Today, I’m reflecting on the many wonderful comments people have relayed since watching our film. I’d like to share a few of the remarks that some folks have made, not to stroke my ego, but rather to express how meaningful these comments are to us. They reaffirm in our minds that perhaps in some small way, we too have made a difference by making this film – and that is all I ever hoped for.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts – they are very much appreciated.
“It was awesome – just awesome”
“I just want to thank you for making this movie and let you know that you have definitely succeeded in inspiring people. I’ve had a small paradigm shift after seeing this movie. I think you two should count yourself among the inspirational heroes for bringing these stories to a larger audience.”
“ I would just like to say that that’s the first thing I thought of was that it’s obvious that this should be submitted for an Oscar. Absolutely this is Oscar worthy.”
Pamela Conn – Oscar winner for Best Short Documentary (Young at Heart)
“Your film is a celebration of something that I’ve always believed in – there are daily miracles. People always look for a burning bush or something special. Miracles are a daily occurrence of thank yous.”
And one of my favorites – R rated 🙂
“Thank you.
Absafuhkinglutely love what you and Erin created…
Truly inspirational.
Watched it with my inspiration, my 15-year old daughter. It was a quiet room with no dry eyes. We are still talking about it.”
A year ago today Erin and I boarded a plane, bound for home on our final flight of our 99-day journey around the world. Seems like that happened in another lifetime – so much has transpired since then.
The day before we headed home, we sat down with our friend Ethan G. Salwen, who interviewed us on camera. We are grateful for that because we were able to capture our thoughts at the time – at the end of an amazing adventure.
We had just finished our last story in Carlos Keen, Argentina – a town about an hour outside of Buenos Aires. It was a story about Camino Abierto, a farm, a home to adolescent boys who had nowhere to call home, and a restaurant – all filled with love. We only spent two days there but those two days came at just the right time giving us one last burst of energy to complete the project we had started over 3 months prior.
At the time, I didn’t realize that it was really just the beginning of this project in so many ways. As Erin headed back to Chicago and settled back into her life, I immersed myself deeper into this project with hundreds of hours of footage that needed to be edited. I managed to get through one of the toughest winters of my life that taxed every ounce of my spirit on the darkest days. But after a round of crowd funding via Kickstarter and finding the perfect editor, Erik Freeland and many more months of post-production – we now have a film that we are proud of.
As I mailed out the “rewards” yesterday to all of our backers that supported our project, I realized once again that this project is still not yet complete. There are film festivals to submit to and community screenings to line up and plans to make different “cuts” at various lengths for different markets. One idea is to break up the stories for the potential of a broadcast series. I actually went out to LA this past winter and “pitched” the idea to some industry folks and a couple of people were quite interested. I even made a new version of the trailer and renamed the show. We shall see if anything develops along those lines.
I have been richly rewarded in so many ways on this journey. Getting to really know my daughter has been perhaps the biggest reward. But some of the kind comments that I have received from people who have seen the film have confirmed in my mind that this quest was meant to be. I’ll be sharing some of these comments with you in the coming months, on this blog that I have neglected as I’ve been off the radar working behind the scenes.
Here’s a tidbit from our Buenos Aires Interview on the final day of our journey. I will share more soon. This project was meant to be shared – that is the only way to manifest the true power behind this thing that we put into motion so long ago.
It just hit me this morning that we have completed this film. I cried because I was happy, we had done it. I cried because it was finished. I was sad the journey was over – but is it?
Yesterday, I hand delivered the first DVD to someone in the “business” who could really help me as I face the next step – getting the film “out there”. That’s the hard part – coming up with a plan to give this film legs. What would have been the point of my daughter and I traveling all around the world, creating a film about people making a difference that could motivate others to action – if people don’t see it?
I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, sending DVD’s to film festivals, outreach directors and potential distributors. I will be networking with everyone I know as far as making the rights connections with people who can help us get our film out there so that we can achieve what we set out to do- turn this film into a ground swell of action.
Here are some thoughts of what we’d like to do with this film. Start thinking about people you know who could help us realize these goals.
