What an adventure we’ve had over the past month! I've already had such great feedback from my Featured Guests and the rest of the group who took part in this online series, HOPE, SWEET HOPE . Many came for all 3 of the salons, and some, to just one or two.
Participants came into the salon with intentions that ranged from being present and hopeful to showing up to fully experience and contribute to the conversation. Before I introduced Gabriel to the group, we also shared what we wanted to release, at least temporarily, during our time together... anxiety, expectations, perfection, and the demands of the day.
HUGE Thanks to Our Featured Guests
"Thank-you" doesn’t begin to express my gratitude to Kim Watson, Steven Ullman, Tess Cacciatore, and Gabriel Diamond for their generosity of spirit and time. Not only was everyone able to experience their inspiring short films, but they also took time out of their own lives to experience them with us before and after each screening. My deep thanks to them!
The Theme & Films:
HOPE was the underlying theme of this series. As we saw through the films we experienced and the post-screening conversations, hope is a bridge that leads people forward, up, out, and beyond.
In each salon, we experienced people, housed and unhoused, in ways we might not otherwise, if not for the camera. The messages in these films show the light that hope can bring into our lives, whether we have a home or not… and what can happen when we are part of a community. Here's what we saw: (Scroll down for all of the film links.)
In the first salon, through Kim Watson's film Trespass: Profiles of Unhoused Life, Love & Understanding, we were introduced us to Elizabeth, Carson and other people living on the streets in LA. Then, through the promo reel of the film that Steven and I are making, In the Name of Hope, we stepped off the streets and into the homes and lives of Robyn, Ronny, and Nia… 3 people who had been unhoused and who are now living in homes of their own!
In the second salon, through Tess Cacciatore’s film, The Rescue, she took us literally into a hotel room, where a young woman was, thanks to the observant eye of a hotel staff member, rescued from being trafficked.
In the closing salon on Tuesday, Gabriel Diamond took us to the slums of Nairobi and a darkened room in SoHo, New York via two films that he made for the Skoll Foundation, The Slumdwellers and It's Not About the Question.
The Featured Guests & Links to Their Films:
Though I don't share the recordings, as promised, and with their permission for you to watch, rewatch, and share, here are the links to the films we experienced in this series.
Kim Watson's Trespass https://youtu.be/ytLp_eAGQ64
Steven Ullman's (and my) In the Name of Hope https://inthenameofhope.com/reel-1
Tess Cacciatore's The Rescue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5i3cnQ-j0
Gabriel Diamond & The Skoll Foundation's
The Slumdewllers https://vimeo.com/191067281
It’s Not About the Question https://youtu.be/ujY3Rb90YT4?si=bPtmhZ1CVRjHilnc
For those from past series, click here.
Stone Soup Ripple screening salons really are like the stone soup fable. In the story, a large kettle of water, a magic stone and a healthy dose of curiosity brings people out of their homes and entices them to add their special ingredients. In the process, strangers become friends, and a community is born! And then there are the ripples. they don't always happen overnight, but they surely happen!
Because these online screening salons are my giveback, I have presented these at bo charge to participants. This is because I believe in the power of film to create ripples of collaboration and connection to bring people together, even when they’re miles or continents away... After presenting about 50+ of these (I’m losing track), I’ve learned that, even online, ripple happen.
We share more easily, and our ideas expand more fully.
Sometimes the ripples are immediate, and sometimes they take time to build, and they can surface in a moment.
Here's something from a post of Gabriel's earlier this week:
“ …From my experience, meaningful ripples really do emerge from these events….”
So as I go on hiatus with these public-facing gatherings to focus on other projects, I want to thank you for choosing to be here, and invite you to reach out, start some ripples, and keep your eyes out for the ones that come your way.
All the best,
Christine
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