Category Archives: Education through films

Common Community Through Art and Culture

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“In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have you ever noticed how artists flock together and build common community?

People find kinship in their writing, painting, poetry, music, filmmaking, knitting,the performing arts and so forth. You know how it goes. Everyone in the group speaks the same language. 

The Colorado Creative Industries has worked to identify communities where art contributes greatly to the overall culture,  enhancing the lives of local citizens and tourists.  

Telluride has been designated as a one of five prospective Creative Districts in Colorado. Forty-four towns and cities were under consideration. The goal of the Colorado Creative Industries is to bolster the artistic community by providing consulting and technical assistance and an $8,000 grant to help grow the community as an economic driver through art. 

During the winter, outstanding skiing is the impetus behind visiting this “box canyon” with stunning and dramatic scenery, but in summer it is all about art festivals. Each weekend from May to September people flock to the area for two film festivals, music concerts and gatherings of playwrite/screenwriters. There is also a Cajun weekend, chamber music, yoga and bike races,  and more. 

There is even a Compassion Festival held in Telluride, which I was not aware of until I picked up some tourist literature. This event brings in academia from different parts of the country who lecture on the benefits that compassion brings to overall health, well-being and stress reduction. Cultural differences in compassion is also part of the discussion. It is held in collaboration between the Telluride Institute http://bit.ly/U87yzg and Stanford University’s Center for Compassion & Altruism Research & Education (CCARE). Interesting! Please visit this link to read more about it.http://bit.ly/QVb8Kn

Congratulations, Telluride! When I was in the area recently I was impressed with your charming Victorian homes, art galleries, retail spaces, historic hotels, the amazing scenery and the emcompassing flavor of the artistic community. It was fun visiting. I’ll be back!

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The Power of Love

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“The simple act of reassurance from another human being becomes a tool of the spirit.” ~John Ortberg, Jr. 

“Ok, so, I bawled yesterday in church and had to pull out the Kleenex.  It all began with the christening of a little baby. It took me back to 24 years ago when my husband and I were standing at the font with our little one.

I didn’t fall apart until the after the baptism was almost over. As the congregation began singing “Child of Blessing, Child of Promise”, the water works started. I couldn’t sing; I just listened. The melody and words made me feel the embracing power of love, hope, faith and all good things that support children in their development.

My tears were only momentary. When our minister started his sermon on friendship, his commentary about Facebook friends was hysterical. I could relate completely. On a more serious note the pastor  also talked about what it means to have friends who stick by you through thick and thin. That was inspiring.

The message was craftily brought around to include the words of a song written in 1971 by Carole King. We watched a short video of one of King’s performances singing that trademark song “You’ve Got a Friend” to a packed audience. By the end of the video, I and many others in the congregation were singing along, with huge smiles on our faces. I carried that uplifted feeling with me until the day’s end.

Week after week, as I sit in the pew, I am reminded of the art of delivering a good sermon. If every minister had talent like ours does to  communicate  such a relatable message , every church in America would be standing room only.

Thank you, Reverend Tim, for all you do in healing the spirits of our people. And I just want to know –  Are you Facebook friends with the old guy that was standing in line in front of me waiting to shake your hand after the sermon?” He doesn’t really look like he knows how to turn on a computer. Could it be that you know him from another of your networking circles?

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Creating Legendary Filmmaking

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“At the center of every fairy tale lay a truth that gave the story its power.” ~ Susan Wiggs

There is a new Disney movie that is soon to be released called Brave. It is about family, protecting a kingdom and Celtic legends. The Highlands of Scotland is the setting for this production. A great Christmas present for the entire family. Click for info & ordering Brave

Besides an opportunity to tell a fulfilling fairy tale story, along the lines of Grimms Brothers or Hans Christian Andersen, the production of this film has some the most complex visuals in movie making possible. Pixar Animated Studios rewrote their animation system after twenty five years to bring these computer-animated effects to the viewer.

Don’t miss out on this fantasy adventure film written by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Irene Mecchi and Brenda Chapman.  To read more about the film, to learn about the characters and to watch a video trailer, please visit this website. http://bit.ly/yzz6Ky.

