I am thrilled to say that I can now stand up, and let Powerful take flight!

Just last week, we signed an agreement with the Montreal-based international distributor Filmoption International. They will be representing Powerful at major television sales markets andfestivals starting with MIPCOM in Cannes in France.

We are also now editing a 52-minute version to make available for the academic and institutional markets.

So, I can hear you asking: When will I be able to see Powerful at a theatre near me, or book the film to screen, or purchase a DVD for home viewing?

Booking a screening: Contact me if you are interested in booking a screening of Powerful. We’ll send you details of costs, guidelines and considerations.

Attending a screening: As screenings of Powerful begin to take place later this fall, we’ll do our best to post the details at www.livinglightly.ca/events. Beyond that, keep your eyes and ears open for local screenings. Or better yet, tell your local cinema, university, film club, etc., that they should be arranging a screening.

Buying a DVD: We will soon be taking online pre-sale orders for Powerful on DVD using Paypal. Until we can get that set up, however, you can send a cheque for $35 (including taxes and shipping) to Living Lightly Productions, 99 Seneca Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 4X8, Canada. Delivery is currently scheduled to begin in the new year (perhaps just in time for Christmas gifts – we’ll keep you posted).

In early July I posted some additional video content that was shot during the filming of Powerful — interesting stories that did not make it into the film. Check them out under the title More Powerful at http://www.livinglightly.ca/category/videos/

As proud as I am of Powerful, there are other great new films out there. I’ll make a plug for one of them here.

I had the pleasure of hosting a screening of The Clean Bin Project in Ottawa recently. Producers Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin were in attendance — actually they brought their film by bicycle, all the way from Vancouver, BC, with dozens of screening stops on the way. The Clean Bin Project was entertaining, beautiful to watch, provocative and (that dreaded word) educational! If you get a chance to see it, do it (hello Halifax and Newfoundland, check out their schedule http://www.cleanbinmovie.com/).  Like me, they are still working out details of a future release and DVD sales, and also hoping to get into some prime festivals.

All the best as we head into autumn (or spring if you are Down Under).

David Chernushenko

Turn off or unplug any non-essential appliances whenever possible. Culprits include: modems, digital cable boxes and lamps or boomboxes with “powerpack” adapters. A rule of thumb is, “if it’s hot, it’s using/wasting electricity. Something that is generating heat for no real purpose is actually creating an even greater cooling requirement in your home. That means more air conditioning or fans just to get rid of heat that you didn’t intend to create in the first place. Do a quick walk around your home and do the “touch test”.

Try a book or magazine, rather than a computer. Have you noticed how hot your computer is? You may be saving it’s life!

Run your dishwasher after 10pm, then open it up and let it air dry rather than using an electrical heater to dry the dishes. Open your doors/windows to let out the steam and heat. We are all up late anyway.

Wash a load of laundry each night after 10pm, then hang that load out first thing in the morning. Get a drying rack for your yard, deck or balcony if you don’t have space for a clothesline. If you have a phobia about hanging out clothes, just ask yourself which is really hurting your neighbours: smog alerts and power outages, or fresh laundry flapping in the breeze?

Now if only we could order up some breeze.

David Chernushenko

Yesterday morning it was Giacomo Panico’s Monday Special Blend show on CKCU radio at Carleton University in Ottawa. This morning it was the “A-Morning” television show, and there is plenty more to come. If you like what you see and hear, please help me to spread the word.

David Chernushenko

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the making of my film Powerful: Energy for Everyone, I had the occasion to visit many communities, see interesting projects and interview passionate people of all stripes. I shot over 100 hours of video. Not all could be squeezed into a 95-minute film. This is one of the stories that I would like to have included if I had the space.

On April 7, 2010 my friend Jules de Heer passed away at the age of 53. Jules was a pioneer in a whole range of areas of eco/sustainable/green theories and practices. A trained engineer, Jules combined his rigorous attention to detail and desire for clarity with a passion for bringing human activity into harmony with natural processes and systems. He also introduced a strong aesthetic sense to whatever he was doing. To me, Jules de Heer was truly a pioneer in living lightly. His legacy will be a generation of students who studied under him, colleagues who worked with him, bid and host cities of Olympic Games that were “greened” by him, and many innovative tools for analysis and measuring performance that he shared generously with people like me.

I had the pleasure to visit with Jules and his family at their new home in Switzerland. Jules applied his passion for sustainability and precise detail in the design of this  pre-fabricated home, which meets and exceeds the Swiss “Minergie” standard.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the making of my film Powerful: Energy for Everyone, I had the occasion to visit many communities, see interesting projects and interview passionate people of all stripes. I shot over 100 hours of video. Not all could be squeezed into a 95-minute film. This is one of the stories that I would like to have included if I had the space.

The Race Rocks Ecological Reserve — just off the southern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia — is managed by Pearson College, an international high school. Students learn about marine ecology and, increasingly, about energy. The facilities at Race Rocks, where some students spend a great deal of time, require energy to run. Typically this has been provided by diesel fuel, which is expensive and dangerous to transport. The transition to renewable power is well under way, with several arrays of solar panels in place and, now, a new tidal energy turbine in place several metres below the ocean surface in fast moving tidal currents. Some students have seen their future aspirations transformed by their work at Race Rocks and their introduction to renewable energy.

This upbeat film looks at how we can make energy more democratic and democracy more energetic. Come and see how the transition to renewable energy can renew us as individuals and society.

Tuesday June 8, 7-9pm (FULL)

9:10-11pm (NEW)

Museum of Civilization, Gatineau (Hull), Quebec

Entry is by invitation. To receive one, email david[at]davidc.ca

Cost: There is no admission price. However, donations are most welcome. Cash donations will be accepted, and cards will be available for major donations (eligible for tax receipt) to the Films for Change programme administered by the Tucker House Renewal Centre.

Parking for bikes and cars is available on site. Consider carpooling, cycling or coming by bus (OC Transpo #8 and multiple STO routes)

Support for this special screening comes from Sustainable Ottawa Energy Co-operative,

and the Tucker House Renewal Centre.

We talk about energy options, the pros and cons of each, and why I came to the conclusion that renewable energy is the way to go, not just for environmental and social reasons, but for economic ones and for reasons of “security” and “autonomy” as well. Check it out and send in your comments, please.

http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=45637

My new film Powerful:Energy for Everyone is now weeks away from completion. In it, I explore all of these topics and more. I look forward to sharing it with the world.

David Chernushenko

Parts of this interview will be featured in the upcoming David Chernushenko film, Powerful: Energy for Everyone.

Parts of this interview will be featured in the upcoming David Chernushenko film, Powerful: Energy for Everyone.

Parts of this interview will be featured in the upcoming David Chernushenko film, Powerful: Energy for Everyone.