Happy Interdependence Day...

[Alex]

Just got to thinking that in the United States we are constantly bombarded with marketing messages that tout our "freedoms", our "independence", our "individuality".

And yet, it is our complete DEPENDENCE, or INTERDEPENDENCE, with each other, that gives us a strong economy and the "freedom" to pursue our ideas and our passions.

I believe filmmaking is a celebration of our interdependence.

Marketeers cannot help being what they are. Trying to show strength from interdependence is a message that doesn't "sell".

In our country, the bean counters only know how to count beans. (and even that has now come into question!) As a result, bean counters only know how to get more beans. The taste of the beans never comes into question!

When the bean counters told Al Gore that to win the Presidency he would have to win Florida, Mr. Gore responded, and spent as much time as possible in Florida during the final week of the campaign.

What failed to get noticed by Mr. Gore was that next to Florida were two smaller states that were against him. Both of these states represented the birth state of the standing president, Mr. Clinton, and of Mr Gore himself.

Al Gore forget the message of interdependence.

Instead of making a "last stand" in his own home state, and staying there until he had convinced the people of Tenessee to vote for him, he followed the advice of the digital bean counters, and lost a harrowingly close election.

But Mr. Gore lost more than the election, you see, he lost both of those small states. As it turned out, if Mr. Gore had won the small state of Tenessesee, he would have won the presidency. By not acknowledging his own interdependence to his own roots, Mr. Gore lost.

As a result of the constant message bombing in the U.S., we are slowly losing the real root cause that creates our independence, individuality, and freedom, and that is our interdependence.

Happy Interdependence Day!

Long Live Film.

[Alex]

9-11 for me was was a sad realization that the only wake-up call the U.S. was capable of acknowledging was encased in barbaric violence.

The meaning of 9-11 varies from person to person and from country to country. Perhaps only the passage of time can make diverse interpretations of 9-11 meld into a common global purpose.

I hope the U.S. will no longer tolerate electing presidents that directly receive campaign contributions from corporations they are supposed to watch over and inspire.

Since many U.S. corporations rely on foreign resources to run their companies, the President's office should challenge our corporations to do great work on a global level rather than cheerleading our corporations only for America's Good.

I will never forget the man and woman holding hands as they jumped from the World Trade Center to their death. I cannot begin to fathom a situation where I had no choice in my actions, yet still have the presence of mind to hold another's hand as we lept to our deaths.

I would also not wish that moment on anyone on the planet.