Soulmates Director's Blog-Miracle of Being Alive on New Year!

Hi All!

It's New Year's EVE! and we're all about to start a new year - this past year has been challenging - and what's really important for me is to keep on the radar screen is to chill! I'm living in a state of grace . I'm so fortunate to have what the most precious gift of all - the miracle of being alive.

The Soulmates movie cherishes life, and love, and the enormous capacity of human beings to reinvent who they are, as an opportunity to have the experience of being really alive!

Here's what Millie, the real person the movie's based on says - she had the courage to go for her dreams and now is really living a full, inspiring, and satisfying life:

"Watching the movie, I realized how incredibly fortunate my life has been. The extraordinary circumstances leading up to and including my transition gave me freedom, purpose and a new life full of love and happiness that I had never known before. I am hoping that people seeing the movie will then give themselves permission to just be who they are, no more and no less. That would be enough for me."

Love you all out there in cyberspace, go for your dreams on the New Year!

Joan, Soulmates Director

Sword Play

Before I forget:
SOULMATES Screening is Feb. 21, 2010, 7:30pm at the Avalon in Washington, DC. Tickets can be purchased online at www.soulmatesmovies.com.
IMPORTANT!!! Bring the receipt to the theatre.
Also, check www.youtube.com and type Soulmates Movie into the Search Engine for Movie Clips.

Now on to the Blog:

We've all heard the "Dumb Blonde" jokes, and yes, laughed at them. Millie herself likes to pretend to be the "dumb blonde" sometimes, but you will be fooled at your own risk. She can handle any number of firearms(keep that in mind while watching the movie), race her souped car, and do any number of electrical marvels, particularly those involving sound, all without turning one of her long tresses. She also handles swords like she was transported from the Middle Ages; I pity the knight who thinks she is either: a) a damsel in distress, or b) a wench ripe for the taking, or c) Just plain easy to take down with a sword.

Millie would have slain the dragon, cleaned her sword, resheathed it, and stolen the knave's horse before he could have gotten his weapon out of the scabbard. She also would have beheaded the unlucky knight in the process if he had tried anything on her.

Speaking of swords, at the wedding of myself and my partner, Millie incorporated the use of one lethal looking sword in the ceremony, at which she officiated. Later Millie recounted, when my aunt inquired about it, Millie believed she traumatized the poor woman for life by demonstrating a sword move uncomfortably close in proximity. My aunt, to her credit, never actually mentioned the incident to me, and appears to have recovered her composure. At least, we think so, since we still get Christmas Cards from her.

Soulmates Director's Blog -Want to Connect!!

Hi Everyone out there in Cyberspace! I REALLY want to connect to you - and would like you to see our Soulmates movie - it will inspire you - I made it because I was inspired by the really person the movie's about - she's amazing - and I wanted other people to know that anything's possible when you set your mind to what you want! to be true to who you really are - to have the courage to fulfill on your dreams - to take risks - even though you're scared - to be courageous and not give up and not stop - it's kinda like talking to you in cyberspace - I don't even know if you're out there - and I'm doing it anyway - because I want to connect to all of you who have dreams!

We will be starting on January 6 releasing scenes from the movie - and on February 21, 8pm, we will have the Washington, DC premiere of Soulmates at the Avalon theater in Washington, DC.

Please visit our website www.soulmatesmovie.com ! I will be blogging every Wednesday and Sunday nights - let's connect!! your Soulmates movie Director, Joan

Working on "Soulmates"

We're very much looking forward to the Washington DC screening of "Soulmates." This is our first blog about "Soulmates." We are the parents of one of the young actors in the film. As you might guess, this was a particularly challenging role for an 11-year old -- and challenging to us as parents explaining the subject matter of this film. The director, Joan Sugerman, did a fabulous job in working with the two young actors -- and they handled the subject in a thoughtful and sensitive way, considering they were pre-teens. How the children respond to the turmoil going on within the family is a particulary poignant aspect of the film. We hope "Soulmates" is well-received by Washington viewers.

