Daria! Issue X - 2019
Issue X - 2019
ART WITH HEART: Codruta Luca p. 10 IN HER OWN WORDS: Sophia Abella p. 44
 THE FILM FESTIVAL DOCTOR: Rebekah Louisa Smith p. 22 PLUS
RISING STARS
Jessica Michelle Smith p. 17 Damion Rochester p. 32 Greta Goldling p. 39
EXCLUSIVE
Global
Nonviolent Film Festival
FILM GUIDE
Cover Design & Production by Daria Trifu
EDITOR’S LETTER Highlights from this issue include interviews with film producer Rebekah Louisa Smith (page 22) and film actress Sophia Abella (page 44), and an article about artist Codruta Luca and her involvement in fashion as designer of swimsuits and of children wear (page 10). We also publish a chapter, from film director Bruno Pischiutta’s autobiographical blog, that regards the birth of this magazine (page 26). Throughout these pages, we proudly introduce ten of the best actors who are represented by our talent agency, Global Film Actors Agency, and every one of the forty-six films and documentaries from twenty-three countries that have been selected in the 2019 edition of our festival, Global Nonviolent Film Festival (the Film Guide starts at page 51). The cover of Daria! features little Lily, who is the Image of this year’s Film Festival.
I’m glad to present a content driven issue of Daria! that spreads over 126 pages, one of our largest yet. I’m particularly proud of the cover, that I produced and designed; it features fouryear old Lily, symbol of innocence and of complete refusal of violence in film. I decided to include the chapter, from Bruno Pischiutta’s autobiographical blog, that describes the founding of Daria! because I believe that this piece has historical value. As a matter of fact, in the past fifteen years, our magazine has been an essential dialectic component of the North-American entertainment culture and has represented a sophisticated Canadian angle in the magazines’ panorama. Daria! always aims to be the first to present film actors, directors, writers and producers as well as artists who may be known by few, but who have the possibility to reach stardom in a short time. In the same way, Daria! aims to be the first to discover and bring to its readers new subjects, unexplored cultural tendencies and films that could achieve universal acceptance and reach global success. In the second half of the magazine, we publish the complete guide of the films that have been selected at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival and, in the first half, the pages have been dedicated to excellent people.
In three different categories, Rising Stars, D!vine, and D!scover, this issues introduces ten inspiring international, English speaking, actors who deserve a bright future in the international film industry! The other talented individuals featured in articles this year are definitely exceptional artists and human beings; I’m proud to say that they are friends of mine. Their stories are unique and fully deserve to be known. Rebekah Louisa Smith who, always present and very active on the scene of the world’s top film festivals where she is better known as the “Film Festival Doctor”, is now making the big step: she is becoming a great film producer. Romanian Codruta Luca, my ex-classmate, now a mother and an accomplished artist, is merging, in a lovely way, the different aspects of her life and creates a very special world of illustration and fashion design. Last but not least, there is the story of the very beautiful Sophia Abella, who is a proud transgender woman. In her interview she tells the readers all she went trough to find her female identity. When I work on the magazine, I always have my readers in mind. I hope that this issue gives you new ideas and introduces to you interesting films and people that, maybe, you will love.
DARIA TRIFU, Editor
Daria! 2019
FEATURES 22 AN INTERVIEW WITH REBEKAH LOUISA SMITH British film producer and businesswoman, Rebekah Louisa Smith, has her aim set on living and working in her favourite city: Los Angeles.
Top: Artist Codruta Luca with her daughter, Meda (page 10). Bottom: Poster of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival (Film Guide starting at page 51).
26 THE VISION AND CREATION OF THE MAGAZINE DARIA! A chapter from the autobiographical blog The Last by Bruno Pischiutta
44 SOPHIA ABELLA After years of trials and turbulences, this is Sophia Abella’s journey to self discovery and living a healthy and inspirational lifestyle as a transgender woman.
FINE ARTS 10 ART WITH HEART By Daria Trifu Humour, love and a healthy dose of selfirony are essential components in artist Codruta Luca’s creations.
FILM GUIDE 51 GLOBAL NONVIOLENT FILM FESTIVAL 2019 The films participating in the 2019 edition of the most important and renown nonviolent film festival in the world are presented beginning at page 51. The guide also features interviews with some of the directors and producers whose films made this year’s lineup. There are forty-six films that have been selected from twenty-three countries. The Festival takes place from September 19 to 29 on the Festival’s online TV channel.
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D!vine “I adore music, but being cast in a movie is something I’ve always dreamt of”.
Actress & Singer
Abby
Her first single, Drama, was licensed in +30 countries and just recently, she released her second single, Shadows that became a Summer 2019 hit. With her musical career on the right track, Romanian Pop Star Abby is getting ready for her acting debut. Abby is exclusively represented by the Global Film Actors Agency.
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Daria! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
RISING STARS 17 JESSICA MICHELLE SMITH 32 DAMION ROCHESTER 39 GRETA GOLDLING
D!SCOVER 9 SHIRA CARTER 37 MARTIN VALENTINE
D!VINE 5 ABBY 7 TAYLOR WILLIAMS 21 PAOLO DE GIORGIO 36 SHARON LAWRENCE
124 KRISTNA SAIKIA
EXTRAS 3 EDITOR’S LETTER 8 ON THE COVER
Daria! EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, Daria Trifu COPY EDITOR, Elio Dell’Unto PUBLISHER, Adhara Properties Inc. Rising Star: Actress Greta Goldling (page 39).
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www.dariamagazine.com daria@globalfilmstudio.com
D!vine
Taylor Williams Actress
Exclusively represented by the Global Film Actors Agency. www.dariamagazine.com
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Meet
Lily
,
Daria!’s Cover Girl and the ‘Image’ of the 2019 edition of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival.
Photographing Lily, who is just four years old, was a real pleasure! She was quick in following directions and she gave us the perfect picture in just a few shots. The poster of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival was created by Daria Trifu, the Festival’s director, who also designed and executed the original artwork. “I created this poster as a visual mean to show what our Festival stands for: peace and hope over war and violence. The purity of the little girl signifies the hope for a better and brighter future.” D!. Sketch by Daria Trifu
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D!scover
From Israel with Love!
Shira Actress
Carter
Exclusively represented by the Global Film Actors Agency.
www.dariamagazine.com
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FINE ARTS
ART WITH HEART HUMOUR, LOVE AND A HEALTHY DOSE OF SELFIRONY ARE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS IN ARTIST CODRUTA LUCA’S CREATIONS By Daria Trifu
Painter, fashion designer, illustrator, and above all, mother, CODRUTA LUCA, finds herself in a perpetual challenge of thoughts and feelings. Her creations subtly convey the idea that being a parent is not an easy task but it is extremely cool because ‘we rediscover ourselves, we learn to play again, to invent and to dream’.
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omanian designer and illustrator, Codruta Luca, graduated with a Master’s Degree in fashion design from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca in 2004. She impressed the East Company management with her creations and she soon became a designer for David Corral where she enjoyed a ten-year successful career creating entire lingerie and swimsuit collections for the famed brand. As one of the lead designers for David Corral, Codruta traveled with the brand’s collections to some of the most coveted fashion trade fairs in Europe such as Italy’s Maredamare in Frorence, France’s MarediModa in Cannes and Germany’s Collection Première Düsseldorf.
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hen designing a new collection her greatest desire is to create what makes her feel good: “I like to draw things that are pleasing to the eye and bring joy to the viewer. I play and enjoy drawing funny things with a special attention to detail. Objects have a symbolic meaning attached. My interaction with other people, reaction to the environment or personal circumstances, they all greatly affect my life. This is why I find myself in a perpetual challenge of thoughts and feelings. Each symbol is a microcosm and can be perceived as the expression of a macrocosm. My artistic act is influenced by all that surrounds me.”
Most recently, the artist launched her own business, Kula Design, that encompasses everything that fuels her heart and creativity. Inspired by her daughter and life as a mother, Codruta uses humour and creates illustrations that feature characters that are either real or imaginary friends of her four-year-old daughter, Meda. She started her business by designing a personal t-shirt collection that features graphic illustrations of her daily life with Meda. Codruta names her characters (Sandu's Sister, Anisoara, Nolan, Nabuk or Mark) and she even describes her daily routine in her illustrations that are first created on pages rippedoff her yearly agenda notebooks before she transfers them to t-shirts. This proved so popular that she began receiving orders from My creative process involves the collecfriends and even mothers she didn’t know, to tion of a labyrinth of data, images and create illustrations and timpressions from life, and the conclushirts based on their own parenting experisions I draw materialize in the designs ences and ‘imaginary and illustrations I create. friends’ of their children.
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In addition to her own journals, she now creates personalized portraits, illustrations and products for devoted clients all with a dose of irony and humour that characterizes her style. Her creativity mirrors the way her life unfolds, everything around her.
Codruta tries to remain constant in her work because she considers that the most important thing when approaching an artistic concept is to maintain a linear path. What started as an artistic diary, as her need for personal creative expression, has now become a business that is expanding to inI am always in search of beautiful clude accessories, interithings that emanate a good energy, and I or decorating objects and an upcoming collecam always attentive to the details that tion of clothing items inspire me and that I transpose and specially designed for and their chilbring to life in my illustrations. My little mothers dren labelled Kula & girl's toys have become the main charac- Meda.
ters in my designs.
Meda, the artist’s daughter.
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14 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com Daria! 2017 / 2018
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n July 2019 Codruta participated in the 25th Anniversary Exhibition of her university’s Fashion Design Gala at the Art Museum in Cluj-Napoca where she presented her fashion sketches and printing projects for the upcoming Kula & Meda line. “My experience as a mother guided me to choose comfortable and easy-to-wear garments produced from natural fibre and ergonomic materials: organic cotton, linen and hemp fabrics.
With a small dose of irony and selfirony, characteristic to her style, Codruta incorporates in her artwork a very common topic in today's society, namely the slightly exaggerated obsession of mothers with healthy nutrition and parenting courses. At the same time, the prints contain messages that encourage children to enjoy simple pleasures, nature and the possibility to explore and learn from the environment and what it means to be ecofriendly. For the designer, this collection is born out of passion for beauty and love, shared amongst mothers and The illustrations I feature on these children who enjoy, smile and play. The clothes, accessories and creations subtly convey the idea interior decorations that Kula Design brings to the market have their that being a parent is not an easy own life, tell a story and convey a task but it is extremely cool bepositive energy because they are created with heart and soul. cause we rediscover ourselves, we Through her creations, Codruta learn to play again, to invent and is showing us that youth is not just for the young but living youthfully to dream. is a choice of lifestyle that is possible to attain by nourishing a posiIn my style of portraying funny charactive outlook on life. “I want my art to remain ters - from a family of ants or chicken to my faithful to my personality, I want to create daughter’s toys, the drawings expose scenes every-day products that inspire, induce happifrom a mother's perspective where everything ness and express my sense of humour, albeit comes to life.” sarcastic at times.” D!
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RISING STAR
Actress
Jessica
Michelle Smith
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J
essica has always been different. Growing up in Liverpool (UK), Jessica was often mistaken as either shy or reserved; yet it was quite the opposite - she was quietly exploring her own unique personality and creative gifts through the magic of performance. Armed with a video camera and a vibrant imagination, she spent much of her childhood re-enacting movie scenes, performing dance routines, singing, and even creating costumes. Jessica’s passion for the arts - along with her acute awareness of her environment, other people, and herself – helped her to emerge with gravitas and an enthralling presence. In Manchester, where Jessica moved for University, she followed her desire for performance and appeared in physical theatre, dance and national acrobatic stunt competitions. She took acting classes which mainly trained in theatre, but soon realized that screen acting was her calling. Jessica was taught by successful UK Television actors, and studied screen acting at First Take Media Group and Inspire Actors Studio.
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Jessica particularly enjoys taking on complex characters with compelling story arcs. She plays the lead in the feature film Cleavers: Killer Clowns that has now been fully released in the USA and UK. Another film she did earlier this year, The Curse of Halloween Jack, will also be released in the USA and UK in October 2019. Jessica just wrapped shooting A Killer Next Door that will be released next year with distribution by Universal Pictures. It is based on a true story, the John List murders which occurred in America in 1971. The film is mostly set in the 80s, about a girl who identifies John List as one of her neighbours around 18 years after the murders occurred. It’s similar to Hitchcock’s Rear Window.
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“Acting is not something I want to do, it is something I need to do. I always feel myself the most when I am acting, even though I am playing different characters. It just feels like me and is my true calling.”
Jessica is ready to make her entrance on the international stage where she aims to inspire people through her acting. Her acting career continues to gather speed and shows no signs of slowing down. She’s been cast to play a principal part in the upcoming Bruno Pischiutta feature film The Bad Joke and she is being considered for the lead role in his feature film Sins and Sinners. Jessica, who is proudly represented by the Global Film Actors Agency, is a true rising star. D! 20 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
D!vine “Doubt is the engine of life, and the questions that arise are the nourishment of art. The actor is the mirror of our time”!