• Submit to film festivals to create awareness and publicity for the film. Festivals are very competitive but I believe our film is a strong contender. If the film is selected for a festival, then we will want to find a sponsor and make an event out of it and/or have a “premiere screening” in that city to coincide with the festival. It’s a cost effective way to do a premiere and the audience is already there.
• Have community screenings that would be “move to action” events. This could take place in a variety of venues, from schools to churches, with the filmmakers present or not. It could be a community fundraiser, centered on the screening of the film. Generally, filmmakers hire outreach directors or bookers to find these venues and matches. This can be a win/win where the filmmakers have a chance to recoup their costs and the community raises money for their cause. In our case, we can also structure it so that our subjects’ causes receive a percentage.
• Have screenings at universities. This is something that I would love to do – show the film with a Q&A to students. The film could really make an impact with young people who are just starting out in life. If anyone knows people who book college activities – let me know.
• Theatrical screenings. This takes money. But it can lead to rewards – including the academy awards. My executive Angel Burns is confident we can do this. Essentially, there needs to be theatrical bookings in LA and NYC, well publicized with mandated advertising in the NY and LA newspapers. We may need to do another fundraiser ourselves or find a sponsor to make this happen.
• Broadcast. Maybe the best way to get eyeballs on it. Anyone with contacts at OWN (Oprah’s network), Oxygen or Lifetime – viable candidates for this documentary or even a TV docu reality series? Imagine how refreshing that would be to see on TV – a series about people making a positive difference in the world – instead of watching yet again another show about the worst in human nature.
This film has had an amazing effect on our lives. We’ve traveled the world, seen our name in lights on a theater marquee and met extraordinary people along the way. In fact it seems like we are like magnets, attracting just the right people into our lives at just the right time. First of all we “found” all our amazing subjects who brought tremendous value to our lives – we learned so much from them. We found our executive producer, Angel Burns – or shall I say, she found me when I spoke in LA at a “photocine” event about creating a documentary with no money. I found the perfect editor, Erik Freeland who brought his wonderful vision to this film and made us look good, and Maria Grillo, a graphic designer in Chicago who designed our logo and overall look. I have another friend, Ally Raye who put together a great “deck” and “sizzle” for a TV pitch for me. I can’t even imagine what life was like before these people came into my life. This film just seems to have some inexplicable power of connecting people.
If you know anyone who is good with marketing and PR, or works in broadcast or knows a sponsor who would be a perfect match and could infuse some financial support to this project, please let us know.
Like one of our subjects, Marian Kramer said, “We’ve got to shine each other up”.
Yesterday morning, Opening Our Eyes was screened for the first time. It was perfect in every way.
We had picked the State Theater in Traverse City, MI for a few reasons:
- Our only two North American subjects were from Michigan
- I had a lot of family in Traverse City and I knew they could get the word out and fill seats
- The State Theater is a beautifully renovated theater with state of the art facilities and an old fashioned marquee to top it off
- Traverse City is a beautiful place to be in the summer because of all the water around it
The night before the screening, Erin, Tom and I and our friend and executive producer, Angel Burns went down to the theater to take some pictures of it. 
There it was on the marquee – right under MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – OPENING OUR EYES– A SNEAK PREVIEW – SUNDAY 9AM. There it was, sharing the billing with one of my favorite recent films. Night theater ErinMVI_0178 As soon as the 10 o’clock showing of Midnight in Paris went in – a 3-man crew started taking down the letters and putting up new ones.
It took them some time but letter by letter up it went. But it was when they started putting up our names that an incredible feeling went through my body. I had done it. I did what I set out to do.
The next morning, I was full of nerves. It has been a long time coming and the day had arrived. My Aunt Ike and cousin Rene had spread the word through town amongst friends, family, co-workers. There was a family reunion also planned that weekend and all those people had come. Angel was outside talking to folks who were looking at the poster of what was playing at the upcoming Traverse City Film Festival next week, and invited them. All in all, I think there were about 150-175 people – not bad for a Sunday morning in a town with a lot going on.
