Moving Like Pond Water
Moving Like Pond Water examines the soul-altering effects of war and the restorative power of creative expression.
Moving Like Pond Water is a military term denoting slow movement, metaphorically reflects the gradual process of personal transformation and societal change.
The film participants are diverse, encompassing multi-generational, multi-cultural, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals from varied socioeconomic backgrounds including Veterans, active military members and their families, art activists, and humanities scholars. Moving Like Pond Water honors the creative healing power within each of us.
Vision
Moving Like Pond Water aims to create ripples of change by encouraging public engagement and creative projects to harness the healing power within each of us to face some of the questions of our times that often feel too overwhelming to confront alone.
Our film provides a nuanced exploration of the human experience of war, trauma, and resilience.
With the current political strife, that is not going away anytime soon, war(s) and environmental concerns, Veterans issues are lost in the fray. What is the solution to Veteran isolation? Does the solution hold key insights for society? There is a well-documented epidemic of loneliness and isolation in our culture. Today, 1 in 2 adults report experiencing isolation and loneliness, which increases the risk of premature death by nearly 30%.
Inspiration
Our film project is inspired by a collaborative art project produced by Mil-Tree Veterans Project (Mil-Tree) based in Joshua Tree, CA “Tapestries of Transformation'' in response to the Veteran community they serve.
Mil-Tree continues to grow and expand its in-person outreach and programming to serve the local veterans of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and welcomes veterans from across the US into our community through remote participation.
IDA is our Fiscal Sponsor which means your contribution will get a receipt for your tax records!
Thank You to our Seed&Spark Supporters!
Moving Like Pond Water is supported in part by a California Arts Council Creative Corps grant award!
Memberships
FILM SYNOPSIS
Is it possible to go to war and come back mentally sound? Moving Like Pond Water asks this question, among many others, through stories shared, some for the first time, by Veterans and their families.
This documentary shares the connection between art and human resilience as experienced by Veterans. Director Cheryl Bookout set out on a quest to interview U.S. Military Veterans and their family members leading with the question “So, tell me, do you have a creative activity you pursue?” Without exception the answer was always “yes.” The activities include blacksmithing, spoken word, glass sculpture, novelist, playwright, painter, muralist, ceramics, filmmaker, and more.
The primary film participants are diverse, encompassing multi-generational, multi-cultural, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals from varied socioeconomic backgrounds including Veterans and their families, artists, art activists, and humanities scholars.
The broader issue explored in the film is the ability to harness the creative power within each of us to face some of the questions of our times that often feel too overwhelming to confront alone. This film provides a nuanced exploration of the human experience of war and trauma.
Moving Like Pond Water immerses viewers in Veterans' experiences without a narrator. The film’s story unfolds using the three-act structure. Combining interviews, archival footage, animation, and photographs, the film brings stories and history to life, bridging the past, present, and visions for the future.
Fun fact: Following World War II, because of the GI Bill, Veterans redefined art schools throughout the nation, including the Art Students League of New York, the communities at Black Mountain College and the San Francisco Art Institute. Despite widespread influence, the impact of Veterans on the art world receives little consideration within American art history.
- Personal stories told in this film by Veterans, active military and their families are the people behind the national statistics. For combat veterans from both recent and past conflicts, art provides a crucial outlet to express emotions and their military experiences that are challenging to articulate verbally. Moreover, by sharing their stories through art, veterans can challenge societal perceptions of war and veterans, fostering empathy and understanding.
A FEW OF OUR ON-CAMERA INTERVIEWS
Foster Corder, Veteran & Filmmaker
On August 8th we had the privilege to have a conversation with filmmaker and U.S. Military Veteran Foster V. Corder. Foster shard with us that his military service saved his life! He joined the service on November 11, 1971 by forging his birth certificate at the age of 15 to get away from a street gang on the south side of Chicago. Foster relates that 95% of the black men who grew up in his neighborhood are either dead, incarcerated or paralyzed from gang violence. Foster decided to forge his birth certificate and join the Navy when he, his brother and five of their friends were hog tied while 20 men beat them for about four hours. He knew he needed to get away from Chicago and that was the last straw.
Foster’s interview is compelling and full of surprises as it creates a visual path that led to his career as a successful filmmaker with over 127 credits on his IMDb profile.
Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer
We did it AND it was an amazing 2 day film shoot with Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer and her lovely and talented artist wife Diane! There are no words to express the gratitude for the gracious generosity and kindness shown to our entire film crew by Colonel Cammermeyer! This has been one of the greatest highlights of our filmmaking journey and we can't wait to share the results with you!
"Serving in Silence"
Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer was the subject of the 1995 film “Serving in Silence” starring Glenn Close. The Colonel’s story is remarkable. In 1988, as part of military security clearance she disclosed she was a lesbian. By regulation, homosexuality was incompatible with military service. Colonel Cammermeyer was discharged from the military after 25 year. She challenged her discharge and in federal court, won and was reinstated. Colonel Cammermeyer continues her work as an advocate for social justice.
