RSS
Home
Autism movie by- ‘Imperative Pictures’: An idea whose time has come
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
Since the early 1990’s the word ‘autism’ has become an indisputable fixture in our world. It has evolved from an obscure, rarely referenced condition, to an all too common component of virtually every family in America. Even so, real, earthy, down in the trenches documentation of real life experiences of individuals and families on the autism spectrum have not been easy to come by. This is why the innovative production company, Imperative Pictures, brain child of my guest, Graham Streeter, excites me so much. Let me share with you the mission statement given on www.ImperativePictures.org :
“There are so many issues that need to be addressed in our world today, and there is no better way to reach larger audiences than through mass media.
Using the power of film, television and multimedia, Imperative Pictures aims to deliver informative and inspirational content about people challenged by the imperative issues of our times.
Ultimately, we strive to create compelling and competitive content that might not typically be considered by executives in Hollywood.
Unlike the bottom line, commercially driven mentality, we see the value of content that has the potential to offer a deeper sense of compassion and understanding for a healthier, more diverse, and more tolerant society.”
Graham Streeter
Founder
“There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come”. I know of no better place for that Victor Hugo quote, than right here as we begin our discussion with veteran film maker, Graham Streeter, regarding ‘Imperative Pictures’.
Kathleen: Graham, greetings, and thank you so much for your time for this interview. You have lead an absolutely fascinating life. Just to set some background information, I understand that you lived in Osaka, Japan for 10 years while working in television and production, then returned to the United States and attended California State University, Sacramento where you earned a double degree in international business administration and Japanese. You then worked for Nippon Television in Los Angeles as a television field producer.
Jumping to the present, your current projects are ‘Normal Folks’, a fiction, drama, feature film revolving around the life struggles of an elderly woman and her estranged autistic relative, and ‘Return to Autism’, which is actually a documentary exploring “autism from cause to cure, moral arguments to social impact, therapies to medications, and genetic dispositions to the great philosophical division brewing within the autism community itself”. But for just a moment, if you would, touch on your film making history for us. What from your interesting and diverse learning opportunities, do you feel has lead you to this particular path?
Graham: I should start by saying I consider myself an artist. My father is an artist. I grew up with a brush in my hand and loved creating an image that evoked emotion in others. Film is perhaps the most sophisticated form of artistry for me. No longer a still image, there is motion; there is sound and dialogue, not to mention music. All these elements are edited and contextually presented with twists, abstractions, contradictions and juxpositions, forming linear and nonlinear ideas in our brain. It’s the closest thing to being inside another person’s mind. Once I realized how powerful it could be, I also felt the gravity of responsibility an artist must assume in society. So I guess you can say my medium has only evolved, but my passion to evoke emotion in others remains unchanged.
Kathleen: In the process of developing your production company, I see you have gathered some of the most distinguished names in the autism research world as well as in the medical community for your group panel. In the area of autism research you have from Temple Grandin, Ph.D. (author and adult with autism) to Dr. Tony Atwood Speaker and Author on Asperger Syndrome (Assoc. Prof. Griffith University in Queensland). Representing the medical community you have from Jeffery M. Drazen, M.D. and Distinguished Parker B. Francis (Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School) to Deepak Choprah, M.D. author, physician, speaker, writer and philosopher. Now Graham, these are just a few names from the extremely distinguished panel that assists Imperative Pictures in the identification of socially significant issues and potential ways to best articulate them. If you would, tell us a bit about how these alliances were formed and what the dynamic of the team you have assembled for Imperative Pictures exactly is.
Graham: One introduction lead to another. Mind you, these relationships have been slowly nurtured for over the last five years, since I started researching autism for the screenplay “Normal Folk”.
Imperative Pictures is relatively new and I knew I would be kidding myself if I did it alone. So I just asked myself, “who would be instrumental in helping me in my goal, and who shares my goal?” Who cares? Because the group members live all over the world, we are working in a virtual state. So far, through email discussions and conference calls we have started the brainstorming process on autism, but I know that Dr. Deepak Chopra and actress Darlene Cates (who played “mama” in “Whats Eating Gilbert Grape” and is also part of the Imperative Issues Group) are both very excited about the possibility of presenting obesity for the next imperative issue.
