What was different about this discussion, though, was that three of the candidates (riding of Carleton-Mississipi Mills) in Ontario’s provincial election attended, spoke and made themselves available for what turned into more than an hour-long discussion. [too bad the Progressive Conservative candidate declined, something that has become a pattern, especially when it comes to discussions on sustainable energy - but that's another topic.] It was great to see that Powerful was having just the effect/impact which motivated me to make the film in the first place: getting people thinking, debating and asking questions of our politicians and decision-makers.

However, a second big moment of the night was the fact that one of the candidates was hearing-impaired (“deaf”, in his words) and had an assistant who was “signing” so that he could follow the conversation and respond. At the end of the evening, he asked me if a “captioned” version of the film was available. I replied that no, owing to the costs of doing this I had neither produced a captioned version nor a French subtitled option when I produced the first version of the DVD. For my first film Be the Change (2008), I had incurred the additional $5000 or so expense of doing this upfront, thanks to having sufficient funds. In this case, I opted not to, but had every intention of “getting to it” in the future. Well, now here I am in the midst of getting the French subtitling done in time for a November 25th event that requires it. But, still no captioned version.

This candidate made the very helpful suggestion that I could/should prepare a copy of the transcript (with accompanying time codes), so that a hearing-impaired viewer could refer to this transcript before, during or after. As an interim measure, this is a great idea. Not as good as a true close captioned version, but a good start. So, for anyone who may desire such a transcript, please email me with this request at david[at]livinglightly.ca.  I will post this as an option on the Powerful page on this website, but that may take me a little while. And yes, I will aim to get that true captioned version done soon. Financial contributions towards this and/or the French versions are always welcome!

Cheers,

David

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

Patience is a virtue, I know, but I am feeling somewhat impatient to share Powerful as widely as possible. The message needs to be heard, as the oil gushes into the Gulf of Mexico, the air conditioners get cranked up again this summer, and the opposition to wind turbines grows.

***

Some feedback on Powerful: Energy for Everyone, a David Chernushenko film:

Congratulations on a fine piece of work.

Jane & Francois

The film is fantastic and it was great to see such an engaged audience come out to see it.

Heidi L.

I was one of the few privileged to view your preview screening for Powerful: Energy for Everyone and I just wanted to let you know that I thought your movie was EXCELLENT. It was inspiring and motivating. It has really made me reconsider how I’m living my life. Changes MUST be made.

John A.

It was a very inspiring movie, and I am certain it will add much to the current debate on renewable energy. Especially the sentence: “Politics is fundamentally flawed”. Let’s work to change that!

A Canadian Member of Parliament

Congratulations!!! The photography was terrific. Good luck going forward.

Peter L.

Congrats, that was a hugely successful event. The buzz afterwards was loud and ‘empowering’. Your film moved me. Thank you.

David C.

Congratulations on your production. It was amazing and well done – everyone was impressed.

Eric G.

Congratulations on the new film!  It is an intelligent and artful look at where we are, and the very positive message is excellent. It was nice of you to acknowledge the people in the film last night, I am delighted to be part of the message.

Steve L., professor of energy technology, Kingston

Out of 5, the film is a 5 stars  It was excellent for the following reasons:

* it’s totally upbeat!

* it’s fun and at times funky!!

* it’s focus is on the young which, in my opinion, is vitally important.

Congratulations!  Great work.

Denise R.

I found your movie very well done; keeps the attention throughout; quite an achievement for that type of movie.

Carol K

Félicitations David, à toi et ton équipe, pour ce film qui suggère des solutions et nous outille face aux défis d’effectuer des changements. On peut constater que tu as fait énormément de recherche pour mettre en valeur énormément de différents exemples de projets qui font partie de ces solutions.

Bravo donc!

Claire F.

I had no idea that you and your team had travelled so extensively to gather so much information from around the world.The story line of the film held together very well, and it flowed smoothly from location to location, embracing many renewable technologies along the way.

Great job and good luck with the festivals.

Doug R.

Really inspiring. A lovely display of what is possible and a solid reminder that us sustainable-minded folks can really do anything we set our hearts+minds to. It is an excellent film.

Barbara M.

Your film was fantastic – motivational, entertaining, honest, educational, ….Congratulations!  I’m so glad I went!

Joan H.

I really enjoyed the film and I especially appreciated your focus on the importance of community-owned green power.  I think that the community approach is the only thing that will work to get public buy-in on green energy projects.  Excellent work and I wish you lots of success with it.

Sabrina B.

Bravo many times over, for the new film!  From the opening frames I could tell it was going to be something special.

Andrea P.

Congratulations on a wonderful &  knowledgeable movie. You’ve delivered an incredible and well rounded view of the issue at hand.

Natalia S.

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.

It is easy for us, the people who have never known a life without easy access to cheap energy, to forget that as many as two billion people do not. Energy choices for many are limited and hard to come by. In many rural villages in Africa, South America and elsewhere, the only source of light is a burnable fuel like kerosene which can be scarce, expensive and polluting or batteries which are hard to come by and must be regularly replaced. Enter D-Rev — the design revolution entrepreneurs. Greg Lee and Amanda Gonzalez are two young entrepreneurs with engineering training and a social mission. They have developed a “solar concentrator” that generates electricity from the sun, using an elegant design and inexpensive materials. It has the potential to change lives, and even save lives.

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.

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.

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 town of Almonte (part of the municipality of Mississippi Mills, Ontario) was in the process of rebuilding its “run of river” hydro generating facility to generate even more “green power”. The municipally-owned utility company will not only be generating renewable energy, but earning a return for the shareholder (the local citizens). At the same time, the town is in the middle of a locally-driven economic revival – one that is more diversified than ever, and which is driven by local entrepreneurs who care as much about the community as they do about making profit.

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.