19 November, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

Celebrating 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Belize!

CRC@25 Event Belize City

We’ve had a couple of very busy weeks in the office! Everything has been about planning and preparing for the event we had this Monday. My task was to coordinate, produce material and make sure the venue looked the way we want to, ensure that people know what to say, and ensure that things flow smoothly. Despite testing everything a million times before the event I was nervous every time when clicking play on a new video and crossing my fingers that the projector wouldn’t suddenly explode, but it was a great success, not a single glitch! Lots and lots of fun.

We had speakers from the government, civil society and a video message from the EU Ambassador that we had filmed the week before, as the EU were our official partners in hosting this event.

CRC@25 Event Belize City

CRC@25

The main highlight of the event was the launch of the CRC@25 video that we finalized just the week before. (read more about that, here).

I have been filming kids around the country the last couple of weeks, asking them three simple questions: “What do you love about Belize? What do you dislike about Belize? What do you want for the future?” We used these videos to mark out the different parts of the event, and guide the speakers – people loved them.

And in the end, we celebrated. Meet my UNICEF Belize Family!

CRC@25 Event Belize City

Thanks, all!

CRC@25 Event Belize City

There will be a video summarizing the event, it is currently in production phase, cant wait to see it. :)

18 November, 2014 Caroline Bach2 Comments

CRC@25 – UNICEF Belize video

It’s been quite busy over here.. :)

jump

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with UNICEF Belize, we wanted to showcase past achievements and look forward in identifying the challenges and priorities for children in the country.

Our aim was to share the data and statistics available on the situation of children in Belize over the past 25 years – but to do so in a child-friendly, entertaining and captivating way. I created the concept and supervised the production of the below video, which was launched on November 17th in a high-level event, featured on National TV and disseminated internationally.

The video was produced by the New York-based creative agency Big Yellow Taxi.

4 November, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

All lives matter.

#AmeriCAN is a short film and public service announcement that comes in response to events that have divided the country over racial lines. With the influx of violence against black males in America over the past few years, the piece strives to offer a unique perspective in examining the value of lives of the country’s citizens. The intention of the message, “all lives matter,” is to pull people together from both sides of the disparity and inspire the kind of empathy and mutual understanding necessary to promote meaningful discourse and domestic reconciliation. The goal is to bring all people together, without exception to race, religion, gender or age, and send the message that all blood flows red.

#AllLivesMatter

Nate Parker – Director/Writer.
James Lopez – Producer/Story By.
Kay Madsen – Director of Photography.
Valerie Bleth Sharp – Producer.
Mo McRae – Producer/Actor.
Hernany Perla – Producer.

Featuring La La Anthony, Andre Royo, Affion Crockett, Brian White, Omar Benson Miller and David Franzoni

Song by J.Cole – Be Free

22 October, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

A Vaccine for Violence

Brilliant work by UNICEF UK, released on October 20th.

21 October, 201422 October, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

Girls just wanna have Fundamental Rights!!

What’s more offensive? A little girl saying f*ck or the sexist way society treats girls and women?

Yes! Say F*ck to inequality! Love this cool video from FCKH8.com!

8 October, 20148 October, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

#headstand

She tries and she tries and then she tries just one more time. I’m still not all straight but I’m having lots of fun trying. And look – no more wall support! :)

Soundtrack: Erykah Badu – Didn’t Cha Know, Mama’s Gun (2000)

1 October, 20141 October, 2014 Caroline Bach1 Comment

Please.. please dance with me!

Beautiful production, perfect direction and touching sound. So much vibe!

Masterly composed ‘Can Do it’ by Atu has been seamlessly tuned with a very emotionally charged video that definitely speaks to me, I have to share this! I love the way Atu sneaks in the sample between the beats and piano string, can you recognize it?* You need to have had an R&B period in your life to hear it, it’s very very subtle. I love it when talented artists feature samples from old songs I’m nostalgic about but no longer listen to, I always feel like I’m reconnecting with my old, rebellious and slightly confused teenage friends who now have grown to become intelligent, deep and mature adults.

One could argue that Atu has pushed the mastering to its limits, but I don’t mind. The slight distortion adds to the dreamy vibe.. it’s really good.

Atu – Can Do It
Pictures on Silence (2013)

Now, this particular tune is a year old and I just found it now – but I also really enjoyed listening to the rest of the album and Atu’s Soundcloud channel while working. The beats are fresh, perfectly mellow, and the mash of samples really throws me back. So much soul! I’m very happy to have a new artist to follow.

“Atupele Ndisale (Atu, for short) born in the Ivory Coast and studying at University of Michigan is the young age of 20 but brings aural sensibilities of a seasoned producer. Utilizing the most minimal bits of vocal samples, so slight that your brain has to work to recognize the likes of Miss Aaliyah Haughton and E. Badu alongside dreamy interpolations of Boyz II Men and Alicia Keys.
Beside all the beauty of this project, when was the last time you saw an artist drop their first album and donate all the proceeds? Being that Atu is originally from Malawi, he, alongside label Soulection have planned for all proceeds of “Pictures on Silence” to go toward the EveryChild organization in effort to provide some financial assistance to rural areas of Malawi.”

Oohh.. that very, very discrete “loving yoou..” sample* in this one drives me mad as I just want to sing along and go “has taken time.. but I always knew you would be miine.. We can take a step to see, if this is really gonna bee.. all you gotta do is say yes!” Can you hear it, can you, oh can you? Ahh.. Love!

Time for Lunch!

*112 – Anywhere.
*Floetry – Say Yes

20 September, 201420 September, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

A wedding in Africa?

“If I get married I want to have my wedding in Africa.” I blurted out the other day.

My mother looked at me with a confused expression..

“Sure, it’s a long shot.. and I don’t know most of the continent, so I guess I mean Mozambique.. “

…? She wasn’t getting it.

“It’s about the party – people dance, hug and have a great time! It’s real, no matter the age! So much love and good vibes.. Plus the awesome tradition of Dança da familia. I want all that!”

..you better find yourself somebody to marry first.

Touché. And if I ever do and can’t bring my loved ones to Moz, I’ll at least try to bring the tradition of dancing. :)

Mena and Celio’s wedding in 2012 is still the most beautiful reception I have attended. Here’s some nostalgia and lots of dancing. Not easy to dance these tunes without heels, I tell you, but it was a long day! Come join in on the fun.

18 September, 201418 September, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

In Reverse

#withsyria

9 September, 20149 September, 2014 Caroline BachLeave a comment

August in Belize

Here are some photos and videos from August that I didn’t publish.

August was a month of many new beginnings and starting to settle in this city and country. A lot of work, but also a lot of pleasure.

I visited the impressive Lamanai pyramids, did some island-hopping, danced at the Costa Maya festival, started taking private Shotokan and self defence classes, continued dancing and bonding with the beautiful Danza Revelation crew, and started going for Hot Yoga on Saturday mornings.

In the photos shared below there are glimpses of a couple of dinners with friends and work colleagues, a barbecue/paella pool-party at the British High Commission, working on getting UNICEF in the spotlight through live radio broadcasts, TV talk shows and breast feeding specials, and a beautiful concert by the African-American a’capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, with an opening by the Belizean pride The Garifuna Collective.

Belize City is home now, how crazy is that?

World Breastfeeding Week 2014