Updates & A New Direction(versión en español sometido antes abajo)

First, my apologies for taking such a long hiatus on updating the blog. It has been a very busy spring and summer season! There are many transitions and developments to write about!

After 2 ½ years of filming in Bolivia, production (principal photography) for We of the Saya was completed in March 2009! However, that does not mean that production for the entire documentary is complete. There is still much left to do here in the States and some pick up shoots back in Bolivia, so stay tuned!

Of course, it takes money to accomplish all of this, so AbNomad is still diligently looking for funding to continue working on this important and unique documentary. Earlier this year we acquired fiscal sponsorship with Third World Newsreel (TWN), which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to independent film by and about people of color and social justice issues. The fundraising strategy for Saya consists of receiving private donations directly or via TWN, while continuously applying to other organizations and/or grant awards. If you or anyone you know would be interested in making a donation, please click on the link on the left side of the page under “Donations” to download and fill out our donation form. Please remember to print it out and mail it to the indicated address.

We also wanted to start creating some buzz around Saya and for Afro-Latino culture in general in New York City, so this past August we organized some Afro-Latino events at the Studio Museum in Harlem, which were a success! If you attended our Afro-Latino live concert & poetry event or our film panel event about Afro-Latino documentary, MIL GRACIAS! We really do appreciate your support and we hope to continue bringing you more opportunities to celebrate Afro-Latino culture in the future. Please click on the following links to check out the photos from both events:

Studio Sessions: Afro-Latin Grooves

Studio View: Afro-Latin Perspectives in Media

And finally, we’re working on major alterations to the story! We’re looking to bridge the experiences and struggles of the Afro-Bolivian community with the cultural dilemma of Afro-Latinos in the States. The issues that both of these parallel communities face –neglect and enforced conformity – are universal experiences and challenges that many people can identify with. This new story angle is still in the works, so there much work to be done.

It would be a great help to hear your thoughts about Afro-Latino issues regarding the Diaspora here in the US or back in the original territories (not only Bolivia). I will post some questions about the topic soon, and I hope to hear any thoughts or comments that you may have about the issue.

Thanks for reading and for your continued support