Kudos for Kristof!

We are very excited that our ally and panelist on A POWERFUL NOISE Live, Nicholas Kristof, is shaking the tree and making lots of noise about the empowerment of women and girls around the world. Thanks to Mr. Kristof, this Sunday’s New York Times magazine is dedicated to international women’s issues. The magazine’s premiere article, The Woman’s Crusade, also mentions our main A POWERFUL NOISE partner CARE in the second paragraph. This will certainly go a long way in placing women’s issues and CARE’s great work at the center of a national dialogue. The catalyst for this issue is Kristof’s upcoming book, Half the Sky, which will be released September 8th. The book is an inspiring call-to-arms against the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. I encourage everyone to check out this extraordinary issue of the New York Times magazine and to purchase your copy of Half the Sky. Both will challenge and motivate you to make a real difference in the lives of women and girls everywhere.

Film Affects Social Issues?

It is an interesting question and one that I may have answered too idealistically in the past. From the very beginning, I felt Scott's idea was visionary and risky. Both have proven to be the case. Audiences are genuinely enthused, entertained, informed and inspired at our screenings. People bombard Scott, Sheila, and myself after the screening, take our card, and promise to be in touch with their ideas on helping to make a difference. This is where life sets in and very little action happens. I must admit, I have been this person in the past and it angers me. I would say we have gotten 10-15% of realistic action from viewers at this point. Some gains have been significant, but at the end of the day, they are wildly inconsistent.

So is the film "A Powerful Noise" making a difference? In the end, I think it will happen. We have several private screenings being planned by viewers to increase meaningful awareness politically and financially. In terms of distribution, there are champions for this film out there and we are reaching them one by one. But without a higher profile deal in place, we lack the ability to affect a serious number of people. Having a feature length film opens many doors for telling these stories that did not exist in the past, but it is also an additional barrier for entry onto mainstream broadcast channels. In my heart, this is the best film we could have made and it is the right length to absorb the complexity of character and their situation. And in my heart, I see it having a huge impact by the time its life cycle is over and carriage on a major network.

Fans Inspired By The Power of Women

Silverdocs has become the preeminent doc fest in the US with its beautiful 400 seat refurbished art-deco theater as a centerpiece. "A Powerful Noise" was lucky enough to screen there on Friday night to a sold out house. Once again after the film fans were standing in appreciation of the work from the women in the film and others around the world. It is inspiring to see the film emotionally affect so many people.

Ms. Hanh from Vietnam was in attendance for a panel discussion after the film. She was overwhelmed by people's reaction to her story and was inspired that her work resonated with American crowds. Prior to the screening, she was able to speak at the American Psychological Association and discuss the mental anguish of living with HIV/AIDS. Our translator from the film, Chi Mai, said the room of professionals were in tears as she spoke. She was also able to share her story at the CARE National Conference where volunteer participants from around the country visit political leaders from their states to push legislation to help women around the world. I think the message to Capitol Hill was a little more urgent after meeting Ms. Hanh face-to-face. It is amazing how big of heart and tenacity of will Ms. Hanh has to face the stigma of living with the virus in Vietnam and tackle it head on to stop discrimination.

After the screening, I met Amy Kelly, owner of Trinity Health Clubs near Dulles Airport. She was inspired to be a part of our grassroots effort and host a screening fundraiser at her club in the fall. It is this type of activism we are hoping to drive as our film gains festival buzz and reaches out into the mainstream. Amy wrote me a long email about how the film changed her outlook on life and inspired her to make a difference beyond what she is doing for cancer patients at her health club. And she summed up the meaning of the film so perfectly:

"I have seen other films about the struggles of women in other countries, but never one that combined the loss, the strength, the hope and the ENTREPRENEURSHIP of women in such dire circumstances."

This is what I hope more and more audiences begin to realize as they experience "A Powerful Noise" and join the women's empowerment movement to solve global poverty.

Tribeca Kicks Into Full Gear

Today was a day to finally get a chance to meet the films and filmmakers at the festival. I started the morning at 9 AM catching a screening of the Golden Bear-winning film, Elite Squad, from Brazil. It takes a controversial look at the tactics of the police against the poor of Brazil's favelas. Compelling in so many ways, the opening 5 minutes of the film grabs you and never lets go. Afterwards, I worked hard to get the word out about the approaching "A Powerful Noise" premiere to industry folks. We got some interest from some of our targeted festivals and a couple of cable channels, so we hope this leads to great things in creating buzz and awareness for women's empowerment.

Then it was off to the the Japanese Fusion restaurant, MEGU. The food and company were wonderful. I got the opportunity to meet Vincent Coen and his wonderful wife, Bartelyne. Vincent made a short film, Heartbeats, which was a coming of age look at a young girl leaving the nest. This certainly hits home for me as a new father, and I look forward to seeing his shorts program over the weekend. It was great to discuss everyone's wonderful reception at the fest and to hear how responsive the audiences have been to the material. It was great to get an international feel for the fest as Vincent and Bartelyne came all the way from Belgium. And if you go to MEGU, please order the asparagus. :)

At 4:30 PM, we rushed the documentary feature, "This Is Not A Robbery," about JL Roundtree, the 92 year old bank robber. Wonderful execution of a film built around taped archival audio and video of JL in prison. The graphics and animation were inspired, and the interviews of people who knew JL were hysterically insightful. Everyone should get a chance to be introduced to JL's second wife/dancer, Juanita Adams. What a wild, hard to believe film.

The evening ended at the Tribeca's Producers' Reception. I got a chance to see Kristy and Dawn who made the wonderful doc feature, "Going On 13." This is a multi-layered women's story following girls growing up in the San Francisco Bay area from age 9-13. Fascinating film with a wonderful blending of these girl going through puberty and moving on to adolescence. Cannot wait to see it on a TV screen near me soon. Additionally, I learned of a short doc film, "Life For A Child," by Academy Award winner, Ed Lachman, about diabetes in Nepal. That will be a must see. And the producer's of "Have You Ever Heard About Vukovar" said their film looks at the Bosnian War through the eyes of a Croatian refugees. Seems to be many connections with "A Powerful Noise" with some of the other films in the festival.

Two days left until the premiere, and I finally saw the venue today. It is amazing! 390 seats and beautifully ornate architecture and design. It is a wonderful renovated art house theater and I cannot think of a better place to premiere a directorial debut. It is getting exciting and it is good to hear people begin to talk about our film. People at the parties were targeting our screenings, and we now have some nice articles at http://www.blackenterprises.com/ and http://www.thewashingtonpost.com/. It is starting to become "A Powerful Noise" !

Director's Statement by Tom Cappello

In 2006, producer Scott Thigpen hired me to collaborate on a film focused on empowered women making a difference in underprivileged communities around the world. We began a journey to find three women who symbolized extraordinary strength, courage and determination. Women who were making a real difference in the fight against global poverty. Beyond that, we wanted to show what marginalized women and girls can accomplish, if given the chance in the face of great odds.

Initially, as a first-time feature film director, I was excited and awed by this task. There were endless stories of women who are improving their communities and their countries. Ultimately, we found three women who compel viewers to truly empathize with their activism. Each woman has different levels of strength and selflessness that drew me in to their world during filming and continued to astound me in the edit room.

Documenting the lives of these three remarkable women is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I observed firsthand the influence of infinite humanity. Each individual story is an exceptional, startling human journey told through their eyes and in their voice. In the end, the unique perspectives of these three women combine to create an unprecedented film about the power of the human spirit and the potential women have to change the world at large. They just need our encouragement and support, and I hope you will be moved to lend your voice and energy to the solidarity of women around the world.