Boys at War

The Vietnam War is an exemplary example of the atrocities that occur when men battle. The story takes place in the second Indochina War, with the involvement of the United States in the war. Military involvement by the US lasted for almost a decade and by the time the last of US troops left Vietnam, an estimated of 1-3million Vietnamese were killed in the war along with 58,220 US service members. An accurate record of war crimes that had occurred during the course of the whole will probably never be obtained as a lot never reached the public. Amongst the atrocities that had occurred during the whole war would be the My Lai Massacre of the Son My village. An estimated of 304-500 unarmed civilians including the elderly, women and children were murdered in cold blood by US troops. The massacre resulted in 26 U.S. soldiers who were initially charged with criminal offenses for their actions at Mỹ Lai. However, only Second Lieutenant William Calley, a platoon leader in Charlie Company, was convicted. Found guilty of killing 22 villagers, he was originally given a life sentence, but only served three and a half years under house arrest. As the war dragged on, the North Vietnamese army eventually started gaining ground in the war. On April 27^th 100,000 North Vietnamese troops had surrounded Saigon with outnumbering 30,000 South Vietnamese troops defending the city. In the early morning of April 30^th the last of the US marines evacuated Saigon. Shortly after that, North Vietnamese troops entered the city and quickly took control, overcoming all resistance.

            Pvt. James Jefferson was only 22 when he joined the US Army with high hopes of serving his country after graduating with a degree in Engineering. At that time the Vietnam conflict and the U.S. military involvement in it had escalated to a high that enlistment for new recruits were welcomed graciously. He was assigned to the 20^th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army. By January 1967 he was deployed on his first tour under Charlie company.

            His father gave him a name meaning ‘Peaceful Hero’ for he always believed that conflicts are always a result of misunderstandings between the parties. The young boy was 15 years at the height of the war who wishes nothing more than for peace in his homeland. He has an older sister of 16 and lives with his father at the village of My Lai. Every morning Nguyen An Dung would help his father by tending to the small patch of sweet potato garden they have behind their house. If the banana trees surrounding their village bore fruit, An Dung would wake up hastily in the morning for a change in their diet of sweet potatoes. The buildings in the village made mostly from wood and food was a blessing not to be taken for granted especially during the height of the war.

            The village was mainly made of wooden structures that seemed sturdy enough when made in times of peace but almost seemingly frail and vulnerable during the war. While the war raged on, the villagers had no choice but to continue on with their daily activities praying and hoping that the occasional sporadic gun fire and explosions heard from the distant mountains never came any closer to than they did. Every once in a while, a Bell UH-1D helicopter, popularly called the Huey, could be seen flying over the village but never seemed to bother them. Every night, the villagers would gather at the biggest structure available in the village, the long house where meetings were held. Huddled in silence and standing shoulder to shoulder, every man, woman and child would listen eagerly over a small piece of box like equipment made of metal. Crudely made, the radio still played its part in transmitting important news on the situation of the war.

            Jefferson was woken up along with the rest of his company in the wee hours of the morning. It was 4 a.m. when they were informed of a mission to find North Vietnamese soldiers living among villagers at Son My, a village that was a 5 hour helicopter ride from here. The briefing was given by Captain Medina telling them to kill all ‘Vietcongs’ and those who look like your enemy whether they may be running away from you or not. With that, Jefferson and his squadron loaded their weapons, supplies and boarded the awaiting Hueys. Jefferson had already seen a fair share of combat since being deployed here, but never has he ever participated in a village search and destroy mission. Nervous and anxious, he only hoped that it would not result in a fire fight among the villagers living there. Upon landing, the only Vietcongs he saw were those in his squadron’s heads. His squadron leader ordered the villagers to be rounded up and ‘searched’. An abrupt spray of machine gun fire mowed the villagers down by the dozens. People were crying and running in all directions. Jefferson, demanded to his commanding officer as to what was going on and the only response he got was that deserters would be equally shot as well. Revolted by what he saw his fellow comrades do, Jefferson was helpless except to not participate at all.

Women and daughters were raped in front of their family before being killed. Bodies were mutilated and children were shot point blank. Buildings were set on fire.

            An Dung was on his back from picking the ripened bananas when he heard a commotion from his village. He saw a dozen or so American helicopters land. What happened next was unprecedented as he saw the massacre of his friends and family. An Dung started running to his house when he saw his father being hit with the butt of an M-16 rifle by a US soldier. His sister was crying by the corner when An Dung was suddenly tripped by Jefferson and fell face first into the ground. He was pulled into the cover of a tree as the killings continued and his house was burnt down in front of his eyes. People were shouting in Vietnamese that they were just villagers and non-Vietcong supporters but it was to no avail.

