A Year of Expansion
Musings on filmmaking, farming, and the art of the unexpected.
Musings on Filmmaking, Farming, and the Art of the Unexpected
As we delve deeper into the new year, it’s a time for envisioning and reflection.
Last year, I chose the word “expansion” as my intention for the year. After a couple of restrictive pandemic years, I was ready for more travel, more movement, and, well, more expansion. For me, such growth has come through travel and telling stories about larger cultural, environmental, and international issues. Last year, I was also fortunate to spend more than six months in Europe, between France and Ireland.
The thing about true expansion, though, is that it often looks much different than what we imagine. At the start of last year, I would never have imagined that I would spend three months working on an organic farm in Ireland. Yet, I realize that that we often grow the most through the unforeseen, but more about that later.
Expansion through Travel, Teaching, and Filmmaking
A group hikes in nature as part of a workshop on regenerative agriculture in Guatemala. Image by Jessica Marcy. Guatemala, 2021.
It was indeed a year of expansion. Last May, I finished my MFA in film at American University. I also pursued more teaching. For instance, I taught young women in Mali about filmmaking as part of the YALI (Young African Leaders Initiative) Film School Fellowship, which was funded through the U.S. State Department, and taught third-graders in New Jersey about climate change and migration in Guatemala. And, then there were surprises like teaching American high school students about French artists in Paris while strolling along the lovely hilly streets of Montmartre. Such experiences were all were beautifully expansive.
I also produced meaningful independent film projects and thought-provoking client work including a video and series of podcasts about China’s growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The non-profit 32 Volcanes uses traditional farming methods to combat agricultural degradation in Guatemala. Image by Jessica Marcy. Guatemala, 2021.
A Focus on Climate Storytelling
The last couple of years, we’ve clearly seen how our planet is in distress. Increasing climate emergencies, from flooding and hurricanes to heat waves and wild fires, show how disconnected our society has become from the natural world.
Much of my recent filmmaking has focused on the environment, weaving stories of Indigenous culture, the land, and ancestors, and how they relate to current social challenges and climate change.
A group sits in meditation during a workshop at a lush farm in Guatemala. Image by Jessica Marcy. Guatemala, 2021.
As a Pulitzer Reporting Fellow, I finished a project with my fellow co-grantee Amelia Tyson about the intersection of climate change, migration, and Indigenous spirituality in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. We published an article in Harvard’s ReVista magazine and produced a short film for the Pulitzer Center. We discussed our film at the Pulitzer Center Summer Reporting Film Festival and told the story of how 32 Volcanes, a local non-profit, was using regenerative agriculture, education, and healthcare to try to stem the tide of young people risking their lives to migrate north.
Maria Luisa Lopez Gomez gets apples from a tree in her home garden in Guatemala. Image by Jessica Marcy. Guatemala, 2021.
Last year, I also released a documentary I directed called A Tree Story: Gullah / Geechee Roots and Resilience, which I co-produced with Charleston-based filmmaker Tony Bell. The film tells the story of Johns Islanders’ efforts to hold onto their land, culture, and trees amid the threat of land loss due to coastal overdevelopment and sea-level rise related to climate change in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The film premiered at the AfroSouth Film Festival, which celebrates the contributions of the African diaspora on the American South, and won best student film at the festival.
I interview Queen Quet as Tony Bell films with the Angel Oak in the distance on Johns Island. South Carolina, 2021.
Through my recent filmmaking, I’ve been drawn to stories about how nature offers us insights into ourselves, communities, and ancestors. In Guatemala, people spoke of volcanos as protective grandparents. In the Lowcountry, old live oak trees act as visual reminders of the history of slavery and emancipation, physically protecting the memory of African ancestors on the burial grounds of plantations.
Nature shows us that we are not separate, but rather inextricably tied to the natural world. We are nature.
Ireland and the Art of the Unexpected
Last year, I travelled to Ireland for the first time and fell in love with its natural beauty and rich ancient culture.
While there in August, I decided to stay to work on an organic cattle and sheep farm in County Meath, a beautiful area of abundant lakes and several sites of cultural, historical, and mythical importance. Ireland’s land is infused with mythology; its ancient stones, sacred wells, and fairy forts all hold stories.
It was unexpected – I had never worked on a farm before – but I felt called to connect to the land on a deeper level. I was also eager to learn more about regenerative agriculture and sustainability as part of larger efforts to heal the environment and our broken food system.
