27 May 2011
As a mother I remember well the long wait from the time we discovered that we were expecting to that magical day when our angel decided it was time to come into the world. There was so much anticipation surrounding the birth; excitement mingled with fear then added to by every other emotion in between, that when ‘D’ day (I guess I should say ‘B’ day) finally came it was hard to know exactly what I was feeling. From the day we decided to take on the task of producing this film the emotions have been as varied as those experienced while awaiting the birth of my own daughter. Could we do this? How would we make it work? How amazing was this opportunity? Could it get any more exciting? What joys awaited us in the future and could we possibly have any more fun in the moment than we were already having? The intensity of the feelings throughout this adventure have produced an ongoing sense of wonder for the team; none more so than that magic moment yesterday when we realized we were in the final stages and ready to give birth; yes my friends the strength family is in labour.
In laymen’s terms that means we are editing, even as I write this the team in Germany is laying out the footage and beginning to meld together two years of blood, sweat and tears into a dream come true. A long awaited moment, not just for the team but for those who have stuck by our side for the long wait. As our extended family I imagine it has taken much patience and dedication on your part to continue to follow our crew as we explored our own inner strength and fought the good fight to keep the film alive. It has taken the love and nourishment from so many out there to keep this project on track that it could possibly take a month for me just to write them all down but you do know who you are so we would like to take this chance to again say thank you for your support.
For those of you who know our work well, the use of the metaphor above will be no surprise; many of you are well aware that this project has for many of the team been our baby. Right from the start it has been built out of a combination of good will, donated time and energy and a great deal of love and passion for the children and for the work. For those of you who are new to the work we can offer up the promise that when the film is finished you will see with your own eyes why we are so driven to not only give birth to this amazing show of strength but to raise her up to be an example of what can be accomplished when you truly believe in the gifts that life has given you.
Of course there are often hidden behind the scenes adventures that the audience who watch the film may not get the chance to see so over the next few weeks we will be posting some blogs about some of the interesting and unique encounters that we have had during the making of the film to give you an inside look into the people who were involved and a glimpse into the heart of the team. We were lucky enough to witness miraculous things in the making of this film and to share our time with some incredible people and it is now time with our baby now on its way to share some of those stories with you.
Although we have had some quiet moments it was the moments when things were in full swing that left a lasting impression on those involved and it is those magical moments that have driven the team ever on ward in our quest to bring to you our vision of STRENGTH.
Again we thank you for your continued support and are as always looking forward to exploring further the social issues presented by the film and highlighting the incredible individuals who are the solution.
Here’s to many more months of sharing and exploring,
With love…
The Strength Family
*Update March 2015 – There have been some incredible highs and some heart-wrenching lows but as I write this we are preparing to launch our new website and release our first official teaser – originally the film was called Strength but since it’s brief hiatus from 2012-2015 we have been blessed to not only obtain new support but to be able to return to the Philippines and expand on the story. Now named Beyond Strength in recognition of how far the story has grown beyond our original vision, we are excited to announce that we have just recently viewed our rough cut and are now working with both our composer and our animator to create a film worthy of the story we have been entrusted to tell.*
Niki Norlock – producer/writer Beyond Strength