Actor
Paolo
De Giorgio
Paolo De Giorgio worked with many notable actors such as Sofia Loren, Vittorio Gassman, Giancarlo Giannini, Tony Servillo, Heath Ledger and directors such as Lina Wertmuller, Paolo Sorrentino and Jean Paul Rappeneau. "Acting is like painting by depicting the character on a canvas with all its colours. There has to be an open agreement of respect between the actor and the director”. Paolo is represented by the Global Film Actors Agency. www.dariamagazine.com
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FEATURE
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hat inspired you to start your company The Film Festival Doctor? I was co-producing a festival in Wales called the Abertoir Horror Festival and it was during this time when I realized how much I loved working within this area. It was in fact the filmmakers who were attending the festival who inspired me to start my company as they needed help. The problem which needed resolving (and which I could solve) was that there were no companies offering specific services to create a successful festival strategy for their film and working with them as part of their team to get their films into festivals worldwide. Why is entering Rebekah Louisa Smith awards important with award trophies won for filmmakers? For for the South African a filmmaker who wins feature ‘Wonderlus’ any type of legitimate award this will help them enhance their profile and build a desirable image within the industry. Also, if a filmmaker wins an Oscar qualifying award (at an Oscar qualifying film festival) this means that he/she can submit their film to be considered for an Oscar. This is exactly what happened to the brilliant filmmakers behind the UK short film The Silent Child who won the top prize at the Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival and went on to win the Oscar.
‘ENJOYING LIVING AND WORKING HARD IN MY FAVOURITE CITY: LOS ANGELES’ 22 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
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ou’ve helped your clients win over 600 awards. Do you have any advice to help creatives succeed in festivals? Yes – the golden rule is to always create a streamlined and focused festival strategy. It’s important to know your film and which type of festivals around the world would be interested in it. Taking a scatter gun approach that is not in alignment with your goals and your films strengths will not be successful. This was an issue which kept on re-occurring when I was meeting filmmakers. That was one of the things which inspired me to create my Audiobook 'The Ultimate Film Festival Strategy Guide' which has just launched online. You are working on a horror movie starring Shayne Ward from Coronation Street and (left) Rebekah recordX Factor. What’s it like ing a podcast episode making your own film?
with The HCC; (right) With the London Independent Film Festival Director Natasha Marberger
Has it differed from your expectations? Yes! I have a much greater appreciation and respect for producers since seeing what goes on behind the scenes when making a film. You have to be flexible and adaptable to change, and things do suddenly change and can happen at the drop of a hat.
Daria! 2017 / 2018
‘It’s actually a lot of fun seeing a script develop from the first draft to the final draft, it’s like watching a child grow from a newborn to a young adult. You see so much change and creativity it’s sublime’. www.dariamagazine.com
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hat else are you producing? We are Associate Producing a Mexican T.V. show called Sonora - its very beautiful how this project came together and it is all thanks to the power of film festivals. I met the Arizona Film Commission CEO at the Show Low International Film Festival in Arizona and we formed a solid friendship - he loved one of the films I was representing at the festival and requested that two of the actors from the film star in Sonora - they're both very talented and will do a great job in their roles. Â
(bottom left) Rebekah with actress Vivien Reid; Rebekah with actress & Miss Universe Sri Lanka winner Jacqueline Fernandez
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A
re you keen to move more permanently into production? I would never give up The Film Festival Doctor and focus exclusively on production - I'm very selective of the projects that we become attached to in that capacity as what's important to me is that there is a connection to film festivals and that the projects have appeal to both film festivals and distributors. Where would you like to be in five years’ time? Enjoying living and working hard in my favourite city; Los Angeles. I am working and preparing my visa application as I speak! By this point, I would have established my brand further more in this country and have supported an abundance of American based filmmakers to achieve their goals and become successful in their careers. D!
(clockwise from left) Rebekah with Claire & Natalie from the Lift Off Film Festival; holding award notification cards for the films Us & Wonderlus at the Love Story Film Festival; with actress Victoria Morrison at the British Independent Film Festival
“I’m very excited about our first film (called Skendleby) that is in the development phase and the script is coming together very nicely - its going to be super scary, 18 rated horror film which distributors and festivals will love.” Daria! 2017 / 2018
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FEATURE
THE VISION AND CREATION OF THE MAGAZINE ‘DARIA!’ A Chapter From the Autobiographical Blog “The Last” by Bruno Pischiutta
I
t happened 15 years ago, in 2004, on an early summer evening, at about 7:00 PM. Daria Trifu and I were walking on Bloor Street, in Toronto, and we were going to see the new beautiful windows of Holt Renfrew, one of the best fashion stores in the city. Daria and I like to walk in New York, in Cannes, in London and wherever we are, because we believe that you see more when you walk than when you just drive the car. It is however a fact that, if you want to see, you have to look. In a city, if you look up, you’ll always make new discoveries.
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That’s exactly what happened that evening when we were walking in the centre of Toronto, looking up to the skyscrapers and the tall buildings on Bloor Street and to the lights in their windows. One building was special, on the South-West corner of Yonge & Bloor, and you could see that the entire second floor was an open space surrounded by arched windows (what used to be the second floor of the Stollery’s men’s wear store at Yonge & Bloor). Daria immediately fantasized that the space would be perfect for a publishing house, a design studio or a fashion workshop. It was, in fact, the atelier of the Stollery’s Men’s ware Store. Daria said: It looks like special, maybe they are making a magazine there. I replied: A magazine? Daria: Yes, a magazine. (Pause) I always wanted to publish a magazine, since forever… I: I didn’t know that. Thinking about it, owning a magazine would be good for our organization and our business; if you like it and if you will take care of it, we can do it and we will”. This is how, in just a few minutes, we decided to create and publish a magazine.
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e arrived at Holt Renfrew and took a long look at the beautiful displays in their windows. After that, we went for a bite and a few drinks to toast to our
decision. We spoke a lot about the magazine that evening and in the following two days; even if we were busy with other work, we continued to think and speak about it. We were approaching the moment of leaving for Africa to shoot
Punctured Hope: A Story about Trokosi and the Young Girls’ Slavery in Today’s West Africa, the film I directed and Daria produced and that we later qualified for nomination consideration at the Academy Awards®. The film was proposed for nomination by The Political Film Society in Hollywood in two categories, ‘Best Film on Human Rights’ and ‘Best Film Expose’ of 2009. After those few days of thinking about the magazine, this is what we decided: The look of the magazine will be a mixture between the looks of Vanity Fair and of National Geographic. The magazine’s content will be illustrated by many extremely beautiful and original pictures. Considering that the film we were going to shoot was in Ghana, the next magazine will contain a lot about Africa. During the filming I took some pictures, especially behind the scenes’ shots. Daria, who is very good in taking pictures, took about 3,000 of them in Africa. The best were published in the first issue of the magazine. We also decided that Daria will have the total power of decision in choosing the content for the magazine, while I will be in charge of creating most of the covers and I’ll have the possibility to suggest subjects for its articles; The cover will be completely black for two principal reasons: marketing wise, to differentiate our magazine from all other magazines and so that, if anybody wants to know what the cover is about, they will have to turn the page; The magazine will not be addressed to the general reader, but to the English speaking media executives worldwide; Whenever possible, the magazine will be printed yearly in thousands of copies that will be distributed at the most relevant film festivals
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such as at the Cannes Film Festival, at the American Film Market (AFM), at the Montreal One World Film Festival and more, and it will be available on line; The subjects of the articles will always be original in art, business and entertainment. Regarding subjects in film, the magazine will be oriented to the discovery and presentation of new talents; The title of the magazine will be DARIA! and Daria Trifu will be the Editor in Chief. These were the starting points; some of them changed in time, but most of them are still guiding our publishing choices today. This is how we commenced our publishing adventure: we contracted journalists from Canada, the USA, the UK and Mexico, and we decided to publish the first issue as soon as we were back from Africa, after the shooting of Punctured Hope. One of the more challenging new facts was to be able to match the deadlines of our film productions with the magazine’s. This was especially difficult for Daria who was taking care of the whole organization necessary to arrive to the moment of publishing. I had much less to do and everything I was doing for the magazine was for me more a pleasure than a job. Here is how I created the first cover of Daria!, 15 years ago:
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I
was feeling the necessity to give an image to the title: clearly the proper image was the one of Daria Trifu because she was the magazine’s founder and editor in chief, but I didn’t want to just publish a photo of her. Considering that Daria looked (and still does) much younger than her actual age, and that she has a very well proportioned petit body, I though that I could photograph her close to the statue of Edgar Degas Little Dancer of Fourteen Years. I always loved Degas’ statue which I saw at the Ottawa Art gallery during a beautiful and comprehensive exhibition of his artistic works. Even if the original model of the statue had an appearance that was a little sick like the inspirations for Les Fleurs du mal of Charles Baudelaire and Daria is definitely more proportionate and has a healthier look, I put Daria’s image together with the Little Dancer. I had a reproduction of the statuette, about 25 centimetres tall, that was executed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and, with a simple photographic effect, I made Daria and the statuette look the same height and appear in similar poses. I liked the first cover very much; it was a sensational success and, still today, I believe it is one of the best covers of the magazine. Judge for yourself:
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he Premiere Issue of the magazine was presented to the media and film personalities during a party we held at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, California while the American Film Market took place in 2005. For that occasion, thousands of printed copies were distributed at the AFM and inside the principal hotels in Santa Monica. That was the first cover, it was created in Canada in 2005 and, the following is the last one I realized for the magazine thirteen years later, in 2018, in Greece. This one features my dear friend actress Christie Norton and it is, at the same time, the cover of the magazine and the poster of the 2018 edition of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, the most important and renown nonviolent film festival in the world. When I took this picture on a beech in Greece, it was a very cold day in January and Christie was very courageous to pose covered in a veil only‌ We can say that, in time, the magazine has become known and followed by the world media executives. Daria!’s team has interviewed and collaborated with some very famous people such as Bill and Melinda Gates, Vivica A. Fox, Bill Dryton (founding father of Social Entrepreneurship), and more, as well as some young talents not yet known to the public such as actors Taylor Williams, Greta Goldling, Lesha Bey, and Joe Legend. The magazine has been presented and distributed in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, Las Vegas, London, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Milan, Bucharest and many others. 30 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
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ublishing Daria! gives us a lot of satisfaction. One of the moments of “satisfaction” came in 2006 when a very famous magazine was inspired by our Daria!. Daria Trifu, in the Editor’s Page of the 2018 issue, tells the story and lists the facts; here is part of what she wrote: “In 2006, I envisioned an issue dedicated to Africa and to social entrepreneurship in general. It was because I produced a film in Ghana, and while there, I discovered Africa. I wanted Daria! to become the first publication to look at some aspects of the world that were never addressed in main stream media until then. I envisioned the top personalities in the world being interviewed by our magazine and, in conclusion, Warren Buffet, Melinda and Bill Gates being featured on Daria!’s cover. I worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the article on fighting malaria and their initiatives in Africa, and they provided the picture for the cover of the magazine. In the process of making the 2007 issue, I communicated with Oprah’s office, Bono’s management (and twenty plus others) and outlined the vision while requesting their participation. In May, the special issue of Daria! on Africa and Social Entrepreneurship was printed but it was not ready for its mass distribution, so it was kept in the printing house in Florida. One day, a month or so later, I came out of my house, and on the newsstands, there was the July 2007 issue of Vanity Fair. Different covers shot by Annie Leibovitz, one of which was similar to Daria!’s”. In conclusion: I’ll continue to work on the magazine until I’m able to, because I like it, I think that it is worthwhile and because it’s one of the ways I communicate with the world. I really hope that Daria Trifu will go ahead and will publish many more editions after I’ll be long gone. D! www.dariamagazine.com
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RISING STAR Based in New York City, Damion Rochester is considered the one to watch. Damion plays the lead, music legend Robert Lee Johnson, in the film The Dark Strum (2019).
Damion Rochester
Damion Rochester is a born actor. His earliest memory dates back to when he was two years old and it involves him looking for an entrance in the back of the TV screen in order to play with the tiny people he was watching. When he was five years old, he embodied true critical thinking for cinema. Watching films and TV Shows with his family, although the youngest in the household, he would vocalize what the subtext of the characters was and their relationships to each other. 32 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
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Although he considers himself the modern day Sidney Poitier, Terry Schreiber, founder of T. Schreiber Studios & Theatre in NYC believes that ‘Damion Rochester has a voice and a command like James Earl Jones’.
