Ceven’s Blog

2006 was a life-changing year on many fronts. I had spent the entire summer in anxiety over what to do next with my life. I felt directionless. An old friend, Richard Bluestein visited Berlin at the beginning of August. He worked professionally as a podcaster for his show, Yeast Radio and showed me how to get started, thus was the birth of Anderecast.

I began writing music again. Anderecast was the perfect platform to share this on. Helga was adopted into the show, as was Pier Paolo and we made videos. We spent many evenings in my bedroom making shows. It was a lot of fun for all of us. Helga and I lived in a giant apartment that transformed into whatever setting we wanted. We created characters and let ourselves free to explore creatively.

As the show progressed and became more fixated on video, my productions skills sharpened. A great portion of my life was spent in front of the computer writing and editing for which I am truly grateful. Anderecast gave birth to Unbekanntes Sektorformat and turned me into an artist.

Over the course of 110 shows we saw Pier Paolo leave, Sockie came to life, Helga made her own productions, Han van Acoleyen became a series regular, and maurus became an important ingredient to Season 4. We had countless guests and outside help through the entire cycle and our show’s audience grew exponentially in numbers.

I’m very proud of our little project. What we lacked in technical quality was more than compensated for by the learning experiences. We all came out of it a little different in a positive way.

I would like to thank Helga Jäckel for being a superb help the entire time from start to finish. The show would not have lasted 110 episodes without her. Her creations for Sockie, Nönnebär, voice work for Celery Girl, and even being a MTF transsexual are timeless.

A special thank you goes out to Han van Acoleyen who has become more than a show regular but a mainstay in all my video work. I know very few people who can have so much energy while play-acting.

I would also like to thank maurus who unexpectedly came to us in May 2007 and stuck around. He made a strong impression on the last season and I continue to enjoy our experience with unbekanntes sektorformat.

I would also like to thank Pier Paolo Paradiso for his overwhelming support in the beginning. He knew that I needed to do this and helped every time with great humour. I wish him well.

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Anderecast was a second childhood and art school for me. It wasn’t about anything but having fun experimenting and making media with people. It’s appropriate to hand over the rights to public domain now.

Also featured today:

Radio Unbekannt features a track from Season 1, Show #20 – Overnight Express

Video Unbekannt features one of the first video episodes from Season 1, Show #23

Last weekend we went to the Transgenialer CSD to make an episode for Coming to See Berlin (which is already finished and online). It was an unexpected experience that it was so fun to be a part of. When it comes to such things I can be fairly jaded. I was very lucky to have come out quite young (while still in high school) and since then had quite a bit exposure to both the gay mainstream and counter cultures. I’ve been both a spectator and participant through the years many times and never personally felt an outpouring of joy or flamboyance for such events. While there are many upon many people on the organizing side of the large events who are politically motivated and well intentioned, it’s the over-commercialization of the whole cause that bothered me most.

To make a big event one needs the sponsorship especially when expecting several thousand people. Stages, food and information stands, permits, police, toilets and what-have-you aren’t free. One cannot expect people to work all day out in the sun dealing with such masses without paying them and making it worth it. I have full respect for those who can organize such events and do it well. I also have no problem with grown men parading around in tight leather and feathers. It’s that I come away from such events feeling sold out. The massive size of the Berlin one leaves me thinking it’s probably more for the tourists anyhow.

What I liked most about the Trangenialer CSD was its approachability. The people putting it together do so on a shoestring budget. They are community groups and people giving their own free time. There is no major beer company sponsorship, no celebrity stage show, and I didn’t hear anyone calling it “gay pride”. It wasn’t only gay, but a political demonstration against violence, sexism, racism, and all the things that I consider to be important under one umbrella. I had no problem walking the street with these people. This particular march felt appropriate and despite a couple confrontations everyone was friendly and had a great time. The street party on Oranienstraße was also great. I’d met several Americans who were quite interesting. I do not get the opportunity to get out very often like I used to. A few summers ago I was nearly every weekend at a park party, but these days there’s more on my schedule. It was a very nice evening.

By complete chance I saw this film last night. I start to wonder what the universe is trying to tell me with these sorts of accidents (Wittgenstein was actually found on Google video while looking for a trailer of the film). “Victim” was made in 1961, about 6 years before the official decriminalization of Homosexuality in Britain. It is my understanding that this film not only was the first of its kind, but also very instrumental in helping to gain public sympathy for the 1967 repeal of the law against gays.

That said, there are many bizarre elements, like the overt misogyny in the dialogues. There could be something textbook Freudian about director Basil Dearden. Or maybe it was simply the time period in which women were supposed to be weak and stupid. I found that odd coming from a land with a Queen. Much of the dialogues were direct statements of opposing views on homosexuality and while I see the point as to why they did it they way they did, today it looks rather funny. Then again I can sit comfortably and say such things are funny when in 1961 this was still a major taboo subject.

The historical importance easily overshadows the fact that this could be one of the very last true good Film Noirs. All the elements are there and there really is a degree of suspense. The scriptwriters and director took a very difficult subject and put it into a package that worked as a cinematic piece. The derogatory viewpoints were hard and didn’t hold back. They were a great example of the public moral opinions of the time. This sort of hard talking also sits well with Noir films where everything is macho. Despite it’s clear dated flaws, it was a very daring film for the time and actually quite good.