June 2010 Archives
Eating Crow
Eating crow is not an easy thing for me to do, especially since I try to eat vegetarian as often as possible. :) But I went to sleep last night eating crow and woke up this morning to still feel the tickling of feathers in my throat so I figured if I wrote a blog about it I could let it go and set myself free from the self-inflicted bondage I am currently feeling.
When I lived on the east coast I started my own church (The First Church of Diversity & Empowerment) and ran it for two years. It was a small congregation, but I truly enjoyed that kind of intimate setting where I had the time and the energy to teach others all that I had learned through the years not only collectively every Sunday, but on a one-to-one ratio as it arose as well.
However, one of the things I discovered about myself that I did not like about having my own church (and the title of ordained minister) was the expectation placed on me by others to always be an angelic and perfect individual that does not make mistakes or is not flawed in some way. Even now, without the church, it sometimes comes to my awareness that the expectation is still there based on my title alone. So let me address that first.
Being an ordained minister simply means that you have been authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as weddings, baptisms, funerals, and preaching or teaching. Nowhere in the definition will you find the words angelic, perfect, or unflawed. A more accurate definition for that type of individual would be a saint which is someone who is considered exceptionally virtuous and worthy of that honorable title. Ordained Minister does not = Saint.
It’s not that I did anything that horribly wrong. In fact, when people comment on how much I swear relative to my title, I usually deflect their judgment with humor by telling them I do not molest children or run a mind-controlling cult, so I’m way ahead of the pack, and that usually does the trick in silencing them. By the same token I’m here writing because I do feel bad about what I did.
In the last few days one of the parents at my daughter’s school was sending out emails in an attempt to collect money to purchase gifts for the theater teachers who went above and beyond this year with hard work and dedication to give our kids the best experience possible. One of the parents decided to hit “reply to all” and began to publically scathe the parent who was trying to collect on behalf of the teachers. No one was demanding we contribute, but that is how this one defensive and emotionally volatile parent interpreted the email. I was taken aback by her anger but also remained quiet as I did not want to be pulled into what was quickly turning into a confrontation. The receiving parent of the scathing email (while we all watched) apologized for offending anyone and tried to clarify her intent with the original email. That seemed to add fuel to the fire and the reaction to the apology was an even more intense verbal assault on the perpetrator. That is when I stepped in because it is my tendency to always defend the underdog in this type of situation. So in the best calm voice I could muster (through email) I communicated that this parent’s hostility was totally uncalled for and went on to thank the original parent for her efforts in collecting funds because her heart was in the right place. I also asked to be removed from the mailing list.
The reason I asked to be removed from the mailing list is because I know myself too well. I was raised in an Italian/Sicilian home (which translates to an “angry” environment), and no amount of spiritual knowledge, training, and growth has completely obliterated my ability to be argumentative and hot-tempered at times. There are certain buttons, when pushed, cause me to go to that place of no return just like everybody else. Unfortunately I was not removed from the mailing list, the confrontation continued, and it got uglier by the minute as another parent involved herself as well. What I should have done was just deleted the emails as they came in and not responded, but the dialogue started to involve my 14-year old daughter and that is when my protect-my-kid-at-all-cost button was pushed and I lost it.
So there you have it. A humble acknowledgement and of my error in judgment and an apology for not doing what I teach others to do, which is to take the high road. Although venom feels great when it leaves your lips, the after-effects in ones heart once the anger has passed is extremely uncomfortable. As I finish up eating the crow on my plate I will leave you with this:
“He who angers you…conquers you.” ~ Elizabeth Kenny
New Martial Arts Film Legend of Black Lotus Shuns Typical Hollywood Stereotypes
The following was not written by me, but I feel it is important enough to post on my website.
The article was written by Cathy Crenshaw Doheny and was posted on www.asianfortune.com. The film, Legend of Black Lotus was written by my dear friend Angelo Bell.
Legend of Black Lotus, an epic fantasy martial-arts project written in the spirit of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Gladiator, will begin filming this summer. Set in a fantasy kingdom in ancient China, the story serves as a re-imagining of the classic Mulan fairytale.