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ith a love for classic and contemporary playwrights such as: Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Mamet, Simon, Williams, Kushner, Guare, Miller, and French, Damion is a shining example of a passionate actor. He is already a Best Actor Nominee for his performance in the short film Tastes Like Medicine, which won Best Director and was accepted into fourteen international film festivals. As a trained actor, Rochester studied both Theatre and Political Science. His process includes looking at the socio-economic world of the characters he portrays and layering this analysis with both Meisner and Method techniques. He merges imagination and life experiences and then envelops his soul to bring truth, meaning, light and the complexity of being human into the breath of every character he portrays. 34 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
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ecently cast in the Pilot TV Show, Heroes In These Streets (H.I.T.S.), Damion plays twins, rising politician Jack & drug lord Mane. These twins have been separated since their infancy and do not know each other. Damion will have the opportunity to showcase the psychology of both characters who are polar opposites. The TV Show centres on sex-trafficking of young girls in urban communities. Damion has also created his own Science Fiction TV Show titled #SOCIETY, which centres on the socio-economic and political issues that people are faced with in America and on how to amalgamate everyone by bursting the social bubbles that they tend to share themselves in.
Damion is a talented dancer and professional model with a great love for martial arts, astro-biology and meditation. He aims to use acting as a platform to enact social change and to one day have a production company which would give back to Third World countries. D!
Always anticipating what would happen next and who the bad guys vs good guys were, his critical love for cinema is directly related to his vulnerability, imagination and sensitivity to his craft as an actor. Damion is represented by the Global Film Actors Agency.
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D!vine Actress
Sharon
Lawrence
“From the moment Sharon walks on set, her performance shines through with excellent knowledge of the script and her given character, allowing for a smooth set of takes when we come to shooting Sharon’s scenes. Alongside her incredible presentation, her set etiquette is above and beyond. Sharon is an absolute pleasure in every way and we look forward to the next time we get the opportunity to work with her”. - Terry Coker Director/Writer Cobra Films. Sharon is represented by the Global Film Actors Agency. 36 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
D!scover
Martin Actor
Valentine www.dariamagazine.com
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M
artin Valentine, a young British actor, has recently appeared in a feature film due to be released in December 2019 and entitled Last Christmas. He can also be seen playing a main character in the short film entitled The Shop on MacGuffin Street.
Martin’s objective is to positively inspire others. He desires to use his acting to convey across a captivating performance on screen that leaves the worldwide audience fascinated. He feels passionate about performing in important stories about people whose services to humanity have been undermined. Martin is attending the International Film Workshops taught by director Bruno Pischiutta who is mentoring the young actor in his pursuit of an international film acting career and who is also considering to cast him for an important role in his upcoming feature film entitled The Bad Joke. Martin is exclusively represented by the Global Film Actors Agency. D! 38 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
RISING STAR
Greta Goldling www.dariamagazine.com
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G
reta Goldling is an ambitious young actress who moved to the UK from Lithuania to pursue a career in film. In London, she studied film acting at the City Academy. Recently, she assumed the role of Pisces in the film Leaper by Ryan John. This role required her to train in stage combat, pistol handling and cutlass.
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“It is really hard to remember the moment when I realized that I love acting and want to do it for a living because, for as long as I can remember, acting was always a part of my life. Thus, acting is part of me�. 42 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
“G
reta Goldling is a very pretty girl who is highly intelligent and very mature for her young age. She possesses a love for acting in film and for being the centre of attention. These are only some of the reasons why I decided to award her an exclusive contract with our Agency, to train her in my International Film Workshops through a series of sessions via Skype, to be her mentor and to consider her for a principal part in my next film. The decisive reasoning that made me give her what several young actresses were looking for is that, after auditioning her on Skype and talking to her a few times on the phone, I discovered that a hidden and very strong determination to succeed is an intrinsic part of every one of Greta’s plans and actions. She spends only a small part of the year with her family in Lithuania; most of the time she stays in London to learn film acting and the related arts. Her iron determination inspires her actions and this will bring her very far in the international film industry, probably as far as she wishes to go.” - Bruno Pischiutta
Greta is considered for a principal role in Bruno Pischiutta’s upcoming feature film The Bad Joke. She is exclusively represented by Global Film Actors Agency D!
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FEATURE
Sophia After years of trials and turbulences, this is Sophia Abella’s journey to self discovery and living a healthy and inspirational lifestyle as a transgender woman. 44 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
“Beneath this mask there is more than flesh, there is an idea and ideas are bulletproof.�
Abella www.dariamagazine.com
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T
ime flies quickly. Getting to know the Indian acting and modelling industry took me nearly nine years and that’s the time I needed to susceptibly scrutinize my image: what I aim to portray and what others see in me. I sometimes get caught up in the realm of the superficial, wishing away every stray hair or blemish, unshaped nose, sunken cheekbone, narrow hips and forget to let my inner beauty shine. But if ever there was a reminder, it was the day the movie Rupture was offered to me. I remember the chill in the air, grabbing a sweatshirt and spritzing it with my favourite perfume spray. I remember going to the balcony to smoke a cigarette, something I am not proud of but not ashamed of, either. I let my-
feel hyper-aware of people staring and of their intrusive questions. My self-esteem was at an all-time low. Rather than rest on my delusional panic attack, I was forced to look deep inside myself for the inner beauty and strength I possessed; I had to relearn how to cultivate them so that I could interact with the world around me. I began to view my accident, honestly the fourth and last attempt, as less of a tragedy and more of a call-to-arms; I knew the time had come for me to focus not on my external self as I had for many years, but on what was and is inside of me. I experienced a shift in my world view once I began to cultivate my strengths; I began to see myself in a whole new light as well. I came to terms with the fact that I would start I’m not sure when my mentality shifted modelling, now I have found true happiness, at from ‘victim’ to ‘survivor,’ but with least not as successfully as I did before my accitime and enough encouragement from dent. Even then, I would my friends and family, and faith in our have to wait until the poisonous substances wore Almighty God it absolutely did. off. But, until then, I had a whole other array of self get lost while in thought for those few skills at my disposal. I have a tremendous quick moments, I took valium pills and sex amount of empathy and good insight into my hormones in an attempt to overdose to my own emotions. I treat people the way I want death. I was so in shock at the time that the to be treated and am loyal to a fault. solid capsules didn’t even hurt, so I neglected Now that my wounds have healed I to call anyone and instead carried on drinking have begun modelling and acting, this time whisky. This is what I was doing when my with a different vision in mind: I want to be cousin found me in the condo, and noticed the an inspiration to those who feel held back by severity of the situation. She called for an amtheir scars, be it spiritual, physical or emobulance and to this day I am grateful that she tional. I want to show people that while physdid, because if she hadn’t, I could’ve very easical beauty is aesthetically pleasing, it cannot ily ended up drunk and never awoken. compare to the mark left by one’s inner beauI was hospitalized for about a week ty. Moreover, I want to prove that with during which time I cleansed up from drug enough courage and conviction, anything is overdose, depression and spent numerous possible. With these things at my command, I hours in therapy. Around after Valentines Day, will thrive instead of just survive. I was released into the care of my cousin; my Leaving on a positive note: Beneath emotional wounds were healing rapidly but this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath my spiritual wounds, not so much. I cringed this mask there is an idea and ideas are bulevery time I looked into the mirror. I began to letproof. 46 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
H
ow do most people react when What have you found to be the most learning about your lifestyle? positive thing in living an alternative lifeI’d say that people sometimes style? Being an inspiration to other people. I could not believe that I am living have inspired many people and they have a healthy lifestyle. People who changed their lives because of what they have are in the lime light do a lot of insane things. I, seen in me. I compose my own quotes which I on the contrary, have my daily routines that I use to deal with my life everyday. I prefer to diligently follow. For instance, I exercise regube level-headed and rational. I choose to be larly; I maintain a balanced-diet; I am vicerealistic instead of being nice. This has, often free and my spirituality is fulfilled. When peomore than not, fill the gap in between. The ple learn my way of living, they get inspired need to know yourself before others. I do and motivated to do something similar to however concede that sometimes drifting into change their lives. cynicism or being a little too inwards is inHas anyone given you some really evitable. Maybe engaging with other people good advice to deal with any negativity, if so has to be done at certain stages of your selfwhat? A wise man once told me, ‘happiness understanding to give some kind of frame of lies within your soul’. One can have a blissful reference (that’s unavoidable, anyway). life if you really want it. In other words, real joy emanates within you. As Vickie I am a skilled human behaviour L. Milazzo was quoted saying, ‘Wicked expert, mostly of man’s world, success is inside every woman’. Today, I convert negativity as fuel to get to my transsexualism, infidelity, insedestination ahead of the curve. Negativcurities and weakness, never ity only pulls you down. When someone drags you by being cynical, I just ending rollercoaster of both shrug it off. I deem to stay positive at genders, and norms of society. all times because I believe in mantra that positivity begets positivity.
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A
t what time in your life did you know that you wanted to be a woman? Every little girl has a dream. Mine was to be a beautiful sultry and devilish Maggie Q. Other than that, I longed to be Angelina Jolie – pouting sexily at the camera, candidly and flawlessly. I was born a bloke! I knew it ever since I started feeling differently towards other boys in our class. They liked dribbling balls in the basketball court while I just sat and watched them from the side court, desperate to go home to play with Barbie dolls with my sister. Unfortunately, I was not born perfect and this imperfection has worried and disturbed me. Yet I was, and still am, kind to my family and friends, worked hard, gained many
W
hat is a common misconception about transgendered people that you think other people should know the truth about? I always believe that if you are scrupulously honest, you stand your ground and you have dignity, then people will respect you. If people choose to despise you because of your sexual choices and you get offended then you let other people cripple and torment you. You allow them to hurt you. You feel distressed not because it is the truth but because you could not let go of their misinterpretations, lies and gossip against you. Were you afraid of going through transition? No doubt; it was never easy! Physically, if you want to be beautiful, accept the pain. After a few hours you live the I always believe that if you are way you want to become. The scrupulously honest, you stand your need to change became so eminent to me, it was so strong ground and you have dignity, then that I became very impatient and I made the decision to stop people will respect you. working and to try to do something completely different. I heard that there were certain friends and eventually accepted that my physipaths through the City of Life which looked cal imperfection is inconsequential. This may incredibly interesting and absolutely wondersound condescending but I was endowed with ful. I heard that some of those paths were full physical attractiveness and although I have an of mystery and danger, but also held the advantage over other transgender persons bechance of great opportunity. I plan to comcause of this, I felt I needed to “change” to plete this so-called journey, The Central Path. find what I really yearned for – True HappiWhat did you go through before ness. What I did not realize, was that every your doctor approved of putting you on change comes at a cost. hormones/gender reassignment surgery? I You became a model, is it the thing made appointments with a reputable, celebrity that you wanted in life? Absolutely, definitesurgeon and made several general queries at ly and positively a showstopper. A super modfirst, right after extensive research, and realel. I value excellence, and wrap my affairs life testimonies. I then started oral hormone with dignity. I have sizeable energy and vibes replacement therapy, deep derma penetration. in everything that I do along with the fact that I also underwent cosmetic surgery and reconI’m very outspoken when it comes to my structive plastic surgery. I still have proceviews on society and sexuality. To have a dures on my check list: facial bone recondream role, a Bollywood version. I think the struction (facial feminization), vocal chord one Maggie Q played in Naked Weapon. surgery and Gore-tex Rhinoplasty. 48 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
H
ow did your family and friends react when you came out? Although they were shocked, they showed support and encouragement. They did not see me less of a person. My advise to others in similar situations: let go of that ego and insecurity. Realizing it and trying to articulate it stops it in its tracks. A daily battle for everyone I think. Do you want to have a family some day? (Giggling) Yes by starting to have a baby cat. It is better to adopt than to buy. I named her Candice. I lathered her with Bvlgari and L’Occitane today! What is the hardest part in dating someone who is not transgendered? The expectations are different. The chances of being misconstrued in so many different things, on so many levels, are high simply because we have different perceptions.
A
re you 100% sure of your sexuality? Proud to be a transgender woman, the best of both worlds. I am extremely sure of my sexuality and what I want out of life with regard to love: It has to be a man, and an open-minded one at that. Sexual intimacy has become a primal part of my psyche. I cannot get aroused by female genitalia. Doesn’t mean promoting gay porn stars or Playboy models makes me a homosexual. Homosexuality can be overt, situational, exploratory and bisexual. Transgender/Transsexual is different from Homosexual, we go by transition, change of passport and we believe that we are a woman trapped in a man’s body. This isn’t to say that I don’t like women: I adore women because I am one, if anything it has freed me to love them for the wonderful gender they are, and to truly appreciate them. The interesting thing is that, because I am so much more appreciative of them, they in turn find me far more attractive than ever.
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D
o you have more of a preference for men or for women? MEN of course! Do I need to think about it? I eschew women, even if someone offers me a billion dollar-prize.
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hat improvements would you like to see happen for the LGBT community in the future? My words are active, alive and powerful. My soul belongs to India. Read the annual Festival in Koovagam, Tamil Nadu, stories of transgendered people being groped and raped outside the temple. Really sick, and totally breaks my heart into pieces. I give my full support to MARD (Men Against Rape & Discrimination) and to the LGBT community across the globe in any way possible. D!
