CURRENT MISSION

To learn Mandarin and study at the Beijing Film Academy

ABOUT ME

I am defined by my obsession, which is film. I try, where ever possible, to structure my travels, my education and my life around it. I'm currently considering doing a PHD in Chinese Cinema. I'm an aspiring film critic specialising on Asian cinema and i write for www.firecracker-magazine.com and (the hippest site on Asian cinema in the UK, and their new 'Firecracker TV' streaming video-on-demand initiative is a revolution in film distribution) www.midnighteye.com (the best resource on Japanese cinema).

PHILOSOPHY

I suppose that my general out look is in accordance with Sartre's Existentialism, although i differ with him on a few points. Basically i like the idea that you have over-all responsibility for your life and that you create yourself afresh with each decision you make. I don't subscribe to determinism, although i agree that people are products of their environment to an extent. My way of looking at it is that people are free to choose, but their choices are limited by their environment.

I fundamentally believe that normality is over-rated. Vive la Difference! Diversity is the best defense against totalitarianism.

The words i live my life by:
"It is the duty of every man [and woman] to leave the world a better place than how they found it." - George Bernard Shaw

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted once before, but i'm now looking to be more involved. I'm heading to Frankfurt for the Nippon Connection Japanese Film Festival in a week and will be foregoing the hotel.

Interests

Cinema, other cultures, intellectual discussions, writing, cooking/eating, literature.

In my opinion Asian cinema in the last twenty years (even further back for Japan) has rewritten film aesthetics in radical and innovative ways; the shift from the west to the east is the most exciting thing happening in art in our lifetime.

• arts
• writing
• literature
• festivals
• education
• environment
• cooking
• movies
• tv
• teaching
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

My top 10 films (no order):
1: In the Mood for Love - Wong Kar-Wai,
2: Hiroshima Mon Amour - Alain Resnais,
3: Double Life of Veronique - Kryztof Kieslowski,
4: A Moment of Innocence - Mohsen Makhmalbaf,
5: Raise the Red Lantern - Zhang Yimou,
6: Man with a Movie Camera - Dziga Vertof,
7: Ikiru - Akira Kurosawa,
8: Le Corbeau - Henri Georges Clouzot,
9: Yellow Earth - Chen Kaige,
10: Sunset Boulevard - Billy Wilder

As for music i have an electic taste but lately i'm mainly into Downbeat, Electronica, Trip-Hop, Hip-Hop, Jazz. I especially like Aim, Boom Bip, Fourtet, Amon Tobin, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Mum.

At the moment i am currently reading everything by Haruki Murakami, what a genius! I also love Gabriel Garcia Marquez and French Existentialism. I also read lots of books on film.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I haven't seen too much yet, but my best experience so far has been my exchange semester spent in Lausanne, Switzerland. A very beautiful country.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can talk your ear off about cinema, its history and its aesthetics. I can also let you rummage through my extensive DVD collection.

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