I primarily focused on caring for the animals, including shepherding the sheep to treat their hoofs and check for illness, and other activities like planting and harvesting. I also enjoyed simple pleasures like driving the quad along the farmer’s rolling green fields and visiting nearby sacred sites like Loughcrew Cairns, an area of passage tombs and rare megalithic art that is over 5,000 years old and older than the Egyptian pyramids.
I initially planned to stay for a month but ended up staying over three. During that time, I learned more about Ireland’s booming film industry, attended film festivals, and connected with filmmakers. It’s an exciting time for Irish cinema as evidenced in Irish films receiving the largest number of Oscar nominations ever this year and the first ever nomination for an Irish-language film, The Quiet Girl, for best international feature film.
I know that my time on an Irish farm planted in me ideas for future films and projects.
While they appear distinct, I realize that farming and filming have more in common than we might imagine. Both require us to plant seeds and hold a vision for the land we want to grow or the story we want to tell. Both are cyclical and seasonal with distinct stages of production. They are intensive endeavors that require collective team work and a community.
Planting Seeds for the Seasons Ahead
We are in a process of composting and regeneration after a couple of intense years of social change and systemic break downs.
Guiding a herd of white cows in County Meath. Image by Jessica Marcy. Ireland, 2022.
This year, I will continue filmmaking with a lens towards stories about the environment and what we can learn from our connection to ancestors and the land to heal today’s challenges. This year, I want to not only expand, but also build and create with stronger, more intentional focus. In particular, I plan to:
Get back to Europe by the start of spring for filmmaking or communications work in Ireland or France.
Grow my film and video business Lumin Productions, LLC, and consultancy work with more regular clients in the cultural, social, and environmental filmmaking space. I’m especially interested in working with foundations, businesses, government agencies, academic institutions, non-profits, and film production and social impact companies that have shared values.
Connect more with creatives, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs with big visions about the stories they’re telling and the changes they want to create.
While we’re still in winter, it’s a time to keep our dreams and plans nourished, knowing that their seeds will bear fruit in the seasons ahead. It’s also important to keep the bigger dream projects alive. For me, such dreams includes filming the temples of Egypt and producing a feature-length film focused on women.
It’s a time to ponder: What makes us feel creative, connected, inspired, empowered?
As we plan, may we take aligned action for specific goals, but also allow room for the magic of the unexpected. What I realize from this past year is that when we open to the unknown, we transform. It can seem like a risk, but it’s where we expand and grow most. Our perceptions change and, in turn, we open to new opportunities, solutions, and connections.
I’m currently in the Washington, D.C., area. I’d love to connect to work on a project, collaborate, or share ideas on filmmaking or even farming. I already believe this is a year of more meaningful togetherness… and I’m here for it. May we all expand and grow together as we build anew.
The Power of the One-Minute Branding Video
Quick branding videos can help companies and organizations distill their message in an effective and memorable way. Better yet, they can be used widely because of their short length.
Quick introductory videos can help companies and organizations distill their message in an effective and memorable way. Better yet, they can be used widely because of their short length.
Client: AVSI-USA
Year: 2021
Service: Video pre-production, scriptwriting, voice over, and post-production editing
Website: www.avsi-usa.org
The idea:
AVSI-USA recently approached me with a video idea. They wanted a one-minute video to introduce their organization to an American audience and inspire viewers to learn more.
AVSI-USA is a non-profit that works “with individuals and communities in developing countries to restore dignity and build resilience in the face of poverty and marginalization.” AVSI-USA is a member of the AVSI Foundation, which was established in Italy nearly five decades ago to work on development and humanitarian projects throughout the world.
The process:
In thinking about a video project, this is what I advise:
o Define your goal: What do you want your video to do: tell a good story, draw attention to your organization, get funds, raise awareness, or inspire people to take a specific advocacy action?
o Define your audience: Who do you want to reach?
o Define your message: What’s a single sentence or even a tagline that conveys your message? How do you want your audience to feel?
o Decide what type of video you’re making: Answers to these questions will help you decide whether to use narration, interviews, text on screen, animation, and what characters, visuals, and music can best tell your story.
o Decide on distribution: Decide on how you want to reach your audience whether that be social media, your website, or advertising.
After discussions with AVSI-USA staff, I suggested that we focus on the idea of their tagline “people for development” and highlight the people at the heart of their work. Together, we decided to spotlight two passionate and dynamic women: Maria Socorro del Rio, executive director of Crecemos in Mexico, and Rose Busingye, founder and president of Meeting Point International in Uganda. By focusing on them, we made the video character driven, captured the geographic breath of their work, and showed how they connect deeply with their communities.
