YO (Love is a Rebellious Bird)

Hello to our Global Giving Community,

Our time in the Headlands Center for the Arts this Fall has been magical. Banker and I have been Artists-in-Residence, working on our documentary / installation project Heaven Through the Backdoor since early September. The project is a multiplatform portrait of our good friend Yo who passed in 2013 at the age of 88. Our process blends intimate documentary footage with cinematic interpretations to explore the emotional complexities surrounding the death of those closest to you and facing one’s own mortality. During the residency we are building a 1/3 scale model of Yo's house and other art objects and diorama's inspired by stories she tells. We are proud to be partnering with the Family Caregiver Alliance to bring a diverse audience to engage in important conversations around aging, caregiving, the dying process and grief. 

Sunday, October 20th was the Headlands Center for the Arts’ Open House and this past Sunday we had a reception for our work in PROJECT SPACE. 

Across those two events, more than 600 people came through the studio, interacted with the house we have built, watched media and participated in a Remembrance ritual, sharing offerings to their loved ones who have passed. It was very affirming for us to observe and talk to many people of so many different ages and backgrounds, interacting with the material and offering beautiful insights about dying and grief. Banker and I are still in a bit of a daze recovering from it all, filled up with inspiration and new ideas and are so excited to dive back into the project. We still have some precious time at the Headlands and will begin to film in the sets we have built. We are feeling filled up with. Below are a few pictures from the day.  

With Grattitude,

Anna & Banker