Author Topic: The newbie who isn't one  (Read 5597 times)

Offline BwanaDik

  • Hobbyist
  • **
  • Posts: 126
    • Kenyan & African Vintage Art Posters
The newbie who isn't one
« on: July 01, 2021, 08:16:48 AM »
Hi there,

Long time not seen.  Just to say I am back in this forum under the username "BwanaDik".   Fan of Frank Zappa will know that it is the title of a Frank Zappa song...  However, "bwana" means sir where I live and Dik is a beautiful name  thumbsup.gif   Some of you may recall an annoying guy here called TheBigBoss who left some years ago.  Still in the poster collecting thing although I greatly reduced my purchases; still a cheapskate guy who collect cheap stuff in the 20-30USD price (most expensive poster I bought was "Chien Andalou" at 150USD).  Why I am back, well, because I like old-school forums and missed that place.

Selling my African thema posters locally is damn difficult because of the colonial and "savage" narrative (hard to find a poster that doesn't say "flesh-eater", "savage" or "dark Africa"). I made a big exhibition though going through history of theatrical movie filmed in Kenya from "Trader Horn" to "Wilby Conspiracy" (1972) with 60 framed pieces (including 3 sheet and French Large) at the French Cultural Institute, not a single purchase but I got nice comment in the visitor book (e.g. "a shameful exhibition"; etc).    But I still get interest from time to time, as now, I was contacted by a multinational company to decorate their offices and they wanted big pieces, happy about that because I have too many Italian 2p.

I have movie posters in my house, made some borderless custom sandwiched frame with special clips and currently hanged are "Carrie" (US), "Aristocat" (US-Rerelease), "Mission secrète aux Caraibes" (French Large) (an unknown Columbian ripoff of Santo), "Frida".   I usually swap the posters but I have been very lazy recently as I moved house twice in four months time, tiring... need to put the nails in the wall first :)

Cheers
Crucifixion? Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

Offline Monster_A_GoGo

  • Hoarder
  • ****
  • Posts: 2302
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2021, 02:40:14 AM »
BwanaDik...aka TheBigBoss, WELCOME BACK! I remember you. How nice you've rejoined the party here on APF.

How absolutely marvelous you had an exhibition of your collection. How did that come about? I'm very happy for you that you had that. (Rumor has it that, should I live so long, I'll be having an exhibition of some of my things in October of 2022 in Washington state. But that's all up in the air and let's not jinx it...) I am really interested in hearing all aspects of the showing, of course. Do share more, if you'd care to.

Anyway, welcome back to the fold (or, if you prefer, rolled). It's nice to have a returning familiar face...er, name.

CHEERS!
Let me introduce myself: http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9291.0.html View my collection thread (if you DARE!!!):  http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9480.0.html  See it on my blog (withOUT Photobucket watermarks) here:  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5730339618306790065#allposts/src=sidebar CHEERS!

Offline BwanaDik

  • Hobbyist
  • **
  • Posts: 126
    • Kenyan & African Vintage Art Posters
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2021, 08:29:54 AM »
Thanks Monster_A_Gogo

The Alliance Francaise of Nairobi is a very cultural center, every year they have the European Movie Month (forgot the exact name) during which they broadcast European movies subtitled in English. In 2019, it was their 70 years so they contacted me to see if I could do a exhibition covering all theatrical movies (not documentaries) filmed in Kenya.   I crosschecked against my stock and to my surprise I actually had almost all titles (some rereleases or foreign posters or even small programmes).   I had four months to prepare everything.  Selecting the posters was the easy task, then I had to the all calculation for cutting the perspex glass and optimize the cut, I bought the 4x8ft sheet uncut and had them delivered to a guy who cut them to size; went to see a cheap local guy who did the backboard to size too.  I ordered some special clips from this company in Spain - https://www.sous-verre-a-pince.fr/5-accessoires-pour-sous-verre-a-pince  Getting it in Kenya was the stressful part, package had to be shipped to my dad who reshipped it to Kenya, and it took some damn time so my dad ordered another lot and had it sent in express.  But both packages finally arrived before the exhibition (two days).  Kids and wife helped for the set-up. We did the two 3-sheets at the entrance then went chronologically, from 1931 (Trader Horn, first ever production filmed in Africa, and in Kenya) to Wilby Conspiracy (1972, the first anti-Apartheid movie filmed in Kenya with Sidney Poitier who also came in Kenya for "Something of Value" during the 50s and the Mau Mau liberation movement (don't say rebel, ahaha).

