Bali
Ubud Writers Festival 2009: Q&A with Vikas Swarup
As a novelist, Vikas Swarup made the kind of debut that goes beyond the wildest dreams of most budding authors; not only was his first book, Q&A, picked up by publishers across the world, it went on to become a multiple Oscar-winning blockbuster movie, Slumdog Millionaire. Next week Vikas will be in Ubud for the 2009 UWRF: Kabar caught up with him for a little Q&A in advance of the festival.
Ubud Writers Festival: The Countdown Begins
It is that literary time of year again in Bali: the 2009 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival kicks off on Wednesday October 7th.
Kabar asked festival founder/director Janet De Neefe what she’s particularly looking forward to this year: here she recommends her top 5 things to see at the festival.
FLOW (For Love Of Water) Screening in Ubud
Bali’s Green School (www.greenschool.org) organised a screening of the award-winning documentary FLOW (For Love Of Water). Intense and provoking, the film explores aspects of the global water crisis, from polluted tap water and contaminated bottled water in the US to the privatisation of water services in developing countries, which often excludes the poorest from access to clean water.
Producer Steven Starr has been working with students of the Green School over the past week, and described how impressed he was by the “enthusiasm for life” he found on the campus. In March, a group of Green School students travelled to the Global Issues Conference for EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Schools) to present their research on water issues in Bali. This ongoing work is set to become the basis for a documentary film on the subject later this year.
Hot Property: after 30 years on the island, Bali business is still booming for architect Ross Franklin (Deborah Cassrels in The Australian).
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Indonesian Surf Star Dazzles on the Silver Screen
Mengejar Ombak, the documentary about Dede Suryana, a young surfer from a West Java village who became an international star, has just won two awards at X-Dance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, a sports documentary festival that runs in conjunction with Sundance Film Festival.
Big congratulations to Jakarta-based director Dave Arnold – this has been a labour of love many years in the making, and all the hard work has resulted in an excellent and thoughtful film that explores the journey of a very special kampung kid thrust into the international surfing spotlight.
Click here to view the trailer and read the article about the film that Dave wrote for Kabar back in 2007. Premieres are planned soon for several locations in Indonesia – we’ll keep you posted!
Finding Michi
Just when you think you know Bali, another hidden gem is revealed… Michi Retreat is an experience unlike any other on the island, and it owes its charm to the life of a remarkable personality.
Zen in Vespas & Waves: Andrew Wellman
Avi Hazuria meets Bali-based pop artist Andrew Wellman.
Through a Glass, Darkly: John Stanmeyer
What is one of the world`s leading documentary photographers doing in a quiet coastal village in Bali? John Douglas meets John Stanmeyer.
Villa Sungai, Bali
The Villa Sungai experience: a luxurious, secluded, five-star resort overlooking the Penet river and surrounded by lush tropical rainforest