“It’s about a child who is born because of the supernatural powers of an enchanted forest, and with the specific purpose of reuniting a divided kingdom,” says Angelo Bell, the genius behind Legend of Black Lotus and veteran independent film maker who has written, directed and/or produced 14 films since 2002.
“Legend of Black Lotus came from a story by my good friend, Nicole Sessions. Nicole is an actress and worked on two of my previous films. She had an idea for a script, and we met over lunch to discuss it. I had no idea her story would be so grand…so epic! I gave her notes, and we drafted a 10-page treatment. Then it was up to me to write the script. It took two years before I had a chance to start, but when I did, the experience was a writer’s dream.”
The project will begin in July with a short film that will be used to show potential investors the look and feel of the proposed $4 million feature film. First, however, Bell must raise $9,500 to make the short film. For this, he is utilizing fan funding, also known as crowdfunding, a way for fans to support films they care about early in the production process.
Fans may donate to the project in denominations as low as $1 and, in turn, receive a variety of perks, which include anything from a “Special Thanks” in the film and acknowledgment in an online “Thank you” by the cast (in exchange for any donation greater than $1) to an All-Access Pass during production, 2-Day Private Script Consultation with writer/director including lunch and dinner; and a visit to Disneyland with up to four kids and Bell & his family (in exchange for donations over $2,500.)
Asians and Asian Americans may be particularly interested in supporting Legend of Black Lotusbecause it shuns typical Hollywood stereotypes.
“Over ninety percent of the on-screen cast will be of Asian descent,” says Bell. “In my research it was hard to find another American-made film with similar demographics, other than The Joy Luck Club. I’m still in the process of casting, but I have already hired two young girls to play the role of sisters in the film. It’s interesting that I imagined finding child actors would be extremely difficult, but it was simpler than I thought. Julia Kubo and Jade Doheny have been hired to play the roles of Daiyu and Mingzhu. Clint Jung and Victor Chi have been hired to play feuding emperors. Anne Lee Mako joins the cast as the Spirit Wife and voice of the magic forest. Other actors are yet to come.”
Movie goers of Asian descent may also find the visual concepts of the project appealing.
“It’s important to note that Legend of Black Lotus is the short film I’m producing to illustrate the look and feel of the feature film version, which will be grander in every way. In the short film, we’re using a hybrid costuming process incorporating the best of Chinese, Japanese and medieval England wardrobes. This wardrobe fusion includes cheongsams, kimonos, embroidered cloaks and capes” says Bell. “For fight sequences I’m focusing on two styles, Wing Chun and Wushu. Wing Chun is an up-close fighting technique, while Wushu is cinematically elegant. There is a dance in the film, and it will adhere to traditional Chinese Ribbon Dance choreography. Ultimately, I hope to shoot the feature film in Hong Kong or China.”
Bell is also anxious to launch this project because of the rich history it will share with others like it within the genre.
“The impact of Asian cinema has always influenced Hollywood. I grew up in New York, and, as a child, I traveled to Times Square to see Shaw Bro’s films. Some of Clint Eastwood’s best work is based on American interpretation of Asian Classics. One of my favorite films, The Magnificent Seven, is the American adaptation of Akiro Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. Martin Scorcese directed the award-winning film, The Departed, but even it was based on the brilliant work in the Hong Kong series, Infernal Affairs.”
With an impressive list of credits already to his name, fans can rest assured that Bell will complete his latest and most ambitious project with equal success.
“Two films I produced won ‘Best-in-Fest’ awards. My short film, Renounced, won ‘Best-Director’ and also made it’s way to the top 100 finalists for Steven Spielberg’s reality show, On The Lot. My feature, Broken Hearts Club, starring Maya Gilbert, played at film festivals worldwide, aired on AMGTV and will be televised in Europe and Africa this year. I’m currently in post-production for Resurrection of Serious Rogers, a neo-noir action thriller starring Cooper Harris,” says Bell.
“When fans support a film they also support the director, and my previous works illustrate how committed I am to storytelling. I hope fans of the film visit the campaign athttp://www.indiegogo.com/blacklotus and show their support.”
If you haven’t already done so, please use the link above to make a small (or large) donation to Angelo Bell’s film. I was fortunate enough to read the entire script early in the process and I can tell you not only is this an important piece of work, it’s an awesome story that I can’t wait to watch on the big screen!
