Moving Like Pond Water honors the creative healing power within each of us.
Can one go to war and return unchanged? Moving Like Pond Water delves into this question, drawing on the untold stories of veterans and active military. Through powerful accounts of war, art, resilience, and redemption, this feature-length documentary explores the profound connection between creativity and human endurance.
The title, Moving Like Pond Water, a military term denoting slow movement, metaphorically reflects the gradual process of personal transformation and societal change.
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.
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.
In 2023 the U.S. Congress was called upon to prioritize effective Veteran suicide prevention initiatives, improved access to healthcare and benefits, and greater support for underserved Veterans. 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%.
Photo Credit: SDI productions/Getty Images
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.
Image Left: Veteran and artist Michael Aschenbrenner shares his story with our film team - August 2024.
The film gives a glimpse into the art and shift in U.S. Military recruitment campaigns from WWI - current to put in context shared Veteran and active military experience of why they joined the military and reflections on the quality of their lives before and after military service. Intimate interviews with Veterans, active military, and community are shared with the viewer in the tradition of oral storytelling. “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” ~Muriel Rukeyzer, American Poet, and Political Activist
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.
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 Left: Wall of Faces Museum with Ginny Jordan (left), Veteran Hector Leon (center) and Veteran Yolanda Gastelum Nora (right)
Photo Right: 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
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!
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.
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 numerous interviews plus drone footage and cinéma vérité relevant to the interviews. We look forward to keeping you updated on our filmmaking journey.
My connection to Veteran communities and access to the film project's content is embedded in my DNA.My father was in the Marine Corp and my mother in the Navy, they met during their active service in WWII. When the war ended both were honorably discharged. My dad was called back to serve in the Korean Conflict and mom stayed home to take care of their infant daughter -me. When dad returned from Korea and back to civilian life, home life was not easy. He was in constant pain from shrapnel, small pieces of metal from a weapon explosion, embedded in his left leg during combat that could not be surgically removed. This was before PTSD had a name and problems at home were never discussed in public. Dad passed away at the age of 65 from a massive heart attack. Mom is 98 years-old and was recently honored in Washington, DC for her military service. This is my story to tell. It is a story of shared experiences and a collective pondering on how we, alone and collectively, set out on a quest to live a good life.
It is good to note that I worked for over 20-years as an artist/arts activist with national and local nonprofit organizations producing programs using art as a healing tool with adults and children who are survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual abuse, and Veterans dealing with PTSD. ~ Cheryl Bookout, Director (photo by Penelope Valentine)
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