Hello Everyone!

I wanted to do a quick shoutout to my fantastic web designer Ariela Steif, who between the two of us finally nailed down an awesome design and layout of the new Somos Buzos website. It’s really spiffy while still remaining accessible to most of the world’s browsers (i.e. not flash-based).

www.somosbuzos.com

Kickstarter money went to creating this! Thank you again!

As for the rough cut we are slogging through it – slow, but steady. I’m due for another session with Fernanda Rossi, the story consultant in NYC as soon as I have a visual cut ready! Stay tuned.

Abrazos

Isabelle

 Tags: Dominican Republic, Trash, Trash Divers, Somos Buzos, Buzos, Garbage, Landfill, Dump, Trash Dump, Trash workers, Website Redesign, Ariela Steif, Isabelle Carbonell, Izaca Productions, www.izaca.com, Izaca, Fernanda Rossi

Thanks to each and everyone for your support. I feel totally invincible to finish this film!

Dear Friends,

We have raised, fantastically, up to $10,136 for my film “Somos Buzos.” See description below. We need $15,000 total, so we’re missing $4864. Kickstarter will not take a cent out of your account, nor give me one cent, if I do not reach my goal. Seriously. Help me make some magic in the next two hours.

Please, lets do one FINAL push in the next two hours. Please send, email, share, this link to anyone who might be sympathetic, want a cool reward, would like to learn filmmaking, free DVDs, a trip to the Dominican Republic and more. Thank you SO MUCH.

http://kck.st/hVso07

Thank you to EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU to donated, shared, posted, linked, talked, you are absolutely amazing.

PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK TO DONATE  http://kck.st/hVso07

and then click on the green button on the right called  “BACK THIS PROJECT” and enter your information.

SOMOS BUZOS is a documentary about a community of people who live, breathe, eat, and die out of the trash in Cienfuegos, Santiago, Dominican Republic. It follows one buzo (their term for trash diver) who taught himself how to read and write at the age of 20 and considers the education for his kids as their way out. The last stages of production are very expensive and I just don’t have the funds or resources to cover what it takes. This started grass-roots and will end grass-roots. I’m determined to get the story of the buzos out there effectively and loudly. They deserve it the world over.

ABRAZOS
GRACIAS THANK YOU MERCI DANKE SHUKRAN DANIEVAD

Love
Isabelle

The best part is that along with your donation, you get to pick a cool reward: Film DVD, film poster, vintage screenprinted T-shirt, original song, framed art, filmmaking lessons, industry credit, or even a trip to the Dominican Republic. Back me up. Chip in. Become part of my team. Spread the word! The best part is that along with your donation, you get to pick a cool reward: Film DVD, film poster, vintage screenprinted T-shirt, original song, framed art, filmmaking lessons, industry credit, or even a trip to the Dominican Republic. Back me up. Chip in. Become part of my team. Spread the word!

http://kck.st/hVso07

I’m four days out until the kickstarter campagn ends to finish post production funding for the film. We’ve still got a ways to go, but yesterday was really encouraging with 12 (!) more backers for the project! I can’t thank everyone who has taken the time to contribute enough. Let’s continue to spread the word!

So on to today’s photo of the day.

Sometimes life creeps up with the strangest, creepiest kind of humor, and (as the last photo of the day will attest to) I definitely saw my fair share of weird humor and hope while filming Sumos Buzos. Today’s photo is yet another example of this. The child buzo depicted here found an Uncle Sam mask (sometimes I wonder where this stuff comes from. Scooby Doo costumes? Uncle Sam masks? Really?!) and put it on while continuing to collect garbage.

The determination on Uncle Sam’s face is such a false promise–no one is determined to help these buzos, lease of all Uncle Sam. Instead–he wants YOU! to throw your life away with all this trash.