The issue that follows autism will take some serious debate, discussion and ultimately collaborative decisions by the group to determine if that is, indeed, the next imperative issue we wish to address. I have a pretty good hunch, so I have already started writing a screenplay for that issue, just in case.
Kathleen: Where do you see the production company, Imperative Pictures, heading. What do you envision, let’s say five to ten years out.
Graham: I hope Imperative Pictures will establish a reputation for quality feature films and documentaries that people can rely on. I hope the projects we do will be helpful, inspirational, as well as entertaining. I hope other film companies will follow suit and take a chance on things that are important instead of making mindless entertainment with no substance. I hope these projects will attract more members to participate in the Imperative Issues Group to assure a well balanced discussion, offer more ideas from all angles of life to make sure we are utilizing the medium of motion picture to its fullest. For now, I hope I can make a living at it. Haha.
Kathleen: If you would, give me one or two main ideas, ‘sticking points’, which you would like our audience to take from this interview…and if you would just build on those for just a few moments. Perhaps reiterate the message, the mission of your production company.
Graham: Imperative Pictures needs your help. I truly believe that people DO want to see films that matter, but we are living in a society that pivots around “theatrical spectacles” filled with “Consumer Product” and driven by monster corporation dollars. Little guys like us don’t stand a chance. Therefore, the typical film-financing model is completely unusable in our case. This is where we start asking for your support. Haha.
The reality of making a feature film and documentary about autism is that even on a shoestring budget it will take a few million dollars to make a quality production that withstands time, and also merits accuracy and groundbreaking content. Short of asking everyone to send me a buck so I can make them an honorary executive producer with on-screen film credit, this might be our only funding answer. Made possible by people who truly care about this imperative issue.
Think about it. If even a small percentage of individuals from the autism community sent us a dollar, we could make film and documentary onn autism happen tomorrow. Or better yet, if just a few large corporations who cared enough to gave a donation, we’d be well on our way to making this autism project happen.
It’s a frustrating road, but that’s okay. No pain, no gain. I get mail from people every day telling me how important it is. I know how many people stand to benefit from learning more about autism, and how we as a community must set our own path for the future, embrace diversity, and help others help themselves. Together, through knowledge and compassion we assure productive citizens, independent adults, and goal-achieving individuals who face these imperative issues within their lifetime. And for so many, it will be OUR lifetime.
Tell people who can make a difference that we need their support. We need any and all people who can make a difference. We need executives at decision-making levels to step up to the plate; to show the world their company cares about employing our future generations, assisting them with family management, and offering career strategies so they may enter adulthood as contributing members of society themselves. If you can spread that simple word, you are making a difference for this imperative issue. Your time has come!
Oh, check out the pre-documentary RETURN TO AUTISM episodes 1-10. They explain a lot!
Kathleen: Graham, thank you so much. Thank you for these thought provoking, informational and transformational films that you’re putting into the flow and forefront of consciousness. I, for one, cannot wait to see where they will take us. It has indeed been a pleasure.
To learn more about Imperative Pictures, check our these quick links;
IMPERATIVE PICTURES:
www.imperativepictures.org
PRESENT PROJECTS:
http://web.me.com/grahamstreeter/Imperative/Present.html
IMPERATIVE ISSUES GROUP: http://web.me.com/grahamstreeter/Imperative/The_Group.htmlhttp://web.me.com/grahamstreeter/Imperative/The_Group.html
CONTACT AND GET INVOLVED:
You can contact Graham Streeter directly at: gstreeter@imperativeissues.org
You can find more articles like this at Kathleen's Homepage.
If you know of a Commercial and/or Hospitality Renovation Project
and would like to COLLECT a FINDER’S FEE click here:
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
