#livingonone

[simplybdubb-blog]

Somethings are just placed in front of you to pay attention. Thank you @chris.temple8 and @zachingrasci for opening my eyes to understanding . #Livingonone #humblebeginnings #motivation #change

[nprglobalhealth]

Meet Rosa. She graduated from high school at age 26 and was the first in her poor, rural village in Guatemala to go to college. But the source of her drive and determination comes from a tragedy. 

Watch a short documentary about her life in the video above, then get her full story here. 

Video: Living On One 

[causebox-blog]

Living On One Dollar per Day: an interview with Zach Ingrasci

Filmmakers and Storytellers Chris Temple (Left) and Zach Ingrasci (Right) 

What started as an economics experiment by a few college students has turned into an award winning film studio that tells inspiring stories. Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple are initiating change, starting conversations, and inspiring others to take action. Their first film Living on One, is in the Summer CAUSEBOX, and their newest film Salam Neighbor (you need to watch the trailer) is currently being released in select theaters. Sign up for updates on showings near you.

Here is an interview CAUSEBOX did with Zach, about some of the things he has learned during his transition from global economics student to film maker and storyteller. Enjoy!

Our new short film focuses on Rosa's journey and is in film festivals now. You can find more info here at www.livingonone.org/rosa

Can you say a little bit about what compelled you guys to go out to Guatemala and undertake this experiment?

First of all we never intended to make a film. At the time, we were economic students studying development and poverty in college and travelled to Guatemala to take the time to really talk to and live alongside people who were living in extreme poverty. While we knew we could never replicate extreme poverty, the immersive element of living on $1 a day ourselves was meant to get us as close as possible to that reality... call us crazy but I think attempting to "walk in someone else's shoes" is incredibly valuable when attempting to empathize with their situation. I think people began to really connect with that goal too, when we saw our few short video blogs go viral online. Seeing the power of video and story to help people relate to extreme poverty, inspired us to dedicate the next two years to create a feature length film about the experience. We never anticipated it would eventually get so many views that it would reach the homepage banner of Netflix.

What would you say has stuck with you the most from that original trip, several years later?

Our continued friendships have meant the most to us! We still go back each year to Peña Blanca and continue to learn so much from the experiences of Rosa, Anthony and Chino. Community in Peña Blanca is something that is highly valued and relied upon in times of emergency. There is no such thing as a government safety net. Being a part of that community, and learning to value that and apply it to our own lives back at home, has made us better people. Our friends in Peña Blanca remain some of the greatest teachers we've ever had.

You've got a new film coming out, Salam Neighbor, where you immerse yourself in a Syrian refugee camp — can you highlight a few of the ways in which this experience has compounded your original experience and reinforced some of the same things about humanity? What are some new observations?

In Guatemala and now again in Za'atari, a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, we had the privilege of spending full days and nights alongside families, living in the same conditions and learning from them over shared meals and daily routines, not just in formal interviews. We had an up close and personal peek into the incredible resilience people are capable of, while living in some of the most extreme physical, emotional and economic conditions in the world. If people are given the opportunities to learn and grow they will go for it. In just three years, the Syrians in Za'atari built a multi-million dollar economy. You can buy a washing machine, wedding dress or order pizza in this market.

Salam Neighbor has also been a new and unique bridging of cultures for us. From the beginning, we created the idea for this film with an incredible team of Arab producers, Salam & Mohab, of 1001 MEDIA. What you see on camera, reflects what you see behind it, with Arabs and Americans coming together to create something positive. With the mainstream media so often focusing on war and violence in the Middle East, the experience of creating the film and living in the refugee camp really reinforced a positive outlook for us towards our neighbors in the Middle East. The more we can break down any barriers of fear between the East and West, the more peaceful and stable world we will be able to create together.

Can you share the story of one specific person that you've met and directly impacted through your experiences and films?

Four years ago we walked into Rosa Coj Bocel’s house for the first time.  It was our first time to Guatemala, and our first introduction to both the warmth and the grinding poverty in the community of Peña Blanca. Without enough money for food, Rosa was forced to leave school in the 6th grade to support her family. She spent her teenage years laboring in the fields before risking her life in search of better work, by traveling to Guatemala City’s most dangerous area, Zone 18. All the while she was forced to keep her dream of becoming a nurse on hold.

This past Fall, at age 26, she took the stage in front of a thousand people to receive her High School diploma with a focus in medicine. She has been putting herself back through school on the weekends, working and selling handmade weavings to support herself, and even managing to volunteer twice a week at a local medical clinic.

Her mother and father and three of her brothers watched from the crowd, as Rosa became the first in their family to achieve this milestone. We were humbled to be invited to share in the moment and to continue our unique friendship with Rosa. She has never stopped dreaming and has fought against the odds of her circumstances to achieve something anyone should be proud of. Amidst the celebrations of our dinner together that night, Rosa reminded us with a smile that this is the first step – she’s already started applying to nursing school.

Thanks to donations from many of our followers and revenue from the sales of the film, we have been able to put together a scholarship fund for Rosa. People's support has opened so many doors and Rosa has proven she’s ready to walk through them.

Our new short film focuses on Rosa's journey and is in film festivals now. You can find more info here at www.livingonone.org/rosa

[aoirostudio]

Living as One. | @livingonone Watched this very inspiring documentary about 4 guys experimenting poverty by living on one dollar per day for 8 weeks. A beautiful film. 13 | 365 #creerthings #letteringtherapy #aoirostudio #type #handlettering #lettering #livingonone #livingononedollar

[indieflixceo]

View this post on Instagram

4 of our 6 incredible IndieFlix Filmmakers in the Distribution Lab/ cutting edge/ forward thinking and talented! Loved seeing you all! @sarahmoshman @danamichellecook336 @christemple @zachingrasci missing our @mollymaethomps @laurenpaul8 #indieflix #findingkind #Empowerment Project #livingonone #distributionlab

[wildzed]

[beautifulsmile]

Some young kids really are doing some pretty cool things out there.  I mean of course these 4 college guys are not actually poor, and of course after those 8 weeks they can return to their regular everyday American relatively easy life. ..but I'm sure they got a pretty good feel for what kinds of hardships a poor community endures daily.  A first hand, introspective view on what another type of life is like, and one that probably no one/ book could just simply explain to them.  Pretty cool idea, def seems like it would make people way more grateful to be born into the shoes they were.  I mean imagine everyone had this kind of experience.  Testing the waters of each social class for a few weeks ...would definitely eliminate some of the generalizations people have about others.