Have a nice weekend, everyone! Return next week to All Things Fulfilling to learn more about creative industry.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected  and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Gem Stone Village Discovered

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“I’m also looking for gems that the average reader might have missed.” ~ Terry Windling

“My, oh, my, isn’t it gorgeous?” I said to my husband and son, as we drove into Ouray, Colorado on Saturday. “Didn’t I tell you, Mom?” my son said “that’s why I said you have to come see it.”

Ouray, nestled between high, high peaks in the San Juan Mountains is called “Switzerland of America©.” The “alpine-like” village is a gem. Outstanding ice climbing and summer rock climbing and the healing hot springs are just a few reasons that this little town is so busy with tourist activity.

On Saturday morning the center of town was the starting place for the Imogene Pass half marathon. Fifteen hundred runners faced a challenging course that climbed from altitudes of 7,700 elevation to 13,000, over an unpaved mountain pass from Ouray to Telluride.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the relief and pride I felt as my saw my son cross the finish line after running seventeen grueling miles. It takes guts and grit to tackle it. He did well for himself, finishing 14th in his age group. But, he said many of his competitors were “seniors who looked older than the mountains and really put him and the younger people to shame.” I noticed that as I watched.

Ouray has so much going for it! Well cared for Victorian buildings, art galleries and quaint little shops, the Ouray Hot Springs, and charming bed and breakfasts, historic hotels.

It was second Saturday Art Walk, and we made the rounds. We stopped into Buckskin Booksellers. They have a large and outstanding collection of books of regional interest on Colorado, Western history and of geological subjects such as mineralogy, mining, fossils, rock hounding and the like.

I also noticed some outstanding art books scattered in different retail establishments throughout town. You could not help but notice them because some were like tomes – oversized, beautifully crafted, filled with magnificent images. I spied John Fielder’s Ranches of Colorado http://www.johnfielder.com and books on the Art of Howard Terpning. 

Many notable movies were filmed in Ouray County. My son Marc’s interest in visiting Ouray was more than just to run in a footrace. As a filmmaker, he was interested in seeing the settings of these movies:

Our visit to Ouray was a perfect stop along the way of a fun and fulfilling weekend. I’d like to return some day to further explore this area. It is located near where four states – Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah come together. There is a lot more to see such as Twin Peak Falls, and more to do than I ever realized.  For more information, visit this website http://www.ouraycolorado.com/.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Screening Half the Sky

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“No woman is required to build the world by destroying herself.”        ~Rabbi Sofer

Economic empowerment, education and good healthcare for women are solutions that make a difference between opportunity and oppression. The film , Half the Sky: Turning Opression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, is an adaptation of the book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It  focuses on six celebrity activists and their work to rebuild lives after a women’s integrity and self-esteem has been taken away by violence and brutality. Click for info & ordering Half the Sky

On Wednesday, September 12th at 6:30 pm Half the Sky will be screened at the Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The film is  part of the Women & Girls Lead program for Independent Lens through PBS. It will be followed by a discussion of the issues that are highlighted in this movie. Anyone is invited to join in the screening and the dialogue afterward.

 

This film is being sponsored by the Bud Werner Memorial Library, the Yampa Valley University Women and Tasaru Girls School Fund, a non-profit that works to help educate Masai girls and women.

If you do not live in the vicinity of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, you will still have a chance to see it. It will be broadcast on October 1st and 2nd, 2012 on PBS channels. Look for the air times in your local TV program schedule.

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Headed Between the Covers

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“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” ~ St. Augustine

 I am ready for a little traveling. Where am I headed? To Between the Covers Bookstore. http://bit.ly/NaKzRg. Where is that? In a “box canyon” in a place called Telluride, Colorado; where the mountains soar to altitudes of almost 13,000. According to Wikipedia, “a box canyon is a small ravine or canyon with steep walls on three sides, allowing access and egress only through the mouth of the canyon.” The bookstore co-owner is like me, a Baltimore transplant, who has ended up in the West. 

I suspect at certain times of the year, when large shipments of publications are delivered, Between the Covers Bookstore, feels as if it is a box canyon, until all the books are shelved. There is a certain book that I will be searching for at this bookstore that would come in handy on days when I struggle to put down my digital devices and stop working. This two minute video, shot last February, gives a quick glimpse into the book I am looking for.  http://vimeo.com/37703165.  

