#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:13AM
<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meg. She's an indie filmmaker here in LA and is here to talk about her experiences and challenges in filmmaking. Dudes, Hollywood in a recession is nooooo fun! But here's what's working and isn't working for Meg. Hit it lady!!! </editorsnote>
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meg Pinsonneault
First up is La Source, a documentary about the journey to bring clean water to a remote village in Haiti. A few weeks ago, director, Pat Shen, was on the Film Courage podcast talking about this incredible film. I was very moved by the pitch video, not to mention Pat’s wonderful passion behind the project. I donated to this film in its final hours and they raised nearly $16,000 of their $25,000 goal. Although this campaign is finished, you can still donate via Paypal on the film’s website. This is definitely a cause-based documentary worth your support. Take a moment to watch their video and snoop around their websites. You’ll quickly see what I’m talking about! Find La Source on Facebook and Twitter.In La Source, water does not come easily. For the past two hundred years, villagers of this remote Haitian village have had to choose either to endure a dangerous and physically taxing walk to fetch clean water or drink contaminated water from a nearby river. For over 30 years the people in the village have attempted to address this problem by constructing a means to channel the water from a natural spring in the mountains but with limited funding and an unsupportive government their attempts were to no avail. For the Lajeunesse Brothers the time had come to finish the work their father and their community had started. As a young man Josue moved from La Source to New Jersey where he found employment as a custodian at Princeton University. His custodial work and second job as a taxi driver, which total close to 20 hours a day, allows him to send money home to La Source so that he and his brother Chrismedonne, who remained in La Source and found work as a carpenter, could properly channel the water from the mountain into their village.
Our journey to La Source takes us on an adventure as the Lajeunesse Brothers work together to rally the support of a group of Princeton students, a Los Angeles-based charity called Generosity Water, and the people of La Source to fulfill their late father’s dream to improve the conditions of their impoverished village. “La Source” is not just a movie about the transformation that occurs in a community when provided the most basic commodity of all but the story of two brothers empowered by a vision and how they were able to ignite the passion of people thousands of miles away to change the lives of the people in La Source forever. Where water runs, life flows.”
Next up is Miss World aka The Linor Documentary, about Linor Abargil who was rapped just before winning the Miss World competition and her struggle to become the face of this tough issue. I was also very moved by this project mainly because of all the testimonials and support it has garnished. Linor’s experience isn’t an anomaly. Miss World (wt) has the potential to ignite conversation, raise awareness and radically alter the way we perceive and deal with sexual violence and its aftermath. With only 13 days left, Miss World is about $4,000 shy of their $20,000 budget. You can also donate to this project via Paypal from the film’s website after the campaign is finished. Find The Linor Documentary on Facebook too.Via LinorDocumentary.com:Beauty queen Linor Abargil was attacked and raped in Milan, Italy at the age of 18. Six weeks later and still in trauma, she represented Israel in the Miss World Competition. To her shock, she was crowned the winner, the only Miss Israel ever to win. Believing that her rape and winning the crown both happened for a reason, she resolved to one day take action. At the time she fought to put the rapist behind bars and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. After the trial, Linor needed time to heal. Today, ten years later, Linor is about to graduate from law school and is speaking out about her rape to encourage other survivors not to stay silent and not to blame themselves. She has been working with victims of stranger rape, acquaintance rape, domestic rape, college campus rape, rape with the use of drugs. But dealing with the violent trauma she buried long ago has brought up painful memories. Linor has given filmmaker Cecilia Peck ("Shut Up & Sing") exclusive access to her life, as she travels to speak on college campuses and at treatment centers, and faces her fears.”
Last up is an inspirational campaign called “All The Children Are Loved” run by Mr. Andrew Ojambo, the Executive Director of Sherman Health Care Foundation based in eastern Uganda. This is not a documentary. It’s an outreach project to help children who have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS. Andrew’s organization supports orphans and needy children with not only food and shelter, but they also provide educational support like books and uniforms. This is a truly inspirational project that is already making a difference. This holiday season, please consider making a donation in your loved ones name. With only 4 days left, Andrew has almost $22,000 to reach his goal. Find “All The Children Are Loved” on Indiegogo.You could help a child in need forever. By sponsoring a child with Sherman Health Care Foundation, one of the children’s charities based in Busia District, Eastern part of Uganda.You could change a child's life forever. If you sponsor a child with Sherman Health Care Foundation you will be linked with that child and their community so you can see the difference you make for yourself. Sherman Health Care Foundation child sponsorship programme supports children in nearly 3 counties in Busia District – and yes, we really do have a vision for a future of the Child tomorrow, one in which no child has to live in poverty. Working to help communities sustain themselves, we are making that vision a reality. Become a child sponsor from only 75p per day, and join us in making a difference. Sherman Health Care Foundation works alongside communities of all faiths to improve the well-being of children in Busia District.”
