Spanner Films - Jordan/Iraq

We apologise for the break in diary service

franny — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:21:23 +0000

Hello anyone who might be reading this.

Sorry I haven't had a moment to get the diary entries from August to December up here.

Perv massages and piano lessons

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:57:59 +0000

Two of the stars of Crude being taken for a ride by the filmmakers

Photograph: Sabri Hakim

Stuck in limbo land again

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:50:54 +0000

Rasmia & Noor.

Photograph: Sabri Hakim

Trip to the dead sea

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:41:05 +0000

We'd arranged a bonding trip to the Dead Sea today, for Rasmia and Jamila to have a rare good time and, hopefully, trust us a little more. They are understandably very nervous of British people - as their lives have been destroyed by the Americans (and British). So we booked a minibus and a load of kids we picked up at the school video session.

"I hope there's no more war in Iraq"

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:35:19 +0000

Met up with the family from yesterday this morning. Filmed a great interview with the mother (Rasmia) and then were happily sitting drinking tea when something kicked off between Rasmia's brother and sister and a full-scale slanging match ensued. Never quite established what that was about.

Dropped down dead when he heard the news

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:28:58 +0000

Franny, and our fixer, Khulood, interviewing Iraqi widows on the streets on Amman<

"Nooni"

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:21:39 +0000

Nooni finds splendid new filming position

Best ever team

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:16:44 +0000

Crude Team with taxi

Have assembled a crack team with miraculous speed:

Ra'fat (Palestinian), fixer. Well connected & persuasive.

Eyes Wide Open

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:09:51 +0000

Amman, Jordan.

Wonder how much oil goes into one tray of airline food?

sylvia — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:03:53 +0000

Not sure what exactly changed - perhaps panic that we haven't even found our final character yet - but we're heading out to Jordan, despite the ongoing war.

Lizzie's a few aisles away being tortured by a screaming baby. I have the headphones and laptop. Sure is good being the boss.

Some pretty profound life and death stuff has been going on post Crude-Camp-with-Mark. Like when someone is diagnosed with terminal illness and gets six months to live - or if they survive a near-death experience - they often say their whole perspective changes.