VALIDATION
Inspiring Short Film Available Free
From Spiritual Cinema Circle
A perfect little gem of spiritual cinema is the short film “ Validation”, which is available free at www.WatchValidation.com. As a way of saying thank you this holiday season, Spiritual Cinema Circle (SCC) is providing a free on-line viewing of this heartwarming film (16 minutes) which exemplifies the uplifting movies SCC offers its subscribers.
This enchanting film tells the story of a parking attendant who gives his customers REAL validation by dispensing both free parking and free compliments. It's a great reminder of how we can all create a better world, instantly, by sharing a smile and a few kind words. Please visit Spiritual Cinema Circle and watch this film, share it with your friends too. It will bring a smile to your face and maybe even some joyous tears!
I recently caught up with writer/director of “Validation” Kurt Kuenne to find out more about his film. Kuenne is an award-winning filmmaker and composer of both fiction and documentary films. Upon the release of his first feature in 1999, he was named one of the Top 25 New Faces of Indie Film by Filmmaker Magazine. His work as a writer/director/composer includes the teen drama “Scrapbook” (1999) starring Eric Balfour, the PBS documentary “Drive-In Movie Memories” (2001) with Leonard Maltin, and a series of popular short film musical comedies - “Rent-A-Person” (2004), “Slow” (2007) and “The Phone Book” (2008) - the last two of which are currently playing festivals around the world. His award-winning documentary “Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father” premiered at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival and opens theatrically nationwide this year.
Arielle: Where did the story for “Validation” come from?
Kurt: One day, I was at the mall and forgot to get my parking validated. As I was walking back to the validation booth, it occurred to me how nice it would be if, when I asked for validation, they gave me “real” validation. And then I realized, “That's my good friend, the brilliant actor, TJ Thyne (“Bones”). That's what he does!” I knew immediately that TJ would play a parking attendant who dispensed both free parking and free compliments. The story grew from there.
Arielle: How did making this film change you?
Kurt: We filled out the cast with dozens of actors from TJ's theatre troupe, Theatre Junkies. We had a wonderful time making the film and I now have a wealth of new friends in my life. Showing the film at festivals has been very rewarding. Kiwanis has begun using the film in its leadership training programs, certain ministers use it with their congregations, and some organizations tell me that they show it to their employees to boost morale. I never would have anticipated that reaction, and it's wonderful to know that people are finding something in the film that perhaps I wasn't aware was there.
Arielle: What are your favorite films with transformational themes?
Kurt: “It's a Wonderful Life” whose title is on the movie theatre marquee in “Validation” by no accident), “E.T.,” “Back to the Future,” “Forrest Gump,” and “The Shawshank Redemption.”
Arielle: What's next for you?
Kurt: My documentary, “Dear Zachary: A Letter To a Son About His Father” just opened theatrically in New York and began rolling out nationally. (Cities and theatre info can be found at www.dearzachary.com) The next film I'm shooting is called “Mason Mule” It's a screenplay for which I won a Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences a few years back. I've been trying to get it going for many years and it looks like I'll finally be directing it late spring of next year, fingers crossed.
You Can Heal Your Life–The Movie—Available from SCC
Based on Louise Hay's perennial bestseller “ You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie,” a feature documentary , gives penetrating insights into her fascinating life story and her pioneering work in healing affirmations. This entertaining and inspirational movie was recently featured on Oprah and is now available from Spiritual Cinema Circle.
In “You Can Heal Your Life,” number of luminaries in the fields of self-help, health, spirituality and new thought share their personal stories about Louise's impact on their lives—including Doreen Virtue, Gregg Braden, Wayne W. Dyer, Gay Hendricks, Esther and Jerry Hicks, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Cheryl Richardson.
“Louise hay had a profound effect on me beginning in the eighties,” states Spiritual Cinema Circle co-host, Mariel Hemingway. She adds, “Louise was the catalyst of my becoming aware of the importance of being good to myself. I became blatantly aware of the horribly unkind voice in my head that constantly criticized me. When I began to look in the mirror and say “I love and accept myself,” I began the journey of understanding that I was the power behind my good health and happiness just by the thoughts I think and the words that I speak.”
Hosted by Louise Hay and Directed by Michael Goorjian ( Illusions ), the film offers not only an intimate look into Hay's moving and inspirational life story, but also shares her views on self-esteem and abundance. She reveals the metaphysical causes behind myriad physical ailments and how to apply positive affirmations to heal your own life.
Spiritual Cinema Circle is a film community co-hosted by Stephen Simon and Mariel Hemingway that offers uplifting and spiritually-themed short and full-length films and insightful discussions on their meanings and lessons. “You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie” is the feature film in Vol. 12, 2008 collection of films from SCC . New subscribers can receive a free trial membership (for a nominal shipping fee) by visiting: www.JoinSCC.com or by calling: (800) 556-0129. For more, visit www.spiritualcinemacircle.com
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