Visions in Cinema

Here's a clip from a short film I directed a couple of years ago.  This piece is related to my novel-in-progress.  (A big shout-out to composer Keith Power -- an enormous talent and a terrific person.  We recorded with a 47-piece orchestra at Capitol Studios in L.A.  Looking forward to working with you again, Keith!).

Happily, three Oscar-winning producers (two based in New York, one in London) have signed on to help realize this project as a feature film -- an auspicious beginning for my dual literary and cinematic passions.  I feel very fortunate that this talented cohort is as excited about bringing this narrative to life as I am.  A tremendous adventure awaits!

The Wellspring

"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends.  I have no notion of loving people by halves.  It is not my nature." -- Jane Austen

People, places, literature, life -- I've lost the ability to love all of these by halves -- by measure or reason or restraint.  I woke up one day about six months ago -- and where I'd had blood running through my veins the day before, I now had a kind of river of life, electrified in its own way, a map of the world and what coursed through it as pure energy.  And, having spent my life as an introvert, treasuring as much invisibility as I could claim -- I became something else entirely.  I met people easily, effortlessly -- waiting in line at the coffee shop, the airport, the movie theater -- and they all wanted to tell me their life's stories -- their secrets -- their most pressing worries -- their greatest regrets -- the events that changed them forever -- the realizations that broke them or granted them wisdom -- the ways in which they fell in love.  I'd tapped into something elemental -- a wellspring of being -- that overflowed with profound compassion.  And it felt ageless, boundless, transformative, eternal.

My friends noticed.  Pragmatic scientists accused me of having an "aura" -- bohemians suggested I had somehow reversed time -- and my family members began to say "use your powers for good" each time I walked out the front door.  Friends whom I'd known for years told me they had fallen in love -- and strangers wanted to touch my arms, hold my hands, stroke my hair.

And the mystery is ongoing -- with no reasonable explanation anyone can locate -- except to say, "you've changed."  It's true.  The dress rehearsal of my life seems to have ended, suddenly and without warning or reference to the hour.  And the real adventure of life has begun -- where I cannot measure the intensity of my connection to everyone I meet.  I cannot love my friends by halves, nor parcel out the joy that overruns me.

The poet Dylan Thomas wrote, "The force that through the green fuse drives the flower/ Drives my green age."

It's a mysterious force, indeed -- and I hope it never leaves me.

The Winner of the Icon Prize

Miguel Martinez' painting, Mi Corazon, spoke to the judges compellingly. They returned to view this work again and again -- in a desire to fully appreciate this magical portrait of wisdom, serenity, hope undiminished. Surely Anna de la Senda would view the world through a gaze such as this. Bravissimo.

(Mr. Martinez is represented by the Michael McCormick Gallery in Taos.)

The White-throated Lily

Here sits Mariela, brought to wise, contemplative life by finalist Monica Vanzant. Our subject grasps the white-throated lily -- yet, at the same time, she herself becomes the lily -- removed from us in her reverie, other-worldly, eternal.

The Icon in the Garden

In seeing this work from Christy Boyer, Icon finalist, I immediately feel the sense of otherworldly peace pervading Anna de la Senda's garden. From the doves in her arms to the luminous rose, the blue tears of sorrow to the glowing carousel, the painting becomes one of miraculous discovery for me, rich with the secrets of a narrative I once imagined. Jewel-like, faceted, the myriad elements of this work flow together with a stunning confluence and harmony, and I find myself, quite simply, transfixed by this portrait of Anna's bountiful kindness.

Ms. Boyer offers, "I made the painting heavy in redemptive imagery, because that is what I loved most about The Unfastened Heart. This painting went through many changes as I struggled to integrate the rich metaphors of Ms. von Herzen's writing. I enjoyed the entire process immensely."

Pale Revelation

Something iconic is happening within this photograph -- a mystery, a revelation, a secret about to be told. What does this young woman know that we don't? Does she know the narrative of beauty in which she is taking part? Is she readying herself for a wedding, a waltz, a lover, a debut? Whatever the answers, we lean in to decipher them. With a beauty bordering on the sacred, this interpretation of Mariela exists as a timeless testament to a woman's spirit -- her translucent hopes, her fragile preparations, her fate.

Mariela wore white like the template of her soul.

What a privilege to have these words translated into this shining image.

The artist, Lina Brazauskaite, lives in Lithuania.

The Wise Innocent

Icon finalist Mr. Ken Min created this revelatory portrait of Mariela as Mona Lisa, a classic redefined by a landscape both lavish and whimsical, with birds escaping the borders of the frame. Surely, this wise innocent will transcend her two dimensions at any moment!

Mr. Min was born in Seoul, South Korea -- and now works for Lucasfilm as an artist. He created this oil painting on a cryptic panel, with vintage victorian fabric and an old door hinge and frame.

Thank you for this beautiful piece, Mr. Min!