Manos Sucias – My First Kickstarter Pledge
Manos Sucias – My First Kickstarter Pledge
One week before the Academy Awards, it’s a good time to ask yourself: How much money have you spent on bad movies in the past year? I know I am guilty of overspending, between the $17 3-D Hobbit viewing in New York and DVDs of films we’ll never watch again. But what if you knew that every dollar (or euro) you were spending was going to a good place?
Thinking about this is why I just made my first Kickstarter pledge for Manos Sucias, a film being produced by Márcia Nunes. You can watch the video intro here, and read details on how the writers are training staff and actors in Colombia. Here is the synopsis by writer/director Josef Wladyka:
Synopsis
A desperate fisherman and a naive kid embark on a dangerous journey trafficking drugs up the Pacific coast of Colombia. Hidden beneath the waves, they tow a narco torpedo filled with millions of dollars worth of cocaine. Together they must brave the war-torn region while navigating the growing tension between them.
Background
In February of 2010, I set out on a journey to two major port cities on the southern Pacific coast of Colombia accompanied by an NYU colleague and a close friend native to the region. We were granted special access to Malaga Naval base, where we photographed and explored narco submarines and torpedoes confiscated by the Colombian Navy. What struck me most were the realities of those ensnared by this world. Over the next two years, I returned to the homes of these individuals and listened to their tales and deeply personal accounts of how their lives remain entrenched in the drug trade.
I know, this doesn’t have a lot to do with English, but I can’t help promoting wonderful people doing excellent work.
If you don’t know Kickstarter, it’s a way to fund creative projects, often directly by their audience. It is a great way for small projects to be realized where they otherwise would never have had a chance. It’s all-or-nothing, so if Manos Sucias doesn’t reach its goal, everyone gets their money back and the film doesn’t get made.
Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested in donating something!
Caitlin Ahern 