Stay Soft by Mitski from the album Laurel Hell - Director: Maegan Houang

Mitski's dress for the "Star" music video, custom made by Sajida Silva.

#021 Independent Project

Philosopher Jan Narveson argued that no government is absolutely necessary. when there is political power, there is oppression. Liberalism believes that the existence of government will restrict citizens' freedom and expression of opinions. "Freedom, Anarchy and the Law" mentioned that we must realize that "Government is a coercive force, and at the same time we must find the role of government that is least compatible with liberty and at the same time sufficient to meet the basic need for protection." For displaced people, this coercive force can protect them or destroy them just as easily. What responsibilities do (or should) other nations have regarding refugees from war and genocide? Is government absolutely necessary? There seems to be a lot of debate on this issue. I found that the book "Anarchy and the Law" discusses the theory and ideas about anarchy in detail, involving very complex topics, e.g. conflict, co-operation and competition in anarchy, government is unnecessary but unavoidable etc.

Going back to "displaced persons", did the government play a decisive role in the invasion? Or should we say that the initiators are individuals at the centre of social power? Engels believed that history is a parallelogram with countless forces, resulting in a resultant force. If the invasion event is viewed as a whole, the final result will be something that no one could have hoped for.

Displaced persons are reluctant to return to Eastern Europe, and those who do return often fear for their lives, a contradiction between the intentions of hope, fear and willingness.

Displaced persons are reluctant to return to Eastern Europe, and those who do, often fearing for their lives, tell their stories with sadness.

“When the refugees arrive they get a number and we, the Arabic and Farsi speakers, translate the announcements and explain to people what they need to do and where they need to go.” Sajida NOVEMBER 9, 2022 “At the same time, millions of people are “stateless”, meaning they have been denied nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement. Our city is gone. There’s nothing left any more. Not only was Assad bombing us from above, we were living in fear of ISIS too. I left with my two children, as well as my husband, mother and brothers. But one of my brothers didn’t make it. He died in Syria. We would have fled earlier if we could, but we didn’t have enough money. We were hoping that the war would end. The journey was really difficult. My children were shaking and crying. We were so scared because the sea got extremely rough before our boat reached the shore. Right now, I’m dreaming of living a life without fear. All I want is for my children to have one night’s sleep without fear.” Silva JANUARY 25, 2024 I was practically broken down and crying when I first got here. The journey was too dangerous and if there was another way, I wouldn't have chosen this. I've come close to dying too many times.

"The Only Heartbreaker" by Mitski from Maegan Houang on Vimeo.

Directed by Maegan Houang & Jeff Desom Production Company - Obsidian Executive Producer - Doug Klinger Head of Production - Anna Heinrich Executive Producer - Maegan Houang Producer - John L. Lozada VFX & Animation by Thermonuclear.tv VFX Executive Producer - Sherif Higazy VFX Head Of Production - Karim Higazy Director of Photography - Joanna Thanh Há Nguyen Production Designer - Emmy Eves Choreographer - Jas Lin Movement Director - Jaclyn Chu 1st Assistant Director - Ismail “Izzy” Hameed Production Coordinator - Po-Wei Su Obsidian Coordinator - Phoebe Loew Gaffer - Kazmo Kida Makeup Artist - Akihiro Sawada Costume Designer - Sajida Silva Editor - Gus Spelman Colorist - Andrew Francis Animation Producer - Aron Fromm Assistant Editor - Robin Feldman 3D Artists - Adam Knauer, Robert Schober Lead VFX Artists - Ethan Feldbau, Jeff Desom VFX Artists - Cooper Vacheron, Matthew Wauhkonen Matte Painting - Ethan Feldbau, Jeff Desom, Thermonuclear Branch 3D VFX by Thermonuclear x 1881 Animation VFX Supervisor/CG - Sherif Higazy Storyboard Artist - Nhan Le Office PA - John Whang Set PA - Viacheslav “Slava” Makarov, Ferran Molina 1st AC - Felipe Larrondo 2nd AC - Michelle Suh Jib Op - Joseph Walsh Jib Assist - Anthony Moreno Electric - Aaron Jackson BBE - Dane Gerwig Key Grip - Steve Forbes BBG - Roman Reardon Grip - Gaither Narrow Art Director - Laura Barr-Jones Set Decorator - Cynthia Wu Decorator - Nicole Shara Art PA - Daniel Fuchs. Li-Wei Chu, Jorge Flores Art/Set PA - Amelia Roesner Art Volunteer - Claire Poon On-Set VFX Supervisor - Dirk Valk Sound Design - Grant Meuers BTS Photographer - Daniel Topete Director's Rep - Doug Klinger & Undine Markus at Reprobates Special Thanks - Henry Kaplan, Joyce Kim, Christopher Ripley, Studio Linguini, Daniels, Kirsten Lepore, Andrew Thomas Huang, Paul Sangster, Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks

