One of the many great blessings of my life is getting to work with, and often become close friends with, people who are bringing extraordinary gifts to the world. One of those people is documentary filmmaker Daniel Karslake. Dan’s work is moving, inspiring, heart-opening, and challenging. He is a model of transformational presence. His first film, For the Bible Tells Me So, about Christianity and homosexuality in America, won awards in nine international film festivals. His latest full-length documentary film, Every Three Seconds, is being officially released this week. I celebrate Dan’s work and this beautiful and compelling new film.
Every Three Seconds is a call to “presence in action.” The title refers to the fact that every three seconds, someone in the world dies from a poverty-related cause. In Dan’s words, “We have everything we need to end hunger and extreme poverty everywhere in our lifetime. The only thing missing is our will to do it.”
So Dan set out to tell the stories of five ordinary people – a young boy, a college student, a thirty-something, and two senior citizens – whose lives went from ordinary to extraordinary because they made one simple decision. They decided to engage and do what they could to make a difference. Though they might not use this term, they each chose to become a “transformational presence” and inspire and engage others to join them. None of them had any idea when they first started out that their action and commitment would end up having such an enormous impact.
I was privileged to see a rough cut of Every Three Seconds a little over a year ago when it was in the final stages of editing. In fact, I was so moved that I watched it a second time and had the opportunity to meet and talk with Gloria, one of the women whose story the film tells. I’ve watched the development of this film from when it was just the seed of an idea more than five years ago. Now we are celebrating its release. I’ve been aware of the challenges Dan has faced in bringing this huge project to fruition. It’s very exciting to see it completed at last and to introduce this film to you.
The press release for the film says, “Every Three Seconds is about doing well by doing good – about changing the world and changing your own life in the process.” Indeed, it is. This film is all about Transformational Presence and how it can make a difference in our world.
To arrange a screening of Every Three Seconds in your area, contact Paul Marchant at First Run Features. You can also be in touch with Dan Karslake directly about a screening and speaking engagement. In the meantime, you can watch the promotional trailer below and get a taste of the film. I must say, however, that the film is so much more powerful than the trailer can convey.
Thank you, Dan, for bringing your gifts of insight, understanding, creativity, and storytelling to the world. You are indeed a model of Transformational Presence.
P.S. To step more fully into your own Transformational Presence, my small meditation-in-a-book, The Power of Your Presence, could be the perfect next step. It’s also available as an audio book.
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