Moving Like Pond Water
Joshua Tree, California | Film Feature
Documentary, War
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 active military. They are gut wrenching stories of war, art, humanity and redemption.
Moving Like Pond Water
Joshua Tree, California | Film Feature
Documentary, War
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $16,320 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
61 supporters | followers
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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 active military. They are gut wrenching stories of war, art, humanity and redemption.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The world is a mess. It is overwhelming. How can we possibly know how we feel about anything? Politics, War, Religion, Human Rights, to name but a few social issues we are grappling with every waking moment of every single day. The film's title is military jargon that refers to something moving very slowly. In the context of the film, it is referring to social change, which is often slow. The film discusses the importance of patience, persistence, and collective action in effecting meaningful transformation, and the positive ripples created from individual and collective action.
Moving Like Pond Water sheds light on the social justice issues of one community that touches the lives of most Americans: Veterans. This population includes Veterans who are recently transitioning into civilian life, older adults, experiencing homelessness or housing insecurities, and people with disabilities.
IMPACT
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.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: In 1994, the U.S. adopted “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as the official federal policy on military service by lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. The rule prevented service members from being openly queer without threat of being discharged.
EXCITING INTERVIEW SCHEDULED
Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer pictured above with actor Glenn Close has agreed to interview with director Cheryl Bookout for inclusion in our film. 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 years. She challenged her discharge in federal court, won and was reinstated. Her story was memorialized by producers Barbra Streisand and Glenn Close (as Colonel Cammermeyer) in made for television movie Serving in Silence (NBC, 1995). After Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was implemented in 1993 Colonel Cammermeyer spent 17 years advocating for its repeal. She lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the signing ceremony of the repeal by President Obama in 2010 . Her autobiography Serving in Silence (2016) depicts her life and struggles and is available on Amazon as is the DVD of the movie.
WHY MAKE THIS DOCUMENTARY NOW
Photo Credit:SDI productions/Getty Images
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. It has been shared by Veterans in our film that they feel the country does a really good job sending us to war but do not do enough to train us how to come home from war. 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%.
Film Director"s Mom, a WWII Veteran, Honored for Her Service in 2022, Washington, D.C.
WHERE WE ARE IN THE FILMMAKING PROCESS
February 2024 location shoot in Joshua Tree, CA
Research & Development began in October 2023 and principal photography launched on January 17, 2024. To-date we have filmed 9 interviews plus drone footage and cinéma vérité relevant to the interviews. Production is estimated to wrap by mid-September 2024 and postproduction will begin by working with Los Angeles-based documentary film editor Jillian Corsie.
OUR INSPIRATION
Cheryl Montelle, Mil-Tree Founder and Executive Director
Moving Like Pond Water 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 community through remote participation.
STRETCH GOALS
If we raise an additional $1,500.00 we will put this toward an animator for production.
If we raise an additional $2,500.00 we will put this toward post production.
Thank you for your love and support!
STORIES HELP US UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER
The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Program provides rental assistance to homeless veterans and their families.
Personal stories told in this film by Veterans, active military and their families are the people behind the national statistics. Why do many Veterans lose their way in the world? Veterans burdened by service-related trauma or crushed by the profound loss of community and common purpose become isolated and alienated from a society that often misjudges them. Is this a Veteran issue, or a societal issue? “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” ~Muriel Rukeyzer, American Poet, and Political Activist
LOOKING BACK TO MEET THE FUTURE
The use of archival footage, images and animation in our film presents a strong visual of past and present military recruitment strategies and the intended influence(s) on society.
The film takes a look at the 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.
On May 18, 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act. To influence public opinion in favor of the war, the U.S produced films, commissioned colorful posters, published pamphlets and recruited everyday Americans to “sell the war.” These efforts helped create both modern American wartime propaganda and spurred the 20th century advertising industry.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Photos of Cheryl's family members taken during military service: Mom, Dad, Aunt, Husband, Grandson
My connection to Veteran communities and access to my film project's content is embedded in my DNA. I grew up in a home with military parents. 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 my parents were honorably discharged. My father was called back to serve in the Korean War and my mother stayed home to take care of her infant daughter -me. When my father returned from Korea and back to being a civilian, 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 publicly discussed. My childhood memories are flooded with huddling in a bedroom with my twin brothers (5 years my junior) to distract them from the yelling and screaming taking place in the next room. My father passed away at the age of 65 from a massive heart attack. My mother is 98 years-old and in 2022 was honored in Washington, DC for her military service. This story is mine 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.” ~ Cheryl Bookout, Director
Be part of the Team and help get this film made and seen!
TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
Your donation is tax-deductible! MOVING LIKE POND WATER is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of MOVING LIKE POND WATER are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible, less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation, decline the reward at checkout.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Team
Costs $10,000
These funds will help pay our crew members including cinematographers and production assistants to work for the next 2-3 months.
Sound Mixer
Costs $2,500
The sound mixer is responsible for recording all sound on set during the filmmaking for later inclusion in finished project.
Locations
Costs $5,000
These funds will help our crew travel to the filming locations critical to our story.
Lightning Equipment Rental
Costs $2,500
Lighting holds immense power in shaping a film’s visual narrative, though it often goes unappreciated.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Director: Cheryl Bookout is a filmmaker and artist residing in Joshua Tree, CA. As an individual artist she is included in the California Women Artist Project archived at the University of Southern California and Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries, a project organized by Gloria Orenstein, Professor of Women in Literature and Art at USC. Bookout is the co-founder of The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates for filmmakers identifying as women. Bookout’s film projects with director, producer, writer credits:
• Inside the Beauty Bubble (2021) Director, Short Documentary: 30+ Awards 2022- 2023 Film Festival Circuit
• Countless Little Moments (2020) Producer, Micro-Short Narrative: 2 Awards to date 2023 Film Festival Circuit
• Just A Friend (2022) Producer, LGBTQ Short Narrative
• Gloria’s Call (2019) Producer, Short Documentary: 10+ Awards 2021-2022 Film Festival Circuit
• PURE (2019) Producer, LGBTQ Short Narrative: 5 Awards Film Festival Circuit
• I AM BE (2016) Producer, Short Experimental
• Acting Like Women, Producer, Feature-length Documentary in Production
• Women of Steel, Writer, Sci-Fi Screenplay in Development: 9 Awards to date Screenplay Competitions
Cheryl Bookout
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. She began her career in the nonprofit sector with the YMCA where for ten years she wore many hats and successfully managed programs, staff, volunteers, special events and budget development and implementation. Her experience focuses on development such as event planning, fundraising, grant writing and more recently, includes social media management. Stacy is currently Director of Operations for The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering female filmmakers.
Stacy Sweeting
Producer: 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" 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 proud of the work her mom has accomplished and 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. Tracy earned her Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Art from the University of Arizona. She has also represented fiduciaries and beneficiaries in various probate and trust disputes such as will and trust contests, accounting objections, breach of fiduciary duties and removal of trustees. Tracy was born and raised in Southeast Arizona and moved to California in 1990.
Tracy Jordan Roberts
Director of Photograph: 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. Moving Like Pond Water is extremely fortunate to have John’s cinematographic eye and talent on our team.
John Darwin Kurc
Cinematographer: 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 Grammer," Director of Photographer for Jay Z music video "Girls, Girls, Girls."
Barry Norwood
Second 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 and has an original series pilot being shopped. Her most recent short film, “Becoming Chavela,” based on a cabaret show about iconic Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, is currently playing the film festival circuit. Joyce is also making her stage directing debut by developing it for an Off Broadway run because the show played to great reviews at Edinburgh Fringe Fest in 2023. Her short film Happenstance (based on her feature screenplay) was funded by and aired on HBO. Her short film The Science of Love won the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant, played dozens of film festivals, and appeared in the online exhibit at The Museum of Moving Images. And her short film Extreme Mom, starring Ann Dowd (HULU’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Emmy winner - and HBOs “The Leftovers” Emmy nom) was selected by NYWIFT (New York Women in Film and TV) for their first-ever global short film showcase, which played in 18 countries. Joyce 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. She currently lives with her wife of 28 years and their dog in Palm Springs, CA.
Joyce Callo
Composer: Louise Goffin is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Louise grew up bound by the DNA of great songwriting. She first appeared singing on records as a young girl, when she performed back-up vocals on Cheech and Chong's Basketball Jones, and on Carole King’s soundtrack for Maurice Sendak’s classic animated children’s movie, Really Rosie. Snagging record contracts over the years with Elektra-Asylum, Warner Bros. and Dreamworks, Louise’s debut album Kid Blue came out when she was 19. She prides herself on a balanced work/home life, yet remains prolific, having gone on to release nine more albums on both majors and her own independent Majority of One label. She also co-wrote and produced an album for Carole King that earned King a Grammy nomination in 2011. Even more famously, she sang alongside her iconic mother (Carole King) on the theme song for the wildly popular TV drama Gilmore Girls. At the start of her career, she was the youngest artist to appear on the soundtrack of the Cameron Crowe high school cult classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, with her original and infectious “Uptown Boys.”