"Stay Soft" by Mitski from Maegan Houang on Vimeo.

Starring Mitski, B Gosse and Jaclyn Chu

Director: Maegan Houang Producer: John Lozada Director of Photographer: Christopher Ripley Production Designer: Terry Watson Choreographer: Jas Lin Co-Producer: Po-wei Su 1st AD: Ted Keffer 2nd AD: Chelsea Tummolo Stunt Choreographer: Kimberly Frutoz Costume Designer: Sajida Silva Hair/Makeup: Moung “Kelly” Park Mask Designer: Ashley Eva Brock Costume Asst: Marco Munoz Hair/Makeup Asst: Hanwool Choi Gaffer: Genevieve Evans Key Grip: Mohamed Samra BBG: Benjamin Champagne Best Boy: Miguel Fernandez 1st AC: Felipe Larrondo 2nd AC: Darrell Ham Covid Compliance Officer: Elena Rojas Art Director: Jay Dizon Lead Set Dresser: Marian Nusser Set Dresser: Li-wei Chu, Nhan Le, Xingxi Wang Propmaster: Alison Klein Lead Man: Angel de la Rosa Construction Lead: Vincent Quintana “Sweetie” Puppet Designer: Eric Fox Puppeteer/Art Asst: Amelia Roesner Editor Gus Spelman Colorist: Andrew Francis Assistant Editor: Daniel Witkin Flame Artist: Tim Hendrix VFX Artist: Matthew Wauhkonen Sound Design: Grant Meuers Set PA: Viacheslav “Slava” Makaraov BTS Photographer: Jeni Magana

Special Thanks: Henry Kaplan, Joanna Nguyen, Daniel Kwan, Penelope Essoyan, Devin Conroy, Anna Gustafson & Craig Harmer, Kodak

Starring Mitski, B Gosse and Jaclyn Chu Director: Maegan Houang Producer: John Lozada Director of Photographer: Christopher Ripley Production Designer: Terry Watson Choreographer: Jas Lin Co-Producer: Po-wei Su 1st AD: Ted Keffer 2nd AD: Chelsea Tummolo Stunt Choreographer: Kimberly Frutoz Costume Designer: Sajida Silva Hair/Makeup: Moung “Kelly” Park Mask Designer: Ashley Eva Brock Costume Asst: Marco Munoz Hair/Makeup Asst: Hanwool Choi Gaffer: Genevieve Evans Key Grip: Mohamed Samra BBG: Benjamin Champagne Best Boy: Miguel Fernandez 1st AC: Felipe Larrondo 2nd AC: Darrell Ham Covid Compliance Officer: Elena Rojas Art Director: Jay Dizon Lead Set Dresser: Marian Nusser Set Dresser: Li-wei Chu, Nhan Le, Xingxi Wang Propmaster: Alison Klein Lead Man: Angel de la Rosa Construction Lead: Vincent Quintana “Sweetie” Puppet Designer: Eric Fox Puppeteer/Art Asst: Amelia Roesner Editor Gus Spelman Colorist: Andrew Francis Assistant Editor: Daniel Witkin Flame Artist: Tim Hendrix VFX Artist: Matthew Wauhkonen Sound Design: Grant Meuers Set PA: Viacheslav “Slava” Makaraov BTS Photographer: Jeni Magana Special Thanks: Henry Kaplan, Joanna Nguyen, Daniel Kwan, Penelope Essoyan, Devin Conroy, Anna Gustafson & Craig Harmer, Kodak

