Field Report #1

For my first field report I've decided to look more into the works of Paul Chan, specifically the play, "Waiting for Godot," written by Samuel Beckett.  After looking into the websites more specifically on the contents page on D2L, I noticed a major comparison between Paul Chan's "Waiting for Godot in New Orleans," and "Baghdad in No Particular Order."  Even the source files and documents page on the Waiting for Godot website says right on top, "In no particular order."  The layout seemed very familiar to me. (Especially considering that there is a link for Godot, waiting for, in the website for Baghdad in no Particular Order.)  The website for the New Orleans project also has a link that says, "A play in two acts, a project in three parts."  Very similar to Baghdad parts one and two.  Both topics seem to have the want to bring people back together, and both also feel very documentary-like.  

Waiting for Godot is a play written by Samuel Beckett that is centered around waiting for something.  When Paul Chan took a trip to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina he saw how devastating it was to the whole area and what it has done to the people living there.  He was surprised to see how still and empty it was.  No hammers banging, no construction whirring, etc; he didn't even hear a bird chirping.  He then talked about when he visited Baghdad. Even though the city was in ruins he at least still felt life running through it.  There were still children playing outside.  People were still united.  A good quote that I got out of the whole document was,  "Life wants to live, even if it's on broken concrete." (Paul Chan)  At that point he was waiting for his ride to pick him up on an empty street in the ninth ward of New Orleans. He then saw something he'd never forget: an empty road and a isolated tree with very few leaves on it, which instantly reminded him of the play Waiting for Godot.  He then got the idea to renew the community by reenacting the play with local actors right there on that same street.  He first interviewed residents of the area to see if they agreed that it was a good idea and what their reactions to the whole thing were.  At that point they put the plan into action.  They had members of the community hand out flyers, and raise awareness for the event.  On the day that the play was reenacted they had people get their tickets, and wait in line and get free gumbo.  (Catered for 500+ people)  Then there was a band, and then was the main event, the play.  

This website felt very much like a documentary to me because of the fact that there were interviews and it felt almost like a project for Paul Chan.  It's centered around one topic, and was documenting the experience.  I also felt like Baghdad in no Particular Order was a documentary because it was also very people oriented and it felt like it was basically what Chan experienced on a vacation to Baghdad: meeting new cultures and experiencing new things.  Both websites have a link to click on to view a special, thank you for the people who worked so hard and for their generosity.   

On the other hand I felt a large comparison between the two.  After looking into the website for Waiting for Godot, reading the play itself, and looking what went into all of it, I feel like it was more for a cause, to help reunite a community together after a devastating force. There were even different links that you could click on that showed Chan's involvement with different schools as a guest speaker.  There is also another link that you can make donations right then and there for their "Shadow Fund," that gives local organizations rebuilding support in the neighborhoods where the play was presented.   I felt a more artsy vibe when I watched Baghdad in no Particular Order.  I felt like it had more of a concentration on individuals in the culture and their hobbies and interests.  In Part 2 there is a link you can click on called names and faces.  You then see a list of pictures and each persons interests, and who they're friends and family with.

As a result, I think that there were similarities and contrasts in both works by Chan.  Both I consider documentaries because of  because of the way they're presented.  However, I feel as if Chan's New Orleans project was more for a cause.  It was more geared towards the benefit of people, whereas the Baghdad was more centered around the culture in general.