Last Saturday the Staten Island Ceasefire Liberia crew had a workshop with filmmaker Naje Lataillade at Nate Jefferies house in Park Hill, Staten Island. Nate, Garretson Sherman and his son Emerson, Alpha Camara, a Liberian living in Philadelphia, and Quaf, a Liberian from Park Hill were in attendance. We installed Final Cut Pro, watched an excerpt of the amazing film “Hate,” about three immigrant friends in the projects of Paris, and talked about ways to rebuild and reclaim Park Hill. Nate seemed surprised that immigrants in Paris lived in projects similar to the ones in Park Hill. Poverty is poverty no matter where it occurs, I told him.

Naje and I have been talking about starting a film club for those in Staten Island who are interested, in order to expose the bloggers and aspiring videographers to films that will help them in their work. “Hate” was a test run for this idea. After watching “Hate,” Naje taught the aspiring filmmakers how to use a freeze frame technique to make it look as if someone is punching another person during a fight scene. Garretson was the lucky one who got to fake punch Nate, while Nate leaned back pretending he was hit. Using Final Cut Pro, Naje then showed the Ceasefire team how to edit the scene.

Nate reminded me of the importance of the Ceasefire blog to many in the Liberian community when he told me how an old friend of his named Heaven reconnected with him after seeing him on the Ceasefire website. Heaven and Nate had lost touch after Nate left Minnesota, where they were both living, but after seeing Nate on the site Heaven reached out. Nate said one of the most important things the site can do for Liberians is reconnect them with those lost during the war. There are many Liberians, Nate reminded me, that lost loved ones when they fled and the site can be used to help find them. So for those who are looking for friends or family please feel free to post a photo or description on the site. Maybe someone in the community has seen or heard from your loved one.

During our workshop Alpha Camara, a Liberian that has been living in Philadelphia since 1990 and is now 26, was busy writing lyrics for Genocide Records newest song.

These lyrics struck me as particularly prescient:

“I foretell life
thru these rhymes I write
and blind your sight
In line with might
My strength grows
Like the tempo
Move with speeds
Climbing heights.”