This DVD contains two programs....1. CARVED FROM THE HEART: A Portrait of Grief, Healing and Community
*Best Documentary Short - American Indian Film Festival
*Best of Show/Best Short Documentary - Red Earth Film Festival
*Best Documentary Under 30 minutes - Dreamspeakers Festival
One man loses his son to a cocaine overdose. Grieving, Stan Marsden, a Tsimshian wood carver, decides to create a totem pole and invites the town of Craig, Alaska to help. The project grows; it brings people of diverse backgrounds and ages together, acknowledging common problems of personal loss, intergenerational grief, substance abuse, suicide and violence and it promotes healing within the community. 30 minutes
"I've watched CARVED FROM THE HEART a few times. The first time I watched it all I could see was the pain, then I could see the strength. The last time, I could see beauty. It brought to mind the same process as recovering from chemical dependency." Charlie Knapp, Community Health Worker
2. WORDS FROM THE HEART is intended to facilitate discussion of the life-altering issues raised in the multi award-winning CARVED FROM THE HEART, including suicide, grief and loss, addiction, racism and family violence. The video features drawings and murals by youth, letters, poetry, interviews and ceremony to show how a story that started in one small town has become a catalyst for expression and community transformation. 15 minutes
*User's Guide includes both titles