Serving in Silence was the first made-for-television film Barbra Streisand executive produced (along with Glenn Close, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, and Barwood Films’Cis Corman). It aired February 6, 1995.
Michael Aschbrenner, Veteran & Artist
Vietnam Veteran of the Army’s 101st Airborne, Michael Aschenbrenner, recounts surviving an injury during combat, binding his broken bones with strips of his uniform until rescued. Now a renowned glass artist, he shares how art classes during his year-long VA rehabilitation inspired his collection, Damaged Bones, featured at The Met in New York. On-camera interview and cinema vérité captures Michael in his home and glass studio, blending his past and present through art.
Wall of Faces Museum
On October 5, 2024 it was with extreme honor our film team visited the Wall of Faces and came away with an incredible segment to include in Moving Like Pond Water.
It started as a temporary exhibit, opening on July 4, 2016 after former President Barack Obama asked communities to honor Vietnam veterans in 2012.
Veteran and Museum Co-Founder Hector Leon explained, “The way we started is we were going through the high school annuals, and were saying, ‘Okay, well, this guy, this guy was in...' and then we started asking the folks for help. And little by little, it just grew.”
The museum has expanded beyond just Vietnam veterans. It now highlights all those from Douglas who have served in the U.S. military.
Co-founder Ginny Jordan shared with us, “Basically as long as a man’s story is told they do not die, so you tell their story.”
She and other volunteers have spent the last seven years doing just that.
The Wall of Faces Museum is sharing stories of about 800 veterans who are from the town. This museum is located in the Gadsen Hotel, Douglas, Arizona.
Photo: Wall of Faces Museum with Ginny Jordan (left), Veteran Hector Leon (center) and Veteran Yolanda Gastelum Nora (right)
Photo: Gadsen Hotel Lobby with Veteram Yolanda Gastelum Nora (left) Vector Hector Leon (center), Ginny Jordan (right)
Fun Fact: Hector shares his fictional stories on his Facebook page @HectorFLeon
WHERE WE ARE IN THE FILMMAKING PROCESS
The entire film team is dedicated to Moving Like Pond Water with the goal of creating ripples of change by encouraging neighborhoods to produce creative arts programs for Veterans and a holistic approach to social justice and overlapping health issues.
Research & Development began in February 2023 and principal photography launched on January 17, 2024. To-date we have filmed approximately 21 location interviews, 6 performances, 4 Veterans art workshops, plus drone footage and cinéma vérité relevant to the interviews. We look forward to keeping you updated on our filmmaking journey.
Director's Statement
My connection to the Veteran community is deeply personal, it is embedded in my DNA. My father served in the Marine Corps and my mother in the Navy, meeting during WWII. After the war, they faced challenges in an era before PTSD was acknowledged or openly discussed.
For 30 years I have been an artist, arts activist, and filmmaker, committed to fostering inclusivity and amplifying the transformative power of art. My life’s work is focused on collaboration with artists, filmmakers, and communities to challenge dominant narratives and expose societal injustices. ~ Cheryl Bookout, Director (photo by Penelope Valentine)
More about Cheryl here.
Creative Team
Director/Writer/Producer
Director/Writer/Producer
Director/Writer/Producer
- Cheryl Bookout is a filmmaker and artist residing in Joshua Tree, CA. Bookout is a founder of The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates for filmmakers identifying as women. Her film projects with director, producer, writer credits:
- Inside the Beauty Bubble (2021) Director, Short Documentary
- Countless Little Moments (2020) Producer, Micro-Short Narrative
- Just A Friend (2022) Producer
- Gloria’s Call (2019) Producer, Short Documentary
- PURE (2019) Producer
- I AM BE (2016) Producer, Short Experimental
- Acting Like Women, Producer, Feature-length Documentary in Production
- Women of Steel, Screenplay in Development.
Producer
Director/Writer/Producer
Director/Writer/Producer
- Stacy Sweeting is known for producing the short film Shevolution (2021) Inside the Beauty Bubble (2021) short documentary and Discover Indie Film (2019) anthology series. Stacy has experience in managing crowdfunding campaigns including Seed&Spark, which will be the fundraising platform for this project. She has been working with nonprofits for almost 25 years, making a positive impact by helping reach their organizational and business-related goals. Stacy is currently Director of Operations for The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering female filmmakers.
Producer
Director/Writer/Producer
Director of Photography
- Tracy Jordan Roberts brings her strong research and organizational skills to this project. Tracy’s Mom, Ginny Jordan, organized the Douglas, Arizona “Wall of Faces," a commemorative storytelling project honoring that city’s Vietnam War veterans on display not far from the border wall that separates Douglas from the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta. Tracy is excited to be part of a film project that shares the stories of Veterans serving in the U.S. Military. Tracy has been practicing Trusts and Estates Law since 1997. She is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a legal specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.