There is no ‘law’ that someone ought to have a relationship or marry one. Respect transgendered people’s preferences and sexuality, as long as they don’t harm other people, in any form or object.
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Film Guide www.nonviolentfilmfestival.com
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Feature Film / 45 min. / USA
A Feature Film by Richard H. Lyford
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n 1937, in Seattle, a twenty-year old budding filmmaker using his own equipment, had already created 58 plays and nine never released, award-winning films. This director would go on to work for Disney Studios, and direct and edit a 1950 Academy Award Documentary. Richard H. Lyford’s films have developed a following among film-historians, since his early ‘amateur’ films are some of the first ‘indie’ films ever created outside of Hollywood. Lyford experimented with special effects, and models, and was becoming an excellent director. His final, and most challenging film of this era was As the Earth Turns, his screenplay based on The Man Who Rocked the Earth by Arthur Train and Robert Williams Wood, in 1915. It was filmed in the Pacific Northwest, in and around Seattle. As the Earth Turns, is presented for the first time after 80 years of development! To finish his vision, a professionally mixed orchestral soundtrack, by film composer Ed Hartman, has been added to the presentation.
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Richard H. Lyford Film Director Richard Lyford was born in Seattle in 1917. Inspired by silent films and stage plays, Richard put on 58 plays and created nine 16mm films by the time he was 20 years old. He presented his live and filmed productions, with his own acting company, in a 50 seat basement theatre in his house. His early attempts with film, especially 16mm, gained the attention of Disney. Lyford worked on Disney films, including the classics Dumbo, Pinocchio and Fantasia. He pioneered hi-speed animation, special effects and models. In the WWII, he was drafted by the army, and made films for the Army Air Forces. After the war, Lyford created his own films, and coproduced and directed the 1950 Academy Award winning documentary, The Titan about Michelangelo. In 1952, he went to Saudi Arabia (the first Western film crew), and produced a number of films for the Kingdom. The Fly was a groundbreaking documentary about the prevention of the disease by the Tsetse Fly. Other Arab based documentaries were created, but ran into protests due to the Middle Eastern War in 1956. Lyford continued to make films, including Boy With A Blindfold about sight restoration, narrated by Walter Pigeon. His filmmaking led him back to Disney to work in The Wonderful World of Color on television and many other projects. In addition to filmmaking, Lyford was very much interested in aviation. So much, that he bought a surplus training plane for his backyard. It would ‘taxi’ all over the yard. Richard Lyford died in 1985. www.dariamagazine.com
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A
s the Earth Turns is a 45 minute, sci-fi film that foresaw WWII, future-technology, climate change, and the extreme need for peace, as the world was drifting back into world war again. The main character, PAX (“peace” in Latin), is played by Lyford, himself, a scientist who desperately wants peace. He uses climate changing science to keep mankind from war. The lead actors are both male and female. The lead actress, Barbara Berger (AKA Barbara Berjer) portrays a hard working newspaper reporter. Her strong character, Julie Weston leads the hunt for the villain all the way to the end of the film. Berger had a long career on Broadway and television (ironically including As the World Turns). The acting is dramatic, professional and realistic. Lyford used early homemade FX including controlled dynamite explosions and miniature models similar to those used in Flash Gordon (1936 Serial). His make-up work was excellent (he loved Lugosi and horror films) and his framing of the picture is mature and developed. Lyford was very capable of directing his acting troupe, as well. A legendary location in Seattle, gasworks was used for PAX’s lair. The film has similar themes to Things to Come (1936), In Like Flint (1967), and even a little Austin Powers (1997). Some of the dialogue seems to come out of the TV series Star Trek (1966), and Dr. Strangelove (1964). The film was shot in B&W, but the last scene was shot in colour for dramatic purpose, foreshadowing Wizard of Oz in 1939. As the Earth Turns is an example of a true ‘indie’ film, completely shot outside of Hollywood. It is an amazing educational film for any filmmaker to learn from. This filmmaking had no sophisticated technology available. It has multiple-exposure sequences (including a very professional title sequence), ‘day for night’ shooting, simple transitions, and intense editing between live action and miniature model sequences. Richard Lyford did his best with very limited resources. This film is a great lesson for anyone in media creation, today. D! 54 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
“So you see, it gets you! You can't get away from it, and I know that as long as I have greasepaint behind my ears and developer stain on my best shirt, I'll live a happier life.” Richard H. Lyford
Feature Film / 72 min. / Poland
A Feature Film by Paweł Wendorff
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eary of monotonous daily life, two friends plot an intrigue that allows them to live other people’s lives, if only by sheer speculation. While their interventions fail to drive the story forward, they become increasingly engrossed in the absurd plot lines of their own making and anxious about potential consequences. Unable to give up their investment in the intrigue, they find themselves in a downward spiral of paranoia.
“W
hen making the film, both at the stages of writing the script and of production, I was guided by a certain main motive. In a somewhat grotesque form and in a kind of metaphorical way, I wanted to present how a man can loose himself in the idea that he created himself. I believe that it is enough to look at the world from the point of view of various kinds of political ideas or systems that have failed and brought a lot of evil to see how frequent this phenomenon is.” - Paweł Wendorff D!. www.dariamagazine.com
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Feature Film / 85 min. / Iran
A Feature Film by Mahmoud Nazeri
A
successful female engineer, working in the Persian Gulf gas and industrial zone, is promoted to manager and should live in an industrial area. She invites her husband and daughter to visit but, as they come, problems become more complex and a secret that she was not aware of is revealed.
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“M
oms, in the most difficult conditions, make the most important decisions. They can excel in their professions and hold full-time highly demanding positions all while managing a family and a household. Love, wisdom, tears and smiles make ‘mom’ an angel.” - Mahmoud Nazeri D!
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Feature Film / 80 min. / Iran
A Feature Film by Yaser Talebi
T
he Descendants is about Jacob and his wife who live a serene life brimming with mutual love. Their only son, Farrokh, has left Iran to continue his studies, but has not been in touch with them for a long time. Jacob departs on an odyssey in order to find his son and bring him back.
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“T
his is a fairly dark film for adults. There is no profanity nor violence, but the themes are mature. An elderly father who teaches painting at a university in Iran deals with severe grief that his wife experiences too after their son moves to Sweden and is not heard from for two months. The son, in his mid-twenties, had been studying in Greece, then informed his parents that he got a full scholarship to Sweden and is moving there. That's the last time his parents heard from him. When his wife's despair drives her to a crisis that leaves her physically disabled, the elderly father goes to Sweden to find the son. The rest of the movie is a beautifully filmed moving story of the father searching for his adult child. The university has no record of the son. The address he had provided the parents with turns out to be an empty apartment and the phone number is a phone booth. Will the father ever find him? The film is a personal and real exploration of the plight of immigrants away from home: they hope to find a better life, become successful so they can help their families back home, and in the end they end up destitute and desperate, too ashamed to return home.� - Yaser Talebi D!
This film is a personal and real exploration of the plight of immigrants away from home.
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Feature Film / 80 min. / Ghana
A Feature Film by Jones Agyemang
T
he police is in pursuit of two notorious fraudsters who disguise themselves as pilots. The fraudsters are met by an airport driver who doesn’t know of their false identity and takes them to the airport. The two pilots make their way onboard a flight that becomes their only route of escape. They take control of the cockpit and arrive to fly the plane while putting all passengers at risk. In the end, an interesting twist awaits the viewers. D!
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Short Documentary / 4 min. / USA
I
“I
wanted to make A Fellow American for a long time. My father had told this story about his experience many times as I grew up and I asked a lot of questions along the way. The older he got, the more pressure I felt to ‘make’ something. Eventually, I decided to make something spontaneous and relatively quickly. This film is the result. It's a glimmer of a lifetime's worth of reflection on a life changing event, but I hope it communicates that there is a possibility of grappling with the experiences and issues surrounding gun violence. ” - Adrian Atwood D!. n 2018, a survivor of a shooting spree that took place in Boston in 1968 reflects on his experience and the persistence of gun violence in America.
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Short Film / 16 min. / USA
A Short Film by Ruvin Orbach
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n Constant Treason, a genomic scientist creates a bioengineering program for soldiers and decides to destroy it. The only problem is that he falls in love with a CIA agent who tries to stop him.
“I
developed a story that flips the timeless tale of having spies seduce individuals for information. I wanted to see what would happen if both the spy and the ‘mark’ got lost in each other’s love. I wanted to unpack the larger themes of morality in this complicated love story. The theme of devotion to one’s country versus the love of an individual started to surface in the writing. Also, the theme of the love of a person versus their own personal integrity developed. When does the adulation for a lover become more important than country or someone’s moral beliefs? The true test of their love for each other unfolds in the last scene: what’s more vital, their mission or their love for one another?" - Ruvin Orbach D!.
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Short Film / 20 min. / Iran
A Short Film by Kaveh Mazaheri
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n the corner of the home, Maryam's husband does weightlifting. Suddenly, the weight falls on his throat and puts him between life and death. At first, Maryam tries to save him but then she decides to stop helping. She stands and watches her husband die. After she makes sure her husband is dead, gathers her stuff and leaves the home with her child. She goes about her daily business and pretends that she has no news from her husband.
“S
ilence is not always consent. If you annoy someone all the time and they say nothing, it does not mean that they don't really care. Many men do the same with women and what women often choose is silence. The character of Maryam in Retouch is one of those women who can choose whether to save her husband from death or let him struggle to death�. - Kaveh Mazaheri D!
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Short Film / 10 min. / USA
A Short Film by Shawn Welling
T
his story is a companion piece to the 2015 short, If I Could Talk, where a man named Ryan rescues a puppy and shares his life with the Labrador, falling in love, getting married, and having children, until the last day his dog would stay on this earth. Our sequel begins after 40 years with the abandonment of a Golden Retriever, who is left lost in the woods by his original owner. At the same time, Ryan, now older, has just lost his wife, Maria, and finds himself lonely with his thoughts and unable to enjoy his life. One day, he reads the newspaper to find an advertisement for a dog needing a new home. He drives to the shelter, not knowing what to expect, and after meeting the dog at the shelter, Ryan knew at that moment that this dog was meant to be in his life. Ryan once again finds joy and happiness thanks to the infectious energy from his new retriever; the pup teaches Ryan how to laugh, to live, and to run once again. The two continue to grow closer and closer until one day, Ryan becomes sick, and is bedridden. Never leaving his side, his canine companion comforts him until the day the elderly man takes his final breath. This is a heartwarming story, showing the unconditional love our dogs can give us, despite their past experiences and our grief. Together, life can become a little more bearable.
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“A
friend once told me to go up north with my camera and tell a story, so I went with my best friend, my golden retriever, Ranger. One of the best things about dogs is the unconditional love they show for their human, through the best and the absolute worst of times. Traveling up north to the small town in Vermont to create this film was an adventure; there was almost a sense of peace where the roosters woke you up in the morning to remind you to take out your camera, and the filtered dusk through the lens in the evening would tell you when it was time to rest. If I Could Bark is one of a series of films showing the relationships between humans and dogs; I hope that anyone who watches it will understand that we should love each other and ourselves as unconditionally as Ranger does.� - Shawn Welling D!
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Short Film / 35 min. / Scotland
A Short Film by David Goodall
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am is at a new school - again. She and her mum, Sandy move from safe house to safe house, always with dad, Martin, in the picture. When Jessica takes Sam under her wing, her friend Mark is unhappy that he's been left out. But Mark's violent reactions have more to do with seeing his dad abuse his mum.
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“S
cotland is at the forefront of tackling domestic violence, seeing it as a public health issue, rather than simply criminal or social. I was approached by National Healthcare System Organization of Scotland (NHS) to make a film looking at the effects of domestic violence on young people: what psychological, behavioural or social effects it might carry. How adults view their behaviour around their children, and how professionals might spot and tackle the signs of domestic violence on young people�. - David Goodall D!
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Short Film / 15 min. / USA
Ladies Most Deject A Short Film by Martha Elcan
C
harlie is a 17 year old girl from deep in the Appalachian mountains. She must save her sisters and little brother from her addict mother and drug dealer uncle. Nowhere to go, the kids are met by a trusted teacher who finds them a safe place, if only for one night.
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“I
was thrilled to return to my home state to direct Ladies Most Deject and to tell this important narrative of the devastating issues that lie beneath the surface in some of the most beautiful countrysides in America.� - Martha Elcan D!
Daria! 2017 / 2018
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Short Film / 19 min. / USA
A Feature Documentary by Blanche Baker
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hat if in the next few years citizens were required to carry weapons in order to insure the safety of the public? What if the motto ‘if everyone is armed there will be no more crime’ became the law of the land? This movie musical takes a sardonic look at this possible future.
