Beds Are Burning (UNMEE)

A satirical look at military observers' live in UNMEE, specifically Team Site Omhajer, Eritrea.

8 TIPS for understanding the CONTEXT of the production:

1. Team Site Omhajer was generally considered to be the "harshest" or "toughest" Team Site in the Mission. Therefore, the Military Observers that successfully completed their tenure in Omhajer, were regarded as LEGENDS (of the Mission)! The members featuring in the video have not yet completed their service in Omhajer. Therefore, it is refered to them as "LEGENDS in the MAKING".

2. The unbearable HEAT in Omhajer is expressed by the Artists as "How can we sleep while our beds are burning?".

3. Altough the members tried hard to keep a high morale, they missed their FAMILIES sometimes too much. This is expressed by the Artists as "How can we DANCE when our LOVE is TURNING?".

4. When these members arrived at their Team Site, they found that the rent (their predecessors had to pay) was 4 months in arrears. They ensured that the LANDLORD received his money in arrears, and made it a priority to make future payments. They did so by indicating the DATE the rent had to be paid in RED on a Mission-calender. This is expressed by the Artists as "The TIME has come to say fair is fair, to PAY the RENT, to pay our share.

5. Notice, the Artist says "AAAHH!", when refering to paying the rent. It is an exclamation of the fact that he knows it is a TOUGH RESPONSIBILITY, but that it has to be done, because it is FAIR to PAY your SHARE!

6. Because Omhajer was LOGISTICALLY the most ISOLATED Team Site in the MIssion, there were some PROBLEMS - few WATER and DIESEL (due to a 50%-restriction placed by the Eritrean Government on UNMEE). If there is no DIESEL = no ELECTRICITY = no TV + no AIR CONDITIONING! Therefore, you will see the BOTTELED WATER disappearing from "6" to "0" - "empty"!

7. Notice the INTERPLAY between SATIRE and real DRAMA. Although, the production is light-hearted, Omhajer was a LANDMINE-invested area!

8. In the END, the soldier AWAKES from his NIGHTMARE of Omhajer. (Thus, the movie was mostly a NIGHTMARE!

All ACCOLADES to the ORIGINAL ARTISTS for their ARTISTRY, by conveying their understanding of HARDSHIP in the way they did.
May this production lead to a re-appreaciation of the original artists' song.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• UNMEE