To help her in her efforts, I designed a “Refuse” dog tag, with the word “Plastic” on the other side. Another artist, named Katye Killebrew, recently took this initiative even a step further and has designed a gorgeous handwoven silk necklace on which to hang the tag. Here’s an image below:

The necklaces are for sale at the Lost & Found Shop in Hollywood, CA, and were on exhibit in Oahu, HI at a recent PPC event. They can also be found through Katye’s shop in Hawaii, Mi’Nei.

I’m proud to have my own work “reused” in this marvelous way.

The film Striking a Chord is still going strong. After screening in nine film festivals throughout 2010, a few more have been added to the list so far since January and tonight, March 21, a screening will be taking place at the Amherst Cinema in Massachusetts. This special event will include a musical performance by none other than Nell Bryden, whose band performs in the film. This will be an exciting evening and we look forward to posting videos and photos from then.

Another film, the very moving Making the Crooked Straight, has been showing again on HBO Documentaries throughout this month, after a successful debut on the cable channel back in April 2010. Special screenings have also been taking place simultaneously throughout the past couple of weeks. And here is some of the feedback that we’ve received, from Shauna Ruda of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee:

Dear Sue,

Thank you so much for coming to our film screening on Monday night. Your film has now impacted the lives of nearly 500 young professionals through our four-city tour. In New York, the audience was so engaged with you, and I felt that you brought out very real emotions in the discussion – you made Rick’s efforts tangible and accessible, and because you are such a down-to-earth person I think you showed the young people in the audience that you don’t have to be super human to make a huge impact (which you’ve clearly made in so many ways). In addition, your words about JDC as the best kept secret of the Jewish world, and as an organization that touches the lives of so many, resonated deeply with people as made obvious by responses and inquiries we’ve received about our service programs and donation page in the past two days

The film has also just garnered the Christopher Award, an award given to to “salute media that affirm the highest values of the human spirit.” This is a wonderful honor, and a recognition of the value of Dr. Rick Hode’s work, dedicating his life to the care of others.

In the meantime, another film is in the works, but for now the subject matter is a secret. We can only reveal that this will be another film dedicated to raising awareness about the state of our oceans and the need for each of us to make changes in our daily lives to help preserve them, and save ourselves. We’re currently preparing the splash page for the website, and the film itself is in post production–we expect to have it ready to screen by May. And in the meantime, we’re preparing to send it out to film festivals, and seeking partnerships to organize awareness-raising events.

That’s all for now. A quick run-down of some of what’s been going on and what you can expect in the coming months. Stay tuned for more.

Rick was invited as a judge to the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride. In 2009, Making the Crooked Straight won the Moving Mountains prize there.

Below is the enthusiastic email he wrote me a few days ago from the festival:

Hi Sue,

I am back in Telluride, this year as a judge for the Moving Mountains Prize. Lots of people are still talking about your film. Last year, I put the money we won to pay for the surgery of Mieraf, an 11-year-old girl. This year, I brought Mieraf back, and she thanked a packed house at the high school here for funding her surgery, and told them that she herself will become a spine surgeon so she can help others. I also gave a presentation on my work. It went very well.

The Oscar-award winning short documentary this year was called Music by Prudence, about a severely physically-handicapped singer from Zimbabwe. She is in a wheelchair, and, among other things, has severe scoliosis. She was here as well. I took pictures, sent them to Dr. Boachie, and he is planning on operating on her in Ghana in November, 2010.

So, your film is the thing that brought us together and is ultimately saving her life.

Thank you!

Rick

The documentary Music by Prudence, is about a Zimbabwean woman with a stunning voice and her body distorted by arthrogryposis. The film recounts her ascent from a disabled child rejected and virtually abandoned by her family to a respected singer and schoolteacher.

After some writing back and forth, Rick was able to provide the additional good news below:

Dr. Boachie felt that Prudence would benefit from spine surgery, and is planning on operating on her in November in Ghana.

This is a wonderful opportunity for her.

She was also seen by a hand surgeon, and they are considering hand surgery for her as well.

It is MCS and the MountainFilm Festival of Telluride which made our paths cross, and is, literally, making Prudence’s crooked spine straighter.

This is why I do film. To move mountains. To heal lives, one by one.

Both films, Making the Crooked Straight and Music by Prudence, have aired on HBO 2 documentaries.

It was a nine-month concerted effort by visionaries from all walks of life, coming together and working hard. The artwork was beautiful, yes, but there was also beauty in the strength of the collaboration of representatives from the four nonprofits, representatives from NBC Universal, the Christie’s team and countless others. Left behind were the limiting institutional silos, instead we all moved toward the common goal of raising money in a “bid to save the earth.” I was happy to learn that where there is collective vision there is  collective action.