Director of Photography
Director of Photography
Director of Photography
- John Darwin Kurc was shooting the Rolling Stones in Phoenix, Arizona in the summer of 2019 when he took a detour to the US/Mexico border to have lunch. There, John was shocked by what he saw. After COVID abruptly ended his photography business, and motivated by what he had witnessed on the border that day, he decided to turn towards making a difference with his camera. He returned to Southern Arizona and began investigating and documenting the construction of the Trump border wall. John is the protagonist of the short film produced by New Yorker Magazine, American Scar, embedding himself into the vast American borderlands and capturing previously unseen images of mountains being blasted and habitats destroyed for the wall’s construction.
2nd Unit Director
Director of Photography
2nd Unit Director
- Joyce Callo, a New York Emmy Award winner, is an independent writer/director for film, television, and other media. Her films have been selected for dozens of film festivals worldwide and have won numerous awards. She has written, produced, and directed five short films, written several feature film screenplays as well as various TV projects. She holds an MFA with honors in writing/directing from Columbia University’s Graduate Film School. She began her career as an on-air TV news reporter and weekend anchor. More about Joyce here.
2nd Unit Camera
Director of Photography
2nd Unit Director
- Barry Norwood attended the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Los Angeles. He is known for his work in commercials & music videos . Filmography includes Suicide Kings, Back to Even, The Omega Code, Final Voyage,Inside the Beauty Bubble, plus 70 more credits. Barry shot the music video for The Cold War Kids' "Hang me Up To Dry" - Nelly's "Country Grammar" - Director of Photography for Jay Z music video "Girls, Girls, Girls."
2nd Unit Camera
Animation Design
Animation Design
- Robbi Robb is a long-time resident of the high desert community of Joshua Tree. He is a creative with many talents, including a history of documentary filmmaking. His legacy includes once being voted 4th best guitarist in America and hailed as a pioneer of world music. Robbi has countless “best of’s” for live performances and albums and has been described as "one of the greatest mystics ever to appear in the history of rock." More about Robbi here.
Animation Design
Animation Design
Animation Design
- John D. Goodwin is a creative independent animation artist. He is known for his animated short films currently screening in the national film festival circuit and his work as animator for the Pasadena Civic Ballet. Before relocating to California John taught in the department of Computer Animation and Interactive Media in the School of Art and Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology at State University of New York. He received his BA in Movement Design from California State University at Fullerton and his MA in Choreography from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Editor
Animation Design
Story & Production Consultant
- Jillian Corsie is an award-winning editor and filmmaker, driven by a passion for crafting stories that engage and captivate audiences, drawing them into the human experience. Her creative expertise working for over a decade in advertising, honing her skills through working with boutique editorial houses and agencies, cutting commercials and branded content for reputable brands like Apple, Gatorade, Airbnb, Uniqlo, and Lexus will help us develop a short marketing piece for our fundraising campaign. She specializes in feature documentaries. Her recent highlights include Body Electric, which explores body image in the LGBTQ community, and Desert Angel, a poignant portrait film about a man who is determined to bring closure to families torn apart by the harsh realities of migration. As a documentary filmmaker, she is dedicated to creating character-driven stories with a social impact. More about Jillian here.
Story & Production Consultant
Story & Production Consultant
Story & Production Consultant
- Foster Corder likes to share: “I have helped a lot of filmmakers and other artists get started and for that, I am at peace.” Foster Corder lays claim to many ‘firsts’ in his long and successful career. Corder was commissioned by Paramount Pictures to pen a screenplay entitled The Cats based on his life story: Forging his birth certificate at the age of fifteen, The Cats chronicles his 13 months of active duty in Vietnam. A true survival story.Corder co-founded Black Bird Films, where he produced television advertising for major brands including McDonald’s and the California Lotto. During the glory days of music video, Corder was Director, Music Video Production at Capitol Records, guiding creation and execution of hit clips for M.C. Hammer, Bebe and Cece Winans, Young MC and many others. Corder formed Daughters 2 Feed Productions in 1995 to focus on new media technologies and various projects he wanted to develop. In recent years, Corder has acted as Producer, Director, Director of Photography or Gaffer on 55 short and 23 feature films.
Story Consultant
Story & Production Consultant
Story Consultant
- Patrick Wallis has been deeply involved with Mil-Tree Veterans Project, a nonprofit organization, serving as Board President for the last three years. Mil-Tree aims to combat veteran isolation through programming that connects veterans with the community via shared projects, creative expression and inclusive dialogue. Mil-Tree recently completed a significan program titled "Tapestries of Transformation." Through a unique blend of myth, personal storytelling and communal collaboration, the program created a living narrative that united veterans, artists, and community members.
Culture Bearer
Story & Production Consultant
Story Consultant
- Kim Marcus is an enrolled Tribal Elder with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, and his grandfather was an enrolled member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. He is a retired California Credentialed Native Language Teacher and counselor and Student Affairs staff at the California Indians Nation College. Mr. Marcus is a traditional singer/dancer, and culture bearer of the Serrano and Cahuilla rituals, customs, and traditions. We are grateful to Kim Marcus for being our advisor so that we respectfully honor the land and ceremonies of the Serrano Indians, the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains during the filming of this project in San Bernardino County, CA.