Professional Documents
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tara browne
photo:
Trevi Spronk
this month, writer richard jones provides us with a look into the world of canadian indie actress and director tara browne, who helps to reveal the beauty of diversity
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North America is largely made up of immigrants and yet when you turn on a TV it seems that the actors are mainly white with a [few] African Americans [to] make up for all other races. . . . Im not saying all of Hollywood is racist. I think there are several factors involved. There is just not a lot of encouragement for ethnic people in the arts from their families. . . . Thats why its important to focus on your inner self . . . your unique self. Stop trying to fit in. Browne encourages minorities to stay true to themselves. In the end, we should all focus inwards. Thats where the power is. . . . Who else can create an authentic minority viewpoint? Ethnic people have a tremendous opportunity to tell their story. Its just that being an artist is not promoted very much amongst immigrant families. Diversity implies that there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ways that an individual might approach any problem. To take advantage of diversity, her crew on every project includes members from a wide number of backgrounds. This not only offers many alternatives to consider, but more creative solutions. On a broader palette, this could serve as a model to bring better understanding and broader paths to a more just world. Following the Picasso dictum Art is a lie that tells the truth, Browne produced The Poacher, a western unlike any other. The theme demonstrates that women can take
on challenges as well as men. The script casts the mother as Native American and the father as white. I purposely wanted to have a mixed-race family. I wanted to show that such families did in fact occur during these times in the Wild West, she says. Browne called for a number of rarely encountered techniques. Set in the backwoods of Langley, British Columbia, the film uses several devices to create an 1890s flavor, including sets with elaborate period pieces. The black and white photography and the silent film opening add an antique patinauntil the first gunshot knocks us out of our seats. By then we are primed to accept Browne as a hard-riding, sharp-shooting woman. Not surprisingly, in real life Browne is both. In addition to creating a different story, Browne put special importance on achieving high production value. To this end, she worked with a 60 man crew. The experienced professional team included photographer Pieter Stathis (some 40 movies on his credits) and Italian set designer Luca Carati, who has worked his magic in Europe, Asia, and North America. I had a beautiful art director and a wonderful crew, Browne says. The film had an estimated value of $178,000, but I did it on a shoestring budget of $2,000 because I pulled favors. Period. In Elinor Svobodas recent gender bend-
photo:
Trevi Spronk
photo:
Trevi Spronk
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ing fiction film, It Remains Unsaid, Browne starred as the principal antagonist. Composed by twin musicians Tegan and Sara, thisTorontoproduction featured Browne as a torn and confused lesbian coming out in early adulthood. Currently Browne has accepted the lead role in Delerium, a Gothic horror film by Allen Legacy. Unlike most groan-and-gore epics, this one has a strong point of view. It will address breaking a cycle of domestic abuse, certainly an all-too-common practice in the world. In the film, she says, I had to do a fight stunt scene.[In that scene] I felt the pain of a woman in an abusive relationship. It was so painful. I thought, this is what I have to do, for those women stuck in a violent domestic relationship. For some reason I feel like I have a responsibility for this world and its just the beginning I think. I just wish I could do more. Meanwhile, Browne wrote a semi-autobiographical script inspired by the life of Buffy Sainte-Marie. The Grammy-winning Native American folk singer gained fame for her war protest song Universal Soldier. Browne calls Sainte-Marie a truly remarkable woman who continues to make positive changes in the world through her music. Four decades later, Browne aims to bring forth a message of peace and activism . . . for everyone to see. We plan to produce an award winning short which brings forth Buffys message of peace. Browne is just the right person for the project. I have been researching her life since 2008, she says.Here, Brownes ten years of training as a classical pianist and a knack for vocals came into play. This film marks a new level for Browne. We are being backed by a well-known production company in Toronto, she says. This is my first well-financed production. She plans to use this as a base for a future project. From this film we are spawning the feature film. Here and there, after college, Browne absorbed uncountable examples of abuse by megalomaniac power-mongers from classic literature through tomorrow mornings newspaper.Even more inflammatory were first-hand accounts related to her by the victims of persecution who had fled to Canadato avoid death or torture. The melding of Brownes skillsand an encounter with a refugee fromBurma(nowMyanmar)led her to write, produce, and direct I Met a Man fromBurma in 2011. The award-winning film highlights the experiences of freedom fighter Ler Wah Lo Bo.This character-driven documentary short explores the oldest on-going
conflict in the world. The narrative is expressed through the eyes of Ler Wah Lo Bo, a Burmese refugee. As a former revolutionary fighter for the Karen National Liberation he turned activist. The film touches on the current state ofBurmawith a focus on the use of child soldiers. A number of festivals have accepted this documentary, including the Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale Film Cloud, where it was chosen out of a thousand entries. It also appeared at the Vancouver International Film Reel Causes program,Torontos Hot Docs. Most recently, The Female Eye Film Festival inTorontoadded I Met a Man fromBurma to its screenings. The film caught the attention of SHAW TV. An interview with Browne soon followed, reaching an estimated three million viewers. Soon, local newspapers and magazines contacted her, requesting interviews. Browne sent the Canadian immigration minister a copy of the film. About two months later, the minister called Ler Wah onMay 6, 2012, to say that an upgrade from refugee status to full citizenship would soon take place. A film can generate more virtues than simply putting butts in the buckets. The proud filmmaker smiles the smile of satisfaction with this humanitarian act. I feel this is my biggest accomplishment so far in my life, she says.
photo:
Trevi Spronk
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