YO (Love is a Rebellious Bird)

To our GlobalGiving Supporters,

This winter has been like no other. I’ve considered the merits of closing my eyes and holding my breath ‘till it’s over, but it’s going on a bit long for that. So instead I’m breathing in and out and writing to you lovely people -- which is making me feel better already. Thank you all for the support on this project and for taking the time to read this update. In truth, it hasn’t been all bad. For all the difficult things the pandemic has brought, it has shattered habitual patterns, opened up new ways of thinking, and shown us the importance of staying connected to the people we love. 

Yo’s semi-deconstructed house has taken up a central position in our workspace and continues to act as a spiritual touchstone. Our studio days are a mix of art-making, set building and production. In the studio, I started to collage my way through creative blocks. We put Yo’s house up on wheels which opened up a multi-dimensional way to interact with it. Banker tucked a shop pencil behind his ear and built the next set of pieces to film with, including the church from Yo's story about her childhood in Chiasso, Switzerland. 

On the editorial side of things, Banker just edited a scene recently shot scene called "I put myself through changes”.  It is a story Yo tells about the early 1970’s, when her path to find herself began to take it’s toll. On a journey accelerated by the influence of the counterculture movement, she could no longer live the life she found herself in. She drifted away from her husband and, before long, her children were taken away.  With that final tether cut, she wandered to the brink of insanity. Somehow, from that precipice, was she able to rebuild her life.  

For this re-creation, I play Yo at my current age. At this point, (in the film and in life), I'm is learning things from Yo that I was not ready to understand when I was younger and Yo was still alive. We look forward to sharing this and other clips form the film soon.

Stay Safe, take care, with gratitude

Anna and Banker

As we approach this change in seasons we find ourselves reflecting on the changes in our individual lives, communities, and the planet itself.  On every level, things seem to be in unprecedented flux.  Something about the difficulty of these times allows a heightened sense of appreciation for the personal and community connections that we have.  On that note, we want to give a BIG thank you to the Sundance DFP, the NEA, Center for Cultural Innovation, the Flieshhacker Foundation, the Family Caregiver Alliance, The Creative Work Fund, and the individual donors who have made a special effort to support us through these uncertain times.  

And now for an update!  We have been deep in the editorial process for Heaven Through the Backdoor and are preparing for our next round of shooting.  This time we embark on a series of shoots with the puppet in the great outdoors on the eastern seaboard. We look forward to capturing the changing leaves and the dramatic shifts of autumn.  With eyes wide open we now move into an uncertain future.

Best,

Anna, and Banker