A la maison...

I finished revising / rewriting the closing section of Nhà [Home] that Sébastien Ly commissioned me for his new project in Saigon. Not easy when musicians and equipment are in another country... But luckily enough, there is a digital piano at my cousin's place!

Hopefully the new version will be the right one! There isn't much communication with Sébastien. Sometime I wonder why I even accepted to join this project. He seemed apologetic when he approached me again, a year after we did [FEEL] in/out, after he realised what a manipulative b.... person that Sylvie Becquet actually was. I guess it takes two to tango or mambo. He wasn't to be surprised at what she did to him, though, seeing the histotu she had with other companies... Foolish or not, I'm always ready to forget past issues if the person seems to be sincere. This old desire to please, I suppose... However, he barely acknowledged me when I showed up at the Quynh gallery where Nhà is to have its premiere, 'busy' as he was with his team.
One good reason to do this project is to be back in Saigon. 

As the new version of my first short film is being finalised, I have been doing lots of reading, biographies or journals by or about Truffaut, Edward Yang, the Beat Generation, Mozart, Frida Kahlo... I am having lengthy conversations with friends and fellow artists... and I couldn't help but think that, even if we may not yet be fully aware of it, in our common struggles, our determination to go on and survive in the fast and narcissistic Internet age, to develop our projects, work and collaborate with others, keep our integrity despite the hardship, we form an artistic movement not unlike the French or Taiwanese Wave, the Beat Generation, or the Fluxus Movement. When I read about them, I can't help but see the similarities. I am thankful that they existed, that they left us such a wonderful legacy. I am inspired by people like Diaghilev, Erik Satie, Al Hansen, Franz Liszt or Truffaut. They give me the strength and the confidence to keep on, despite what I see and hear around me, despites those who doubt, despite the fact that, more often than not, I am on the verge of giving everything up. 

Nobody knows where all this will lead to, but I shall keep on contributing. 

So thank you my friends and fellow artists.

I find it (slightly) amusing how Facebook, Instagram LINE & consort assault us with more and more advertisement but are kind enough to allow us to 'hide' those we do not wish to see by offering a very politically correct American way to 'express' our opinion: not relevant / see it to often / find it offensive, so it can help them to find more suitable advertisement to invade our space, privacy and mind - and to make a paraphrase of that famous phrase, "I want (more) therefore I am"...

Seeing how we are governed by fools nowadays, April's Fool shouldn't be a special day anymore... unless we're foolish enough to believe everything is alright...