Anandanagar, India
Path of Awakening and Benevolence
Since February of 2022 I have been immersed in an ambitious endeavor to document examples of a philosophy called “Neohumanism” in locations around the world.
Developed by the philosopher, social reformer and spiritual teacher Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, Neohumanism proposes an inclusive unified worldview that extends humanist values beyond just human beings to include love and care for animals, plants and the entire cosmos. As of March 2024 I have documented 13 projects ranging from a domestic animal sanctuary outside of Portland Oregon, to the delivery of food and shelter materials to refugees fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar, and from a holistic preschool in the mountains of North Carolina, to an emergency psychologist doing trauma relief work in the war zone of Kharkiv Ukraine.
Pristine Waters
“Pristine Waters” is a film that I completed in January 2021 about a rare and beautiful area of wild mountain stream, waterfalls and mature forest in Southern Oregon called Pipe Fork that the citizens of Josephine County have been striving since 2020 to preserve.
Initially my intent was to simply provide some nice landscape footage to a local organization called the Williams Community Forest Project for their campaign to preserve Pipe Fork from the threat of clearcut logging. However, after my first hike into the pristine stream's wild and narrow canyon, I felt called to create a short and lyrical documentary film for the campaign. My goal was to help others vividly experience the rare beauty of this place and to witness the natural wonders that would be lost if the area was logged.
This was my first time using a camera drone in my filmmaking. Being able to gather smooth and lyrical imagery from hundreds of feet above the forest to just inches over the water was aa artistically empowering revelation.