His debut film "The Veranda" won Best Foreign Feature at the Los Angeles International Independent Film Festival 2002. He's written 14 feature screenplays and is editing his 2nd and 3rd novels with Matt Read, hopefully to be published in the near future. His sites: http://www.theveranda.co.uk/ and http://www.minstrelwalleye.co.uk/

QUESTIONS FOR MARCO

MH - How did the Mannequin’s War project start? What were your criteria for casting the models? Where did you photograph, and why?

MZ - I wanted to place my models, symbolising ‘the beautiful people,’ ‘the younger generation’ of 2008/9 and obviously beyond, a generation now so involved in the more and more superficial networking cyber-worlds, into a world more difficult, surreal, religious, and with Mannequin’s War, dangerous. I wanted to put the models in a situation of terror and beatific realisation instead of looking at a facebook homepage. This massive friction between the ‘whatever’ reflection and the severity of such realities of war, makes a powerful gesture against our bland inclinations as pass times while we are fighting wars around the world and refugees are refused or begrudged asylum.
I took the photographs in the Huddersfield Moors, a special place for me, somewhere of incredible beauty and power where I do not feel a tourist. The Moors have become my studio. Like my studio, I used my friends as models. I seem to have a lot of good looking friends but like the Moors I love to work with these guys over and over again because you learn how to get the best shot and communicating is easier than if I worked with agency models and I also get a different look from non model models.

MH - What is the work’s relationship to fashion photography, given that it has something of a fashion-shoot look but nothing is being ‘sold’?

MZ - One of the negative factors that made me go ahead with this series was viewing the most banal, insidious and cliquey photo shoot in a pop culture magazine, where all was ‘sold’ and all meant nothing (I don’t want to mention this mag as normally it is pretty cool.) I wanted to put these people where they didn’t want to be; in war or prayer. So the fashion element was to put ‘fashion’ in this terrifying place. The shoot was styled by Jenny Killeen and the rituals of a fashion shoot were gone through, Hair, Makeup etc., the clothes were called out and the shoot should ideally be exhibited in a magazine, but I have no interest in selling clothes or pointing to them. The positive element that came from fashion was that some interest was paid to me by Dazed and Confused and Katie Shillingford (the fashion editor) and even though nothing came of it at the time, a trigger was released and the influence that a craft and the gloss of an image can make, crossing many boundaries, started a ball rolling, and I had to grow as a photographer if I wanted it to say anything relevant as an artist. The work has to be glossy enough to meet the viewer head on, and this aesthetic has to be of sufficient strength to veil the meaning long enough to cause a dawning and hopefully adding power to the interpretations.

MH - How do you see the correspondence between fashion, war and religiosity, since the models’ expressions walk a line between the beatified and the classical vacancy of modelling?

MZ - Beauty and fashion imagery let me talk to anyone who likes a ‘beautiful picture’ or looking at ‘beautiful people’… Behind that is an oddness or otherness that can be questioned, and there are more and less obvious lines of inquiry that any viewer can ask. Why is it fashion based? Why is there no blood or sign of war in moments of terror? Or in other photographs in this series: why is there blood with no visible reason for it? Fashion really is a grammar, like film can be, hitting quickly at an audience and so it is a tool to communicate superficially then hopefully a little deeper. .. Simply put though, I enjoyed making fashionable work, striking work. It is a quick fix after years of non-dependent filmmaking. Feature length films are wonderous beasts and very tiring.

MH - How does your project differ from works such as Steven Meisel’s ‘Make Love Not War’ (for Italian Vogue, 2007, a fashion shoot using the Iraq war as a backdrop)? And why did you choose an ‘historical’ aesthetic for your references to conflict?

MZ - Well to be mentioned alongside the man who influenced my Fashion aspirations so much, is a great honour. However working on this series and the ones alongside this made me focus more towards art than fashion. There are similarities, the intent and using fashion as a tool to express something against the horrors of war in a 'homeland' where we really don’t remember this terror. We fight on play stations in games where our grandparents still die, is such a grand disrespect to these warriors who’ve kept us free, died, been maimed, physically or mentally, right up to the strange wars of Iraq and beyond. The differences I would say are that my model warriors are more theatrically made up within a melodrama that is totally consuming them and they are within another world for a moment of terror. ‘The Scream’ or ‘The Minotaur’ show terrible and surreal situations that are giving the characters the most profound horrific and beatific experiences which seems to be the difference of the playful, hi-budget, beautiful and professional model experiences that are occurring instead of the fearful, tedious or aggressive experience, I imagine is actual. I am contemplating our present generation, who feel a lot when you are one on one with them but seem very distant or cut off from these incredibly deep moments, which feel passé almost, (again because so much time is spent in a web-based social networking existence) whereas the experiences of Meisel’s models are more ‘party time’. Make love not war is such a great thought if it were possible, but I am saying that I think we are a pretty shallow society too and can we make love and think a little deeper too? I’m a bit sick of how cynical we are towards certain depths.

MH - Are you interested in the slipperiness of status that your photographs have: that they look like they could be editorial photography, but are positioned as art? Are you interested in blurring the lines between commercial and fine art?

MZ - I designed them to be exhibited in Magazines and so I did want them to ‘slip’ in unnoticed. Yes perfect.- Then get noticed.

MH - Where was the Beat-Ific series made? Again, what determined your choice of models?

