Visible World video production company

Agung Kuniawan (Indonesia)
Buying the Spirit (Haiti)
Richard Morse, voodoorocker (Haiti)
Michael and Dollar, hiphop on the streets of Accra (Ghana)
Jazz, blues, soul, asian beats and rock & roll in Utrecht (The Netherlands)

AGUNG KURNIAWAN (INDONESIA)

Yogyakarta is a thriving city in Central Java. Vendors sell their colourful goods on streets filled with pedestrians, rickshaws, taxis, busses and cars. An imam calls for prayer over a cacophony of sound. A gamelan orchestra plays in the quiet gardens of the Sultan’s palace. Hip youngsters hang out at Mc Donald’s and KFC while beggars ask for money. On these streets Agung Kurniawan finds the faces and people that appear in his works of art.
Agung’s life is filled with art. He designed his own house and it’s furniture so that it serves and pleases him as an artist. He runs art centre Kedai Kebun, a vibrant multifunctional meeting place where young artists can explore their talents. But above all Agung Kurniawan is an extremely gifted artist. With successful exhibitions in Europe and Singapore he is well on his way to international acclaim.
Art is a tricky business in Indonesia, especially during Suharto’s rule. Agung’s earlier work shows a world of intimidation and cruelty and can be seen as a rejection of the political establishment.
Even today many subjects are controversial in Indonesia’s strict society, particularly religion, politics and sexuality, the main topics in Agung’s work. His paintings, drawings, installations and comic books comment on these big themes
It’s a personal challenge for Agung to express himself freely. “The Javanese are mysterious.” Agung says: “As a child you are taught never to answer directly. Out of politeness you hide your true feelings. In your brain you carry a chip of self censorship. Through this self censorship other people, a religion or a government can control you. In my work I try to express the feelings that I don’t dare to speak about. This way I am free to explore my boundaries.”

Agung is often inspired by other works of art like the novel The Tin Drum or the movie The Twelve Monkies which he reshapes in provocative cartoon books.
In his pieta series, with titles like “Pieta On The Bus” and “Pieta On The Ambulance”, he gives biblical figures an everyday face. “Bad things happen every day.” Agung explains. “People see them but can’t do anything. They feel pity: pieta.”

BUYING THE SPIRIT (HAITI)

A documentary on Haitian voodoo.
Nearly everyone in Haiti believes in voodoo. This documentary takes us into the hidden world of voodoo practitioners and offers unique insight into a frequently misunderstood religion.

Haitians turn to priests like Vladimir Bernadel or to secret voodoo societies for support and protection. Vladimir has problems of his own. He needs money to retire but his business is declining and the thirty family spirits he normally commands will no longer do his bidding. His girlfriend's ex-boyfriend wants to kill him. His problems began after he bought a spirit and made him master of his own family spirits. These spirits won't accept an outsider and now only work when they want to.
We witness secret ceremonies in which Vladimir tries to get rid of his love rival. To solve his problems Vladimir goes on a quest to buy an extremely powerful spirit that can control his family spirits and can bring him the success he is longing for.

Yves and Odette Theophile belong to the secret voodoo society Ayan Pata because they believe it gives them strength and comfort. In the past few years five of their children died, their business collapsed and all their savings had to go to bury their children.
Ayan Pata offered them financial aid which they used to restart their business. Through their personal belief and the support of Ayan Pata they find the strength to carry on.

The personal tales of Vladimir and Yves reveal two very different aspects of voodoo. Vladimir uses it to gain wealth and power while Yves turns to it for support and comfort after the deaths of his children. Their stories offer a personalized insight into this religion that otherwise has such a much maligned reputation.

This documentary was part of the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival 2005 and is distributed by Journeyman.
(Haiti)

RICHARD MORSE, VOODOOROCKER (HAITI)

Richard Morse is front man of the immensely popular voodoo rock band RAM and owner of the famous Olaffson Hotel. In the 1950’s the hotel was frequented by writers and film stars like Marlon Brando and Graham Greene and in latter days by filmmakers such as Jonathan Demme. Managing the hotel takes up much of Richard Morse’s time but his main occupation is being a political singer. Voodoo rock is a mixture of ceremonial voodoo music and rock, salsa, funk and soul. Richard’s texts are a reflection of Haitian society and seen as a threat by many politicians. His open criticism of the corruption in politics in Haiti makes Richard a hero of the people.
(Haiti)

MICHAEL AND DOLLAR, HIPHOP ON THE STREETS OF ACCRA (GHANA)

Michael and Dollar are two street children living and working on the main market of Accra. They have a constant struggle to survive. Hiphop is their greatest love and both are talented rappers. “The roads are slippery, there is danger everywhere,” raps Michael. “Life isn’t easy, everybody has to struggle, while we work on the streets every night and every day”, sings Dollar. The self-composed raps reflect the life of these young boys on the streets.
(Ghana)

JAZZ, BLUES, SOUL, ASIAN BEATS AND ROCK & ROLL IN UTRECHT (THE NETHERLANDS)

A series of music films on concerts and music festivals in Utrecht.

Bluesestafette Utrecht
Festival with electrified and acoustic blues by artists such as 90-year old Jack Owens, who claims to have performed with the legendary Robert Johnson, and John Lee Ziegler, a country blues artist from Georgia. “My father wanted to give me a bicycle but came back with a guitar” he explains, “That’s how I started to learn the guitar.” Keb’ Mo, represents a younger generation of blues artists . Blues diva’s Lavelle White and Sugarpie De Santo rock the house with their soul-inspired blues.
(The Netherlands)

SJU Jazzfestival Utrecht
Festival with an intense performance by Gary Thomas, former saxophone player with one of the legendary bands formed by Miles Davis during the eighties. Thomas mixes hardcore urban hiphop with his Coltrane-inspired tenor sound.
Famed funketeer and bass player, Jamaladeen Tacuma shares his views on modern jazz music.
(The Netherlands)

Willy DeVille
One of the true icons of modern rock and roll, Willy DeVille is still going strong.
A spellbinding performance and a 20-minute interview on music, roots, dope, voodoo, spiritualism and legendary producers like Phil Spector and John Hammond.
(The Netherlands)

Rufus Thomas
“Mister Funky Chicken”, Rufus Thomas is one of the innovators of the famous Memphis Soul Sound and the man who discovered BB King. Highlighting his legendary concert in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
(The Netherlands)

Yulduz Usmanova
A diva in the true sense of the word, Yulduz Usmanova is one of Uzbekistan’s most famous singers. Mixing rock with Asian sounds, Yulduz has risen to popularity in both East and West.
(The Netherlands)