--- On Wed, 2/29/12, RDIABO <rdi...@rogers.com> wrote:
From: RDIABO <rdi...@rogers.com> Subject: Fw: HEY! Trailer released for my new documentary, Resistencia To: undisclosed-recipi...@yahoo.com Received: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 8:06 PM FYI From: Jesse Freeston Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 5:29 PM To: undisclosed-recipients: Subject: HEY! Trailer released for my new documentary, Resistencia I have some big news. After months filming inside the occupied plantations of Honduras' Aguán Valley, I've unleashed a 5-min teaser for my upcoming documentary, RESISTENCIA. www.resistenciathefilm.com The film follows 3,000 landless farming families as they occupy the palm oil plantations of Miguel Facussé, the richest man in Honduras. Over their two-year-long occupation, they've been threatened, jailed, beaten, had their homes burnt down, and more than forty farmers have been killed by Facussé's guards, the police, and the military, all of which work together to try and push them off the land. Despite this constant violence, the families are still there and they're not going anywhere. The occupation began after the 2009 military coup d'etat—organized by Facussé and other oligarchs—that overthrew the only president that ever supported the farmers. Abandoned by the electoral process, the farmers took over the land and are now implementing their own democracy inside the occupied plantations. MEDIA BLACKOUT I returned to North America in late 2011 with this precious footage, expecting that the people who finance documentaries would recognize the importance of this story. After a few months of trying to get funding from traditional sources, I've learned that the industry doesn't believe that we (you and I) are interested in a documentary about peoples' struggles in Central America. One influential personality even told me that I had “a fascinating story and incredible footage”, and that if it were happening in Iran he would fund it today. “Unfortunately though, nobody cares about Honduras,” he said. He's wrong. If people don't care about Honduras, it's because the media either completely ignores Honduras or focuses exclusively on gangs and drug-trafficking, a tiny sliver of Honduran reality. I know that people do care about Hondurans, they've just never been properly introduced. And since flying everyone to the Aguán Valley isn't exactly reasonable, the next best option is a documentary film. There is no reason why the Aguán Valley Occupation isn't mentioned in the same breath as Tahrir Square and Occupy Wall Street. But, we need your support to help break the media blackout on the Aguán. AMY MILLER's IN THE MIX So far, I've been talking a lot in the first-person, but I'm super-excited to announce that the incredible Amy Miller of Wide Open Exposure has come on-board as co-producer for Resistencia. I recently had the joy of helping Amy direct the Honduras chapter of her latest film, The Carbon Rush. I was blown away by her capacity to take such an ambitious project from conception to completion. The Carbon Rush is now finished, check out the trailer and keep an eye out for its release in festivals, theaters, and on TV later this year. Amy's belief in Resistencia, combined with the skills and energy she brings to the project, is yet another reason why it's going to prove the industry wrong and get the story of the Aguán farmers out to the world. WHAT's NEXT A rough cut of the film is nearly finished, but my video skills alone aren't enough to do this story justice. The plan is to raise $20,000 in the next month in order to hire: an animator, a sound designer, a web designer, and the fine video editor needed to really make this film shine. As well as to pay the brilliant Honduran musicians that have offered their music to the soundtrack. This film is happening no matter what. But, with your solidarity, it is going to be soooo much better. We've already raised more than $5,000 in the first five days of the campaign, but there's still a lot to go. Ask people if they've heard about the Aguán. Share the trailer and website. Fund the film and get others to do the same. And definitely check out some of the funky perks that come with your donation. Of course, if you have other ideas of ways you can contribute to the project, send those along. Lets do this. Nothin but the best...as always. Jesse. -- ---- Jesse Freeston Journalist and Maker of the Upcoming Film 'Resistencia' www.resistenciathefilm.com