Soulmates Director Blog-MOVIE PREMIERE-WDC!! Feb.21

Hi All: http://www.soulmatesmovie.com/

Finally! the premier in Washington DC of the Soulmates movie!! on Feb, 21, 8:00pm at the Avalon Theater - plus party afterwards! It's really taken a LOT! to find Millie, who's life story is the subject of the movie, to fund the movie, really low budget of course, to write the screenplay so it worked and was really Millie's true story, then make the movie, in 30 days with tons of locations, and 33 original rock songs, and then edit it for 6 months, and then enter film festivals, (we won Best of Festival at Berkeley Film Festival) then plan the internet marketing, website, and distribution! Wow!

The WDC premiere is a HUGE completion of an epic process we've been through, all to have people really have a sense of what it takes to fulfill on who you are, on your heart of hearts, your dreams, with NO selling out. And be willing to have all the ups and downs, the hardships, the miracles, the disappointments, along the way, without GIVING UP!!

I want people inspired by MaryLou, the main character, and by Millie, the real person, in her journey, and courageous it was, to fulfill on what she HAD to do to be who she is. And if she had not, the outcome would not have been good, at all. And for all of us, we either go for it! all of it! or we live our lives suffering, or live like dead walking people, or really dead. It's a day to day, hour by hour, minute by minute CHOICE! So I'm excited about the screening, scared about the screening, and a bit feeling under pressure about the screening to get everything done! See you on the website, starting in January we'll be releasing actual scenes from the movie, and at the screening in Washington, DC!

Why I'm Doing This

For more information about this Movie and its upcoming February Screening, go to www.soulmatesmovie.com, and for updates, become a member of its Fan Page on Facebook, www.facebook.com.

I became involved with this project for two main reasons. First, I believe the movie has a message for those going through this transition process and for those supportive of these individuals. Those in opposition might find what they think is ammunition for their side, but that is another story.

Second, I enjoy the movie-making process. I periodically do "background" work(read "extra") for movies shooting in this area. Though that work involves a lot of " hurry up and wait", I feel I get an "up close and personal" glimpse of how the product on the screen gets there. Yes, once in a great while, I get to see a "star", but that is beside the point. I also occasionally hear stories about the production, its stars, etc., from other "extras" that I otherwise would never hear, and, I ask you, who is not tempted by that?

Speaking of stories, I also like to write, which is why I began this blog. People need to hear the stories that did not make it into the movie's final cut because no one will go see an eight-hour movie unless he/she feels compelled to do so. "Gone With The Wind" is a great movie, but anyone who has sat through it knows how long it lasts.

So, I write here my impressions, anecdotes, or what have you because I see this movie as a story worthy of being told to as many people as possible. In addition, I write these words to remind myself that these characters represent flesh-and-blood people who, with all their failings traveled through a wrenching emotional journey that lasted a hell of a longer time than the length of the movie.

What is more, I am lucky enough to actually know some of them.

Life after the Movie

My partner's mother recently watched "Soulmates", and her first questions, in all seriousness, were:
a) Were the events accurate
b) Were they as "dark" as they appeared

I told her that, like in any movie, details must be altered for continuity, effect, privacy of real-life persons portrayed, economics, etc., but that the movie is essentially accurate. Hence, the darkness of these events was accurate. Without giving away anything, the wrenching experience of someone struggling with his/her identity, is by definition, "dark".

A few months back, Millie told me and my partner about her real-life ex-spouse, whom I'll call "Sara", and about when "Sara" told Millie that she was engaged. "Sara" asked Millie how she felt about her remarrying, and Millie replied with another question: "Does he love you?" and, according to Millie, "Sara" answered, "He worships the ground I walk on." Millie said that that settled it, and told her to go for it.

Millie once said that, when she had a conversation long ago with "Sara", if given the choice of the one person she could keep in her life, she would choose "Sara". Millie didn't clarify if this topic came up before or after transition, but our assumption was that it was afterwards.

Millie knows and loves a lot of people, but "Sara" must be something else entirely.