HoH Friend and World Voyager Daniel Hollis Shares Some of His Favorite Things
Daniel working in Belize City, Belize
Our second guest on our Q&A “A Few Of My Favorite Things”, Daniel Hollis, is our nextdoor neighbor here in Los Angeles! He also travels far and wide as a Director of Photography on episodic documentary series and commercial content for Netflix, HBO, SHOWTIME, Apple TV+, Disney +, BBC, National Geographic, Peacock, and VICE on TV.
The Q&A:
Daniel Hollis
March 2023
Daniel in Pakistan
Last great thing you watched:
Episode 3 of The Last of Us. It was like a whole film in and of itself. Such a sweet and unexpected detour in what is essentially a dystopian zombie video game adaptation. It was one of the most moving, concise depictions of love and partnership I've seen.
Last great thing you read:
Rogues, by Patrick Radden Keefe. A staff writer at The New Yorker, he is one of my favorite writers. He turns long form journalism into prose, and always makes non-fiction feel like fiction (in a good way). This is a collection of some of his best long form pieces over the years, on subjects ranging from wine forgeries, black market arms dealing, and the death penalty.
Last great thing you listened to:
Last Man Standing - podcast. This podcast is amazing. It follows British journalist, John Cantlie, who was kidnapped by ISIS in Syria in 2014. While all his fellow captives were either released or beheaded, he remained, fighting for survival, and forced into making anti-Western propaganda for the caliphate. Grippingly told by veteran journalist, Anthony Lloyd.
Last great thing you ate:
My wife Shelby freestyled a Shakshuka using leftovers this morning, and it was way more delicious than it had any right to be.
Favorite restaurant:
God. This is hard. I don't think I can do this. Although I recently had an incredible evening of hotpot in Taipei that I still think about a few times a day.
Hotpot in Taipei,Taiwan photo by Daniel Hollis
Favorite place you’ve traveled to:
I went to Beirut last year for work, and it was beautiful. "The Paris of the Middle East", they call it, which is a bit broad and a bit questionable in its framing, but it isn't totally wrong. Extremely friendly, incredible food, beautiful architecture, an extremely interesting history, vibrant culture. Sadly the economy is almost non-existent, and people can't withdraw their own money from banks, so many fortunate Lebanese citizens are leaving the country. I hope they are able to get stability back there, because it is such an incredible place.
Beirut, Lebanon photo by Daniel Hollis
Place you haven’t traveled to yet but is at the top of your list:
It's a cliche, but Japan. One day!
First thing you look at on your phone when you wake up:
Emails. Not great.
Any objects you’re obsessed with at the moment?
A heated mattress pad. I switch it on just before getting into bed and it's incredible. Although it does make getting out of bed that bid harder.
Is there a charitable organization or cause you’d like to shout out/ promote awareness of?
UNHCR. It's easy to take for granted all the things in life that are either nice, or just seem normal, like a place to stay, to sleep, to feel safe. Whenever I have interacted with refugees, I'm reminded of these things and how much I don't think about them, or appreciate them. I think it would be one of the hardest things imaginable to have to flee your home and move somewhere to start again where you're often considered a second-class citizen.
What’s the last thing that made you cry?
In Lebanon recently, I filmed a documentary about the economy, and we filmed with a guy who tried to escape to Europe with his family in a boat. It's almost too brutal to say, but wife and three kids all drowned and he was the only survivor. I couldn't hold it together at all.
What’s the last thing that made you laugh?
My wife Shelby. She made up another nickname for our dog, Murphy. I think she called him Bophy or something. It makes no sense at all, but it's always funny.
Shelby and Murphy, photo by Daniel Hollis