Louise Goffin
2nd Unit Camera: Robbi Robb is a long-time resident of the high desert community of Joshua Tree. His legacy includes playing in one of South Africa's first successful punk and rebel outfits, Asylum Kids, before forming Tribe After Tribe in 1984. In 1986 Robb was granted political asylum in the USA. Part of Robb’s involvement in the revolution in South Africa was with raising money for children wounded in the riots, who wouldn’t go to hospital because the police would arrest anyone who came in with bullet wounds (evidence that they were in the riot). So, the kids would run home. Robb raised money to pay doctors to go into the townships and treat those children, women and men. Robb was also part of the RAM Rock Against Management raising funds for workers to afford to stay on strikes and so weaken the grip of the Apartheid government. Robbi, once voted 4th best guitarist in America and hailed as a pioneer of world music, has toured the world opening for Pearl Jam, headlined festivals and shows with his own brand of “African Acid Rock” and has had gathered 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." Robbi continues to be inspired by his desert surroundings and his desire to serve the community. His Pronouns are “Rebel, Vagabond and Tsotsi,” and his religion is Generosity.
Robbi Robb
Production Assistant: Alisha Sweeting is in her fourth year of college at CSULB. She has acted and directed several theater productions. Her goal is to have a career in the entertainment industry.
Alisha Sweeting
Editor: 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. Jillian has also committed to be the lead editor for the 60-minute Moving Like Pond Water documentary. 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. Her documentary, Second Assault, examines the trauma of reporting sexual violence and the additional trauma survivors often face when not believed. Her films have been featured in publications such as Huffington Post, Refinery29, and ABC News, and continue to have an impact as educational documentaries on college campuses. Second Assault is also currently being used as a police training tool at several police departments across the United States.
Jllian Corsie
Fiscal Sponsor: The International Documentary Association (IDA) supports the vital work of documentary storytellers and champions a thriving and inclusive documentary culture. For almost 30 years IDA's fiscal sponsorship program has been helping independent documentary projects of all types get funded, finished, and seen. Their fiscal sponsorship program is open to independent filmmakers and documentarians, regardless of education, background, or previous credits.
Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as IDA, agrees to sponsor a project that furthers our mission, for the purpose of fundraising through grants and donations. This is an effective alternative to starting your own nonprofit. The arrangement allows you to seek grants and solicit grants and tax-deductible donations for your documentary, with the oversight, support, and endorsement from one of the most long-standing and trusted charities in the field.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The world is a mess. It is overwhelming. How can we possibly know how we feel about anything? Politics, War, Religion, Human Rights, to name but a few social issues we are grappling with every waking moment of every single day. The film's title is military jargon that refers to something moving very slowly. In the context of the film, it is referring to social change, which is often slow. The film discusses the importance of patience, persistence, and collective action in effecting meaningful transformation, and the positive ripples created from individual and collective action.
Moving Like Pond Water sheds light on the social justice issues of one community that touches the lives of most Americans: Veterans. This population includes Veterans who are recently transitioning into civilian life, older adults, experiencing homelessness or housing insecurities, and people with disabilities.
IMPACT
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.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: In 1994, the U.S. adopted “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as the official federal policy on military service by lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. The rule prevented service members from being openly queer without threat of being discharged.
EXCITING INTERVIEW SCHEDULED
Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer pictured above with actor Glenn Close has agreed to interview with director Cheryl Bookout for inclusion in our film. 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 years. She challenged her discharge in federal court, won and was reinstated. Her story was memorialized by producers Barbra Streisand and Glenn Close (as Colonel Cammermeyer) in made for television movie Serving in Silence (NBC, 1995). After Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was implemented in 1993 Colonel Cammermeyer spent 17 years advocating for its repeal. She lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the signing ceremony of the repeal by President Obama in 2010 . Her autobiography Serving in Silence (2016) depicts her life and struggles and is available on Amazon as is the DVD of the movie.
WHY MAKE THIS DOCUMENTARY NOW
Photo Credit:SDI productions/Getty Images
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. It has been shared by Veterans in our film that they feel the country does a really good job sending us to war but do not do enough to train us how to come home from war. 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%.
Film Director"s Mom, a WWII Veteran, Honored for Her Service in 2022, Washington, D.C.
WHERE WE ARE IN THE FILMMAKING PROCESS
February 2024 location shoot in Joshua Tree, CA
Research & Development began in October 2023 and principal photography launched on January 17, 2024. To-date we have filmed 9 interviews plus drone footage and cinéma vérité relevant to the interviews. Production is estimated to wrap by mid-September 2024 and postproduction will begin by working with Los Angeles-based documentary film editor Jillian Corsie.