Dubai, UAE: Thousands of teachers from the Gulf’s public and private schools’ system are expected to get a big professional boost at the forthcoming GESS Dubai exhibition and conference, the largest education show in the Middle East. The Continuing Professional Development (CPD)-certified workshops and sessions offered at GESS Dubai are free for all teachers based in the GCC, and cover a wide of topics aimed at enhancing their skills and assisting their career advancement in the workplace. For the past 11 years, GESS Dubai has brought internationally-acclaimed experts who have shared invaluable insights on leadership &management of schools, curriculum development, technology adoption, classroom learning enhancement and other aspects of education that have contributed to raising of teaching standards in the UAE. “We have made these CPD-certified sessions available for all teachers to enable them to get additional training and boost their work prospects, which in the long-term will also help boost the profession and make teaching an attractive career for Emiratis and expatriates,” said Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East, organisers of the GESS Dubai that will take place on 27 February to 1 March 2018 at the Sheikh Saeed Halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre. Key challenges There is a consensus among education experts that professional advancement for teachers in the Gulf need more support, to help teachers gain the skills and knowledge needed to cope with an ever-changing learning landscape. With the transient nature of the teaching profession in the GCC and the increasing use of technology that allows students access to a wide plethora of information and knowledge sources, “teachers need the support system to be able to deal with such challenges and be equipped with the skills necessary to leverage technology and future advances in education to become better at their jobs,” added Thompson. It is worth pointing out that the Gulf has a better teacher-to-student ration compared to the world average, even vis-a-vis advanced economies like the US and the UK. According to various research done by UNESCO as well industry analysts such as Alpen Capital, there are about 16 students per teacher at the pre-primary and tertiary levels and above 10 at the primary and secondary levels of education. The ratio is better than the world average of more than 20 at pre-primary and primary schools and 17.4 at secondary. The ratio in the GCC is also healthier than that of the US and the UK, where it is in the 14 to 18 range at primary and secondary schools. Having a low student-to-teacher ratio suggests greater attention and instructional support per student. “But the quality of teachers will also have an impact on the kind of learning being shared with students,” Thompson continued. Revolving around the theme Lifelong Inspiration, among the more than 250 workshops and sessionsteachers can attend for free at GESS Dubai includeEmbodying learning with mobile gamification platform Seppo (Rui da Silva, Director of Innovation, GEMS Dubai American Academy), Digital Learning Content and Enhanced Learning Analytics: Personalising Learners Experiences for Single Courses or Smart Nations (Yaz El HakimDirector of Education and Communications, Kortext), Developing the Smart Future Ready Citizen (Sajida Shroff, CEO, Altamont Group), Leadership Workshop (Mary van der Heijden, Educational Consultant, Fieldwork Education), The Importance of Leadership and Management to Education (Ayanthi Rajakaruna, Lead Consultant – Education, BRAMS) and COBIS Patron’s Accreditation and Compliance (Colin Bell, CEOCOBIS -UK) among others. Some sessions focused on student learning include INNOV8TR- Developing Students Innovators (Evo Hannan, Head of Design and Innovation, GEMS International School Al Khail) and Preparing the Young Generation for Life and Work (Poonam Heryani, Head of Academics, Edupreneur). GESS Dubai is free-to-attend for education professionals and the public who wish to see education innovation and advances from around the world in action through various workshops and sessions as well as exhibition showcases from over 550 leading global education-focused companies and brands. Registration can now be done online at www.gessdubai.com.

