Make a Difference!

Artivists, a film festival promoting films that speak out on current social concerns- particularly focusing on poverty, children, and animal rights (you can learn more about the festival at their site, www.artivists.org),has selected Glue Boys for showing this year, learn more about Glue Boys at www.glueboys.com. What you'll read at the web sites is such a small part of the story. Every film has film makers, dreams, hearts longing for change and voices crying to be heard behind them. We see the celebrity images of excess and too often forget that behind every talking head is a human heart, a spirit in motion, lives, families and almost always, issues that run through the fiber of their being... Artivist hopes to acknowledge and encourage these voices. That's a good thing.

The festival would have never caught my attention- I'm not exactly their prime audience -but for the selection of Glue Boys. Philip Hamer, an exceptional human being, who just happens to be my nephew, is the man who made Glue Boys. So many of the people who've helped pay for it, labored and prayed through the process and spent time in Kenya working on it, are people I know and love. Our son John had the opportunity to work with Phil, shooting daily among the street kids of Kitale, and that's one of the many sparks that finally began our work in Kenya.

Next weekend I'm going to my first film festival to view Glue Boys. I'm excited. It's a reminder that one heart, one voice, one person can still make a difference in a world that quickly diminishes the power of one. I've seen the film plenty of times. I've held Charles and Thomas, two of the primary street children followed throughout the film in my arms. Now we have the opportunity to share with Phil, the crew of the film and their families as this good work is recognized at the heart of entertainment world, Hollywood. Good on you Phil. Way to go Kat and Dan. I couldn't be more proud of you John. Best of all, the story of street children will continue to be lifted up and we'll be forced to respond... we can make a difference- Phil is. We can.

See you in Hollywood!