SAN FRANCISCO Oct. 12, 2014
Some Thoughts about Mikael´s Film. I really didn’t have any ideas about Yemen before I saw the film. It is impressive to see all the meticulous planning and research that was done for the trip. The patience and negations it took to get permits and protection once you got there. Tanya was a big help by speaking Arabic. Proud of her not giving up when the heat seemed overwhelming. I especially enjoyed watching the communication with the people along the way. For me this is where the real understanding between people takes place. Where we understand that we are all just human and we need each other. I enjoyed the young boys in the village that were so fun loving and enjoyed being in front of the camera. I only wish the girls could have responded the same way. Everyone enjoyed Kensington the camel and his roll in supporting the expedition. Thank You Mikael for giving us a glimpse into this most non excusable location and its people.
Expedition Yemen – 126 degrees In The Shade (OFFICIAL TRAILER) from Explorer Mikael Strandberg on Vimeo.
I also saw Mikael himself wrote this:
US Premiere Yemen Doc: First reactions!
This is the first feedback. Leila Tomasi who introduced my film said I was a great film maker, now that is a great overstatement, but makes me very happy! And she was surprised but happy for the crowd which was much bigger than expected.
My African friend Sharon writes:
“Thanks for seeing things others are scared to see and for showing the best in all people.”
That warms me and encourages me more than anything. It shows Yemen in a good light!
My friends Tom and Tina introduced me and concentrated on me as an explorer, since they have no clue about Yemen!
Questions where many after the film and people stayed for a long time. And peopled laughed a lot, which makes me very happy. As Michael Moore said, people want to laugh, because they wanna go home afterwards and make love. And the most asked question was whether Tanya Holm and me became a couple afterwards. People…what to do?
And people wanted to know about which other documentaries I had done, where they could be seen, what my next Expedition will be, what I do today, what Tanya does today, why we loved the camel as much as we did, how many books I had written, where they could buy them and, IF I Had lost weight during the trip…which my esteemed friends Tina and Tom Sjögren answered no to…bastards!
And Tom and Tina says that the general feeling was that this guy had a rare gift in telling stories with a camera. (Ulrika Rang will laugh!) Which is way wrong, but gives energy to do more.
I feel very, very happy!
Photo Courtesy: Sharon E. Roberts