Dubai, UAE: Thousands of teachers from the Gulf’s public and private schools’ system are expected to get a big professional boost at the forthcoming GESS Dubai exhibition and conference, the largest education show in the Middle East. The Continuing Professional Development (CPD)-certified workshops and sessions offered at GESS Dubai are free for all teachers based in the GCC, and cover a wide of topics aimed at enhancing their skills and assisting their career advancement in the workplace. For the past 11 years, GESS Dubai has brought internationally-acclaimed experts who have shared invaluable insights on leadership &management of schools, curriculum development, technology adoption, classroom learning enhancement and other aspects of education that have contributed to raising of teaching standards in the UAE. “We have made these CPD-certified sessions available for all teachers to enable them to get additional training and boost their work prospects, which in the long-term will also help boost the profession and make teaching an attractive career for Emiratis and expatriates,” said Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East, organisers of the GESS Dubai that will take place on 27 February to 1 March 2018 at the Sheikh Saeed Halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre. Key challenges There is a consensus among education experts that professional advancement for teachers in the Gulf need more support, to help teachers gain the skills and knowledge needed to cope with an ever-changing learning landscape. With the transient nature of the teaching profession in the GCC and the increasing use of technology that allows students access to a wide plethora of information and knowledge sources, “teachers need the support system to be able to deal with such challenges and be equipped with the skills necessary to leverage technology and future advances in education to become better at their jobs,” added Thompson. It is worth pointing out that the Gulf has a better teacher-to-student ration compared to the world average, even vis-a-vis advanced economies like the US and the UK. According to various research done by UNESCO as well industry analysts such as Alpen Capital, there are about 16 students per teacher at the pre-primary and tertiary levels and above 10 at the primary and secondary levels of education. The ratio is better than the world average of more than 20 at pre-primary and primary schools and 17.4 at secondary. The ratio in the GCC is also healthier than that of the US and the UK, where it is in the 14 to 18 range at primary and secondary schools. Having a low student-to-teacher ratio suggests greater attention and instructional support per student. “But the quality of teachers will also have an impact on the kind of learning being shared with students,” Thompson continued. Revolving around the theme Lifelong Inspiration, among the more than 250 workshops and sessionsteachers can attend for free at GESS Dubai includeEmbodying learning with mobile gamification platform Seppo (Rui da Silva, Director of Innovation, GEMS Dubai American Academy), Digital Learning Content and Enhanced Learning Analytics: Personalising Learners Experiences for Single Courses or Smart Nations (Yaz El HakimDirector of Education and Communications, Kortext), Developing the Smart Future Ready Citizen (Sajida Shroff, CEO, Altamont Group), Leadership Workshop (Mary van der Heijden, Educational Consultant, Fieldwork Education), The Importance of Leadership and Management to Education (Ayanthi Rajakaruna, Lead Consultant – Education, BRAMS) and COBIS Patron’s Accreditation and Compliance (Colin Bell, CEOCOBIS -UK) among others. Some sessions focused on student learning include INNOV8TR- Developing Students Innovators (Evo Hannan, Head of Design and Innovation, GEMS International School Al Khail) and Preparing the Young Generation for Life and Work (Poonam Heryani, Head of Academics, Edupreneur). GESS Dubai is free-to-attend for education professionals and the public who wish to see education innovation and advances from around the world in action through various workshops and sessions as well as exhibition showcases from over 550 leading global education-focused companies and brands. Registration can now be done online at www.gessdubai.com. via Edarabia.com

The Only Heartbreaker by Mitski from the album Laurel Hell - Directed by Maegan Houang & Jeff Desom [Behind the scenes here]

"Stay Soft" by Mitski from Maegan Houang on Vimeo.

Starring Mitski, B Gosse and Jaclyn Chu

Listen to Mitski here: mitski.com/

Director: Maegan Houang Producer: John Lozada Director of Photographer: Christopher Ripley Production Designer: Terry Watson Choreographer: Jas Lin Co-Producer: Po-wei Su 1st AD: Ted Keffer 2nd AD: Chelsea Tummolo Stunt Choreographer: Kimberly Frutoz Costume Designer: Sajida Silva Hair/Makeup: Moung “Kelly” Park Mask Designer: Ashley Eva Brock Costume Asst: Marco Munoz Hair/Makeup Asst: Hanwool Choi Gaffer: Genevieve Evans Key Grip: Mohamed Samra BBG: Benjamin Champagne Best Boy: Miguel Fernandez 1st AC: Felipe Larrondo 2nd AC: Darrell Ham Covid Compliance Officer: Elena Rojas Art Director: Jay Dizon Lead Set Dresser: Marian Nusser Set Dresser: Li-wei Chu, Nhan Le, Xingxi Wang Propmaster: Alison Klein Lead Man: Angel de la Rosa Construction Lead: Vincent Quintana “Sweetie” Puppet Designer: Eric Fox Puppeteer/Art Asst: Amelia Roesner Editor Gus Spelman Colorist: Andrew Francis Assistant Editor: Daniel Witkin Flame Artist: Tim Hendrix VFX Artist: Matthew Wauhkonen Sound Design: Grant Meuers Set PA: Viacheslav “Slava” Makaraov BTS Photographer: Jeni Magana

