HollyShorts - Present Moment
Present Moment is a celebration of living life well, despite whatever health challenges one might face: our protagonist's wisdom, honesty and courage inspires the viewer while reminding them of their own innate resiliency.
Interview with Aimie Vallat | Co-Director, Producer & Writer
Watch Present Moment here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made Present Moment as an act of love for my father Gary. The film centers around his experience living with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
I always knew I wanted to share his story but it took me seven years to be ready to make the film. It wasn’t until I spent five years working on a film series about thriving communities, that I realized I could tell Gary’s story through that lens of thriving, rather than the difficulties of living with PD. By showing Gary in his strength, I came to a radical new perspective; where I once saw only physical loss in my father, I could now see his full, vital self. That was a really important element of making the film, and one I’m very grateful for.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you want to be reminded of the human capacity to overcome adversity, then watch this film.
Present Moment is uplifting and tender while also challenging our perspective on disease and illness. It captures something incredibly universal - how can we all live our best life, given what we have?
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The role of resiliency and acceptance feature strongly in Present Moment, and I think nearly everyone can relate to wanting more of those elements in their life. There’s a quote in the film, “My practice has been oriented towards accepting things as they are”, and I think that is a powerful reminder we can all learn from and strive towards.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
My business partner Noah and I fit this project in between other paid production work, so we had limited time to get it done. We shot Present Moment over 4 days and had a rough cut in 5 weeks. The only element that really shifted was that the initial rough cut had a lot more elements that showed Gary’s struggle living with Parkinson’s and frankly it was just too painful to watch. So we recut it and kept true to my original vision; creating a portrait of Gary that was uplifting and positive.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
When I finished Present Moment I watched it with my father - he turned to me and said, ‘you captured my true essence’. That remains the best feedback I could ever ask for.
We’ve been an Official Selection for 10 film festivals in the USA, UK, Croatia, and South Africa and have won three awards. I also have a contract with our local PBS affiliate in Seattle, KCTS9, to show Present Moment in their REEL NW Filmmaker Series over the next two years.
We’ve been really encouraged by all the positive feedback that continues to flow in from such a broad range of audiences; families living with PD, film festival staff, healthcare professionals, teacher’s, filmmakers, and many more. Given that my initial intention wasn’t the festival circuit or being on PBS, but rather to make something that celebrated my father’s life, I’ve been beyond grateful that it has been so well received.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I have been really intrigued by how many different audiences relate to Present Moment. The film doesn’t just appeal to PD patients or their families but has a message a lot of people can relate to. We’ve had people share that they feel less alone in their own struggles after watching it, or they are seeing age and disease in a different way. All that feedback has really surprised me, and has been very encouraging for my father to hear.
Lastly, this was my debut documentary, self-financed and with a tiny crew. I’ve been so honored to hear from other filmmakers and festival organizers that they’ve really enjoyed the film’s quality, strong story and how inspiring it leaves the viewer. This is such an important reminder to any filmmaker; it isn’t always about having a lot of money or a big crew, its about finding a story you believe in enough to share with the world.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’d be grateful if Present Moment could reach new audiences through We Are Moving Stories. If it also connects me to a wider community of fellow filmmakers and others in the film community, then that would be awesome.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Any opportunity to continue to share Present Moment is very welcome. I think a positive message in the world is needed right now and for that reason alone, I’d love to see it offered to even more audiences.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
If the film can continue to illicit a new way of looking at our perception of aging or illness, then that feels like a small victory.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do you feel resilient in your life?
Would you like to add anything else?
I am so grateful to my father Gary for sharing his story. Little did we know what we were embarking on when we made this film together. We are very appreciative of everyone who continues to champion Present Moment.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m still heavily promoting Present Moment, going to festivals and giving lectures but in between I’m working on an idea for my next short film which centers around the refugee experience in America.
Interview: August 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Present Moment
Present Moment is a celebration of living life well, despite whatever health challenges one might face: our protagonist's wisdom, honesty and courage inspires the viewer while reminding them of their own innate resiliency.
Length: 8:05
Director: Aimie Vallat & Noah Dassel
Producer: Aimie Vallat
Writer: Aimie Vallat
About the writer, director and producer:
Aimie Vallat | Co-Director, Producer & Writer
Aimie has worked for 25 years as a change agent in both the non-profit and documentary film sectors, telling powerful stories of change.
Noah Dassel | Co-Director
Noah is a filmmaker with work focused on social justice, education, and healthy communities. He is currently working toward a degree as a Nurse Practitioner.
Key cast: Gary Vallat & Rubye Vallat
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Film festival directors & journalists, and anyone else interested in promoting Present Moment.
Funders: Self-funded
Made in association with:
Present Moment is a project of my production company, Reel Witness.
Release date: April 2015
Where can I watch it in the next month?
HollyShorts Film Festival | Hollywood, CA | August 15, 2016
Star Film Festival | Sisak, Croatia | September 1, 2016
Columbia Gorge International Film Festival | Big Bear, CA | September 20, 2016
KCTS Channel 9 | ReelNW Film Series | Online until 2018