Hi Marisa! Can you first tell us more about Vegucated: how did the project grow in your mind and how did you give life to it?
Vegucated.
When I chose the three subjects, I was taking quite a risk. What if they weren't I was sitting in the movie theater watching the moved by the information? Would there be documentary Super Size Me nine years ago, and I a dramatic arc to the story? We were so had the thought, "Ok, we see what eating fast thrilled when everything came together food every meal of every day does to your body, during our road trip. Our real life and we know that the filmmaker, Morgan experiences confirmed everything I had Spurlock, used a vegan diet to detox from his been telling them about animal farming burger binge, but someone should make the and processing. From the family egg reverse of this and cover the ethical angles as farmers who gave us two "spent" laying well." I told my colleague at the time, Mary Max, hens because they had no use for them about this idea and she agreed that we should try anymore to the dead pile of pigs we saw to do it. She became the executive producer, and outside the factory farm we trespassed on, we went for it. After we conducted casting there were things we couldn't have interviews we realized it would be better to follow planned that ended up being some of the a few people that different people could relate to, most powerful moments in the film. We and we thought Tesla, Brian, and Ellen were a were so affected both by the lives we saved perfect mix. I brought a young film student, Frank and the lives we couldn't save. Mataska, on board as an intern, but he was so great that he instantly became a producer. He had the summer off between semesters, so we Vegucated isn't only a wonderful documentary, it's decided we had to shoot the film in that window. also a community and an informative platform; It was now or never. We shot it on a tiny budget, how do you see Vegucated evolving in the future? having no idea then that one day it would be viewed by so many people. Why thank you! You know, at so many screenings I attended I met people who I bet Vegucated was a big adventure for Tesla, Brian and wanted media about animal farming and Ellen, the three meat-eaters that accepted to go vegan for the vegan lifestyle for the children in their lives. Unfortunately, except for two picture 6 weeks, but was this experience changing for you too? books and one outdated video there really isn't much out there aimed at young kids It sure was! I became obsessed with the film and or families. So I'm toying with the idea of have been working on it in some capacity for the making a sequel film that follows various past nine years. I had never worked on such a vegan families and focuses on kids. long-term project before, and it's been like running a very long marathon. I'm very proud that I completed it, though the work still continues. Do you have other projects you're working on The three film subjects' stories taught me an currently? important lesson about having compassion for people with various challenges. Going vegan was easy for me, but it's not always as easy for Yes. Raising my son! He's eight months old everyone else. now, and I'm enjoying taking time off from work to raise him--especially introducing him slowly to my favorite plant foods. Part Please share with us some of the positive and striking of the vegan kids film idea is inspired by my memories you have of the making and shooting of own questions and concerns about raising
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