Samir Hamdard ~ Afghan Refugee Camp Brussels Beguinage Church ~ In March 2014 Kristen Cattell (USA) and Michel van der Burg (Holland) traveled to Brussels, Belgium to meet a group of Afghans living inside an old Catholic church – the church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage (Beguinage Church). At the time, nearly one hundred Afghan refugees had set up camp within the walls of the seventeenth century compound. We made a reportage and interviewed several people including Samir Hamdard (Ahmad Samir Hamdard) .
Samir the tireless activist of peace, justice and solidarity, was the spokesperson for the afghan refugees in Belgium – he died following a terrible fire accident that happened today a year ago (July 2019).
We thank Samir Hamdard and the other Afghan refugee friends who welcomed us and gave the interviews (note : full report of the other interviews in a follow-up later). Special thanks to Isabelle Marchal and others whose works were on display in the church and are shown in this film. Félix Snyers on the Béguinage church pipe organ.
Special thanks also to priest Daniel Alliët – host of the camp – who when retiring in 2019 started a new life for the church as House of Compassion – officially March 21 , 2020 – @houseofcompassionbrussels – http://www.houseofcompassion.brussels .
Reportage by Kristen Cattell (USA) and Michel van der Burg (Holland) | Beguinage Project .
Film : Samir Hamdard ~ Afghan Refugee Camp Brussels Beguinage Church | 20200729 | Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg.com | miracles.media
Vincent ~ Auberge Ravoux in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, France, photographed summer 1996.
Vincent van Gogh’s place the last 70 days of his life – in the Ravoux Inn with his tiny attic room , where he died in the early morning of 29 July 1890 – shot in the stomach (either by himself or by others).
Vincent ~ Music : Gymnopedie (Satie) by Ohad Ben Ari | Artlist ~ Film : 20200728 Michel van der Burg | 1-memo.com | miracles.media
Upside down in Camera Obscura ~ Inside a giant Camera Obscura : inside the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal building with the image coming live from the Maas river bank outside (showing skyscrapers here in the film, and when present ships passing) through a hole in one of the blinds covering the windows.
Filmed at the “Cruise Terminal becomes Camera Obscura” event of the ‘Nederlands Fotomuseum’ on 9/11 2011 in Rotterdam, performed by David Smeulders and co-workers – thanks to Rotterdam festivals.
Upscaled (4K) film , first published January 2012 (20120124) in The One Minutes Collection (# 3467/3468 540p 25fps), and online August 2012 at both my Vimeo channel , and the now becoming obsolete YouTube channel iClip – that’s being archived – transferring the content to my main channel youtube.com/michelvanderburg .
Film : Upside down in Camera Obscura | 20120124 – 20200612 | Michel van der Burg | The One Minutes Collection | michelvanderburg.com | miracles.media .
Floaters ~ One minute at the border of the Silent Rhine from under the ‘Fish-bridge’ at the confluence of the Old and New Rhine, where Leyden was born, October 2009, Leyden, Holland.
First published in 2010 (20101023) via my now obsolete YouTube channel iClip , as : 1’2009 Stille Rijn – Leiden – Holland.
Next remade and submitted as ‘floaters’ for The One Minutes Collection (# 3877 , file mvdb20120829_floaters ) August 31, 2012. That version upscaled for today ‘s online version here.
Film : Floaters (20101023 – 20120831 – 20200513) Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg.com | miracles.media
Brooklyn Museum video wall JR: Chronicles. Reportage October 2019 as part of our Beguinage Project Series by Kristen Cattell & Michel van der Burg | miracles.media
Join the Brooklyn Museum virtual tour of JR: Chronicles …
the first major exhibition in North America of works by the French-born artist JR. Working at the intersections of photography, social engagement, and street art, JR often collaborates with communities by making portraits and wheat pasting them in nearby public spaces. See how JR has expanded the meaning of public art through his ambitious projects that give visibility and agency to a broad spectrum of people around the world.