“T
hese days it is so hard to read the newspaper and watch the news on TV. I believe that stricter gun control laws are needed. The wonderful people involved in this project came together to express themselves on this important subject”. - Blanche Baker D!
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Short Film / 16 min. / USA
A Short Film by David R. Hardberger
A
woman writer suffering from depression and writer's block, is forced to sell her home. She bonds with the buyer's isolated ten year old son.
“I
have never worked with children on this level before. I'd been around them on set, but I had always been running a camera so the intricacies of working with them never crossed my path. Kids, depending on their age, are limited in the number of hours that they can work. We were very conscious of this and didn't want to do anything to incur the wrath of the labor board. So we went by the rules. The schedule (all three days) changed to accommodate their limited hours and we ended up shooting out of script order more than we normally would have. Keeping track of the scenes and the shots became very challenging. Luckily I had a good crew that backed me up.� David R. Hardberger D!
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Short Film / 11 min. / Germany, Turkey
A Short Film by Mehmet Tığlı
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pizella is a word with Latin and Greek origins and it means ‘sparrow’. Spizella is the story of a father and his daughter with troubled family relationships, which have become even more troubled after the death of the mother. The father keeps forcing his daughter to keep the mourning attitude alive and ongoing within the house and he tries to keep his communication with her very limited. D!
“I
believe in the power of independent and lowbudget movies. I usually write my stories from the real life's testimonials. Life is cinema...”. - Mehmet Tığlı
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Short Film / 7 min. / USA
A Short Film by Kevin Short
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he Doomsday Clock is one minute to midnight, the nearest it has been to disaster for decades, when Hermes begins his run for freedom and survival. As the countdown begins, the hands of the nuclear ‘powers that be’ begin to hover over that nuclear button. Hermes has just one minute to save himself, and the world around him, from catastrophe. Will Hermes survive? Will the world survive? Perhaps, it will be left to heavenly Gods to intervene or, perhaps, the 'powers that be' will give peace a chance, once more.
“E
ach year, my partner and I, at K4K Films, make an environmentally-conscious short film. In previous years, we have tackled 'Keeping Beaches Clean' with our film Beachcombing and the importance of recycling plastic with 'The Creature from the Bag Lagoon'. This year, we decided to give support to the 2017 Nobel Prize winning organization ICAN with our anti-nuclear weapons short film Run Hermes. Our planet is threatened and endangered in so many ways by human neglect and destruction, and the ultimate threat is in the hands of the powers who hold the weapons of mass destruction. We hope, in a small way, Run Hermes may bring these dangers to the fore, and encourage people, and countries around the globe, to strive for peace and harmony by abolishing the need for nuclear weapons”. - Kevin Short D! www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Film / 34 min. / USA
A Short Film by Cindy Kemp
“C
assie is a woman torn between two men; Todd, who lives in the real world, and Antonio, who lives in her dreams. Cassie, realizing that Todd is not the man of adventure she wants, hits the road to find Antonio. Her travels on the road come up empty, until she meets Tomasita, who assures her that she is not crazy and on a wild goose chase. Antonio is real and is seeking Cassie out as well. At the prompting of Tomasita, Cassie follows the setting sun to find her true love. Cassie finds the elusive Antonio and discovers a past long forgotten and a future with the man truly meant for her in this lifetime. D!
STARDUST MEMORY
“Because violence in films is so commonplace nowadays, I didn’t want to add to the violence. My goal was to write a story that told a story…a love story. Stardust Memory is a road trip, romance, comedy, drama film… with a twist. I wanted to showcase the beauty of our state, New Mexico. As filmmakers, we have the power to influence audiences positively or negatively. To this end, I choose positivity!” - Cindy Kemp 74 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Short Film / 20 min. / Iran
A Short Film by Ali Shoorvarzi & Hoseyn Mahroughi
I
n The Fog, we follow the story of a woman whose job is to wash dead bodies. After she quits, following the death of her own child, she is now faced with having to return in order to wash the body of a young child. D!
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Short Film / 16 min. / USA
A Short Film by Steven Alexander Russell
D
rew was recently invited to his exgirlfriend’s baby shower and he hires a call girl to be his date. At the event, he suffers a mental breakdown that causes a rift in his reality.
“I wanted to create a story about the ramifications of toxic masculinity when it’s confronted with heartbreak. This film delves into the disconnect that happens when one can only express themselves through anger and rage”. - Steven Alexander Russell D!.
76 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Short Film / 28 min. / USA
A Short Film by Casey Lock & Ross Zuchowski
T
own Hall follows a young woman, Olivia, in small town politics trying to make changes within a stubborn system. The story takes place within the course of one fateful Town Hall meeting where several personal and societal issues merge.
“We enjoy movies that bring unique stories together and force action. Where motivation is constant within both a protagonist as well as all the supporting roles. We wanted to study these behaviours within the context of a Town Hall, focusing on what power means to different people and why they want it.” Casey Lock & Ross Zuchowski D!. www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Film / 20 min. / USA
A Short Film by Seth Pinsker 

F
rom Academy Award-nominated director, Seth Pinsker, comes a short film about hope, faith and forgiveness. A Kurdish refugee working in the heartland of America (Lincoln, Nebraska) as an interpreter, meets a mysterious man that asks for help with life and death consequences. In today’s divisive and polarized climate, our goal with this film has been to entertain while also making a positive social impact by emotionally touching hearts and minds with what is ultimately a life affirming message.
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The Healing of Harman is an emotional, heart rending story about the power of forgiveness to heal that which is seemingly beyond healing.
Seth Pinsker
“H
arman is a deeply troubled refugee struggling to forget his past and build a new life in the Heartland of America. When he encounters a mysterious fellow countryman who asks for his help, it may just turn out to be his worst nightmare with life and death consequences... OR it may turn out to be the beginning of healing. Revenge versus forgiveness... Empathy versus blind intolerance... Raw hatred versus a higher realization that sometimes our enemy may also be a victim as well�. - Seth Pinsker D!
Film Director Academy Award nomination, Clio win, plus over 50 other major national and international awards for creative excellence in feature films, television, commercials, short-form and longform films & video. Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has the distinct privilege and honour of serving on the Short Films & Feature Animation Branch Executive Committee.
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 79
Short Film / 16 min. / UK
A Short Film by Flaminia Graziadei
T
he life of five characters apparently without any connection, are linked to each other by a bus, the passage of an old coin and the escape of a dog. Their brief interaction will change the course of their existence forever. The story follows five characters who have never met before, and seemingly have nothing in common. This all changes however, when one day their lives become intertwined, by a simple coin that travels through the hands of each person. We see how for each character, the coin plays a crucial part in encouraging small acts of kindness. But what they don’t know, is that kindness is powerful, and small selfless acts can have a huge positive impact. Although they are all suffering in some way, it only takes one moment for everything to change.
80 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
“T
he mission of this project is to raise awareness about how kindness, understanding, empathy and inclusion have the power to save the lives of people that have fallen into the black hole of mental illness, a growing problem that could hit any of us suddenly.
The style juxtaposes the suspended, spaced out rhythm of James’ life with fast paced London. He seems to move in slow motion compared to the London background. His reality is colourless, nearly in black and white, the sounds are distorted, the contact
The film portrays the profound dissonance in the vision of life and reality that affects those who suffer with depression or traumas: the “circular time”.
Flaminia Graziadei
with life remote. Only his flashbacks are an explosion of strong, vivid, disturbing colours, with a red predominance. This contrast is reflected in the two main aspects of filming. The photography: cold, desaturated colours taking in James point of view in sharp contrast with the hyper-realistic, bright metropolitan London. The camera movements: slow tracks and shots from the top (mini jibs) in James’ apartment to highlight the suspension and his uncomfortable littleness, as well as to portray his and Carrie’s perception of the surrounding reality. The pace will increase in the Bus and in the exterior shots, mainly through the use of steady cam, especially the ones involving Robert: his rhythm of life is frantic and typically metropolitan. Every character will be defined by their own nuance, pace, movement, to recreate the contrasting mix of experiences and emotions that compose our daily life.” - Flaminia Graziadei D! www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 81
Short Film / 27 min. / Iran
Till The Following Morning A Short Film by Macan Mansourian
S
arah comes from a rich unreligious family in Tehran. One night, her boyfriend Khosro comes to Sarah’s apartment with his friend Khalil. On that night, Sarah overdoses on alcohol and gets temporary oblivion. When she wakes-up the next morning, she finds herself alone. She finds two cell phones left behind by Khosro. Unable to remember what happened the night before, she notices two blood stains on the carpet.
82 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
“I
n my opinion making a movie is just like a trip which includes many things for learning and experiencing. To me, like any other filmmaker, it is also important to be able to attract and amuse my audiences, but the more important item is for my movies to have a mental effect on the audience and make them think.
The characters of this movie have lived and grown in my mind and dream for months, then they were finally pictured on paper. The idea of this movie comes from meeting some of those people in the society who left the right and main path in life and have entrusted their lives to others. This movie is important from the aspect that, while telling a story, it shows an important fact of the society, the reality which is the indicator of economic, social and cultural situations and its importance is that this movie is a fact in the form of a story. Each of the characters in this film indicates a walk of life that is very close to reality. In this movie I aimed to look at one story from different angles, from the point of view of different situations and people. I tried to refer to pictorial media such as television and movies that have important roles in the beliefs of the community and I, as the one who is the complement of the film story, used the TV and movie.� - Macan Mansourian D! www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 83
Short Film / 10 min. / Canada
A Short Film by Mackenzie McElligott
T
wo young girls, Alex and Mya, wait at the edge of a forest. Jane, their distant friend, emerges from the bushes and stands shyly. Once the three awkwardly meet, Alex leads the group to walk into the forest. Amongst the beautiful greenery and the sun beaming down on them, the girls come face to face with their problems within their relationship, and Jane comes face to face with her deceased older brother, Logan. Jane hallucinates Logan who becomes a physical representation of the acceptance of his death. Logan leads Jane to a small memorial that Alex and Mya made for Jane’s brother: reconnecting them as friends and allowing Jane to accept her brother’s passing.
“W
e filmed Whistling Woods in the middle of a forest. It wasn’t easy for my cast and crew: with poison ivy and an endless amount of mosquitos made it very interesting and something outside the realms. Although many challenges were faced with the making of the film, as a team we were able to overcome them and I believe they made us stronger as filmmakers and as people. We learned not only to never give up on ourselves or on our dreams, but to persevere through what seemed to be an endless string of bad luck. I am very excited to share this piece of work with the world and to thank all of those who were apart in making this film a reality.” - Mackenzie McElligott D!. 84 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Feature Documentary / 75 min. / Japan, USA
A Feature Documentary by Keith Reimink
23
Japanese fishermen aboard the tuna trawler Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon No. 5) accidentally encounter the detonation of Castle Bravo, an early hydrogen bomb test conducted by the US. All 23 men became sick from acute radiation poisoning and were quarantined for 15 months upon arrival back to Japan. In the hospital, they endured endless medical tests and scrutiny from Japanese and American doctors. They also watched their esteemed colleague, Aikichi Kuboyama, pass away from exposure. Having all received high doses of radiation, the surviving fishermen were forced to consider their own mortality. In June of 1955, the 22 fishermen were sent home only to discover their problems were far from over. Because of the ignorance surrounding 'hibakusha,' or 'explosion-affected people,' the fishermen were ostracized from their communities. They lost friends and loved ones, were openly ridiculed, and eventually forced into hiding. 'Day of the Western Sunrise' is an animated Japanese language documentary that follows three survivors from the Lucky Dragon. Now in their 80's, their story is a reminder that the human race has the ability to make decisions for both good and ill, and those decisions can affect generations.
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| Daria! | 85
“T
he needs of every human being, investing in sustainable practices that afford positive growth, and the advancement of education through accurate and honest storytelling must be championed earnestly. Operation Castle, consisting of six thermonuclear detonations over the course of five months, happened at a time when the focus of the world centred on strength, domination, and fear rather than unity and acceptance. The global impact of these thermonuclear tests is still felt today by the Marshallese who were displaced from their homes on Rongelap and Bikini and are unable to return, and by the Japanese citizens who look to international governments to release still classified documents. Potent radioactive material reached the stratosphere and was deposited as far away as the US and Australia, making Operation Castle the most environmentally damaging of any historical nuclear event. These tests, the human lives they affected, and the international disaster they caused are in danger of being forgotten.
86 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
It is the belief of the filmmakers that above the ideas of politics, religion, and financial gain, must be the ability to create a peaceful and thriving society.
T
he fishermen of Daigo Fukuryu Maru are the personification of survival. Thrust into WWII, forced into menial post-war jobs, exposed to radiation, and shunned by their communities, they represent enviable resilience and strength. An American made film with a Japanese narrative, Day of the Western Sunrise highlights the continuing bond our nations have and seeks to improve regional and global education and communication around our subject matter�. - Keith Reimink D!