OUR INSPIRATION
Cheryl Montelle, Mil-Tree Founder and Executive Director
Moving Like Pond Water 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 community through remote participation.
STRETCH GOALS
If we raise an additional $1,500.00 we will put this toward an animator for production.
If we raise an additional $2,500.00 we will put this toward post production.
Thank you for your love and support!
STORIES HELP US UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER
The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Program provides rental assistance to homeless veterans and their families.
Personal stories told in this film by Veterans, active military and their families are the people behind the national statistics. Why do many Veterans lose their way in the world? Veterans burdened by service-related trauma or crushed by the profound loss of community and common purpose become isolated and alienated from a society that often misjudges them. Is this a Veteran issue, or a societal issue? “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” ~Muriel Rukeyzer, American Poet, and Political Activist
LOOKING BACK TO MEET THE FUTURE
The use of archival footage, images and animation in our film presents a strong visual of past and present military recruitment strategies and the intended influence(s) on society.
The film takes a look at the 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.
On May 18, 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act. To influence public opinion in favor of the war, the U.S produced films, commissioned colorful posters, published pamphlets and recruited everyday Americans to “sell the war.” These efforts helped create both modern American wartime propaganda and spurred the 20th century advertising industry.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Photos of Cheryl's family members taken during military service: Mom, Dad, Aunt, Husband, Grandson
My connection to Veteran communities and access to my film project's content is embedded in my DNA. I grew up in a home with military parents. 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 my parents were honorably discharged. My father was called back to serve in the Korean War and my mother stayed home to take care of her infant daughter -me. When my father returned from Korea and back to being a civilian, 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 publicly discussed. My childhood memories are flooded with huddling in a bedroom with my twin brothers (5 years my junior) to distract them from the yelling and screaming taking place in the next room. My father passed away at the age of 65 from a massive heart attack. My mother is 98 years-old and in 2022 was honored in Washington, DC for her military service. This story is mine 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.” ~ Cheryl Bookout, Director
Be part of the Team and help get this film made and seen!
TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
Your donation is tax-deductible! MOVING LIKE POND WATER is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of MOVING LIKE POND WATER are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible, less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation, decline the reward at checkout.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Team
Costs $10,000
These funds will help pay our crew members including cinematographers and production assistants to work for the next 2-3 months.
Sound Mixer
Costs $2,500
The sound mixer is responsible for recording all sound on set during the filmmaking for later inclusion in finished project.
Locations
Costs $5,000
These funds will help our crew travel to the filming locations critical to our story.
Lightning Equipment Rental
Costs $2,500
Lighting holds immense power in shaping a film’s visual narrative, though it often goes unappreciated.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Director: Cheryl Bookout is a filmmaker and artist residing in Joshua Tree, CA. As an individual artist she is included in the California Women Artist Project archived at the University of Southern California and Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries, a project organized by Gloria Orenstein, Professor of Women in Literature and Art at USC. Bookout is the co-founder of The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates for filmmakers identifying as women. Bookout’s film projects with director, producer, writer credits:
• Inside the Beauty Bubble (2021) Director, Short Documentary: 30+ Awards 2022- 2023 Film Festival Circuit
• Countless Little Moments (2020) Producer, Micro-Short Narrative: 2 Awards to date 2023 Film Festival Circuit
• Just A Friend (2022) Producer, LGBTQ Short Narrative
• Gloria’s Call (2019) Producer, Short Documentary: 10+ Awards 2021-2022 Film Festival Circuit
• PURE (2019) Producer, LGBTQ Short Narrative: 5 Awards Film Festival Circuit
• I AM BE (2016) Producer, Short Experimental
• Acting Like Women, Producer, Feature-length Documentary in Production
• Women of Steel, Writer, Sci-Fi Screenplay in Development: 9 Awards to date Screenplay Competitions
Cheryl Bookout
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. She began her career in the nonprofit sector with the YMCA where for ten years she wore many hats and successfully managed programs, staff, volunteers, special events and budget development and implementation. Her experience focuses on development such as event planning, fundraising, grant writing and more recently, includes social media management. Stacy is currently Director of Operations for The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering female filmmakers.
Stacy Sweeting
Producer: 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" 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 proud of the work her mom has accomplished and 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. Tracy earned her Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Art from the University of Arizona. She has also represented fiduciaries and beneficiaries in various probate and trust disputes such as will and trust contests, accounting objections, breach of fiduciary duties and removal of trustees. Tracy was born and raised in Southeast Arizona and moved to California in 1990.
