Every filmmaker or author wants to get their work out into the world and move their new work forward. These thoughts land on me every day when I get rise. A few days ago I was in London and had another screening of THE SACRED SITES OF THE DALAI LAMAS for the Tibet Foundation. The audience was small but often its quality not quantity that we should be looking for. As a result of the screening it looks like there may be five new screenings coming up, including one in the Dalai Lama’s home town of Dharmsala in India. This is very exciting!
So step by step the film gets out into the world. But you have to do it one step at a time. I say this to authors too – you sell books one at a time and the word gets out there and its onward and upward from there.
At the London screening I invited Jonathan Tammuz a producer and Oscar winning director (who is joining as producer the Bali Brothers team) and lead actor Phil Barantini. It was a good night. They got to see my work and we all got to know each other better over tapas after the screening. Phil just got a guest spot on the popular UK series THE BILL.
MWP just hired a publicist for SACRED SITES and will making a focused effort for national and regional press coverage now that distribution is in place.
I emailed the foreign sales agent for the film who told me we have about 16 buyers screening the film (since it was in the market at Cannes) so fingers crossed for some significant sales.
Right now I am in Rockport Maine. We arrived last night. Today my daughter starts a two week filmmaking for teens course at the famous Maine Media Workshops (formerly the International Film and Television Workshops). For the last two years I’ve taught directing and producing master classes here but this year my wife and I will just enjoy Maine – plus I’ve got a ton of writing to catch up on.
In September I’m going to Bali to move BALI BROTHERS along as well as some other projects. One is a full colour book of the Mandala paintings from Dewa Njoman Batuan who is one of my oldest friends and former village head in Pengosaken. We met in 1970 when I first lived in his village. The book is his life’s work which is expressed through hundreds of mandala paintings and his writing about Balinese life, religion and philosophy. I’ll also do some casting, location scouting and explore villages near Gunung Agung the volcano to find exterior shots where the village and volcano can be seen in the same shots. It’s been a couple of years since I was last there so there will be many friends to catch up with as well.
Now all this sounds like a lot of activity and it is. These projects (and many more – we haven’t even discussed the ongoing book business) start at step one – sometimes many years ago – and each day or week I work on them and bring them along. They don’t get finished right away but they do get finished. One has to be patient and try to do the best work possible which helps to insure their success. When I was younger I wanted to do everything quick, and get it out. Now I realize there is much more power in going slowly, carefully, and so – like the great redwoods or blue whales – I allow for long gestation rates.
Onward and upward,
Michael