2 weeks later, Jefferson had An Dung transferred to a refugee camp located a 10 minute jeep ride from his barracks. The incident that occurred at My Lai continued to haunt Jefferson since then. He suffered an internal turmoil as to what was right or wrong. The enemy suddenly seemed to be at least humans, but his own supposedly fellow comrades acted like savaged monsters. He avoided contact with the commanding officer who was in charge of the search and destroy mission of My Lai and his other platoon members whom were involved in the war. Questions are raised as to what one does when his own fellow friend whom he knew could trust to have his back in a gun fight murders a family of civilians in cold blood. Jefferson wanted nothing more than an end to this. He had a family of his own and a mother and father as well back in the states.

            Jefferson filed a report to the US Military Marshal court. His report never received a respond till many years later. During this period he was sent on other skirmishes and his bond with An Dung slowly grew as he visited him on a regular basis every week. When he had the very rare ‘day off’, he would take An Dung to Saigon for a treat. Their relationship grew as he realizes that everything was not as it seemed to be. He begun questioning every gunfight he was involved in. The weight of the killings going on everyday eventually took its toll on Jefferson. An Dung was a boy who provided a sense of peace in the middle of the madness that was occurring around him. As the patriotism in Jefferson died a little bit every day, An Dung and him exchanged a communication shared by the only thing they had in common. They were still only boys in this war. And through this they overcame their language barrier and formed a relationship like two best friends listening to each other’s problems even though most of the time neither understood what one or the other was saying. However, the feelings were always understood and commonly shared. They wanted to leave this wretched place of bitterness, hatred and suffering.

The climax of the mockudrama is reached when US forces started pulling out from Vietnam. Jefferson’s base came under heavy attack and US troops were ordered to evacuate. Jefferson knew that this meant the end of his relationship with An Dung. Once he leaves to the main headquarters, his platoon would soon be next in line to be returning home. Leaving was not easy at all, not even with the prospect of knowing that he could be back home in his country a couple week’s time. Taking a detour, Jefferson breaks from his retreating convoy with explosions and gunshots erupting around him and visits An Dung one last time. Tears were shed in silence as they hugged in a friendly embrace. From two starkly different backgrounds and sides, like black and white, the two learnt the truth within each other about the horrors of human conflict. The scene eventually ends with Jefferson leaving his dog tag with An Dung and dismantling his M-16 rifle, immediately disposing it into a river that is used to transport supplies. Dozens of Hueys are seen in the sky evacuating troops as gun fire drowns the sound of An Dung and Jefferson’s sniffles.

Pictures of a Difference

     To provide insight to society is perhaps a common goal shared by many photographers who travel across borders around the world to document ongoing issues. As a fellow photographer myself, I will do my very best to approach this subject that is very close to my heart and share what I know as well as what  I think makes these men and women do what they do.

     While generally a very competitive field, making it as a photographer requires dedication, perseverance and most importantly a passion that runs deep in the heart. Probably one of the most challenging role that there is in the photography world is that of a war photographer. While every type of photographer has his own fair share of challenge and obstacles to overcome as well and undoubtedly, their pictures speak a voice just as powerful as those of war photographers. However, an aspect of war photography that is not as prevalent in other fields of photography is the experience that affects the human spirit itself. Armed with only a camera and the human will, photographers who are at the heart of war are to record the horrors of conflict while avoiding the occasional stray bullet.

Omaha Beach landing by Robert Capa

     Born to Dezső and Júlia Friedmann on October 22^nd, 1913 in Budapest, Hungary, Endre Friedmann was just 18 when he left his home to pursue his career when finding that living under the Hungarian regime provided little opportunity for a future. He eventually became a full-fledged war photographer under the name of ‘Robert Capa’. During the Spanish Civil War, he took a photo of a soldier falling to his death in action, attracting a lot of attention though it’s been suspected to have been staged recently. Robert Capa documented the allied forces invasion as they landed on Omaha Beach during D-Day. He was with the second wave of American troops as they landed on the beach to face heavy resistance from German soldiers. While under heavy machine gun fire, Capa took 106 photos of the whole invasion. Only 11 photos out of 106 that were taken during the whole conflict were the only ones to have escaped unscathed after an accident at a photo lab in London. They are known as the magnificent eleven today. He also co-founded Magnum Photos with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a renowned photojournalist until today, Capa has left a mark in the photography world that can be felt till now with the ‘Robert Capa Gold Medal’. It is given annually to the photographer who has the “best published photographic reporting from abroad, requiting exceptional courage and enterprise”.

