Jan Pester » » Documentary

Canadian DoP under Co-Production Treaty

JanP — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:37:03 +0000

I recently established that as well as being a UK Citizen I qualify as a Canadian DoP for any work done under the Canadian Co-Production Treaty.This is because I hold a Canadian Permanent Resident Card

Shooting in Tripoli

JanP — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:37:22 +0000

I just returned from Libya where I was doing some preliminary shooting for a feature length documentary about Colonel Gaddafi’s famous female bodyguards who were handpicked, young, beautiful and highly trained. Jubilation and high spirits in the city of Tripoli, many guns being fired….but all in the air, fortunately. Elsewhere in the country such as in Bani Walid chaotic fighting continues. The country is having to be rebuilt almost from scratch so the transitional government is struggling. Old tribal rivalries from before Gaddafi’s coup 43 years ago are rising to the surface again. We filmed in Gaddafi’s ruined compound in Tripoli, which is vast…also in Abo Salim prison, now closed, where Gaddafi once had 1200 people shot in 5 hrs….all in one small exercise yard. Both places had strong strong spirits. The Libyans are a friendly hospitable people but they seem to be quite fond of torturing each other. Many horrible stories….but I suppose that’s war for you

Baftas

JanP — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:58:00 +0000

Going to the Baftas on Sunday as An Idiot Abroad 2 has been nominated for yet another award.

An Idiot Abroad highest ranked programme ever on Science Channel

JanP — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:03:04 +0000

An Idiot Abroad is officially the most viewed programme ever on The Science Channel in USA.
The channel claims to be “home for the thought provocateur” and “a playground for those with audacious intellects” so you can see why an Idiot might thrive !
Meanwhile across the pond in Britain An Idiot Abroad 2 has been nominated for an RTS award in 2 categories:
Best Popular Factual and Features and Best Presenter (for Karl Pilkington).
This particular parade will be hosted by Rob Brydon at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on March 20th.

Mary Whitehouse rhymes with Toilet

JanP — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:45:09 +0000

Big Banana Feet, a feature length documentary made in 1975 was screened on Sunday at Glasgow Film Theatre. Shot handheld in available light by push-processing slow 16mm film stock it follows a very young Billy Connolly on his tour of Dublin and Belfast at the height of the Troubles. Connolly was emphatically warned not to go…3 members of a showband had died in an attack very recently…but he went anyway…and he came back in one triumphant piece. A small film crew followed him shooting just about everything he did, including his stage shows for about 48 hrs non-stop.
Murray Grigor (Director), David Peat (DoP) and Paddy Higson (Producer) were all at the screening along with other elder statespersons from the period. There were many escaping eyebrows, knowing stoical looks and tired legs but no flared trousers. There was also alot of laughter. To my bemusement the extremely youthful camera assistant was there too….that was Yours Truly !