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 87
Feature Documentary / 46 min. / Austria
DEMOCRACY, AN ENDANGERED IDEA? A Feature Documentary by Johannes Perterer
W
hen the Soviet Union fell onto the ash heap of history, the political scientist Francis Fukuyama declared that the world had reached the ‘end of history’, that liberal democracy had won the contest between the different forms of government. More than 25 years later, Fukuyama’s verdict seems overly optimistic, to say the least. “We are in a democratic recession” Fukuyama says today. But in what sense, why and what can be done about it? With Fukuyama’s help, this documentary intends to find out why that recession has come, what the biggest threats to liberal democracy are and what can be done about them. In order to answer these questions, filming took place in the United States, Hungary and Austria. The countries function as representative examples of a liberal democracy in turmoil, one that has waned and one that may be challenged in the future. The general thesis of this documentary is that beyond all other threats, political polarization seems to have the power to dissolve democratic culture into a political atmosphere where political camps fight each other for survival – paving the way for authoritarian forms of government. This script has played out in several “This was my first documentary. It countries such as Venezuela or Hunwas funded by and aired on Austrian gary over the past years. Polarization is a phenomenon Public Television (ORF3) in Nothat has increased in many countries across the Western world, most of all vember 2018. My intention with it was in the United States of America. The to contribute to the debate about what documentary purports that there is at the threats to liberal democracy are least a correlative and probably even a causative relation between polarization and what to do about them”. and the current crisis of liberal democ- Johannes Perterer racy. D! 88 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Feature Documentary / 44 min. / Peru
A Feature Documentary by Sergey Baranov
A
film about the healing properties of Huachuma cactus, also known as San Pedro, and its ancient shamanic tradition of Peru. Written, directed and produced by Sergey Baranov, who has dedicated his life to the service of Huachuma, a medicine which he believes the world needs most today to overcome violence, greed, and cruelty and elevate humanity to its highest level.
“A
fter a decade of ongoing shamanic practice, I have made a decision to make a documentary about the healing work we do in Peru. The film was made during the ceremonies in real time. Being deeply inspired to share the message of peace, unity and beauty with the world and help the process of legalization of sacred plants worldwide for the greater good, I have attracted producers from Hollywood to make a documentary about the healing work we do. When they came to Peru in April 2018 and began filming, we had an argument that led to a cancelation of the project. I have chosen to follow my integrity and my vision, not orders. One year later, when I was able to fund my own project, I decided to manifest my vision and produce this film. Divine Cactus is a labor of love that came with a great effort. It is my hope that my work has not been done in vain�. - Sergey Baranov D! www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 89
Feature Documentary / 81 min. / Philippines, Canada
A Feature Documentary by Tim Riedel
J
ackstones is World Vision Canada’s first feature documentary, featuring the fisherfolk from the beautiful Filipino fishing town of Buenasuerte, in Nabas. This tight knit community is trying to re-invigorate their failing economy by revitalizing a rapidly dying coral reef. Life in the fishing village of Buenasuerte, Philippines seems idyllic – and in many ways, it is. But dive a little deeper and you’ll discover a story of environmental hurdles, economic heartaches and government
corruption – all set against a backdrop of culture, community and incredible innovation. The story focuses on two unique, yet polarizing individuals, the young Delfin Osorio and everyman Jospeh Palomata. Delfin is a soon to be high school grad who dreams of being an animator. Around the corner from Delfin lives Joseph, a husband and father of two, who is known as the village handyman. 90 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Delfin and Joseph may be years apart in age, but they have one significant thing in common: they want to see their families and their fishing-community thrive. Many circumstances are holding Buenasuerte’s residents back from achieving their full potential, circumstances like a rapidly dying coral reef which has led to a rapidly decreasing fish population, government officials who insist on dipping into the earnings of the industrious fisherpeople and a lack of opportunities for a new generation eager to carve out a future different from that of their elders. Family values, hard work and ingenuity run deep in this beautiful seaside village. Will that be enough to pull the people of Buenasuerte out of hardship?
“J
ackstones is a unique documentary. Our story is about the fisherfolk from the beautiful fishing town of Buenasuerte, in the heart of the Philippines. The documentary was created using the inclusive filmmaking methodology where the story subjects were true collaborators in the telling of their own story. Thus, owning how they are represented in film. With minimal Canadian involvement, the majority of the crew consisted of talented local filmmakers. The result is a breathtaking cinematic experience comprised of intimate moments between characters at a crossroads in their lives where the decisions made today will have implications that will last for generations�. - Tim Riedel D!
Daria! 2017 / 2018
The film documents the fisherfolk's fight to re-invigorate their failing economy by revitalizing a rapidly dying coral reef.
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 91
Feature Documentary / 81 min. / USA
A Feature Documentary by Alexis Krasilovsky
S
ix years in the making, filmed in a dozen countries, Let Them Eat Cake runs the full gamut from the pleasures and dangers of overeating to the tragedies of world hunger. As Zen Buddhist Abbot, Shodo Harada Roshi, whom we filmed in Sogenji Monastery says, “Equal food distribution is fundamental for constructing a society in which there is true peace.” Filmmakers in Bangladesh, France, Guinea, India, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Turkey, the US and other countries joined hands to address the relationship of food to health and peace. While in some parts of the world those who farm the ingredients for pastries can't even afford them, in Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles, lavish pastries adorn the shelves of pastry shops along the streets. From the yellow cocoa pods in the forests of West Africa to the ripples of frosting on the best mocha cake in the world, Let Them Eat Cake is a visual goldmine that takes a multi-dimensional view of pastries’ ingredients and shows how they are related to themes of wage slavery, world hunger and obesity. As the rickshaw drivers in Dhaka say, “A poor man like me pulls a rickshaw, burning under the sun. How can we eat pastry?” and “Who will listen to us? They’ll listen to political leaders. They have connections with those leaders. They listen to people who bribe them. Why would they listen to us? We are just labor.” D!
92 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Feature Documentary / 84 min. / USA
A Feature Documentary by Gayle Kirschenbaum
W
hat trauma could make a child certain that she was born into the wrong family? What wounds are inflicted when her mother’s words are rarely nurturing but instead, ruthlessly shaming, demeaning and critical? What will it take for the adult that child becomes to forgive such a past? Is forgiveness even possible? This is the dilemma that Emmy award-winning filmmaker Gayle Kirschenbaum faces in her relentlessly honest and bitingly funny documentary, Look At Us Now, Mother! It’s the story of one determined woman’s quest to reconcile with and understand her past, which means forgiving her proud, narcissistic and formidable elderly mother, Mildred. Gayle is determined to unlock the key to her family’s pain and crack open her mother’s brittle shell. When Mildred grudgingly agrees to participate in the process, the two of them uncover shocking family secrets and long-buried suffering that throw their family history into sharp relief, and begin to shift the dynamics of their complex relationship. Photo by Tina Buckman
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| Daria! | 93
“I
never expected to make such a deeply personal film. I had spent most of my career behind the camera telling other people’s stories, but it soon became apparent that the highly charged relationship I had with my mother and its transformation from hate to love was a story I had to tell. I grew up with a mom who wanted me to behave and look a certain way. One of the many things she wanted to change about me was my nose. She always said that my nose looked like the Indian on the Buffalo Nickel – anyone remember that coin? I ended up making an awardwinning short film, My Nose, about her never ending quest to bob my “schnozzola”. But I was surprised by the overwhelming response. People wondered how I even spoke to my mom, never mind being close friends with her today. After each screening, the audience would line up to share their experiences with me. I soon found myself coaching people on how to deal with a critical parent. I knew then I was given a mission to help others – to teach people how to forgive. I would need to delve deeper though, and make a film about my life and my own journey of healing. I knew I needed my mom to take this journey with me and was confident she would once I saw her response to the press on My Nose.
Why did I grow up being treated so differently from my siblings – my two older brothers – that I was convinced I was adopted? Why was I the black sheep? I had all that I needed to head out on this quest: my passion to tell stories and uncover the truth, a willing participant (my mother), and a huge archive of family photos and 8 mm footage.
As I began to interview my mother on camera, she was repeatedly dismissive with her answers and often changed them depending on her mood. As she grew tired of my relentless questioning her goto response was, “Why don’t you just water board me and I will confess.”
The Washington Post wrote “If you have a mother like Gayle Kirschenbaum you better get yourself into psychoanalysis.” Mom’s snappy response was, “Bad press is better than no press. I’m on the cover of the Washington Post!” With an agreeable, healthy, smart, quitwitted, in your face, “geriatric shock-jock” of a mother onboard, Look At Us Now, Mother was conceived and production began. 94 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Mildred Kirschenbaum
I
knew that I was not going to give up, or edit out content no matter how personal and revealing it was. I was committed to making an honest, uncensored film and was ready to share my insecurities, struggles and self – warts and all. It is the most complicated and emotionally charged film I have ever done and the most important. This is my story but it also could be your story; laugh a little, cry a little, and discover that forgiveness is possible even when it seems unlikely�. - Gayle Kirschenbaum D!
Teenage Gayle Kirschenbaum
1
2
1 & 2 Photos by Gerald Kirschenbaum
Photo by Madeline Bey
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 95
Feature Documentary / 90 min. / New Zealand
A Feature Documentary by Will Watson
T
he riveting journey of coalition soldiers as they land unarmed into the heat of a 10 year civil war using only the weapons of Music, Maori Culture and Love to create peace. This radical idea of sending soldiers without guns was condemned by the media because they felt the soldiers would be massacred given the first 14 peace attempts had failed. This film shines a light on the untold story, of unsung heroes and their, “mission impossible.” A story of love, compassion and hope in a world struggling with growing and entrenched hostilities.
“This film will reach out and touch your heart. It is an emotional journey into war and out the other side. Love was the only weapon that was successfully able to end this 10 year war with 14 previous failed peace agreements”. - Will Watson 96 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 57
S
oldiers Without Guns looks at the fascinating story of how a war was ended by an army using guitars instead of guns. The Bougainville Civil War erupted when Bougainvilleans rose up against the might of the Australian owned Panguna copper mine that had destroyed their environment, taken their land and divided the people. After 10 years of war, 14 failed peace agreements and 20,000 people dead, New Zealand stepped in with an unorthodox yet unprecedented style of peacekeeping. Deciding to take guitars instead of guns they were able to bring the warring parties together with music and cultural connection. However when a New Zealand diplomat’s helicopter was shot out of the sky by rebel forces, the whole peace process was suddenly thrown into jeopardy. Journeying through a series of knife-edge negotiations, tense situations, and high level political maneuvering, this is the story of how peace was won and operation Bel Isi came to be considered one of modern history’s most successful peacekeeping missions. Fiona Cassidy, a former Major in the New Zealand Army who was on the ground during the peace keeping operation, guided us. As she revisits the island to see how things have changed over twenty years since the restoration of peace, she meets with the key players whom she worked with on the ground, to accomplish what many thought was impossible. With the 20th Anniversary of peace in Bougainville approaching later this month, plans to reopen the copper mine back on the table, and the vote for independence coming in 2019, the big question remains: ‘Where to from here?’. With hundreds of hours of interviews and spectacular newsreel archive footage spanning over seventy years distilled into one movie, Soldiers Without Guns is the inspirational story of a tiny island holding on to hope for independence and for peace, beset on all sides by corporate interests, colonial oppression, state violence, and civil war.
“Colonized countries throughout the world all have their own stories of historical unthinkable transgressions. Transgressions that can’t ever be truly made right. But here in New Zealander my country we really do make a demonstrable attempt to reconcile ills of the past. Since the land wars of the 1870’s our country has been in a process of healing its past. Reconciliation and reparations from those wars continue today, 150 years on. By healing our past we were able to move forward to help others countries in need, and of course ourselves.
We not only encourage indigenous practice, we have made the learning of it compulsory in schools and put into effect many protocols of Maori culture throughout our government departments and education sectors. Using our integrated cultures New Zealand has forged a peaceful and accepting nation. Using the principles and cultural values we live our country, we are able to help in peace creation around the world. The film is a story of love and compassion which I wanted to share with the world. I believe our country demonstrates this and as a director I wanted the world to know that love, music and women empowerment are greater than any gun or military force.” - Will Watson
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 97
Will Watson Filmmaker, TedX Speaker, Humanitarian Will Watson is an internationally awardwinning filmmaker. His film Haka and Guitars screened at 31 festivals around the world and won six awards that include Best Documentary at the World Peace Initiative. In 2017, the film played at the Palais du Festival during the Cannes Film Festival. Will started out his careers in journalism and publishing in the 1990’s and then moved into filmmaking in 2002. His first jobs were as a cameraman for the BBC, ITV and Al Jazeera. From there, he went on to become a Director of Photographer for larger international films such as Dream Catchers for the Mike Hancock Film Company. Will’s latest documentary, Soldiers Without Guns, led him to being invited to do a TED talk and winning an international humanitarian award. D!