     Perhaps making a difference in the world is the driving force behind men like Robert Capa. The moral obligation that they feel as a fellow human on earth may motivate them to aspire to change the world. A passion for the craft that they practice and their love for humanities’ spirit is a strong combination. It is well known amongst photographers that behind every photograph is a story to be told. What is not mentioned however is that the story of the subject has a relationship with the men and women behind the camera as well. The makers of these photos that has been so clearly etched into the history of men. When you see these photos, you can’t help but wonder how these men and women came about to taking the pictures and the emotions they must have felt at that time. A girl running nude down the road after being burnt by napalm after an attack by the South Vietnamese Air Force. Or the stark mesmerizing eyes of an Afghan girl at a refugee camp. These photos serve as a reminder to us all the atrocities and horrors of war. It also reminds us of the unlimited strength of the human spirit.

Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry

     It is however important to acknowledge that photographers in war are naught but an insignificant part in the calamities of that present moment. The men and women and everyone else who are affected by it or whom have a role in the battle no doubt face heavier consequences as compared to a mere photographer tagging along combat squads. The photographers do not at all determine the outcome of the war of who is victorious or not. They are after all only men and women with a camera and an eye for the unseen importance of the obvious. However, it is when the fighting is over and the last of the combatants either return home on their own feet or others that these photographs truly contribute to the world. Forever will the photos be around, in both the digital realm and hardcopy prints. It is an everlasting lesson for the warmongering part of humanity. The photographs become hope for us when we doubt the human spirit to live and also as a stark warning to those so eager to enter conflict with one another. These men and women behind the camera will be there, recording as history is made whether for the better or worse of our civilization.

A pregnant Afghan woman in labour is helped by the photographer, Lysey Addario, when her car broke down by the side of the road.

“There are certain, inescapable images, forever part of our collective consciousness, that influence who we are, whether we are cognizant of it or not.” – Steve McCurry

Video Assignment 101

I assume whomever is reading this is from my FICM course and thus have already a general brief onto what my group and I will be doing for our video project.

     We hope to show a little bit more of KL and incorporate natural light into the video in a creative way. Although length of the shot, video angles and scenes are still in the drawing board as of the time that I am writing this, I will contribute some ideas that we may perhaps be able to use for the video assignment.

Extreme Wide Shot

As an example, we would be able to use an extreme wide angle shot of the city of Kuala Lumpur to establish the setting that it is. It would be very interesting to show KL perhaps during the evening or morning light when the light is warm and not harsh with the twin towers seen in the shot. It would give a feel to the audience of the type of city and setting that the characters in the video would be in.

Medium Shot

A very common shot to use, the medium shot would be used to show Thomas hand gestures and his action when he speaks. It would also be able to show the background of where the character.

Two Shots

A two shot scene from the movie, Ted.

A two shot, as seen in the picture above from a scene in the movie Ted, is an essential scene that will definitely be used in the video assignment to establish a relationship between characters. Although nothing is confirmed as of yet, but this will definitely be seen at least more than once to ensure that the chemistry between characters of our video are properly shown.

    The types of shots mentioned are just possible examples of how we would incorporate some of the different kinds of shot lengths into our video and a taste of what is to come.

Scene locations

     Possible scene locations in my opinion would be as mentioned beforehand, the streets of KL and maybe even a scene at the KLCC park especially since it provides a very good setting with the greenery and high powered fountains there. Aside from that, I think it would be good to have a bedroom scene as well to show Thomas, studying as an introduction to the kind of person Thomas scene. We hope to mix in Taylor's University in it as well along with other locations. But as of now, there is only so much that I can reveal without spoiling the surprise of what is to come. However, we hope that once the video is ready to roll, you guys will enjoy it!

Speedy Process

     I always love a little challenge. Nothing in my opinion beats the concentration power mixed with entertainment needed to play Taboo. The experience is a test to my mind and thought processing to come up with the word fast enough. I've always personally prided myself with at least a pretty good thought processing speed, not great but at least slightly above average. From my personal experience of playing the game, I found that the best way to be good at it is to approach it with a creative, critical mind. Once I see the word that I'm to explain, I immediately attack it from all angles as to how I can describe it as simple and quickly as possible. The game is immensely satisfying if done well.

     While watching everyone play the game, I found out that it was a good way to observe the amount of teamwork everyone has. There are those who under pressure to win forget to have fun with the friends is that they're playing with. Competitiveness is always a good thing but at times it reveals how much an individual values winning over overall team achievement.

     Aside from Taboo, I also enjoy a good board game that tests your vocabulary bank. It is of course Scrabbles. Always a very interesting game, I find that it is a very good opportunity to practice how fluent I can make my words and diversify my vocabulary range while at the same time thinking up the best strategy as to which letters I should keep in hopes of making a really big point winning word.

     Games, although often thought of as a PS3 or Xbox 360 when first mentioned take many forms. Board games in particular are perhaps one of the most productive form of games there are today. Unfortunately, the majority of youths these days are more interested in electronic gaming consoles than a good ol' board game. It is my hope that board game however will always have a role in our society and it's entertainment.

Paperboys

'Paper, paper, get your paper!'