Tracy Jordan Roberts
Director of Photograph: 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. Moving Like Pond Water is extremely fortunate to have John’s cinematographic eye and talent on our team.
John Darwin Kurc
Cinematographer: 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 Grammer," Director of Photographer for Jay Z music video "Girls, Girls, Girls."
Barry Norwood
Second 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 and has an original series pilot being shopped. Her most recent short film, “Becoming Chavela,” based on a cabaret show about iconic Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, is currently playing the film festival circuit. Joyce is also making her stage directing debut by developing it for an Off Broadway run because the show played to great reviews at Edinburgh Fringe Fest in 2023. Her short film Happenstance (based on her feature screenplay) was funded by and aired on HBO. Her short film The Science of Love won the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant, played dozens of film festivals, and appeared in the online exhibit at The Museum of Moving Images. And her short film Extreme Mom, starring Ann Dowd (HULU’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Emmy winner - and HBOs “The Leftovers” Emmy nom) was selected by NYWIFT (New York Women in Film and TV) for their first-ever global short film showcase, which played in 18 countries. Joyce 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. She currently lives with her wife of 28 years and their dog in Palm Springs, CA.
Joyce Callo
Composer: Louise Goffin is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Louise grew up bound by the DNA of great songwriting. She first appeared singing on records as a young girl, when she performed back-up vocals on Cheech and Chong's Basketball Jones, and on Carole King’s soundtrack for Maurice Sendak’s classic animated children’s movie, Really Rosie. Snagging record contracts over the years with Elektra-Asylum, Warner Bros. and Dreamworks, Louise’s debut album Kid Blue came out when she was 19. She prides herself on a balanced work/home life, yet remains prolific, having gone on to release nine more albums on both majors and her own independent Majority of One label. She also co-wrote and produced an album for Carole King that earned King a Grammy nomination in 2011. Even more famously, she sang alongside her iconic mother (Carole King) on the theme song for the wildly popular TV drama Gilmore Girls. At the start of her career, she was the youngest artist to appear on the soundtrack of the Cameron Crowe high school cult classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, with her original and infectious “Uptown Boys.”
Louise Goffin
2nd Unit Camera: Robbi Robb is a long-time resident of the high desert community of Joshua Tree. His legacy includes playing in one of South Africa's first successful punk and rebel outfits, Asylum Kids, before forming Tribe After Tribe in 1984. In 1986 Robb was granted political asylum in the USA. Part of Robb’s involvement in the revolution in South Africa was with raising money for children wounded in the riots, who wouldn’t go to hospital because the police would arrest anyone who came in with bullet wounds (evidence that they were in the riot). So, the kids would run home. Robb raised money to pay doctors to go into the townships and treat those children, women and men. Robb was also part of the RAM Rock Against Management raising funds for workers to afford to stay on strikes and so weaken the grip of the Apartheid government. Robbi, once voted 4th best guitarist in America and hailed as a pioneer of world music, has toured the world opening for Pearl Jam, headlined festivals and shows with his own brand of “African Acid Rock” and has had gathered 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." Robbi continues to be inspired by his desert surroundings and his desire to serve the community. His Pronouns are “Rebel, Vagabond and Tsotsi,” and his religion is Generosity.
Robbi Robb
Production Assistant: Alisha Sweeting is in her fourth year of college at CSULB. She has acted and directed several theater productions. Her goal is to have a career in the entertainment industry.
Alisha Sweeting
Editor: 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. Jillian has also committed to be the lead editor for the 60-minute Moving Like Pond Water documentary. 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. Her documentary, Second Assault, examines the trauma of reporting sexual violence and the additional trauma survivors often face when not believed. Her films have been featured in publications such as Huffington Post, Refinery29, and ABC News, and continue to have an impact as educational documentaries on college campuses. Second Assault is also currently being used as a police training tool at several police departments across the United States.
Jllian Corsie
Fiscal Sponsor: The International Documentary Association (IDA) supports the vital work of documentary storytellers and champions a thriving and inclusive documentary culture. For almost 30 years IDA's fiscal sponsorship program has been helping independent documentary projects of all types get funded, finished, and seen. Their fiscal sponsorship program is open to independent filmmakers and documentarians, regardless of education, background, or previous credits.
Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as IDA, agrees to sponsor a project that furthers our mission, for the purpose of fundraising through grants and donations. This is an effective alternative to starting your own nonprofit. The arrangement allows you to seek grants and solicit grants and tax-deductible donations for your documentary, with the oversight, support, and endorsement from one of the most long-standing and trusted charities in the field.