Friends, Family, Colleagues, Supporters, Co-Conspirators.... Thank you. Thank you for your patience with me. The past few months have been a whirlwind... I have been MIA, for many reasons, and for that I sincerely apologize. I do have exciting updates about the film (see below), and I do have to admit that this is all taking MUCH longer than I anticipated. A completion date is still up in the air (and for a certified Type A, believe me, this is a bit crazy-making). But I'd rather take my time and do this right, and I want to thank you, fully and sincerely, for your patience and support as I wade through unknown territory, in a holistic, full-bodied and whole-hearted attempt to give a voice to water.
Since the onset of this project, I have been following the work of Chief Caleen Sisk, the leader of the Winnemem Wintu in Northern California. She is a champion for water, for California rivers and salmon, and for tribal people and the preservation of traditional life ways. She has been working tirelessly to stop the Shasta Dam Raise, as the proposed project would flood her people out of the last remaining bits of their land, where they still practice ancient ceremonies. I was fortunate to be invited to document their third annual "Run 4 Salmon", where they run, walk, bike, sing, dance and boat the entire route of the Winter-Run Chinook Salmon - from the San Francisco Bay, up the Sacramento River, to their ancient spawning grounds at the headwaters of the McCloud River. An interview with the Chief is now a prominent part of the film. (Honestly, it would have never been right or complete without her).
What do lemurs have to do with the production of a film, you ask? Well... a lot actually! Our good friends at Conservation Ambassadors hosted us at their "Zoo" so that we could get another round of feedback from colleagues. We felt we were at a point in post-production where we really needed some feedback from industry professionals. So, we invited them... in hopes (in a weird masochistic sort of way) that they would tear the film apart. And they did. And now, with their valuable advice in our pockets, piece by piece, we are putting it all back together again. The importance of this feedback cannot be stressed enough, and we are utterly grateful to everyone who has provided feedback along the way, especially at this stage in production. In the end, this film will be MUCH stronger thanks to all of YOU. And when we're ready to show it to the world in it's next iteration, you will be the first to know.
Last but definitely not least, if you haven't yet had a chance, please take three minutes to watch (and share!) our OFFICIAL TRAILER. And until next time (which won't be so far off, I promise), much love to you all. Thank you for your continued support, patience and feedback as we walk this incredible journey to bring you a story of water & hope.