FINDING MABEL

FINDING MABEL is a documentary film about a young woman's journey from the U.S to Argentina to find her namesake-- One of the 30,000 who DISAPPEARED during the "Dirty War."

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MEMORY. TRUTH. JUSTICE.

FOR THE 30,000 DISAPPEARED.

FOR MABEL.

5 DAYS TO HELP US RAISE THE $$$ WE NEED FOR FINISHING FUNDS FOR THIS DOCUMENTARY FILM, FINDING MABEL.

WILL YOU PLEASE HELP BY SHARING THIS LINK?

JUST CLICK ON THIS PICTURE & IT WILL TAKE YOU THERE!: http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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Did you know that during the military dictatorship, If a woman was pregnant during the time of her forced kidnapping, the repressors would keep her alive just long enough to deliver her baby, would promptly kill her, and would then gave her baby up for adoption (usually to a military family).

These stolen babies were part of a systematic plan in the frame of the "Dirty War", for fear that these little babies would grow up to be "subversives and terrorists just like their parents."

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF THE PLAZA DE MAYO, on off-shoot of THE MADRES OF THE PLAZA DE MAYO, has worked tirelessly since 1977 to reunite these stolen babies with their biological families. Their work has led to the creation of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team and the establishment of a National Genetic Data Bank. They have reunited over 100 children, now in their 30's, with their families.

It's a funny feeling, walking around in a country, seeing yours peers, and thinking that any one of them could be one of these babies who were stolen from their parents. That they have lived as long as I have, and are not aware of their true identity.

There is an estimated 500 children kidnapped or born in detention during the military era.

In recent years, THE GRANDMOTHERS have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and received the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize in Paris for their work in defense of Human Rights.

I have nothing but admiration and respect for these women and for the work they do. Yesterday I had the great pleasure of interviewing a founding member of MADRES DE LA PLAZA DE MAYO, and today, as we wrap up our shoot here in Argentina, I have the great honor of interviewing a founding member of ABUELAS. Today is a great day in my life.

Everyday I feel more and more gratitude for this experience. Everyday I feel more and more desire to share it with others.

If you feel the desire to share it too--please re-post this blog entry and share it with your friends, family, and community.

8 DAYS LEFT TO HELP US FINISH THE FILM: indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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This week, with a lead we had been given regarding the place where Mabel was last seen, we hopped on a bus and headed to the 'Good Sheppard' women's prison a few hours from Cordoba.  This prison which was run by the Catholic Church during the dictatorship, is now an art school.

Murals decorate the walls.  One of them read:  "If History is written by the winners, then that means there is another History all together, the real one".

Telling the real History is what we're trying to do by making our documentary film 'Finding Mabel'.

Please help us do just that by spreading the word.  We have 10 days left on our shoot, and on our fundraising campaign.

indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

LOVE & GRATITUDE TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE SUPPORTING US EVERYDAY!

-Eileen Mabel

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LinkTV did a great interview with the director of 'Finding Mabel'--please tune in to listen!

To tune in, Interview starts at 16 minutes and 17 seconds of 'Latin Pulse' Weekly analysis.  

The interview was conducted by Prof. Rick Rockwell, Interim Director of Journalism Programs & Director of the International Media Program School of Communication at American University!  Thank you Rick!

indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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THE SNEAKY LITTLE GO-PRO CAMERA:

Our big orange suitcase is packed full of equipment.  Among them--cameras.  For more formal interviews we're shooting on our Canon 7D's, which are fantastic! When you include a shotgun mic and a portable zoom recorder--the sound is pretty darn good. Often times we find ourselves in unplanned situations, which we love, and in these situations we always have a couple of HD FLIP cameras handy.  People sometimes think they are phones, and they lend themselves well to capturing interesting footage without the subject being overly conscious of a camera pointed at their face.

And then there are those situations in which 'cameras are forbidden'.  For those situations, we whip out the sneaky little Go-Pro.  

The Go-Pro camera, primarily used for extreme sports, is a great camera for a documentary format.  It's portable, has solid sound capabilities, and fits in the palm of your hand.  It's fish-eye lens can create a somewhat altered but dynamic and interesting perspective.

Here's a quick shot taken on the Go-Pro in front of 'Orletti Garage'--a neighborhood mechanic shop that functioned as a secret center for detention, torture, rape, and extermination during the dictatorship in Argentina.  I think the Go-pro captures the intensity of this place in a real interesting way.

If you like this post, and want to help us finish our movie, please spread the word about our indie-gogo campaign.  A simple post on Facebook or twitter goes a long way!  Love & Gratitude http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel?a=15067

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We made it to Córdoba.

