Enjoy this update from filmmaker John Corry about the current state of the film industry, especially with regard to films that bring an inspiring and purposeful message. What formats of films are successful? What length of films do people watch? What are the subjects of films that get John excited?
You will want to also watch his podcast with Kathryn, One Singular Experience that Changes Your Life and the film clip from The Revelations Café that he gifted to LWO about his mother-in-law, Bev Kelly’s journey from omnivore to whole food plant-based.
The science often gets validated...I’ll see a headline that I will forward to Dr. Campbell. It’s a running joke with us. I’ll say, “Dr. Campbell, can you believe it? They have finally discovered this!” And it’s something he published 30-40 years ago.
-John Corry
John Corry is best known for his 2011 documentary film, Forks Over Knives. During the filming experience, he became so influenced by the mission and science that he was learning from Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn that he took one of the most challenging and courageous actions a person can take...he changed his way of eating from omnivore to whole food plant-based.
Since then, several of John’s film projects have involved feeling inspired and purposeful about the mission of the film. In this podcast, he shares his insights about particular projects and where he thinks this area of the film industry is at this moment.
For instance, in 2017, he visited Solid Rock Community School in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and was deeply touched by the mission of a plant-based school that features animal-integrated learning in its animal sanctuary. The school was established by founder and director Michele Fosnacht and her husband Eric.
Michele was severely bullied as a kid, had a lot of health problems. Her health turned around almost overnight when she took cheese out of her diet. She approached me a year ago and said “I’ve been thinking about what you said 8 years ago, and I’m ready to tell my story.” We have been working together, using film to bring the message of this endeavor to a wider audience. It’s a mission of appreciating food from seed to table, and one of education through kindness and compassion...the sort of school Michele wishes she had had as a child.
-John Corry
Michele would like to help other schools adopt a similar mission through her program, Compassionate Humane Education. Soon John’s film team will be turning their attention to creating a documentary film that will be aired on PBS, describing Michele’s story, with the hope of reaching educators and policy makers in the education field.
Changing your diet is the single most important thing you can do to affect change in the health of the planet and climate change.
-John Corry