Changing power at VIFF

October 7, 2010 | by Jeane at changingpower.net

Last night was the Vancouver International Film Festival premiere of 2 Indians Talking, an entertaining, insightful, funny, poignant film directed by my friend Sara McIntyre. It played to a packed theatre.

So what does that have to do with a blog dedicated to a changeover to clean energy breakthroughs? Well, the lead characters of 2 Indians Talking are everyday people struggling with big questions, and that I firmly believe is how the world will be changed – a significant number of individuals all over the planet deciding to stand up for an important cause. Not necessarily by confrontations, but in whatever way they can help improve conditions for their neighbors and for all living, breathing beings around them.

Even the choice of music lyrics for the film honors someone who stood up for other living beings. A song is sung about a real-life aboriginal elder, Harriet N., who put her life on the line to save a special place called Eagle Ridge from highway development. She died shortly after being released from jail, but her spirit didn’t.

In the beginning of Sara’s film, the character named Adam relied on his seemingly superior brain to get him out of poverty, and viewed his cousin as a dreamer who had given up on his own dream. Adam pointed out the difference between a dream and a goal — you figure out what actions will get you to a goal, and you proceed step by step. Meanwhile, the cousin knew more than Adam did about being in the moment and sharing from the heart. Living your life is not about garnering money.

Sara McIntyre generously took time away from her film project nearly two years ago, to help with the book launch for Breakthrough Power. I wish her success now as she launches her first feature-length film, and I have a hunch that word-of-mouth reviews and even the media will continue to praise 2 Indians Talking.