Welcome to this short-film festival! Enjoy 3-minute profiles of inspiring people I filmed when I asked this question to a childhood friend: I want to make short films that are meaningful, helpful, and hopeful. Who would be a good candidate to interview?
There are 4 stories.
But these stories don't tell themselves. I filmed these fine folks in 2 days (and was exhausted after the last one). Then I edited the footage I'd captured. So almost everything you see and hear involved a decision I made.
That's why the accompanying behind-the-scenes videos invite you to take a peek at my process.
Here we go!
Albert Le Grand
Let's start with Albert, because in this video I've included more images of Curaçao. Plus you hear what the local language--an Afro-Portuguese Creole called Papiamentu--sounds like.
Behind-the-Scenes
Lisette Keus
Successful female entrepreneurs are great. It's even better when they're also helping protect the underwater environment in a creative way.
She's the only one in this group not born on the island of Curaçao. But Curaçao, a former Dutch colony, truly is a melting pot of cultures and has a very long history of immigration, so she might as well have been born there.
Behind-the-Scenes
Hans Pleij
Hans uses sustainable materials! Thrown-away fishing line, bamboo, and plastic bottles.
He thought about joining an international coral-reef-restoration organization, but then he changed his mind because that organization wanted its members to BUY NEW PLASTIC and put it underwater. What?!
And while there are other Curaçao organizations that remove trash from the water, some of them follow a paid model. Hans' organization follows a volunteer model.
Behind-the-Scenes
Raul de Windt
Raul was bullied as a child, but his life changed when his mother happened to walk by a karate class for kids.
He's practiced a number of martial arts and has developed his own form of karate. He's also been in movies.
Better still, he teaches women and girls self-defense and how to cultivate self-esteem. That's a beautiful thing.
Thank you to everyone who helped me, including Mom and especially Shaida!
And thank YOU for watching!
Want to buy me a coffee? You do NOT have to include your social-media information or write anything if you don't want to.