The film is set in a 1950’s New York subway station. Her current project is a short stop-motion film titled Man Wanted. Her father is the award-winning Greek animator Joan Zhonga, and Irida helped him in his studio from a very early age. Independent Greek animator Irida Zhonga is a stop-motion animation director and she comes by her talent naturally. The fact that all screenings and presentations were free for everyone was the icing on the cake.Įach of the festival guests gave a special presentation or master class that was aimed at the Greek professional animation community. Add to the screenings three days of special presentations and workshops and you have an ideal festival. Dimitris Savvaidis, festival founder and director, not only knows how to program excellent films he is also a most gracious host. Whilst it’s always delightful to discover women wearing their traditional clothing on a daily basis I am also excited when I meet yet another Akha woman sporting the latest in Chinese ‘Helo Kitty’ clothing!ĭespite the relatively good condition of the road, as we discovered the following day when it randomly rained in the middle of the dry season, these villages are still pretty inaccessible by vehicle for a large part of the year.Thessaloniki is a beautiful city full of ancient architecture and delicious food, making it the perfect place for an animation festival. The first village we stopped at was a beautiful Tai Dam village at the bottom of the valley where we met Laep and her family. ![]() The road was built in an attempt to control the opium growing in this area by providing the villages with an access to markets and an alternative income through rubber. Whilst the women go out collecting shoots every day for several months, it will be a week before they will return to this area again.Īfter a night in Oudomxay we then prepared to spend 3 days exploring the south of Phongsaly – we took a new route to Sivongxay (my guide and driver), a small dusty dirt road snaking through the mountains – home to mainly Akha Loma villages. I had always thought that bamboo shoots were cut as they surfaced the earth. I then spent a few hours with the women as they, lets face it, devastated the forest floor as they dug down at the base of the bamboo looking for shoots. The terrain then flattened out a little as we reached the bamboo forest and left our lunches at a small clearing – the villagers’ food all wrapped up beautifully in leaves. Now, I’ve often thought my ideas are a bit beyond my physical capabilities… however I’ve not actually had to give up yet and as usual I did manage with a bit of difficulty to scramble up the near vertical, muddy path into the forest. We joined the vast band of women and a few children as they trekked along the dusty road, through the paddy fields, and up into the bamboo forest. So the next day we went to the forest with Nou and her friends from Ban Na Kham, her home village before she was married to someone from the nearby Ban Na Mor. However, the main purpose of visiting was to find a willing volunteer from the village to take me to photograph the collecting of Nor Khom, which we were easily able to do. Since my last visit in November the market itself has had a complete new makeover with a new metal roof and tables. ![]() This off-season product provides market opportunities for local communities, such as Ban Nam Mor, which are close to the border with China. While most bamboo shoots are harvested and consumed in the rainy season (May-September), the species Indosasa sinica (bitter bamboo, or Nor Khom in Lao), found mainly in northern Laos, provides shoots that can be harvested in the dry season (January-April). But the dominant product by far was Nor Khom – the bitter bamboo shoot.įorest foods are still very important for the mainly rural population of the Lao PDR and many local people consider edible bamboo shoots to be the most important product of all. First went back to Ban Na Mor to see the market and its seasonal products, there were a few new and different things including a scary giant mole. Just arrived back from a few days up north. Bitter bamboo shoots By Tessa Bunney on 31 January 2013
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