As the curtain went up – yes, a 
beautiful classic red curtain -and the movie began, it was almost surreal. Even though I had seen this film a hundred times – it was the first time I watched it as a movie – with popcorn and all. But I think the best part was the Q&A when a man stood up to ask a question. He said “Thank you for making this film. It has changed my life”. He had been someone Angel had talked to outside. He hadn’t even intended to go see a movie that morning. That was a big moment for me.
On to Detroit on Thursday, for our next sneak preview. It won’t be as grand as the first screening – because the first one’s are always the most special – but our two subjects Marian and Maureen will be there. Can’t wait.
I live in a small town in semi-rural New Jersey. Well at least it was semi-rural when I moved here 17 years ago. Brookside is a historic town dating back to 1749 before there was a United States of America. It’s a quiet little town with less people living here now than there were during the American Revolution. This area was pro American and General Washington had his headquarters just 5 miles away in Morristown.
Every year, the big event in town is the Fourth of July Parade. I have seen every one since moving here in 1994 – except last year when Erin and I were in Nepal. It’s a quaint little parade with boys scouts and girl scouts, fire trucks and tractors, family floats and even a mini parade within the parade – “the pooch parade”. Folks sit along the sides of East Main Street or watch from their porches as their friends and neighbors pass by in celebration of our nation’s independence.
It’s the kind of community affair that is slowly disappearing from America. It’s one day where we all slow down and re-connect with one another. Each year we honor a Community Service recipient. This year the award went to Maggie Doyne. Brookside is in Mendham Township, so technically, Maggie isn’t a resident because she lives in the next town over, Mendham Borough. Mendham Township actually circles around the borough like a donut and the two towns share the same high school. That’s how Maggie and Erin know each other, they were in the same graduating class. But Maggie has become our local hero and we all claim her as our own.
In 2005, Erin went off to college like most kids did in her graduating class. Maggie took a gap year that turned into a different life’s path for her. And what a path she has taken. It’s amazing what Maggie has done at such a young age. She is twenty four years old and has built a home for 35 orphaned children whom she lives with in Nepal, as well as built a school for over 250 children. She has not only been an inspiration for our film project, but has motivated countless others who have heard her story.
Watch Video of Maggie in July 4th Parade
Maggie July 4th USA For Web
I put together a few clips of Maggie at the last Monday’s parade. I’d like her children to see Maggie riding in the convertible, throwing candy to children in the little town that she grew up in – on the Fourth of July in the USA.
Last Wednesday I spent the day with Maggie Doyne, a family friend, neighbor and subject of our film Opening Our Eyes. We spent the afternoon looking at hours of footage that we shot when we visited Maggie and her children in Nepal last summer.
It was a wonderful afternoon,
Gail and Maggie in Mendham,NJ
we talked, we looked at the footage that I hadn’t seen in awhile and we had a nice simple lunch. Being with Maggie is like getting a shot of goodness and it brought back a lot of nice memories of the journey that Erin and I took last summer.
It’s hard to believe that next month it will be a year since we left on our global journey. There are days that the trip is so fresh in my mind and others when it seems like a distant memory. I am still so hands on with the project – editing but for Erin it must seem like it happened in another lifetime.
Maggie said something that really rang true. As she watched the interview and other footage that we shot of her at the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School she remarked how far she and all the people at Kopila Children’s Home had come since then. When we were there shooting, the school was still under construction even though classes had already begun. And the new kitchen hadn’t been finished yet either. Now both are completed and used on a daily basis.
I thought about how I had been feeling this past winter as I spent 14 hours a day, every day in the editing room for two months solid and I couldn’t see an end in sight to this film becoming a reality. But now it’s in the hands of a great editor with a due date to be completed late next month. When we started our journey almost a year ago, I never imagined that I would still be so entrenched with this project a year later. But then I look back from where I came and I can see how far I’ve come. I needed to be reminded to look back every now and then and observe from that perspective.
Thanks Maggie once again for your inspiration.