We raised over a million dollars! Not bad for a first-time effort. The proceeds will be split between the four nonprofits: Oceana, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Conservation International (CI) and the Central Park Conservancy (CPC).

Green heros in making this event happen included Deutche Bank, represented by Kevin Parker, who was a true corporate leader, supporting our  efforts and committing to reducing the global carbon footprint. Target also showed how on target they can be by underwriting the auction festivities and creating their cool Green Living Wall Art. La Mer graciously underwrote the after-party at the Monkey Bar where samples of their gorgeous products were circulated to  offset the grease-laden yummy French flies and other treats being passed around!

A Bid to Save the Earth is just the beginning. We hope that next Earth Day more artists will contribute, and more collectors will bid, and more experiences like scuba diving in Belize or seeing the grey whales in Baja or coming for a sail in Maine with my husband and me will bring funds to further these wonderful non-profit efforts!

For more about the event, including interviews with Salma Hayek, Sam Waterson, and John McEnroe, watch the video below:

Ever since I launched the film in early 2009, in many ways it has had a life of its own. I sent it out to the first few festivals, and from there it has been almost non-stop. For a list of the festivals where it has appeared, you can visit the film website www.makingthecrookedstraight.org.

Of course how could such an endearing story not attract attention? Dr. Rick Hodes is so humble and inspirational, following his vision to “heal the world, one child at a time”. His vision seems unwavering, and his generosity has extended to the point of adopting 17 children in Ethiopia, to make sure that they continue to receive the medical and educational attention that they require.

To read some of the press coverage about Making the Crooked Straight, you can visit the Facebook page.

I hope everyone gets to see the film on HBO and that the film continues to generate discussion and inspire people to reach out and help those in need. Either by donating to Dr. Hodes’ cause, or helping any other cause that is meaningful to you.

Before then, the film I co-produced, A Sea Change, made its final splash in Copenhagen during the international climate talks, COP-15. We had several screenings followed by thoughtful discussions that included some of the most distinguished specialists in the field of ocean acidification. The audience–activists, journalists and policy makers from around the world–were engaged and thoughtful. (Many of the Q&As were taped, and you’ll find them on the Niijii Films YouTube channel.) We’re very glad to have contributed to bringing the oceans to the fore at such a significant event.

Striking a Chord is in the final stages of post-production and we’re ready to think about festivals and special screenings. The moment is key to be launching a film with this theme–the power of music to combat the stress of deployment that troops are suffering in Iraq and Afghanistan. The film follows singer/songwriter Nell Bryden and her band as they tour army bases in Iraq and bring them a slice of home with their ballads. The underlying message: we are all family and we must help each other, whatever our politics.

The jewelry that I’ve designed for RocknRola is also meant to keep us aware and remind us of how we can help each other and our world. The designs are bold and hip, yet timeless, dog tags with strong messages to be worn with pearls or a simple chain, a cocktail dress or jeans. In keeping with my idea that everything I do must help and heal our selves and our planet, the launch party was held in honor of Oceana, the international nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. All the proceeds from sales that special evening went to benefit Oceana.

My work on the board of this organization took me recently on a trip to Chile. There, I joined my husband, David Rockefeller, Jr., on his mission with Around the Americas, an expedition of discovery to raise awareness about the threats to our oceans and the need to take action. I had the great privilege of meeting up with Kris Tompkins, founder and president of Conservación Patagonia and former CEO of Patagonia, and her husband Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face and Esprit, and also a passionate environmentalist. They are working hard in Chile in the creation and preservation of national parks, among them the Pumalin Park and Chacabuco. Together with Alex Muñoz, the vice-president for Oceana in Chile, we visited areas that Oceana is working to protect. One of their goals is to forestall the growth of salmon farming into Patagonia, where there is a risk of contaminating the area around the glaciers, which is pristine and diverse and with a fragile, beautiful marine ecosystem. Now, so close upon my return from Chile, I learn about the devastating earthquake that has struck the country in its center. This leads me to be even more concerned about this marvelous country and its people. My heart goes out to them.

A lot more is coming up this year. Just around the bend, and following on a successful screening at the New York Jewish Film Festival, is the HBO debut of my film Making the Crooked Straight on April 14 and the Christie’s Green Auction on April 22. I’m particularly enthusiastic about this auction, which I am co-chairing and which will be celebrated on the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day. The main goal of the event is to raise awareness and stimulate donations, no matter how small, to environmental concerns. Proceeds will go to four leading not-for-profit environmental NGOs: Oceana, Conservation International, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Central Park Conservancy. “A Bid to Save the Earth” promises to be very exciting, as many talented and creative people will be participating in its success, from Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Redford to designer Vera Wang, activist Robert F. Kennedy and Queen Noor, widow of Jordanian King Hussein.

I hope you’ll subscribe to the RSS feed, visit my Facebook page or come back to this site periodically to keep up to date.