Rina,
Thanks for looking at this. I may have mentioned some of these ideas before. For a very long time I’ve been looking for a way of using arts and culture to help make better things happen. What started as an idea for a web page and a university curriculum has continued to grow over the past 10 years. About 18 months ago I started working with a music producer, Amina Aboudoma, and we re-envisioned the cultural ideas into what could become one of the most epic documentary series ever made. I talked to Morsi about it and he liked the ideas so much that he agreed to be a part of it. The last year has really been a set back, but Amina and I have been trying to move forward as much as possible. I’ve collected research and contacts for a lot of the entire world’s arts and culture scene, but I am in an area that I am completely unfamiliar with, so I’m really lost. And since the virus thing, communicating with places like Netflix and Amazon has been almost impossible.
A key part of this documentary would be the host who narrates and guides the audience around the world. I had initially considered Sherihan, which got some interest from Netflix. But recently I think the best person to be a host (or co-host) would be Ahmed Amin. I think his personality, combined with his many talents, would be amazing. I would like to be able to chat with him about this. If he is interested, or could help endorse the ideas, we could reach a little further up the Netflix ladder at least.
And I would love to find more chances to work with you. I’ve always loved how you were able to hold everything together and get things done. You could be a huge help to this.
Below are some things to help explain the depth of what this project, Discover the World, can be.
Below is an explanation video that I made for Morsi and Amina last year. It is just to explain the ideas. Please forgive the production values.
This is a trailer that we had made for us.
And this is my version of a deck.
Below is a transcript of what’s discussed in the video-
Any people or civilization can best be understood by looking at how they express themselves in their art and culture. For us to know where we will go as a global community, we must start to understand how where we come from, where we are now, and how the possibilities for the future are all interconnected. All of this can be seen in the languages of our collective cultures. This project will show a global audience how to read these languages, while entertaining them in unique ways, and hopefully in the end allow people’s view of the world and what’s possible to open up a little more.
It begins with our shared history and explores of the origins of the visual arts, music, dance, storytelling, sport, food and our created personal environment (what architecture and fashion say about a people). These seven cultural categories begin to show the languages all cultures are built on.
From there the earth is looked at in 7-9 regions, based only on music tuning systems and scales, and each of these regions is looked at through the lens of the cultural areas. Following human migration and the rise of civilizations, the areas of Africa, the Middle East, India, Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceana, Europe, Central Asia though the Americas can be explored.
The celebrity host will introduce the audience to representatives of each region's cultural areas and shown their insights. Through interviews, demonstrations and performances, creative customs and traditions will be explored in new ways and look at the past, present and possible futures. Each region will be part arts journey, part sports program, part cooking show, part live performance and music concert. The audience will be able to watch virtuosos in their field along with regular people as they discuss, perform or create. It's likely that numerous cultural traditions could be viewed for the first time by a global audience.
The most unique thing this project can offer is a twist to all of this. From this global network we can take one cultural element and twist it with something else, taking its contemporary form then deliberately combining different styles from other areas. These hybrids could be nearly any combination from across multiple global communities. There will be rare opportunities to create one-of-a-kind hybrids, then help create and guide new cultural blends.
By looking at the world's arts and culture using this method of chronicling, experiencing contemporary styles, and contemplating future expectations, this project allows people from all over the globe to understand and celebrate their own culture, as well as those that are different from theirs.
If you’ve come this far…
The following video is another explanation video of a proposed 24 hour live streamed global music concert. This was close to being initiated with assistance from the US State Department and the US Embassy in Egypt. Unfortunately, last year’s political climate at the State Department recently caused their support to end abruptly. My team and I are ready to create an event like this with as little as 2 weeks notice with the right support. I added it here to see what other projects Discover the World can help initiate.
This is called “The Great Gig in the Sky.”
I appreciate you looking at all of this. I would like to think that this could be a unique opportunity for everyone involved. There is potential to make new contacts in untapped markets that could lead to new story ideas of epic proportion. And that’s just the beginning…
j