The video is courtesy of film editor, visual effects artist, independent filmmaker Marc R. Leonard. http://marcrleonard.com/editing.  Thank you, Marc, for a little insight into Telluride in the other season, winter.

Telluride is, from what I understand, a neat little “artistic town” and very scenic! It is home of the Telluride Film Festival.  http://www.telluridefilmfestival.org/. 

Our trip to Telluride will be timely. My husband and I will watch our son run in his first half-marathon, which goes over Imogene Pass – seventeen miles of climbing and running, traveling from 8,000 ft in altitude to 13,000. The boy has energy, I tell you! It’s time to play catch up and see what else he has been doing.

Come on back next week. On Film Friday, we will be featuring a new Disney movie that both adults and children, who enjoy Celtic legend, may enjoy seeing. Have a good weekend, everybody.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Inspirational Film Shorts

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 “A film is a petrified fountain of thought.”~ Jean Cocteau

It’s been a reflective week, I guess because of my birthday. I’ve had some meaningful discussions with my mother and I guess that has led to introspection.

While in the mood for “self-examination,” I’ve tracked down some new inspirational films, all “shorts” for this Film Friday. Have you seen them?

    • Signs

Click for Info & Ordering

    • Marry Me

Click for info & ordering

    • Clocktower
    • Wrong Side of the Bed

Click for info & ordering

    • Validation

Click for info & ordering

Stay tuned! Next week I will be featuring a book, a new release, that I really enjoyed. It sent me on a journey remembering back to an unforgetable and controversial era in my life.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film about Nature and Wild Horses

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“…and God took a handful of southerly wind, blew his breath over it and created the horse.” ~ Bedouin legend

Once again, it is Film Friday. Today we will put the spotlight on another award-winning documentary that has been aired on PBS.

The independent film, Wild Horses in the Winds of Change, by Sky Dancer Productions challenges us to think about nature and the treatment of wildlife, particularly wild horses. Horse lovers who know equines intimately say these sensitive creatures teach mankind about their own humanity, yet there are some people who place little value on the bond between these animals and people.Click for more information and ordering the film

What responsibility does man have to protect the wild species of horses as part of the natural world around us? Should we change our thoughts and actions towards horses who roam the earth in freedom?

A prestigious premiere opening at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood indicates that the Wild Horses in Winds of Change was worthy of drawing a good audience and had appealing elements on many levels.

Essentially this film is a plea to all inhabitants of the earth to protect wild horses from obliteration. Filmmaker, photojournalist, screenwriter and film director Mara LeGrand, PhD’s brings insight to this film from her career in holistic health.

Wild Horses in the Winds of Change is now available on DVD and can be ordered through this site. http://bit.ly/aEEsva.

Equine enthusiasts are encouraged to see this film and speak out against what many see as atrocities that are being committed against wild horses.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime – Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected
www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Novelists Benefit from Movies

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I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.  ~ Walt Disney

On this Film Friday, we will share an article for the benefit of novelists. Going to the movies and watching TV has added value other than just entertainment- it can help with story writing.

If writers are attentive when watching movies and TV, there are numerous tips that can be picked up. Learn about how to draw an audience into the story from the off-set, the importance of having “meat in the story” and then how to bring the story to a fulfilling conclusion. 

From the context of the dialog in the movie, characters and their development, as well as ideas for creating mood with words can be learned . Thinking about how much detail or how too little detail grabs us or loses us, as an audience is helpful, too. 

Learn something about pacing of a story. What is important to moving a story forward? How essential is the timing of significant peaks and valleys in the narrative for the audience? 

This article  more fully describes the benefits for novelists of watching movies . http://bit.ly/KcckW7. 

 I am eagerly anticipating the release of The Odd Life of Timothy Green. It is a film that I think will demonstrate some of what this article talks about. http://bit.ly/KlSrK9. Disney has a way of drawing people of all ages into their creative story telling for good reason.  Happy Film Friday, everybody!

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Take Charge in 2012

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Have you  made your New Year’s Resolution yet? I have and it was easy, too.

I’ll write it and it will consist of eight words. 

“IT IS GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR!”  

Now, it is up to me to begin fulfilling it!  I’ve got to get on with it. Time’s a wastin’!

 Cheers!  All the Best in 2012!

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