Resources for the Filmmaker & Author
1) Great News! A Course on raising consciousness for filmmakers and storytellers coming soon. Click on Teachings in the drop-down menu for updates.
2) As Filmmakers and authors, bringing in the changes that will help heal the planet and put humanity on a better path, the first thing we need to do is raise our own awareness. The extra bonus that becoming more conscious is rewarding on so many levels in ways we can't even imagine for our own lives. We all have gifts in different departments, I want to encourage you to reflect on what you have to bring to the table. Also, how can you integrate the wisdom and information people need to know in your regular stories or in stories specifically designed to raise awareness? In the processes of sharing this knowledge you can also share the consequences of the ignorant decisions we are making or share the solution by showing conscious actions. You don't always need to make it apparent that you are making a point, it can just be a secondary action taken, such as the example with a character bringing their own mug to the coffee shop.
Below are a couple documentaries and books to get the ball rolling with raising our own consciousness. There are many others. They can be used as wonderful resources for getting ideas for the seeds of understanding you can plant into your narrative fiction films. Though the films below are documentaries, the idea is to spread awareness by integrating it into all genres therefore reaching the masses in time to create real change.
A Sampling of a Variety of Films that Contain Information to Help Raise Our Consciousness as Filmmakers
Who Framed Mary Magdalene? View the 27-minute "mixed-genre", documentary for free: https://vimeo.com/211753865
Life on Earth Documentary: Trailer
Inner World Outer World A deep and lovely film, unfortunately created through a bit of a patriarchal lens. The female spiritual leaders and teachers not highlighted. Feels like it was more out of a lack of awareness than intent, because the rest of the film is wonderful. Movie
Saving Kelli with Qigong (I did this zero budget, point & shoot video, but it talks about energy (chi) in one woman's healing journey around dementia. When we each individually heal ourselves, emotionally, physically, spiritually, we heal the planet collectively. https://vimeo.com/162919525
Fantastic Fungi Trailer
Wounded Knee (2009)
Beyond Right and Wrong: The importance of not dehumanizing people who are opposed to you. The ramifications for both parties are devastating...and finally the power of forgiveness. Trailer
The Year the Earth Changed/ David Attenborough
Kiss the Ground
Breaking Boundaries
The Biggest Little Farm
Eating Our Way to Extinction You don't need to be a vegetarian to appreciate this film and realize that at the very least we need to eat less meat for a healthier more balanced diet and for a healthier more balanced earth.
Misrepresentation
The Mask You Live In
The Hunting Ground
Don't Look Up! Highly recommend this satire on what is happening in the world
Recommended Books
Living Deeply by Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D., Cassandra Virten, Ph.D.Tina Anorok, Psy.D.
For someone beginning on the spiritual path. This is a wonderful place to start, with its easy to understand, eclectic wisdom and information shared.
Soul Power by Anne Barring & Scilla Elworthy (Don't let it's small size fool you. There is so much life-changing wisdom in this little package.)
The Dream of the Cosmos by Anne Barring (This and Soul Power are favorite books of mine). It took 20 years to write The Dream of the Cosmos and it is a book no one should miss out on reading. It will change your life, and in the process heal the world.
The Business Plan For Peace: Building a World Without War by Scilla Elworthy this book is for anyone wanting to stop feeling helpless and overwhelmed about what is going on in the world and instead apply their own personal skills to do something about it.
The Way of Liberation by Adyashanti A practical guide to spiritual awakening
Speaking with Nature by Sandra Ingerman and Llyn Roberts
Nature and the Earth are conscious. In this wonderful book, Sandra and Llyn show us how to access the spirit of nature and share transformative wisdom. An important book for filmmakers, as we would depict nature completely differently in films with this new understanding.
Keeping Slug Woman Alive: A Holistic Approach to American Indian Texts by Greg Sarris
A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Recommended Articles & Websites
Geena Davis Calls for More Women in Film: Creating the healthy balance of yin and yang the world needs, by allowing women and girls the same rights and opportunities to get their voices hear.
Club of Rome We can't solve the world's problems using the same mindset and strategies that created them in the first place.