MZ - The Beat-Ific series was shot again in the moors and my dining room studio and sometimes at the end of other shoots as a collection of prayer poses, usually before a meal made by myself or my wife Becki amongst my children who I love to be there at these bizarre events or shoots. As a film director I love the domesticity of these shoots and what this can do to the performance of models and actors.
I began with a similar intent to Mannequin’s War but the more I worked with these people one on one, my cynical judgement, subsided and real spiritual depth was apparent. Some were friends I’d known for a long time, some were people I noticed and asked along and generally speaking they became friends too.

MH - To what extent are these ‘religious’ images?

MZ - They are extremely religious. They are my version of a renaissance moment of the Beatific and symbols of our depth as individuals and as human kind, yet again in a time I feel where this depth is hiding behind such strong barriers. But, I know Lao Tse thought the same as did Confucius and so has probably anyone passed the age of 25.

MH - Do you see a relationship between this work and classical painting? If so, can you articulate it?

MZ - Absolutely, I have a painter's mind and a good deal of my foundation as an artist comes from painting, mostly of the Renaissance. I learn lighting from these guys, not from classical photographic studio lighting. ‘The Minotaur’ has hands pointing to corners, heads on an arc, the models are placed in quite a Renaissance composition and can be read in the way one would read a painting. The photos were designed as drawings, storyboards before setting the scene in the real world.
KINO, my 4th feature film was entirely lit by led torches to give a chiaroscuro effect inspired by late Renaissance painting and compositions were taken mainly from Indian Miniatures and Eduard Hopper.

MH - When these two bodies of work are shown together, a tentative narrative arises. Is that what you want? Are you interested in the idea of suggesting a storyline that doesn’t actually exist?

MZ - When these bodies of work are shown they melt quite smoothly as does the epics and new work to do with Warriors. The theatricality and filmic/painterly glossy look is a glaze that makes them all sit well together, sometimes I would prefer a clash. A narrative is unavoidable. If I did clash with say, my family photography, which is a possibility then another narrative would appear. I think it’s how we sort out the world, building narratives from anything we can and if that happens then a kind of microcosm has occurred within a gallery or magazine, which is cool. They are works in series too, shown together, and there is a bit of a story happening within the shoots. I try to exhibit them so that the story is not a linear one though. That would be a bit tedious.

MH - How does your photography relate to your filmic work?

MZ - I hope more and more, because I am much more naturally akin to photography and film is more an obsessive discipline. I’d love for my film work to grow more and more cinematographic and grandiose, and it is heavy on these qualities already. Reversing this, the experience in film-making has made me know the possibilities of photography and what one can obtain from non professional models and actors, and the great quality they can bring which is usually heart and not thirst for money or fame.

to buy the novel - Pure Bred Chihuahua by MZ - Click Here

Zaff-Dates

Zen, Love and why it's hard feeling it at the moment, but wish I did: (Very much so)

Godard and the Stones

Amelia - Lalala Human Step

MGMT - Time To Pretend

I had this amazing moment with my daughter singing Love Rescue Me

An old song from an old film

Epics and Stories a coming!

Ginsberg reading HOWL!!!!!

Kerouac reading to the Beat of his Beat! .... Sigh!!!

Sylvia Plath reads 'Daddy'

James Joyce reading from Finnegans Wake

David Belle Parkour Free Running Daemon! Amazing (Love these guys!)

Huddersfield Indoor Market

Free Running - Parkour - Eastern Euro-Style

The Gaps (Sneak Preview)

Delta Sleep - Sweet Music

KINO - A film 100 minute, Arthouse/Thriller, A Film by Marco Zaffno

Andy Huang Video (Quite something)

MindPop #8 1/2 - A clip from 8 1/2 by FELLINI

Mind Pop #5 Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning & MIND POP #6 with Finn and the Tao

MADE IN HUDDERSFIELD - PUNK CLASSIC DOC

Laura Marling - SOPHIA just gorgeous!!!

Yeah YEah Yeahs - Modern Romance

Why I surf by Donavon Frankenreiter

McDonalds in the Hudd

A Moment that made my mind Pop #4 - Fear and Loathing

GoCookYourself

A Starling

Gregs, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Take Away, URL Links for Nutritional Value - MIND WENT POP #3

Moments That Made my Mind Pop #2 - Pulp Fiction

Moments That Made my Mind Pop #1

Coffeev, Huddersfield

Berlin Show

Berlin:Group Exhibition

Lovely post in the Examiner and Amazon Reviews so far

New Look and thoughts on new Film Company

Special (RX) Specioprin Hydrochloride (DIR: HAL HABERMAN & JEREMY PASSMORE

Love Rescue Me . . . alla Indie and Me

Neros Huddersfield

Pitseleh and Chihuahua

A kind of Trust : Love and Letting Go

Cafe Hut with Mel and PBC#2

Beware Wolf Ideas

CoffeeShops- Maybe time to start giving my opinion on those I visit

next Project

Whitby

DO we have to think now?

A Small Realisation about PBC

Next

Proof

A very rambly Toos and Frows - of the Riots

COVER ART for PBC 1st Edition

PBC reading #2 Whispering Prophets

Notebook #1

Pure Bred Chihuahua - 1st Reading of the 1st pages

Zero Freak

Marco Zaffino asks Keren Weissman about making "Not a Single Tear"

I AM LOVE - (Luca Guadagnino's Film starring Tilda Swinton)

First Post is always the most awkward... So here's a trumpet call

In Dialogue with Martin Herbert