Created by Sharon Matt Atkins, Director of Exhibitions and Strategic Initiatives, and Drew Sawyer, Phillip Leonian and Edith Rosenbaum Leonian Curator, Photography, Brooklyn Museum. Tune in next Sunday for another tour of the Brooklyn Museum galleries!
A virtual video wall tour focusing on our project presentation there was published by Kristen Cattell and me , as : “JR: New York Show – Afghan Refugees Inside Out Belgium”
… a Brooklyn Museum reportage made October 2019 by Kristen Cattell as part of our Beguinage Project Series. Film : JR: New York Show – Afghan Refugees Inside Out Belgium (20200206) by Kristen Cattell & Michel van der Burg | miracles.media . Link https://wp.me/p14gqN-nqs
Video ~ JR: New York Show – Afghan Refugees Inside Out Belgium
Online virtual PUSH Opera – Finale with giant choir – Lockdown 2020 🇧🇪 🇬🇧
Online premiere April 19, 2020 – A virtual performance online now of the epilogue of community opera PUSH , entitled : Ma Vie N’est Que Miracles | My life is only miracles – hosted by composer Howard Moody. More than 150 singers from the UK & Belgium have recorded the finale of PUSH and film editor Shogo Hino has edited the result into a virtual performance uniting the four casts and choruses.
Screening started in the night of the 19th April 2020, exactly 77 years after three Brussels resistance heroes stopped the Nazi train Transport XX,transporting 1600 Jewish deportees to Auschwitz, andmore than 200 prisoners escaped from the train before the German border.
Based on Simon Gronowski’s story
Epilogue from the opera PUSH – based on the story of Simon Gronowski – an 11 year old Jewish boy who was pushed from the train – Transport XX – by his mother on the way to Auschwitz.
A virtual performance during the April 2020 Corona virus lockdown by members of the casts from previous productions of PUSH in Battle, Chichester, Salisbury, London and Brussels.
Composer and librettist Howard Moody on piano, Carlos Bruneel on flute, and with the soloists James Newby, Sheva Tehoval, Tereza Gevorgyan, Ivan Ludlow, Lars Thorkildsen, Ciaran o’Donovan and Eleanor Farmer. Soundmix and additional production by Adrian Zolotuhin. Film editing by Shogo Hino.
Additional video work from the Miracles project by Michel van der Burg ~ miracles.media ~ and Richard & Karen Bloom.
With special thanks to Simon Gronowski, and Linda Lovrovic, Sue Kent, Sally Lampitt, Chris Stones, Jill Hoskings, Claire Apel, Jo Nicolai, Philippe Paque, Benoît Giaux, Andrea Frankenthal, and Sarah Ehrlich.
In memory of the three members of the Belgian resistance Jean Franklemon, Robert Maistriau and Youra Livschitz, whose bravery in April 1943 saved the lives of many, as our health workers continue to do today.
NL
Online virtuele PUSH Opera – Finale met gigantisch koor – Lockdown 2020 🇧🇪 🇬🇧
Een virtuele voorstelling – nu online – van de epiloog van de community opera PUSH, getiteld: Ma Vie N’est Que Miracles | Mijn leven is slechts mirakels – gehost door componist Howard Moody.
Meer dan 150 zangers uit het VK en België hebben de finale van PUSH opgenomen en filmeditor Shogo Hino heeft het resultaat bewerkt tot een virtuele uitvoering die de vier casts en koren verenigt.
De online vertoning begon in de nacht van 19 april 2020, precies 77 jaar nadat drie Brusselse verzetshelden de nazi-trein Transport XX stopten – die 1600 Joodse gedeporteerden naar Auschwitz vervoerde –waarbij meer dan 200 gevangenen uit de trein ontsnapten nog voor de Duitse grens.
Gebaseerd op het verhaal van Simon Gronowski.