The Buenos Aires portion of our trip could not have gone any better - so many amazing people went out of their way to help us and every single interview seemed to lead to two more.  The whole journey has been so organic and we feel truly blessed by this country and all the people who have lent us their time thus far.  As it stands now, we could probably string together the entire history of the military dictatorship using only the gripping, insightful testimony of the Argentines that lived through it - and that's maybe 30% of the material we put together.

But that was then, and now we're here -  

Córdoba.

This is where Mabel lived.  

This is where her surviving family and friends are.  

This is the city that gave birth to the Cordobazo, a group of students and workers that revolted against the military dictatorship of General Onganía in 1969.  Their courage influenced the rest of the nation and made it clear to other like-minded individuals in the dark years ahead that the pursuit of fair wages and democratic elections was a righteous one, and that together it was possible to stand up to the military's might.  

This is a city of immense history, both wonderful and tragic, and it is here and now that we will work as hard as we can to evoke the life of our subject, friend and compañera - 

Yolanda Mabel Damora.

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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CINEMA WITHOUT BORDERS WROTE A GREAT ARTICLE ON OUR FILM, FINDING MABEL.  PLEASE ENJOY AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD BY SHARING THESE LINKS:

http://cinemawithoutborders.com/conversations/3070-finding-mabel.html

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel?a=124824

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Tomorrow marks two weeks of production on our documentary film, FINDING MABEL--and the shoot here in Argentina has been incredible so far!  

I don't know what I ever did to deserve crossing paths with so many wonderful people in such a short time... but I do know I feel boundless gratitude!

Here are just a few production stills to share with our friends and family back home!  Please enjoy, and keep spreading the word (and this link):

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

Love from Argentina.

Eileen Mabel

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The Madres of the Plaza de Mayo (The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo) is a powerful organization of Argentine women who banded together when their children began to disappear, like Mabel did, during the dictatorship.

For over three decades, The Mothers have fought for the right to reunite with their abducted children.  

Their amazing story cannot be told in a blog post--it is too rich, too full, and too complex.  But it will be told in our film.

We have been in Argentina less than two weeks, and we have met so many amazing people. So many amazing women. Each with their own unique story and experience, which all relate to the collective experience we are trying to convey in our film, FINDING MABEL.

We had the great fortune of meeting and interviewing a wonderful and brave woman, whose own disappearance during the dictatorship inspired her mother to become one of the founding members of The Mothers, in order to be reunited with her daughter.  

When she was liberated and exiled in 1978, her mother vowed to keep fighting with The Mothers until all of them were reunited with their children...because they were all their children.  

This brave Mother was promptly kidnapped and killed along with 11 others.

Every Thursday.  Rain or Shine.  They March.  

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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A well-fed crew is a happy crew

Usually when one thinks about craft services on a film, and specifically independent low-budget films, pizza and subs come to mind. This is not the case on this film. Thanks to Producer & craft services extraordinaire Garrett Vander Leun's many various culinary talents, we have been enjoying a great variety of empanadas, scrumptious sandwiches, and healthy treats for our long days.

We are on the go most of the time, traveling from one location to another, without much time to find a place to eat. So Garret’s cooking are a nice treat during our little lunch breaks. 

We have also been fortunate to sit down and enjoy some traditional home made Argentine meals, which included delicious empanadas.

For those who have a sweet tooth, Argentina offers an amazing selections of pastries, most of them including one of my all time favorites, dulce de leche...Dulce de leche puffs, dulce de leche ice cream, alfajores with dulce de leche...I have died and gone to dulce de leche heaven!

So, as you can see, this director of photography is very happy!

--Christina M. 

Director of Photography, 'Finding Mabel'

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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The street art scene here in Buenos Aires is rich and beautiful and thriving.  At times politically driven, at times beautifully banal, art by-the-people and for-the-people decorate the city walls and sidewalks with vibrant colors. We were lucky enough to be guided by the wonderful folks at GRAFFITI MUNDO (http://graffitimundo.com/) who taught us, among other things, about the political roots of graffiti in Argentina.  

One piece that was particularly moving, was a memorial mural and tribute to Cristian "Gringo" Caretti, a young man who disappeared the same year Mabel did.  Each square of the mural was painted by a different member of Cristian's family--resulting in a colorful and collective art effort.

The most beautiful thing to me about this art piece--is that it has a spirit of celebrating his life.  

It was a profound reminder of what I wish to do on this journey.

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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BFF'S (Taken with instagram)

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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Empanada break, buenos aires (Taken with instagram)

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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Hoy fue un gran día - - - today was a big day.