Check out the final video here.
I was very pleased with Jessica Marcy’s work on our short video. What we loved about her work was the creativity and understanding of our method. Plus, Jessica’s customer service is outstanding. We felt listened to and accompanied in the process. We will definitely look for an opportunity to work with her again in the future.
-Roberta Oliviera-Alves, AVSI-USA Communications and Outreach Manager
The impact:
Distribution is critical. AVSI-USA screened the video at the New York Encounter, an annual three-day public cultural event.
AVSI-USA then featured the video on the top of their website’s homepage as a rolling video header and on their website’s “About” section with a clear call out button. They released it across their social media channels including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, making it the featured or pinned post and ensuring it will reach a wide audience.
Got an idea?
I love working on projects like this one for AVSI-USA. It aligns with my interest in international mission-driven work. On such a project, I can draw on my expertise in non-profit storytelling and my experience as a former Peace Corps volunteer. Let me know if you have an idea for a video about a person or organization doing inspiring work. Let’s create something beautiful together.
Reflections From a Year Like None Other
This year has given us more time to pause, to see more clearly, and to reflect on what we want to build anew.
In Times of Transition
Stay in the light, the wonder, the magic.
The intensity of this past year has created deep uncertainty and profound transformation for many of us. It has been a year of shedding and letting go. Many of our social systems have been breaking down in dramatic and violent ways. And, what has been suppressed, hidden, or overlooked has come clearly into light.
For me, this year has brought big shifts. I left a steady job of almost eight years, launched a film production company, and am pursuing my final thesis film for my MFA. Of course, all of this has happened during a global pandemic that has slowed film production. It’s also forced many of us to find safe, creative ways to tell stories in new ways as we shift timelines and expectations.
This year has given us time to pause, to see more clearly, and to reflect on what we want to build anew. This past year, I have learned some deep life lessons that can be applied to filmmaking and experienced lots of unexpected beauty and magic too.
Key Lessons From This Wild Year
Our attention and energy is gold
As the saying goes: where attention goes, energy flows. It’s important to disconnect from the constant cycle of news updates and social media notices and put our attention on what we really value and want to create.
I recently watched the documentary “The Social Dilemma,” which explores the dangerous human impact of social networking. In the film, tech experts describe how our online “realities” only show us certain tailored content designed to keep us connected. As we all know, such networks have also led to dangerous polarization.
This year, I’ve been more aware of where I’m placing my attention. I’ve also been tapping into more subtle energies – the inner knowing of my body, the creative impulse, an intuitive thought that guides me to a bigger project.
Connection and community is power
This past year, I’ve felt more connected to my own self, body, and nature. I’ve also been able to connect to an incredible community of creative and visionary people across the world through technology.
Being more physically isolated has shown us how truly precious community is. Now is the time to reimagine how we create community online and in person. It’s also the time to envision how we create films in partnership with communities and co-create together.
“The Social Dilemma” ends with a call to action to reimagine the role of social networking technology in our lives. Such bold visioning is critical as we strive to create new forms of community and connection while also trying to tackle pressing social issues from global health to environmental destruction, systematic racism, and economic disruption.
Nature is the greatest healer and creative force
This year, I’ve spent more time in nature and more time looking up at the night sky, noticing the orange sparkle of Mars and the increasing proximity of Jupiter and Saturn. It’s healing to marvel at the subtle celestial shifts that are always at play. It also gives incredible perspective.
Nature holds so many lessons and models. She teaches us how there is a season to everything and how connected we all are. As we reimagine the future, we would be wise to get back to the wisdom of nature.
Times of great transformation also lead to great stories.
So, what do we want to create?
As filmmakers and storytellers, we bear witness and document transformative times. But, we also show what’s possible. We envision the future.
We can use storytelling to challenge a culture of individualism and apathy. We can amplify voices and distinct perspectives, connecting people and showing our shared humanity.
Above all, this year has shown us that stories matter. I’m interested in more stories about people doing wild and noble things. I’m interested in stories about people who are making their visions a reality.
For the past nine months, we have been in the midst of massive change. So, what do we want to give birth to?
Times of great disruption and darkness inevitably lead to creative rebirths. What do we want to create in the certain renaissance that will follow the pandemic?
If you have a story you want told, contact me here.