Sunday, March 28, 2010

A Screening

Abraham's Children will have it's first screening at the LITTLE THEATRE at St. John's University in Queens on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at 6:00 PM. Terry Katz, our editor, who is also an Adjunct Professor at SJU made the screening possible. Terry, Nina and Teresa Pereira, our associate producer will be there for sure and after the screening there will be a discussion round.

For those of you who cannot make it out to Queens - hold you horses - we will be announcing a day of screenings (yes, plural) in Manhattan soon!

The Conversation

Yesterday the Conversation happened. That is, THE CONVERSATION on Social Media, Digital Distribution and the Future of Film (Tweet: #convoNYC) at Columbia University in Manhattan.
Organizers, Scott Kirsner (who wrote one of my all time favorite books: Fans, Friends and Followers), Tiffany Shlain and Lance Weiler and http://www.workbookproject.com/) put together a full day of panels and beak out meetings that kept me focused for 9 hours straight. Really good stuff if you are an independent filmmaker and especially if you are in DIY distro mode with a documentary.

We are at a cross roads of our industry, not only as independent filmmakers but also as producers and conent-providers at large. The web, new technology and new ways of interaction with content of any kind, audience participation, instant access paired with very limited time resources are completely, totally and irrevocably changing how we consume media, how we engage in politics, social lives and just pretty much everything else. The generational divide of participants and non-participants is bigger than ever and has little to do with age, and everything to do with willingness to engage and sadly for many with insufficient access to computers and the internet.

There were so many things yesterday that were of micro interest to an independent filmmaker, but the bigger picture was ever present in the back (and the front) of the room. My head is still spinning with all the awesome possibilities that not necessarily cost much in terms of technology or bells and whistles, but do tend to take a huge amount of engagement, sic. time, sic. labor and sic. cost.

After all that, my two favorites take-aways from the day had nothing to do with being at the cutting edge in terms of knowledge or technical savvy, but just two quotes that would have been equally as pertinent 20 years ago, but do take a whole new meaning in today's environment.

The first, attributed to one of the organizers of this amazing event, Tiffany Shlane - more precisely her father: "If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space." And the other, uttered as a throw away sentence summing up the panel he participated in by Richard Lorber: "Everything is possible and nothing is working". Imight ad a resounding "YET" to the last quote. On on we plod....

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Mel Berkowitz Presents















Watch the show. Cable access in Manhattan, Thursday, April 1st at 10:30 AM on channel 67 (TWC) or on http://www.mnn.org/ (channel 4, culture).

Terry Katz (editor) and Nina talking about Abraham’s Children with host Mel Berkowitz for an our(!)…. some never seen before footage (unless you’re one of the few lucky with a copy of the film).

Monday, March 22, 2010

People

In filming Abraham’s Children and working in film production for over 20 years I met many wonderful people from different cultures, religions, socio-economic backgrounds, and genders – women, men and everything in-between or ‘aside of’.

I met women who cross-dress as drag kings and question their gender identities, families who lead very devout religious lives and teach their children very diligently and carefully about their traditions and beliefs. I’ve met staunch conservatives, ultra-ultra liberals and some very confused people.

Do I agree with their life styles or believe systems. Some yes, some no. Some I can “see where they come from”, others “I don’t get it”, but I don’t think it’s my place to judge them or anybody else, which doesn’t mean I won’t engage in a discussion to make my opinion known and see if they would consider a change.

But these are people I know one-on-one and I’ve laughed and shared meals with them and they ALL are real people with real-life issues and maybe the only thing we agree on is that the Con Edison bill is really way out of control. And we can take it from there, maybe we find out fast that we don’t agree on much more, but you’d be surprised to find where there is common ground in the most unlikely situations.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

More thoughts on respectful co-resistance

I watched a film last night called “Encounter Point” by Ronit Avni and the About Just Vision organization. http://www.encounterpoint.com/who/index.php. I think the film picks up on the idea I put forward in an earlier post about co-resistance rather than co-existence. Some commenters to this earlier post had asked me if I had personal experience. And the answer to that is: yes. But not as you might imagine in a political sense or even in a public setting.

If I think of having an example of an experience with a co-existence situation that really runs emotionally deep I think we ALL answer yes to this question. Just think of ongoing discussions on a variety of topics you might have with a spouse, sibling or parent. I have a parent with whom I do not agree on many political, environmental and lifestyle issues. Do I love him any less? Of course not; I think the world of him and I know it’s mutual; we both come from a safe place. So, we engage in a respectful co-existence although we will never agree on many issues we both feel very strongly about.
When it comes to experience of respectful co-resistance it’s a bit harder and I think it’s a very fine line to walk between resistance and existence. I think where the difference is to be made (and this is only my very personal observation) is on the ‘love’ factor. Respecting someone does not mean loving them, co-resistance doesn’t mean agreeing with someone on principal, but agreeing mutually on the fact that you are not going to agree on one or several or any topics, BUT that you are respectfully disagreeing. Now you have ONE COMMON GROUND – one seed planted. Each relationship will take it from there to a different place, but it’s a beginning. Baby steps, no?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Film Festivals

I really, really have not wanted to write this post, but it's time.

As I think you all know by now - I'm new to film and documentary distribution game. Making the film - which at first I thought would be the challenge, was actually the easy part. Distribution is the challenge - I spare you the unprintable thoughts I have about it.

So: what I really want to say is this: film festivals suck. So, there, I said it. Oh, no - any chances of getting into one: down the drain... Actually I should say: film festival submissions suck.  If festivals actually suck I don't know because I've never been at one (not as filmmaker at leat). Envious? Definitely!

The real question here of course is: "what is wrong with Abraham's Children"? And from my ever so slightly slanted point of view I would say: "absolutely NOTHING". My theory, why a timely, beautifully produced film with awesome talent does not get into Film Festivals is: no sex, drugs and rock'n roll. Not a sliver of it.

Abraham's Children is littered with fun, well spoken and behaving children that happen to be Americans and happen to be Muslim. Gosh: no terrorist, not even alcohol, teen pregnancy, drugs - just normal kids. It's a bore, I know.

But if you watch the film you might actually learn something about Islam you didn't know (unless of course you're Muslim, but then you’re just checking out the competition),  and you will definitely fall in love with one of the kids if not all of them, you will laugh and you will maybe even see some of yourself in one of them and be amazed at the diversity these kids bring to the screen. So give it a try.

Support the film, buy the DVD, and tell your friends on FB, Twitter and all other social networks I'm oblivious to, about it. Host a screening and get the word out that there is this little film that shows a slice of live of Muslims in America from a normal, every-day perspective. Can you do that?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Respectful Co-RESISTANCE vs. Co-EXISTENCE

Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy, http://www.fidweb.org/ is an not-for profit organization that promotes an understanding between different religious views, or any believe system really, through respectful recognition of the fact that we don't have to AGREE with one another, but that we can learn to trust each other and come from a place of respect and integrity and agree to DISAGREE, hence co-resistance rather than co-existence. Interesting concept and one worth a ton of thought.  

Think of someone in your immediate world you have come to learn to disagree with on a topic important to you, but you still love them and trust them you just have become accustomed to the fact, that there is this topic you can only agree to disagree on....   now expand that to conflicts around the world that seem irreparable.  If the Israel-Palestine conflict could never be solved, but a truce could be reached by agreeing to totally disagree...