NICE BOMBS Premiering on the Sundance Channel March 19, 2008
Artvamp is proud to announce the broadcast premiere of “NICE BOMBS.”
THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL
MARCH 19
6:30 EST/PST
Check your local listing for channel number.
NICE BOMBS follows director Usama Alshaibi on a journey back to his home town of Baghdad, Iraq.
“thoroughly engaging . . .offers a uniquely time-layered vision of the war.“-Ronnie Scheib, Variety
“Loaded with candid conversations and opinions about the hot-button issues of war, terrorism, and Islamic extremism,’Nice Bombs’ offers many different Iraqi and American points of view and portrays a time and place of nightmarish complexity.“- Bruce Bennett, NEW YORK SUN
“Chicago filmmaker Usama Alshaibi grew up in Iraq and the U.S., and although he recently became an American citizen, his personal video documentary has plenty to say about the day-to-day existence of his Baghdad relatives, whom he visited in 2004. Distance tends to simplify our view of anything, and this video humanizes the situation on the ground mostly by complicating it: in a voice-over Alshaibi says he’s often asked what “”the Iraqis” think, but by the end this question has become as meaningless as asking what “the Americans” think. Much of his previous work has been experimental, but this becomes formally adventurous only near the end, as he converses by phone with a cousin who tells him how much worse the situation has grown this year.” 92 min.-Jonathan Rosenbaum, Critics Choice, Chicago Reader.
“In early 2004 Chicago filmmaker Usama Alshaibi returned to his native Iraq with his wife, producer Kristie Alshaibi, and his camera. He had been away for nearly a quarter-century. The result is a surprisingly warm first-person video diary, blending a series of reunions with Alshaibi’s vast array of relatives and footage of the bazaars, streets, homes and everyday perils of life in post-Saddam, mid-occupation and mid-chaos Iraq.“-Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
artvamp’s eco-friendly artist retreat
Artvamp founder Kristie Alshaibi is making plans to open a new artist retreat on her family’s 92 acre farm in northwest Missouri. The hope is to have the place running on 100% renewable energy within five years. The land is just outside the site of Missouri’s largest and most profitable wind farm.
There’s a clean natural spring running under the property, and the farm itself is a part the CRP conservation program set up to keep ground water clean and the land viable for future farming. The land has been farmed by Kristie’s family for over 100 years. It is the place that inspired Kristie as a young girl to begin shooting photographs - dressing dolls in her great grandmother’s dresses from the 19th century and setting them against a wild, rustic, magical backgrounds. It is the perfect space to find inspiration and solitude.
The materials from the old collapsed barn will be reused to build a large studio and rehearsal space, and the house will be remodeled with energy efficiency in mind. Volunteers are already lining up to help plant a large organic garden where vegetables will be grown and served fresh to artists in residence. Cherries and mulberries are among the fruit baring tress that dot the landscape.
The hope is to continue to develop the retreat to house up to eight artists at a time (for residencies lasting from two weeks to several months), in the main house and in several small cabins. More and better facilities will gradually be added, from kilns to multimedia computer suites. The site may also become home to seasonal celebrations (think all night bar-b-ques featuring a pit for cooking Masgouf - an Iraqi specialty).
A non-profit organization will be created to oversee the management of the artist retreat. There is currently a lien on the land because of of medical bills left behind by Kristie’s grandfather upon his passing. $100,000 still needs to be raised to release the lien and secure the deed. When this first step is accomplished, there will be nothing to stop the business plan from moving forward. Several organizations have already offered their assistance and resources to help bring this project into being. It is this initial hurdle that will make or break this dream.
Investors, loans, and fundraising ideas are all welcome at this time. Become a part of a project that benefits both the environment and the arts. If you know of a way to help, please don’t hestitate to contact Kristie at kristie@artvamp.com.
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