Just a few hours left in this fundraising campaign, and I write this update while bouncing on a giant blue ball, with my 4 month old baby Luciana strapped to my chest. She is sleeping peacefully, trusting that all is right in the world. In just a few days we take off for Uruguay: me, my wife and co-producer Carolina, baby Luciana and our three-year old son Rafael. The house is in (to put it politely) a state of transition, with its inhabitants busily preparing to embark on what promises to be a tremendous nine-month family adventure.
Why uproot your entire family, wee ones included, from a comfortable life and transplant them into an unknown environment, half a world away?
Because Carolina and I believe in this project. We believe in the power of art and media to transform and uplift. And we believe in the people who have entrusted us with the task and honor of telling this story. In the words of Sergio Ortuño, master candombe drummer, community leader, and one of our main film subjects:
Cultural spaces, and above all the spaces that give rise to artistic production, are spaces of resistance, that is to say, spaces in which the essential values of African cultures in the Americas can be preserved, a space in which organizing forces can grow and strengthen. In general, the cultures that have developed in our societies have not allowed such spaces of self-representation, in political spheres as well social ones, and with regard to the generation of resources.
It is in this spirit that we recognize the great importance of a documentary film made with the artistic capabilities that Ms. Harris brings, and that can reveal the social, cultural, and political realities of our community. It is essential that culture return to the hands of those who belong to it, as an instrument that allows them to develop the quality of life that is their birthright, evolve with integrity, benefit from services, and secure a positive outlook for their descendants.
As we head into the final hours of this campaign, and at the same time, prepare to embark on yet another incredible journey, we thank you deeply for sharing in this truth and vision.
¡Adelante!
Pam Harris, Producer/Director
AFRO URUGUAY: FORWARD TOGETHER