98 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Short Documentary / 14 min. / India
A Short Documentary by Manu Mallikarjun
I
n the first film of the series Project Peace and Power, Manu narrates the story of how his travels and interactions in Egypt helped him arrive at his first conclusions regarding the idea of World Peace, and marked the beginnings of his evolution as an artist. He explores several themes of Egyptian history, politics, and religion as he makes his way through hearts and minds across the country. Shot over a period of two weeks, in various locations, Birth of a Poet finds the filmmaker sharing several candid moments, spontaneous conversations, and reflections as a fledgling poet.
“B
irth of a Poet is an experiment in filmmaking style, a fusion of literary elements with audio-visual content. It is autobiographical in order for the viewer to become a part of the journey undertaken by the director, and join him on his quest for wisdom at the beginning of his gradual transformation into a poet. While the film is purely meant to be a work of art, it touches upon various themes ranging from history to religion and the filmmaker aims to transmit his reflections as an artist and his acquired world view. It is the first short documentary film of Project Peace and Power, a series of films (all of which explore potential solutions to global issues facing humanity) being made out of material gathered in several countries over the course of twelve years. I hope the film would have a positive impact on the mind of the viewer; inspire her or him to introspect and help make the small, incremental changes necessary for humankind’s ongoing evolution.� - Manu Mallikarjun D!.
www.dariamagazine.com
| Daria! | 99
Short Documentary / 30 min. / USA
A Short Documentary by Richard Chisolm
F
our years ago, amid weekly headlines of mass shootings and gun violence, Baltimore-based sculptor David Hess began building a few facsimile guns using discarded pieces of household and industrial detritus. Originally he was just trying to work out his own feelings of sadness and outrage by exploring the menacing shape of deadly weapons as well as their allure and ubiquity. Eventually making a small ‘arsenal’ of two dozen pieces, he saw the collection take on a certain symbolic weight. He decided to assemble the gun sculptures to create an experimental public art installation where people could physically interact with and respond to them. Hess wondered if there might be a significant difference between looking at these nonworking but formidable weapons on the wall of a gallery and actually touching them. He then embarked on a mission, in a variety of cities and venues, using his work to explore the American psyche in relation to the topic of guns. The fruits of that mission comprise the story of this documentary.
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Hess’s hands-on installations create lively discussions and emotional reactions, some humorous and entertaining, others tragic and confessional. The novelty of “trying on” a menacing weapon evokes feelings of amusement, power, anxiety and fear. While responses to them range from personal to political, introspective to outspoken, the facsimile guns touch a cultural nerve much deeper than the artist had originally imagined. This is not a polemical film for any advocacy campaign, but rather a safe and nonjudgmental documentary platform for discovery and insight, where contemporary art is a catalyst for storytelling and human understanding. In part it is the quixotic and slightly absurd adventure of a curious sculptor and his whimsical ‘art guns’ travelling the land. But it is also an earnest examination of an American obsession that might serve to untangle the contentious debate over what might be done about our possession of over 300 million guns. The three-year documentary ‘road movie’ begins in the sculpture studio of David Hess and culminates at the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. At each stop along the way, Gun Show is a continual quest for meaning; an invitation, for participants and audiences alike, to freshly engage in the very loaded topic of guns in America.
“U
sing art as an open-minded catalyst for change, we hope that new understanding and activism will lead to a safer, saner future.” Richard Chisolm
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Short Documentary / 26 min. / Canada
A Short Documentary by Elina Gress & Lenee Son
W
hen a trans sister, January Marie Lapuz, is brutally murdered in her own home, a community reacts and her friends and other trans women of colour come to share and voice their issues, concerns, and challenges. January was seen as a bright light in the lives of many. This is the story of January, a friend, a daughter, a person. This film will not only bring justice to January, but to all the women who have lost their lives. January had a beautiful soul, and now part of her soul rests in each and every one of us.
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“H
er name was January. She was loved by her friends and family. She was fearless and compassionate. When I interviewed people who knew her, they described her as a "bright light" whose energy and personality radiated in a crowded room. At just 26 years old, she was lost too soon. I wanted to tell January’s story because I was saddened to learn of the loss of another transgender woman at the hands of gender violence. Trans women are being murdered at an unprecedented rate. For racialized trans girls living in poverty like January, transphobic violence is also inherently connected to race, gender, and class. As an immigrant from the Philippines, a sex worker, and trans girl, January navigated through these multiple structures of oppression. My Name Was January is a memorial of January’s life and light. It is a call for justice for January and for all our sisters who have lost their lives to transmisogyny. It is a refusal to lose another sister to gender violence.” - Lenee Son
Lenee Son and Elina Gress
“I
didn’t know January and I never heard about her murder. This made me cringe. Why was January murdered? Why did I not hear of this? Why was her murder not covered as strongly as other news items? These are all concerns I had when Lenée and I were approached to do this film. This is why I am doing this. January was a person; a human being. Her life was just as valuable as yours and mine. The purpose of this film is not to generate fame or profit, but to educate our population about transgender rights and lives. There is no ‘script’. Just real Lenee Son people. This film is a platform for trans women of colour to share their voices in a safe environment. The lives of trans women of colour are important and that's something I want to make clear in this film. This is for January.” Elina Gress D!
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Short Documentary / 12 min. / UK
A Short Documentary by Christopher Healey
R
ebel is the first of a short documentary series titled Drive created by Chris Healey, surrounding the theme of passion. Extinction Rebellion is an environmental activist group committed to the climate change movement and this film documents a ten-day protest throughout London in May this year. The protest consisted of various blockades around the city, causing mass disruption to commuters and testing the
willpower of the police. The film focuses on the individuals involved in or directly affected by the protests. Extinction Rebellion have gained mass coverage within the press throughout the year and this film aimed to clear up some of the misconceptions associated with the group. While the protest was entirely peaceful, over 1000 people were arrested for taking part and other members of the community also made their strong opin104 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
ions known. The film depicts a change in landscape and dynamic of the city for the week as thousands of supporters converged on London to take part. The activist group have many more events planned for the future in order to get people to “wake up” and act on climate change, as time is running out for us all. The blockades became a place for live music, dancing and socializing over the course of the week, with a variety of great musicians playing to the crowd, one of which was Sam Garrett who’s song is used towards the end of the film. This wasn’t just a protest, it was an opportunity to experience what cities would be like with no traffic and minimal pollution. Following on from the week of chaos, the UK parliament declared a climate emergency nationwide.
“M
y name is Chris Healey and I am a 21-year-old documentary filmmaker, passionate about people. I wanted to create a very inclusive film to represent the individuals protesting down in London. It was important for me to gauge a varied demographic in order to create an honest documentary and justify the movement. I travelled down to London on three occasions to immerse myself within the protest as I needed to meet people and listen to their opinions on the subject. I wanted the viewer to feel the energy and community within the demonstrations, cutting from high-paced marches to relaxed dancing in the street. The short documentary is the first episode in a series that I have created, which revolves heavily around the theme of passion and drive. While filming Rebel, I aimed to encapsulate the pure passion that these activists had for the environment and climate change, as I think that’s a beautiful thing.� - Christopher Healey D!
Daria! 2017 / 2018
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Short Documentary / 14 min. / USA, Canada
A Short Documentary by Katherine DuBois

O
n an outdoor adventure to the Marslike terrain of Moab, Utah, Natalie Panek seeks to reconcile life's stumbles, redirections and challenges in her pursuit of space travel. Natalie Panek has spent her life focused on her biggest dream - to be the first to set foot on another planet. Natalie is an aerospace engineer, a pilot, an influencer, an avid explorer, and has made it to the top 100 of astronaut candidates. In the face of sky high arches and pinnacles, breathtaking views, and a canopy of stars, it's easy to believe that all the adventure you need is right here on earth.
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“I
have found great satisfaction in building my work. Perhaps this is why I was drawn to Natalie Panek when reading about her in a travel magazine article during a flight back from the Canadian Rockies. She is a dynamic woman, my age, who has not limited her identity to one or two things. She inspired me at a time when I was 'just an actress' to embrace myself as a producer, a director, and a champion of women. She proved to me that resilience was a strength when I had thought of failure just as failure. Perhaps that is why a few years later I am producing this documentary and why I still have that article safely tucked in my wallet.� - Katherine DuBois D!
www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Documentary / 13 min. / USA, Afghanistan
A Short Documentary by Beth Murphy
S
ecret Weapon connects climate change, conflict and girls’ education in Afghanistan by telling the stories of farmers and families grappling with the impacts of drought. Desperate for income, some farmers begin growing illegal and extremist-linked opium poppy while others find an unlikely solution to their crisis: girls’ education. Filmed over the course of two years in Kabul, Herat and Kunar provinces.
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“S
ecret Weapon is the result of a more than 20 year commitment to reporting from - and filming in - Afghanistan. I discovered the story featured here during eight years of filming for the feature documentary What Tomorrow Brings about the first girls' school in one Afghan village. I saw how educated girls were helping to support their families when their fathers' incomes dried up as climate change wreaked havoc with their crops. I was stunned: In a country that often vilifies girls' education, families in this community were surviving because they had daughters with diplomas who could hold down jobs and earn an income. As the first film to connect the dots between climate change, girls’ education and extremism by telling the stories of farmers and families grappling with the impacts of drought,
Secret Weapon highlights a relatively new idea in global development: that educating girls can help increase the resilience of families, communities and countries – and keep them all safer. And it does so in one of the most hostile places on Earth: Afghanistan, where the United States has waged its longest war.
Stories from Deh’Yaya village, where fathers are allowing their daughters to go to school, are contrasted with those of farmers in communities where girls are banned from receiving an education – including areas controlled by the Taliban. There, when climate change leads to epic droughts, already desperate Afghan people are forced to take desperate measures. For one family, a father who loses everything to drought forces his daughter into an early marriage. When that marriage turns abusive, she tries to escape by setting herself on fire. Other farmers try to find salvation by growing the country’s most drought-resistant crop: opium poppy. In doing so, they not only invite extremism into their backyard, but also help underwrite the country’s growing insurgency in a country where opium poppy is a growing $60 billion industry heavily controlled by violent Taliban extremists. During the 2+ years of filming in Kabul, Herat and Kunar Provinces, opium poppy growth in Afghanistan, already the largest supplier of heroin in the world, nearly doubled despite U.S. efforts to target the illicit crop. For me, what's exciting about this story is that it brings to life a very complicated and nuanced – but critically important – truth about climate change: it is a threat multiplier. For people and places already pushed to the brink because of fragile political systems, economic instability and other social pressures, climate change is the thing that puts them over the edge. And the fact that climate change is a threat multiplier helps insurgent groups like the Taliban and ISIS attract new recruits. At a time when U.N. scientists agree that climate change is the most dire threat facing human civilization today, this story speaks, ultimately, to the importance of girls’ education as a way of fighting climate change and increasing global security.” - Beth Murphy D! www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Documentary / 28 min. / UK
A Short Documentary by Somi Arian
T
he Millennial Disruption is a half-hour documentary on the impact of technology on the millennial generation, today’s society and the business landscape. It provides an in-depth investigation of why many legacy brands are facing a challenge in the 21st century. The film is produced by filmmaker, entrepreneur and millennial engagement specialist, Somi Arian. First in its kind, The Millennial Disruption is an inside look at how the digital native generation is disrupting all industries and sectors, economically and socially. Born between 1980 and 2000, millennials are the largest, most diverse generation in modern history. They are also the least economically fortunate, due to growing up during the financial crisis. Their consumer behaviour is distinctly different from their predecessors and they influence their seniors when it comes to purchasing decisions. Many “Baby Boomers and Gen Xers now behave like millennials�, which is unprecedented in our social culture.
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According to Somi Arian, “being a millennial is not just about someone’s age. It’s about how people’s behaviours are impacted by technology.” Somi’s closing remarks in the film are a wake-up call to businesses of our time,
T
he Millennial Disruption is Smart Cookie Media’s first fully selffunded film and is the result of over two years of research, data collection and over 40 hours of interviews with C Level executives by Somi Arian. Contributors include industry leaders from The Economist, Marie Claire, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Steinway and Gary Vaynerchuk, to name but a few. D!
“If you can’t deal with the internet and the Millennial era, how do you hope to survive new technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The impact of these new technologies, on Generation Z and those beyond, will represent the next stage of our digital evolution”.
www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Documentary / 30 min. / USA
Vietnam Aftermath A Short Documentary by Tom Phillips
T
he story emerging is not one on the War itself but on the endless aftermath these men and women confront back home. Their story is of the war after the war, rejection, disenchantment, nightmares and resiliency. More than 40 years have passed since the official end of the Vietnam War. For years, many veterans of this war refused to talk about their experience, not uncommon for combat veterans. They shared their stories only with their Vietnam brothers. Now, as the ravages of Agent Orange and age march on, four vets who volunteer at the New Jersey Vietnam Veteran's Memorial have decided to share their stories for the first time.