Finale uit de opera PUSH – gebaseerd op het verhaal van Simon Gronowski – een 11-jarige Brusselse joodse jongen, diedoor zijn moeder uit de Transport XX trein naar Auschwitz werd geduwd.
Een virtuele uitvoering tijdens deCorona-virus lockdown in april 2020 door leden van de casts uit eerdere producties van PUSH in Battle, Chichester, Salisbury, Londen en Brussel.
Componist en librettist Howard Moody op piano, Carlos Bruneel op fluit en met de solisten James Newby, Sheva Tehoval, Tereza Gevorgyan, Ivan Ludlow, Lars Thorkildsen, Ciaran o’Donovan en Eleanor Farmer.
Soundmix en aanvullende productie door Adrian Zolotuhin.
Extra videowerk uit het Miracles-project van Michel van der Burg ~ miracles.media ~ en Richard & Karen Bloom.
Met speciale dank aan Simon Gronowski en Linda Lovrovic, Sue Kent, Sally Lampitt, Chris Stones, Jill Hoskings, Claire Apel, Jo Nicolai, Philippe Paque, Benoît Giaux, Andrea Frankenthal en Sarah Ehrlich.
Ter nagedachtenis aan de drie leden van het Belgische verzet Jean Franklemon, Robert Maistriau en Youra Livschitz, wiens moed in april 1943 het leven van velen heeft gered, zoals onze gezondheidswerkers vandaag de dag nog steeds doen.
FR
Opéra virtuel PUSH en ligne – Finale avec choeur géant – Lockdown 2020 🇧🇪 🇬🇧
Une performance virtuelle en ligne de l’épilogue de l’opéra communautaire PUSH, intitulée: Ma Vie N’est Que Miracles – mise en musique par le compositeur Howard Moody.
Plus de 150 chanteurs du Royaume-Uni et de Belgique ont enregistré la finale de PUSH et le monteur Shogo Hino a édité le résultat en une performance virtuelle réunissant les quatre castings et chœurs.
La mise en ligne a commencé dans la nuit du 19 avril 2020, exactement 77 ans après que trois héros de la résistance bruxelloise aient arrêté le Vingtième Convoi nazi transportant 1600 déportés juifs à Auschwitz, et que plus de 200 prisonniers se soient échappés du train avant la frontière allemande.
Basé sur l’histoire de Simon Gronowski.
Épilogue de l’opéra PUSH – basé sur l’histoire de Simon Gronowski – un garçon juif de 11 ans qui a été poussé du train – le Vingtième Convoi – par sa mère sur le chemin d’Auschwitz.
Une performance virtuelle lors du confinement imposé par le Coronavirus en avril 2020 par des membres des castings des productions précédentes de PUSH à Battle, Chichester, Salisbury, Londres et Bruxelles.
Le compositeur et librettiste Howard Moody au piano, Carlos Bruneel à la flûte et les solistes James Newby, Sheva Tehoval, Tereza Gevorgyan, Ivan Ludlow, Lars Thorkildsen, Ciaran o’Donovan et Eleanor Farmer.
Œuvre vidéo supplémentaire du projet Miracles de Michel van der Burg ~ miracles.media ~ et Richard & Karen Bloom.
Remerciements particuliers à Simon Gronowski et Linda Lovrovic, Sue Kent, Sally Lampitt, Chris Stones, Jill Hoskings, Claire Apel, Jo Nicolai, Philippe Paque, Benoît Giaux, Andrea Frankenthal et Sarah Ehrlich.
En mémoire des trois membres de la résistance belge Jean Franklemon, Robert Maistriau et Youra Livschitz, dont la bravoure en avril 1943 a sauvé la vie de beaucoup, comme notre personnel actif dans le secteur des soins de santé continue de le faire aujourd’hui.
Notes
20200420 – update text – added dutch & french text section (merci Philippe Renette pour la relecture du texte français de cet article).