Special Thanks: Henry Kaplan, Joanna Nguyen, Daniel Kwan, Penelope Essoyan, Devin Conroy, Anna Gustafson & Craig Harmer, Kodak

Shot on 16mm Kodak

Dubai, UAE: Thousands of teachers from the Gulf’s public and private schools’ system are expected to get a big professional boost at the forthcoming GESS Dubai exhibition and conference, the largest education show in the Middle East. The Continuing Professional Development (CPD)-certified workshops and sessions offered at GESS Dubai are free for all teachers based in the GCC, and cover a wide of topics aimed at enhancing their skills and assisting their career advancement in the workplace. For the past 11 years, GESS Dubai has brought internationally-acclaimed experts who have shared invaluable insights on leadership &management of schools, curriculum development, technology adoption, classroom learning enhancement and other aspects of education that have contributed to raising of teaching standards in the UAE. “We have made these CPD-certified sessions available for all teachers to enable them to get additional training and boost their work prospects, which in the long-term will also help boost the profession and make teaching an attractive career for Emiratis and expatriates,” said Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East, organisers of the GESS Dubai that will take place on 27 February to 1 March 2018 at the Sheikh Saeed Halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre. Key challenges There is a consensus among education experts that professional advancement for teachers in the Gulf need more support, to help teachers gain the skills and knowledge needed to cope with an ever-changing learning landscape. With the transient nature of the teaching profession in the GCC and the increasing use of technology that allows students access to a wide plethora of information and knowledge sources, “teachers need the support system to be able to deal with such challenges and be equipped with the skills necessary to leverage technology and future advances in education to become better at their jobs,” added Thompson. It is worth pointing out that the Gulf has a better teacher-to-student ration compared to the world average, even vis-a-vis advanced economies like the US and the UK. According to various research done by UNESCO as well industry analysts such as Alpen Capital, there are about 16 students per teacher at the pre-primary and tertiary levels and above 10 at the primary and secondary levels of education. The ratio is better than the world average of more than 20 at pre-primary and primary schools and 17.4 at secondary. The ratio in the GCC is also healthier than that of the US and the UK, where it is in the 14 to 18 range at primary and secondary schools. Having a low student-to-teacher ratio suggests greater attention and instructional support per student. “But the quality of teachers will also have an impact on the kind of learning being shared with students,” Thompson continued. Revolving around the theme Lifelong Inspiration, among the more than 250 workshops and sessionsteachers can attend for free at GESS Dubai includeEmbodying learning with mobile gamification platform Seppo (Rui da Silva, Director of Innovation, GEMS Dubai American Academy), Digital Learning Content and Enhanced Learning Analytics: Personalising Learners Experiences for Single Courses or Smart Nations (Yaz El HakimDirector of Education and Communications, Kortext), Developing the Smart Future Ready Citizen (Sajida Shroff, CEO, Altamont Group), Leadership Workshop (Mary van der Heijden, Educational Consultant, Fieldwork Education), The Importance of Leadership and Management to Education (Ayanthi Rajakaruna, Lead Consultant – Education, BRAMS) and COBIS Patron’s Accreditation and Compliance (Colin Bell, CEOCOBIS -UK) among others. Some sessions focused on student learning include INNOV8TR- Developing Students Innovators (Evo Hannan, Head of Design and Innovation, GEMS International School Al Khail) and Preparing the Young Generation for Life and Work (Poonam Heryani, Head of Academics, Edupreneur). GESS Dubai is free-to-attend for education professionals and the public who wish to see education innovation and advances from around the world in action through various workshops and sessions as well as exhibition showcases from over 550 leading global education-focused companies and brands. Registration can now be done online at www.gessdubai.com. via Edarabia.com