By Jessica, on February 16th, 2012
In collaboration with our new educational distributor Collective Eye, we just lowered our prices on all three options of the Educational DVD. In addition to the full film, this edition also contains the 52-minute version and a lot of thrilling extras, such as the Beetle Queen study guide, more interviews with Dr.Yoro and the full essay on which the film was based. For those not in education who want their own private copy, the public library option is a pretty sweet deal.
 Beetle Queen Educational DVD case
By Jessica, on February 5th, 2012
Saturday was Restaurant Day (Ravintola Päivä) in Helsinki. Which means anyone (ANY one) is allowed to open a restaurant for one day. People cook four-course meals and then take reservations for their living room, shoe stores set up tables for dinner, offices sell coffee and cupcakes. It’s pretty joyous.
I chose to eat lunch at the outdoor southern barbeque joint set up by a film production company called Bufo. In perfect Helsinki style, the -20 degree weather didn’t deter anyone from enjoying the amazing pulled pork sandwiches.
 Sound designer Karri Niinivaara stirs a giant pot of sauce 
Can you imagine what a disaster this would be in the US?
By Jessica, on February 1st, 2012
Enrique Gomez De Molina has been illegally importing animal parts to make his sculptures. He claims he wants to raise awareness about the dangers facing animals around the world. Supporting endangered, exotic animal poaching doesn’t seem like a very good way to do that.
Some of the work is really beautiful. (The rhino sparkling with beetle elytra is sort of blowing my mind.)
But I still want to punch him in the face.
(via Visual News)
By Jessica, on January 30th, 2012
I was just turned onto the work of Sam Ristrich. Sam was an entomologist, mycologist and educator, and, it seems, just a generally incredible person.
His photographs of seeds make me want to dance.
 Castor Bean Ricinus communis  Wafer Ash Ptelea trifoliata  Sweet Cicely Osmorhiza claytonii  Norway Spruce Picea abies
By Jessica, on January 28th, 2012
Kuichisan (Directed by Maiko Endo and Co-produced by Yours Truly) is playing at DocPoint Helsinki! One screening only, Sunday January 29th at 21:45.
I will be there. Will you?
 A still from Kuichisan
By Jessica, on January 28th, 2012
Goodnight warm weather and sunshine. Good morning snow and frozen ocean.
 Casablanca ocean view  Helsinki ocean view (a little out of focus because I was shooting through a window)
By Jessica, on January 25th, 2012
Fes is famous for its traditional tanneries. Yesterday we were suckered into seeing a few of them.
The composition of the ammonia (the vats of pale green) is 100% natural and, in a recipe dating back hundreds and hundreds of years, is primarily salt and pigeon droppings.
The smell is pretty potent. Every visitor is handed a fresh sprig of mint as they enter, to help counter the fumes.
By Jessica, on January 25th, 2012
From the roof our Riad, we can see onto the roof of our neighbor who is, apparently, a silk dyer.
This morning he had a new color he was drying and the sheen looked pretty spectacular in the sunlight…
(See previous post, Evening in Fes, for some more color samples.)
 Finished products in the medina
By Jessica, on January 25th, 2012
Traditional carvings are made from a mixture of marble dust, egg whites and plaster. The carver is paid according to the weight of the dust he creates as he carves. The more dust, the more money he makes. So more intricate designs with deep, black negative space are much more expensive.
These particular carvings are from a Madrasah (school of the Koran) in the middle of the Fes medina.
By Jessica, on January 24th, 2012
 Darin listens to the evening call to prayer  Men wash before evening prayer
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