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Jason Penarelli PRODUCER
After five years of working in Hollywood, I became disillusioned and frustrated with the poor quality of stories being told. I could not stand to work any longer in a system that dedicates so many resources in such vast quantities –time, money, work hours, etc. –to create content which serves only to distract, mislead, placate, and anesthetize audiences. I am passionate about making this film because I feel that media creators have a huge responsibility which they are not, for the most part, living up to. The media, in all of its forms, has great power. With great power comes great responsibility. The turning point in my life as a film maker came after working extremely long and difficult hours for days on end on a mindless and ridiculous reality dating show for children. I decided that I needed to find a new direction if I was to continue to follow my dream of being a film maker. Right then and there, I wrote a goal for my professional life: to find a way to use media to make the world a better place. I wanted to feel like I was doing something beneficial for the world. I knew I wanted to do an overseas volunteer experience. So all of these things combined led me to the United States Peace Corps. As a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, I was placed in an orphanage in a small village in the former communist block country of Bulgaria. Living and working for two years in the orphanage, I became part of the lives of the children and they became a part of mine. This was made clear to me by my friend, co producer, and fellow volunteer, Susan Chestnut when she pointed out that in the beginning of my service I referred to “the children” and towards the end I began to refer to them as “my children.” One story that I feel illustrates for me the extent of my impact on their lives is the story of Petio. Petio, though 13 years old, had the emotional maturity of a ten year old. He was a member of the children’s rock and roll group I created. In the beginning, his behavioral problems, including being socially withdrawn almost overpowered his desire to be a contributing member of the band. During the year that the band was together, Petio became more focused, disciplined, and confident, ending up being the lead singer of the band. In fact, he was feeling confident enough about himself that he was able to perform live in front of 200 people. The day that Petio left the orphanage to attend high school in another town, a staff member came to me and thanked me for working with him, helping him to realize his worth, and to become a young man. I realized that in sharing my passion for the American culture, particularly Rock and Roll, with my kids, I was able to inspire, improve self esteem, and hopefully change their lives for the better. I joined the U. S. Peace Corps expecting to be digging ditches and building bridges in the middle of nowhere. Instead what I got was 40 hours a week of teaching English, computers, and music classes. Also, I did not expect to have such an emotional connection with my children. I also came away with a new friend and partner, production company, and goal as a film maker. I gained a new empathy for people living in countries that are not their own who have to speak a foreign language, adapt to a new culture, and to make a life in a foreign land. |
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