We spent a handful of days this week at a film and photo archive located inside one of Buenos Aires's infamous detention centers, or the places where Los Desaparecidos - The Disappeared - were detained, tortured, and often times killed.  Many of the detention centers inside Buenos Aires have been turned into memorials for the victims, both those deceased and those affected, and some, like the one we were at, are fully functioning centers for research and awareness.

To say it was a sobering location for our work is an understatement - but it was, ultimately, a fruitful endeavor on many fronts.  We left with a bounty of videos and photos that will service as a tremendous asset to our visually-oriented medium.  The things we obtained will really help us establish the who and what of 'La Guerra Sucia' - 'The Dirty War' - and help connect our viewers to the horrors of the past.  What makes the footage especially valuable is the fact that some of it's in color, which is very hard to come by.  The photos above are the stills from some of the footage we obtained.  Sin contexto - without context - they might not do much for you now, but by film's end you will be very familiar with the members of the The Junta - the council - pictured above.

We left the archive around American lunch time- our stomachs growl a lot earlier than most Argentines - and got home just in time to prep for our first official interview.  At around 4PM, we sat down for over two hours with an ex-member of the ERP or Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo - The People's Army - the same group that Mabel belonged to.  The conversation was informative, passionate, moving and a great launching pad for the next couple of moves on our journey.  We're truly honored to have spent the afternoon with him and can't wait to introduce him to the supporters of Finding Mabel.

Until next time -

And until all these long, wonderful clips are logged and translated -

THE CREW.

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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People in this country, in the past and today alike, know how to take to the streets to fight for what they believe in.  

Today, the bank workers union held a strike/demonstration in Buenos Aires for fair wages, and we were lucky to be part of it.   

The energy and spirit here is contagious, and in moments like these I feel suddenly transported to another time.  A time where Mabel and her generation were fighting for what they believed in.  

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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We're over halfway done with our first day here in Argentina, and already laying down our second update on Tumblr.  I don't think we'll have this much freedom to write every day, but seeing as how today was a day for planning and getting settled, we've got the time...  And we had quite the jolt from reality while we were eating lunch today.

Sitting inside a cafe, we noticed that a lot of the customers were looking up at the TV.  There was some sort of all-day news program on (not unlike CNN) with a scrolling bar running along the bottom.  To our surprise, there's a trial going on right now for the Trelew Massacre, a horrific and retaliatory killing of sixteen prisoners that was brushed aside under the guise of an alleged escape attempt.

The Trelew Massacre occurred on August 22, 1972 and predates the period officially recognized as "The Dirty War," but it was one of many early efforts by the military dictatorship to wipe out the brave revolutionairies who opposed them.  After a real prison breakout in which a small group of prisoners escaped to Chile via plane, the rest submitted to authorities.  In the quest for revenge, the military ordered the remaining, unarmed prisoners to simulate a new escape attempt so they could justify what they did next - they shot them down, killing sixteen and injuring three.  The three survivors lived long enough to tell their story, but were later kidnapped and killed during "The Dirty War."

The fact that they're working on a trial TODAY speaks volumes about the ongoing quest for truth and justice in this country.   The news scroll had the eyes of everyone in the cafe, and everything we hope to accomplish with our film is still very fresh in the minds of many Argentinians.  The trial for The Trelew Massacre thrusts the focus of our project into the here and now, and makes Finding Mabel a very tangible undertaking.

for more information about the trial, click here 

The Victims:

Eduardo Capello, 24 years old

Ana María Villarreal, 36 years old

Pedro Bonet, 30 years old

Jorge Ulla, 27 years old

José Mena, 22 years old

Humberto Toschi, 25 years old

Carlos del Rey, 23 years old

Humberto Suárez, 22 years old

Clarisa Lea Place, 23 years old

Carlos Astudillo, 26 years old

Susana Lesgart, 22 years old

Mariano Pujadas, 24 years old

Miguel Angel Polti, 21 yeas old

Mario Delfino, 29 years old

María Angélica Sabelli, 23 years old

Alfredo Kohon, 27 years old

Alberto Miguel Camps (Disappeared in 1977)

María Antonia Berger (Disappeared in 1979)

Ricardo René Haidar (Disappeared in 1982)

for more information on our project, please click here - to contribute, please click here.

http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel

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After a long flight from Los Angeles, and a stopover in Peru--The FINDING MABEL team has safely arrived to our new home in Buenos Aires!  A little jet-lagged, but nothing a little Argentine Espresso can't cure :)

LET THE WORK BEGIN!

Please share the following link with your friends and on-line community!:  http://www.indiegogo.com/finishingfindingmabel