     Paperboys, newsboys, normally thought of as a shabby dressed 10-16 year old youth standing by the corner of a street exclaiming at the top of their lungs that a fresh batch of papers were just off the press and ready to be sold at a penny each. A popular job during its era because it was the first paying job available to young teenagers, sightings of paperboys now are becoming rarer and rarer. While the typical paper boy is almost non-existent in Malaysia, labor laws have now prevented many youngsters from taking up the romanticized role of a young boy standing in the morning cold with his vapor breath following every word he speaks.

     In the modern distribution of newspapers today, paperboys have now evolved into mostly vehicle equipped young adults. In reality the image is much more different. One does not need to brave stray dogs, or the bitter cold with only a sweater and a scarf.

     While the paperboys of today has changed with times and are no more as we imagine them to be, the image of a boy braving the cold by the corner of a street or on a bicycle will always have a place in popular culture.

Delicatessen

     A mind boggling attempt at understanding it. While at first sight it would seem as if this movie is a hysterical and abstract piece of work that I will never grasp, I was proven wrong by the time the credits played. The movie is revolves around a group of tenants living in an apartment together in a post apocalyptic France. Led by a butcher named Clapet, it is made to seem that the movie is about a group of tenants with a butcher as a leader trying desperately in a bid to survive the harsh world of a torn and worn France. The time line is never mentioned but the vehicles and architecture of the buildings implied an apocalyptic world set in the 1960's.

     Louison, an out of job circus clown discovers an ad for a job opportunity on the Hard Times newspaper that was posted by Clapet, the butcher. Enthusiastically, he sets out to the address shown on the ad in hopes of finding a new and stable job. Louison, however, eventually realizes that all is not what it seems.

     Throughout the playing of the movie I was straining my eyes and sending my brain into overdrive mode trying to decipher a hidden meaning behind the scenes. Was it all a metaphor or analogy for something? I did my utter best to try to garner the ultimate meaning behind it all, the absurdity of a butcher who butchers unknowing hopeful job applicants in the aim of selling cheap meat to his tenants. Perhaps the movie never really was a complicated one. In terms of what it's about at least. As far as I could tell, the idiosyncrasies and odd doings of the tenants like the suicidal schizophrenic lady and the spring creaking scene all served as a jolt to our senses. No doubt the elements in the movie were complex but the story in my opinion was no Inception. Either the plot of the movie really is that simple, or I have some serious revising on my critical thinking skills. This is not to say that simple is bad. Nay, in fact it was simplistically a splendid and enjoyable experience for a change as compared to regular traditional Hollywood made movies.

     The diverse characters in the movie along with the interesting post-apocalyptic setting in France made it quite a watch. To put it simply, I found it to be a bizarre, nonsensical yet intriguing piece of work. Certainly not the movie for a vegetarian however.

Media Dependency Theory

     The 'Media Dependency' theory was developed by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur in 1976. The basic hypothesis is that the more a person depend on the media to meet the needs, the more important the media is in  his life and therefore the more the effect the media has on that person. There are three media needs that a person has; to understand what is going on in the world around them, learn how to act meaningfully and effectively and also as a form of escapism.

I will be letting you guys know a bit more about myself by giving you examples of how I fulfill all three of those needs using the media and what it means to me. It is my hope that this blog posting will encourage you to think more about how much you rely on the media and the effects it has on you whether it maybe negative or positive.

First and foremost is the 'surveillance' function of the media. Arguably it is one of the most important need that I have. On a daily basis I approximate that I spend an average of an hour on Facebook and that is excluding the time when I'm logged into Facebook while I go about doing other task on my computer. I am also an avid reader of National Geographic to learn more about the world around us. My radio will always be on whenever I am driving and not to mention the newspapers which I make it a point to read everyday. The surveillance function that the media plays is a vital requirement for my daily activities. I cannot imagine living in a world so confined and removed from everything, not knowing what is going on around me and across borders. It serves as a perspective guide to me so I can get a broader view on everything. It also allows me to know what everyone is up to, because I'll admit, Facebook is sometimes irresistible even in classes at times.

For the second need, to act meaningfully and effectively, I suppose a good example would be about the blog post that I posted before this. It was about a book that had helped me through some tough times. It made me realize that I should rethink the principles and values I stand up for. Aside from that book, another example would be awareness advertisements as well.

As a form of escapism, I sometimes withdraw back into music when I am stressed or simply just to relax. The movies I watch also serve as a form of escapism, a good two and a half hours of 'The Lord of The Ring' takes me into a world of elves and dwarves. Just for that couple hours, I allow myself to be immersed in it for entertainment sake as well. Also another form of escapism that I cannot leave out is the internet. Whether it maybe Facebook, YouTube or Yahoo!, the internet is a major medium for escapism for me.

So there we have it, I think it's safe to assume that the media plays a major role in my life. The question is whether I have a control over this role it plays. Do you?