You Will Show Me Around

July 31st in history.

1932: Nazi Party wins 230 seats in Reichstag and begins negotiations for Hitler to be accepted as Chancellor.

1978: Gunman shoots his way into the Iraqi Embassy in Paris.

On that same day: I was born.

Few years ago, on my graduation day, I told my Mother few words that in fact I should be telling her everyday. I was twenty two. I told her that twenty two years earlier she had brought me down from Heaven to Earth and on that day she took me back from Earth to Heaven.

Well. She does it every single day. Just by smiling to me. A Mother who has lived, struggled and lived. Strong with her presence and personality.

Sometimes I wonder how big her heart can be. Too big. I’m sure.

My sister? A true masterpiece. The Pieta by Michelangelo. She has offered me a unique brother in law and two beautiful crazy nephews. But I’m still waiting for my little princess.

Friends come and go. Some have been sticking around for a long time and will keep doing so forever. Some others have passed by like a small breeze keeping behind some memories. Not more.

There are people you will always be happy to have met, and others you could have lived much better if you had not. They don’t just come and go. They come, take a piece of you and go. And it hurts.

Finally, I raise my hand toward a dear friend of mine: Tony Zakhour. You are missed and remembered everyday. I know you are watching over me and I like it.

I had never believed in life after death until you died. I always want to picture you alive up there. And hoping you are enjoying it.

I’ll see you soon in one of those dreams knowing that one day I will be knocking on your door and you will show me around Heaven.

Heaven and Earth

My passion for the world of cinema and specifically for this space behind the camera is driving me today to write about one of the greatest film directors, writers and producers of all time.

Mr. Oliver Stone.

Yes. Again one of these few people who don’t come often to this world. Respect.

Born on September 15, 1946 in New York, Oliver Stone got married three times: Najwa Sarkis (1971-1977), Elisabeth Stone (1981-1993) and Sun-jung Jung (1996 -).

Yes. Najwa Sarkis is Lebanese.

Recipient of three Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay for Midnight Express in 1978, Best Director for Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July in 1986 and 1989 respectively. In addition for the many other awards he received in his career. Until now …

Oliver Stone describes himself as a practicing Buddhist. Specifically, he has said he follows the Tibetan branch of Buddhism. He was not born into Buddhism, but adopted the faith as an adult.

Oliver Stone's father was a Jewish American stock broker. His mother was a French Catholic. Neither of Stone's parents was religious. They raised him in neither Judaism nor Catholicism. He thought of himself as a Protestant, but describes himself as not particularly religious while growing up.

“I was conceived by my father, born of my mother, suffered under both, was crucified dead and buried the third day I rose again from the dead and ascended unto heaven on the right hand of God, the father fiction from whence I shall come to judge both my mother and my father. Amen.”

That was what Oliver Stone once said.

Stone first began to become serious about following Buddhism while in Thailand during the filming of his film Heaven and Earth.

As a child, he learned more about how to achieve than he did about how to be happy. He has learned to take the feelings of others more into consideration.

In many ways Stone is now facing the greatest battle of his life: mastering his own mind. As of January 1995, he lived alone for over a year and a half. Many of his perceptions had changed. After showing up again, those around him agreed that he started getting less upset than he used to and started recovering from setbacks much more quickly. Today, Stone still has dark moods and bouts of depression, but seems better able to see these things for what they are: old enemies rising up from his past as projections of his mind, rather than signs of impending doom.

"I've had feelings of inferiority which have often turned into self-loathing and depression. But I've sometimes been able to turn that depression into melancholy and the melancholy into good work. I've also tried to turn excess into a productive thing and use it in my work. Either you use something or you don't. It is worse to be ignorant of it. Ignorance is one of the six negative emotions that Buddhism describes: pride, jealousy, desire, ignorance, greed, and anger.

Oliver Stone is a real character. Someone deep that keeps you fully alert with his wittiness. A mixture of intellectuality and craziness.

In other words, a true artist.

In regards to his film JFK, a reporter asked him who in his opinion killed the American president. Stone replied:

"You just don't get it, do you? Even the shooters don't know."

When Stone was fifteen years old, his father arranged for him to lose his virginity with a prostitute.

"What we think is secret is really seen anyway. It's a lesson in life. Nothing is really hidden. Even when you're [having sex] in your bedroom, your ancestors are watching. There are no secrets. A filmmaker prostitutes himself already by making his fantasies public, but it is at least in his power, the limited power he has, to cut the length of the revelation. You can wake up with your cup half full or half empty. That's a choice we have: how we accept our karma or start changing it.

Then I guess I’m prostituting myself by writing these articles.

Does that make me an “Oliver Stone”?

No. There’s only one. Until now …

Is Seeing ... Seeing?

Maybe yes. But.

Most probably. No.

Do you think seeing is opening your eyes and having a picture in front of you?

Well you’re probably mistaken. Seeing is realizing that there are pictures among the pictures. There are meanings to each picture you see. There is a symphony between the picture and the sound. A certain combination that we never pay attention to.

And most of all: seeing is feeling with others.

Some people see but others don’t. When someone sees another person in need and does not react, then I wouldn’t call it seeing.

Seeing is when you react to a picture.

Unfortunately we are not seeing what’s happening in some parts of the world. We only see them on the news. But in reality. No. We do not see them.

For all these rulers out there who do not see:

I can tell you to go to hell. But I think you are already there.

It’s been a tough week for me. Too much work and too much heat. What could be worse?

That was a short one. I promise you something longer and more cheerful for tomorrow.

Let’s see …