Because of the colonial past and considering that most movies are a dark and savage narrative, I had to do labels. No way you can just exhibit without labels.  So I wrote up text for each piece to ensure that there is the basic information and also a short description, trying to include historical fact or focus more on the Kenyan side (Kenyan actors, etc.).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18FEoSkzwR4od2t6ICBCMFc0heaQw8YaA/view?usp=sharing
It's there above, there are some facts, especially the meeting between Sean Connery (playing his first second role in Tanzania/Kenya under newly licensed Tarzan sold to a British company and Albert R. Broccoli and Illing Arven  (Warwick Films - UK) who did four movies in Kenya in the 50s before changing to Eon Production; Eon production only one non-James film, called "Call Me Bwana" and you can see a tribute of this movie in "From Russian with Love" when get out of Ekberg' mouth by going through the billboard)... I would love to do  a nice coffee table book, need an copywriter or an editor, that's it... and the budget. :) 

Here are the pictures of the exhibition
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=african.vintage.art.posters&set=a.5654002344672805




Crucifixion? Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

Online eatbrie

  • Administrator
  • Post-aholic
  • *****
  • Posts: 12303
    • My Posters
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2021, 01:16:55 PM »
I don’t know much about the contents of the exhibit, but it seems like a lot of work and it looks very well done, so kudos to you!  It’s always nice to see someone promote the art of movie posters.  Was it a success?  How long did it last?

T
« Last Edit: July 03, 2021, 01:22:53 PM by eatbrie »
My Personal Collection


- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

Offline Monster_A_GoGo

  • Hoarder
  • ****
  • Posts: 2302
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2021, 05:36:29 PM »
Zowie, BwanaDik! Your show looks like it was AWESOME!!!!  Congratulations! I'm sure it was a nice feather in your cap. Great pictures and story. Thank you ever so much for sharing. I wish I could have seen it in person. Cheers!
Let me introduce myself: http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9291.0.html View my collection thread (if you DARE!!!):  http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9480.0.html  See it on my blog (withOUT Photobucket watermarks) here:  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5730339618306790065#allposts/src=sidebar CHEERS!

Offline okiehawker

  • Hoarder
  • ****
  • Posts: 2151
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2021, 10:03:03 AM »
Thanks for the gallery photos, BwanaDik!  Okie

Offline BwanaDik

  • Hobbyist
  • **
  • Posts: 126
    • Kenyan & African Vintage Art Posters
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2021, 03:57:20 AM »
Was it a success?  How long did it last? -   It lasted a full month and there was a special evening with the screening of one movie and some professors from university who gave a lecture about movies filmed the colonial times.  It has been a success in terms of audience as over 10,000 persons came to the exhibition hall over the month. Sale wise, nothing.  And 4 out of the 10 comments in the visitor book were bad comments :)

Crucifixion? Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

Offline Monster_A_GoGo

  • Hoarder
  • ****
  • Posts: 2302
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2021, 02:33:35 AM »
Was it a success?  How long did it last? -   It lasted a full month and there was a special evening with the screening of one movie and some professors from university who gave a lecture about movies filmed the colonial times.  It has been a success in terms of audience as over 10,000 persons came to the exhibition hall over the month. Sale wise, nothing.  And 4 out of the 10 comments in the visitor book were bad comments :)
It is still a super awesome honor (in my opinion) to have YOUR collection on display for a month for the world to see. BRAVO!
(The one I am supposed to have--maybe--in October 2022 will only run a few days!) I am super impressed and proud for you. Congratulations!
Let me introduce myself: http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9291.0.html View my collection thread (if you DARE!!!):  http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9480.0.html  See it on my blog (withOUT Photobucket watermarks) here:  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5730339618306790065#allposts/src=sidebar CHEERS!

Offline Tob

  • Administrator
  • Hoarder
  • *****
  • Posts: 1969
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2021, 09:34:16 AM »
Welcome back, BwanaDik! Good to have you back again.

Thanks for sharing photos and information for your exhibit too - looks really nicely done and cool to see a healthy crowd and visitor numbers too.

Offline BwanaDik

  • Hobbyist
  • **
  • Posts: 126
    • Kenyan & African Vintage Art Posters
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2021, 01:16:08 AM »
I forgot this one and you may don't like it.  I sold some posters to a local cinematographer who fly to Ghana with them; the plan was to do a short movie about colonialism and to have posters in  the background which are then tore and destroyed.  Ouch!     Have you ever sold posters to someone knowing they will destroy them, ahahaha!
Crucifixion? Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

Offline Monster_A_GoGo

  • Hoarder
  • ****
  • Posts: 2302
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2021, 02:40:18 AM »
Ouch.... No. I can't say that I have. They couldn't make copies and destroy those? Jeepers, what a waste...
Let me introduce myself: http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9291.0.html View my collection thread (if you DARE!!!):  http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,9480.0.html  See it on my blog (withOUT Photobucket watermarks) here:  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5730339618306790065#allposts/src=sidebar CHEERS!

Offline BwanaDik

  • Hobbyist
  • **
  • Posts: 126
    • Kenyan & African Vintage Art Posters
Re: The newbie who isn't one
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2021, 03:26:31 AM »
It is a waste indeed but gonna say I don't purchase pristine posters neither :)  So some were in bad state already.

These posters are now gone with frames to decorate an international based in Nairobi doing dubbing.  The lobby cards are two sets of 8 from "Something of Value" and "Living Free".   
















Crucifixion? Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.