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“O
ver two years ago while producing a television series I needed to interview Veterans on the War in Vietnam. During the shoot I became very close to two of the Vets I spoke with. Later on, the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial in New Jersey offered to pay me to interview all their Veterans. My father served, I did not, so it didn’t feel right taking money from them. Instead I offered to donate my time and gear and I would see what if anything I could do to get their story’s out to the public. Over a year ago I started editing this and just didn’t think it was working. Then after being caught up on much needed paying gigs I went back to the footage and tried again editing a 34-minute documentary.
Anyone that’s been in production knows whenever you do a program this way, with no plan, no real budget, no script, it will always only be what it is. So, what is it? Documentary or Experimental? Good question. There is no added narration. I didn’t want to risk any interpretation on my part. I wanted viewers to hear these stories from the Veterans themselves. The open is very nontraditional and wrong by current Television Network formats. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I'm not so sure, but the stories of these four brave men are intact and told in ‘their own words’. They shared things with me that they never told anyone including their family’s.” - Tom Phillips D!
I included visits to the homes of four Veterans, to get a no holds barred view on what it’s like to live with the darker memories of War and the continuing horror of the effects of ‘Agent Orange’ on their families. www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Animation Film / 6 min. / USA
A Short Animation Film by James Parris

P
ink & Blue is written and directed by James Parris, featuring the voices of Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Yvette Nicole Brown and LeVar Burton. Kids often receive unequal gender-related messages from the adults around them. These messages can be as simple as the toys we assign to boys and girls. We wanted to examine the dynamics of gender segregation from a toys-eye-view.
“P
ink & Blue started as a coffee-shop conversation... Then it became a scribble on a napkin, and following that, a PSA-style crowdfunding campaign. To our amazement, we struck a chord with parents, raising the budget for the liveaction portion of the short, then uniting with our animation pals to get the toys talking.
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O
ur goal has always been simple: Using whimsy to promote gender equality at playtime. The miniature universe of kids' toys is the setting we're choosing to power a simple idea: It's healthy for girls and boys to share EQUAL access to imagination during their developmental years - and beyond. Although strides are being made in our culture, girls and boys often receive unequal messages from the adults around them, regarding expectations for their attitudes about themselves. These subtle messages can be as simple as the toys we give as gifts. 'Pink & Blue' allows the toys themselves, in a light-hearted way, to show the effects of gender segregation - and the joy of integration. The story takes place in a live-action house with real children. The Toys-eye-view is computer animation, but we love both methods. I've always sorta lived in both worlds, and there's nothing more fun that working in live-action and animation simultaneously.� - David R. Hardberger D! www.dariamagazine.com
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Short Documentary / 20 min. / Italy
A Short Documentary by Sofia Vettori & Alex Class
WHAT MATTERS
“F
inish your food! There are children dying of starvation”. “Can’t you see how lucky you are”? These are sentences very far removed from the world of an eight year-old Italian child like Cosimo. Then one day, everything changes as he stumbles upon an old photo book, making him realize what matters. D!.
“Documenting… lest we forget the friendships, emotions and the will to survive”. - Sofia Vettori & Alex Class
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Short Animation Film / 15 min. / Argentina, Mexico
A Short Animation Film by Raúl Koler and Emiliano Sette nacronte is a brilliant capture of a flashback into the exodus of the human race towards an unknown destination, as slow sufferers of their destiny and a benign submission to the malignant fate that broods over their existence, culminating in the final denouement, before being hurled into an abyss of oblivion. The plot pivots over the theme of how, since the timeless night on life’s plains, humanity faces the Sorcerers of Evil’s indefeasible designs. Emotionless, yet serving their destiny, they put to the test humanity’s happiness in a struggle that, in short, has each of us as winners and losers, being victims of the chess of life as mere powerless pawns. (Deb Moumita. Cult Critic - The Film Magazine. March 17, 2019.)
A
“We wanted to bring a different, ungraspable character that differs from all the other representatives of evil.” Emilino Sette D!
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Short Animation Film / 11 min. / Portugal
A Short Animation Film by Margarida Moreira
G
isela, a 24 year-old young lady, studies painting at the Superior School of Fines Arts. She is a committed student and nurtures enormous respect and admiration for her painting teacher, Mestre Ávila, an internationally renowned artist. One day, Gisela and her boyfriend visit Ávila's atelier in Sintra where the couple faces embarrassing proposals from the teacher. Will the love between Gisela and Januário survive so much mishap at Master Ávila’s atelier?
“T
he reason why human beings produce art, be it music, cinema, literature or painting is because they feel a great need for answers to the many existential doubts that follow them throughout life. One of the questions I am facing is, why the communication between human beings is so difficult? Often, in complicated situations, people don’t even listen to each other, they don't dialogue, which leads to the raising of walls of distrust between them, when peace and understanding bring much more happiness. Gisela, Januário, and Master Ávila decide to clarify the situation regarding their concerns. They are a good example, I think. I made the movie because I was eager to make a film with articulated puppets, in Stop Motion, and because I found that the story was suited to my dolls.” Margarida Moreira
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The Teacher is a story where three people transmit clearly their emotions and thoughts in the context of a stable romantic relationship between a couple, and an unforeseen physical attraction towards the feminine element, by a third person.
Short Animation Film / 13 min. / USA*
A Short Animation Film by Michael Cawood
M
artin the Mushroom was born on the wrong rock. The mushrooms on his rock look like him, but they don’t share the same enthusiasm. When he notices another rock across the sea and realizes that although those mushrooms look different, they share his passion for life. Martin journeys to the other rock, but is rejected by a native mushroom because he looks different. And so begins Martin’s epic journey to find his place in life. This is a fantastic tale of the pure of heart overcoming bigotry. Anyone who's experienced, sexism, racism, ageism, political or religious persecution will relate to this story. A character who's passion is unlike the people who he grew up around, discovers a place he can be himself, but faces enormous obstacles to get there. Along the way he exposes the futility of the other character's bigotry and bias and puts it all in perspective so that they can finally deal with the bigger issues in life.
“Through The Wrong Rock, Michael Cawood celebrates a powerful message of acceptance and unity. By assembling a global team of talented animators, he masterfully crafts (and echos) the journey of a single hopeful soul who helps shine a light on the truth that we are all one.” - Nimble Collective Founder & Head of Animation at Dreamworks – Jason Schleifer
* Production Countries (continued): UK, Austria, Australia, Canada, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain
“L
ast year I made a website for fun and it triggered a wonderful, and familiar, feeling of having made something from start to finish. I’ve worked in the animation industry for about 20 years and contributed to a lot of big projects but at the end of 2016 I decided it was time to make another short film. My previous film, Devils Angels & Dating, has millions of views and a number of awards. It was a project designed to look good in a portfolio (useful for attracting team members), and although it came from an idea with strong core values it was primarily a film to explore 3D animation and filmmaking (since I’d done many 2D films before). The message was a little buried in amongst all the visuals. I’ve helped out a couple of friends since then with their short films, but that urge to make something myself was still there and I missed the community of indie animated filmmakers that I’d grown to love. So it was time to start anew, only this time I wanted to make a strong statement about something I felt passionate about and really believed in.
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“The Wrong Rock hits home and drives to the core of what makes cinema great. The team Michael has assembled is absolutely incredible. Despite everyone being spread out all over the world, Michael has been able to unify their efforts in an extremely cohesive way and the work they are doing is truly awe inspiring.” - Artella & Animation Mentor Founder & Pixar Animator – Bobby Beck
I
asked myself what was the issue I was most passionate about? It had to be something that would keep me passionate about the project when I most want to give up. The answer was equality. It sounds very generic but my battle to work in animated filmmaking, having been born on a rock far away from the epicentre of the industry, was my greatest cause. Having made it across the pond a number of years ago now, I see other related causes with many of the same feelings of being an outsider, like sexism, ageism, racism, political, gender identity, social and religious differences that divide us all unnecessarily. I wanted to make a statement that clarifies why we all need to stick together and choose better reasons to make judgments about each other. So the story of Martin the Mushroom was born. I wanted to make something simple so it started out as a pebble on a rock… but when I recognized how hard it would be to make a pebble emote I upgraded the cast to toadstools. Now it was possible to address a very broad theme that everyone could relate to.” - Michael Cawood D!
www.dariamagazine.com
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Music Video / 4 min. / Spain
A Music Video by Vera Kuznetsova
G
ay couple Christian and Osvaldo make new friends at a bar and decide to join them for a sail on their yacht. Will their relationship stand the test of the wind, sun and smiles of their new friends? This video tries to go beyond some stereotypes of gay videos.
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“W
e tried not to concentrate on homosexual relations, but to tell a story about human relations, about what happens every minute with thousands of people on our planet: we love, we choose a lover, we betray, we suffer, we forgive or not forgive, we accumulate the experience and continue living. It was really important to attempt to create a multidimensional world where the boundary between love and friendship is sometimes invisible, where people can mistake and where sometimes they can't understand their proper feelings. That was the challenge. I think this video might be the first step to a new period in Osvaldo Supino's videoclips. He is maturing as an artist and his videos become more cinematic, more touching (I would love to think so). It is not typical for pop-culture videos, but this reflects the general trend in the music video world: music videos are getting more complicated and more dramatic. Osvaldo is a musician who can easily work in this trend. As he himself says, he isn't an actor, but he could be: if you give him a role that he can relate to, there is no problem for him to get into character. With the help of a professional actor (or sometime without any help) you may achieve a very realistic acting out of him. Even crying.
Certainly, he was great. No complaints, no whims, no offences, just common sense and purposefulness. I think he is very realistic at the estimation of his own capabilities. Osvaldo has a scale: ‘this thing I can't do (I know it and I won't lie to myself); this thing is really difficult for me, but it is more a question of self-organization (I will be overcoming myself but I will do it); and, this thing forms a part of my professional skills. I will do it easily and will repeat it as many time as a director needs. It was a really nice process. Everybody of the team knew that it would be three hard days. This knowledge helped us avoid panic and trust each other: Osvaldo believed we were doing everything to get the best result and we were sure that he would do everything he could to reach our aim. So we started with the most difficult thing – being on the boat in a rough sea (well, actually it wasn't that rough, but for us it was). That was the very first day, the day when we all met each other for the first time, so it was really important to be a team, to support each other and to make the best of the situation. The only thing I can say that we arrived in the harbour with all the team singing and dancing on the boat (ok, we couldn't drink champagne for evident reasons, but we had a lot of fun without it). The great merit of this radiant mood belongs to Osvaldo.” - Vera Kuznetsova D!
www.dariamagazine.com
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Music Video / 4 min. / Switzerland, Vietnam
A Music Video by Achille Lietha
T
wo ex-lovers are so intertwined with each other that they become completely separated from their surroundings. Their love has become mortally poisoned and lies dying on its deathbed, yet the lovers can’t let go. This is so even though they have long ago lost each other, and to recover their love, nothing more can help, not even the pitiful attempts to stand “on tiptoe” to reach back once again to their lost beloved.
“W
e are aware that it’s a really strange music video. You can’t really tell if its a short or a music video, it is something in-between. I didn’t really want to see the process that the make up artist followed in turning the protagonist, Janick, into an old man. I just wanted to see this black and white thing, the young and old. I felt that I had to build-up a new relationship to a really old version of Janick. It was just too real and it would have screwed with your brain”. - Achille Lietha D!
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Music Video / 4 min. / Belgium
A Music Video by Guido Verelst
“W
hen listening to Belgian band Dez Mona’s song How Beautiful, I felt immediately inspired by the lyrics. The opening phrase, ‘Over the waves, along with the current floating like driftwood onto the shore,’ refers to the three year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, whose body ended up on the Turkish shore in 2015. Since the song reflects on war, I had the idea to film people of all ages, gender and ethnics, falling in the water like refugees: drowning but also trying to reach the surface - all looking for a better future. ” - Guido Verelst D!.
H
ow Beautiful is the third single of Dez Mona's latest album Book of Many. The song reflects on today's images of war. It also questions how we got used to these images and how numb or cold a rich society can react to these devastating events.
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D!vine Actress
Kristna
Saikia
Actress “Every onscreen role I portray is a reflection of real life moments captured and experienced.� Kristna is represented by the Global Film Actors Agency. 126 | Daria! | www.dariamagazine.com
Global Film Studio Inc. is a Canadian media company focused on ventures that are socially conscious and nonviolent. Global Film Studio’s activities revolve around film production and distribution, talent management, film festival organization, publishing and more. The Company has seven Divisions; each of them is primarily in charge of one activity.
The Divisions of Global Film Studio are: Global Film Production; Global Film Distribution; Global Film Actors Agency; Global Nonviolent Film Festival; Global Film Academies & Film Workshops; Global Real Estate Properties; Global Publishing.
www.globalfilmstudio.com
