As it stands now, Andrea is moving to India next month, and the film is now 100% in my hands. One powerful lesson I’ve learned over the last few months is that it takes a tremendous amount of time to produce a documentary film – on the order of months if not years. Of these two new developments, I’ve decided to re-assess. Basically to discard any previous notions and start from the beginning.

This is more than necessary, as I was beginning to get discouraged, or at least feel overwhelmed by the complexity and enormity of the project!

Recently, I had the good fortune to meet with a professional dicumentary film editor, Kathleen Dargis. She turned me on to a book entitled “Trailer Mechanics” by Fernanda Rossi, and it is walking me through the steps to fully understand my motivations and desires for making a film. This is so important for if I’m going to dedicate the next year of my life to this project, then I better be doing it fir the right reasons, or I’ll get burned out, or worse just fail miserably!

So now I am starting to develop a concept around the values and topics that I am interested in… and then the next step will be to create a fundraisibg trailer that will demonstrate the idea to foundations and potential finders, as well ad become a tool for developing an audience for the film.

My current production schedule;

Nov-Dec -Fundraise from my immediate network while working on concept. Perhaps a few intimate evenings where I can show footage, talk about the project and get support.

Jan-Feb – Edit the trailer

March – ? apply for grants, private donors, create events. Also this will be when I will be doing additional interviews or filming to support the new film story/framework.

Stat tuned!

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

The Brain Labor Report is live every morning M thru F for 1/2 hour at 7:00 a.m. through the awesome community services of KSKQ, lpfm radio in Southern Oregon. They can be listened to each morning on the internet, via streaming radio is.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

We’ve had another epic couple of days. We have been so blessed.

Here’s some news:

1) Yesterday we interviewed Mr. Urgen Tenzin, the Executive Director
of the Tibetan Center for Human Rights And Democracy http://www.tchrd.org/

2) Today we filmed students singing and playing music at TIPA – the Tibetan Institute for Performing
Arts…

3) AND the big news is that we had an exclusive interview with Sondhum Rinpoche, the head of the Tibetan Governement in Exile! http://www.tibet.com/

The breaking news is that the Chinese Govt. as agreed to meet with the
Tibetan Parliament!

I’ve posted a bunch of photos on my flickr page:

On a more personal note – I shaved my head in solidarity:

Tom Sepe

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Things are going incredibly well. We are getting some great interviews! We just interviewed Dr. John Powers – checkout his book “History as Propaganda: Tibetan Exiles versus the People’s Republic of China”

We also interviewed Mary Gendler, who has been doing non-violent training here in India with the Tibetans for over 15 years! She was also close with the King family and involved with the March on Selma.

A few nights ago we did an audio-only interview with 6 ex-political prisoners – Tibetan Monks that had all been tortured and imprisoned by the Chinese Government. They did not want their faces to be shown for fear that the Chinese Governement will persecute their families back in occupied Tibet.

In addition we have been befriended by a wonderful couple here – Ronny and Rebecca Novick. Rebecca works for KPFK radio in Los Angeles, and Ronny does video documentary work. They have a fantastic website: http://thetibetconnection.org

Together with Ronny and Rebecca we are going to create a website “tibetin49seconds.org” where we will have a youtube video contest for people to submit their 49 second videos on the subject of Tibet. Stay tuned on that one…

I’m excited to start the editing process. We are starting to review some of our tapes while here…. its been such a whirlwind!

We are planning a couple of screenings here this week to share some of the footage from San Francisco – I think the Tibetans will get a kick out of seeing the thousands of protesters in SF as well as hearing the inspirational words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (see video below)

Anyhow that’s the update… We are still planning more interviews and some trips to some monasteries… stay tuned!

Tom

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Hello Friends!

(For further updates, I’ve set up a mailing list. Please visit this page: sepeblog.com/free-tibet/ to sign up.)

Just a quick update to let you know that I have arrived safely and without hassle in McLeod Gange, the small town above Dharamsala, India this morning!

WOW.

Hard to believe that a couple weeks ago I was asking for assitance, and now the help of my community has sent me to the heart of the Tibetan exile community. Its thrilling and unbelieveable!

Andrea and I just had a fantastic brainstorming lunch and are developing and clarifying our vision for the project.

Before leaving I was able to get some great footage of the Olympic Torch Protests in SF, as well as the Tibetan Fredom Torch Candle light Vigil where Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Richard Gere as well as many other incredible people spoke… not to mention the GG bridge action and the March To Tibet event in SF at 1015 Folsom. I’ve also already done about 10 interviews before I even got here! Its amazing how this is all unfolding! Big shoutout to Heather Hill for assisting with filming and for Caylee Sitz for rockstar support.

I’ve posted a couple things on my youtube page:

Laurel Sutherlin Speaks @ 1015
www.youtube.com/watch

Karsh Kale Interview with Wasfia Nazreen
youtube.com/watch

So again I send my thanks! YOU are all making this possible and I encourage all of you to find out more about the Tibetan’s situation, to spread the word, and to take actions of solidarity so that this non-violent movement for freedom can suceed. For the sake of the Tibetan’s and for the sake of all people who care about peace and justice.

Namaste!

Tom

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite