Sunday, January 14

Interview With Director Tehben Dean

Josh Mitchell referred Tehben Dean to us. Tehben introduced himself to us as someone who "co-directed All I’ve Got & Then Some, with Rasheed Stephens." Furthermore, he informed us that their film "premiers at Slamdance 2024, in the Narrative Features category."

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Tehben:  I was born in Appalachia, but mostly grew up in Alaska; I consider myself Alaskan.

La Libertad:  How did you get your start in film-making?

Tehben:  I grew up in a very creative family; my whole family is in the arts, so thinking creatively was instilled in me from the beginning. I didn’t find film until my early twenties, but when I realized that was what I wanted to do, I never looked back.

Starting out, I was making music videos, and working to become a cinematographer by teaching myself and learning on the job. I put all my energy into cinematography for well over a decade, but directing was a candle that was probably lit from the beginning, even though I only more recently realized I could do it, and wanted to do it.

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Tehben:  Never giving up when the going was hard, and making a film that was inspiring enough to be selected to showcase at Slamdance. It feels especially special to me because that is what our film All I’ve Got & Then Some is really all about - never giving up. I am really proud of that.

La Libertad:  What influenced the look of your 2024 Slamdance feature, All I’ve Got & Then Some?

Tehben:  I think my experience shooting a lot of documentary over the years was the biggest inspiration for the look of the film. I wanted to explore some experimental ideas, and take an unconventional approach to telling a narrative, and this story was the perfect opportunity to do so.

La Libertad:  How did you get started as a Director of Photography?

Tehben:  I went to a film-making course, and then kind of randomly fell in love with photography shortly after. Those two things eventually merged, and then I just started shooting music videos and short films every chance I had.

La Libertad:  Who are some directors and movies that have inspired you?

Tehben:  Terrence Malick was a big inspiration early on. Emmanuel Lubezki and Matthew Libatique are D.P.’s I’ve looked up to for a long time. Some films I love (off the top of my head) are Under the Skin, The Lighthouse, Alien, and Jurassic Park. Oh and I have to give Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings a lot of credit for inspiring my journey.

La Libertad:  What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Tehben:  Using this opportunity to build creative relationships with amazing people, and making beautiful films.

La Libertad:  What are your overall career goals?

Tehben:  To tell inspiring stories, and be able to live comfortably doing so.

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?




Tehben:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tehben/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tehben/

Slamdance: https://slamdance2024.eventive.org/schedule/65778ba22f08640040102fff

La Libertad:  What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?

Tehben:  I encourage you to pursue your dreams because, if you believe in yourself, and never give up, you will succeed.

Thanks. . .

Interview by Josh Mitchell

Introduction and editing by William Mortensen Vaughan


Interview With Actor Chuck Constant

Chuck Constant is a British-trained, American stage actor, Producer, and prolific Voice-Over artist.

Charles is one of the stars of
All I’ve Got & Then Some, which will be premiering at the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival in January.

After training in Chicago and London, Charles went on to appear in theaters across the country, in all kinds of plays, as well as musicals, opera, improvisational comedy, film, and television.

His favorite, though, is Shakespeare. Charles has performed in more than twenty-eight of Shakespeare’s plays, including
Twelfth Night, which was directed by Michael Pennington of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In addition, Charles has narrated more than two hundred titles for many elite publishers, including Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Hachette, Recorded Books, Tantor, Oasis, Dreamscape, and more.

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Chuck:  I started out in the suburbs of Chicago, but moved into the city as soon as I could. I miss it!

La Libertad:  How did you get your start in acting?

Chuck:  A long story, slightly less long here; freshman year of high school, I [wanted] to perform in the school talent show. I did magic, and planned to do that in the show, but I needed the classic white tie and tails, and I knew our school had several rooms full of costumes they used for the school plays.

The teacher who directed most of the plays was a close acquaintance of my best friend's dad, so an introduction was arranged for me to meet with this teacher, Doug Murphy, and ask if I could borrow a tux.

I was told that I could, but it was on the condition that I audition for the next school play. I auditioned, got cast, was totally hooked, and I have never looked back!

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Chuck:  I think it might be that I have actually managed to make a career of it all, and never gave up on the dream. It has been a very, very long and difficult road getting to where I could actually pay my bills with money from acting, but it has been so very worth it!

La Libertad:  How did you become involved with All I've Got & Then Some?

Chuck:  Rasheed Stephens, the film's co-director and co-writer, became a friend of mine several years ago. He is a friend of my business partner, and he and I just hit it off, and we started hanging out.

A while later, he decided to do a film, and asked me if I wanted to be part of it. I had a tiny role in that one; then he did another, and offered me a larger role. Then, he got financing for a good-sized budget on yet another feature, and again, offered me a part. While the details of that film were being hashed out, he and Tehben Dean, the other co-director/co-writer, decided to shoot another film, which turned out to be All I've Got and Then Some.

La Libertad:  What was your most memorable moment on set?

Chuck:  That's probably when I was shooting an episode of a well-known TV series, and thought I was about to be fired. I am American, but I went to school in England for a while, so I can put on various British accents fairly easily.

I was doing one for the character in the episode, but between shots, I was speaking in my normal accent. The director overheard me. He came to me, and said, "You're not from England? I told casting I wanted only actual English actors to read for this role!"  That's when I thought it was all over, but he said, "Well, you fooled me!" And that was that. The shoot went on, and all was well.

La Libertad:  What is your favorite Shakespearean quote, and how can it apply to modern days?

Chuck:  Gah! So many from which to choose, I suppose, but mine is from Hamlet:  "We know what we are, but know not what we may be." I just think that many people underestimate what they can accomplish in life. They listen to the negative voices that are so prevalent in the world now. People have so much potential; they only need to acknowledge it, and the journey can begin.

La Libertad:  What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Chuck:  Of course, I am looking forward to the film premiering, at Slamdance, in January, and to whatever that brings with it. I am also eager to get started on the next project, East Point, which is going to start shooting in Atlanta, as soon as we can lock down the actors' schedules.

La Libertad:  What are your overall career goals?

Chuck:  Of course, larger roles in film, or a series regular would be nice, but I'd just like to keep working, you know? I would also welcome more opportunities to produce, which is a new area for me.

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?

Chuck:  I think this is the easiest one:  linktr.ee/CharlesConstant

La Libertad:  What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?

Chuck:  . . .I'll leave you with one of my favorite proverbs:

If you want happiness for an hour - take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day - go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month - get married.
If you want happiness for a year - inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime - help someone else.

Best regards. . .

Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan

 

Interview With Director Rasheed Stephens

Rasheed Stephens introducted himself to us as "one of the directors for All I've Got & Then Some, which, he tells us, "will premier at [the] Slamdance Film Festival," which is scheduled for January 19-24, 2024.

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Rasheed:  I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia.

La Libertad:  How did you get your start in film?

Rasheed:  I gave myself a start by. . .teaching myself. . .to write scripts. I used other writers' works as templates to help me cultivate my skills.

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Rasheed:  Getting our film All I've Got & Then Some into Slamdance.

La Libertad:  Where did you get the idea for your 2024 Slamdance feature, All I've Got & Then Some?




Rasheed:  Tehben called me in the middle of June. . .after a slow spring, out of work, and waiting around to see what was going to happen with all the industry strikes. When I picked up the phone, he said, "Hey man, I was thinking a lot last night; remember that idea you had for the web series you told me about last year? I think we should take that concept and work it into a film, and then just go shoot it." 

I almost dropped my phone. "No way, man, I was literally thinking the exact same thing last night; I'm not even kidding, honest to God. The movie is based on my life."

La Libertad:  What would you like to tell our readers about your upcoming festival screening, and what you are most excited about?  

Rasheed:  I'm really looking for the response and reactions of the audience, and how they will receive our film.

La Libertad:  Who are some directors and movies that have inspired you?




Rasheed:  Spike Lee is a filmmaker I highly admire. Do The Right Thing, Pulp Fiction, [and] Swingers are  films that have immensely shaped my vision. I love indie filmmakers and film.

La Libertad:  What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Rasheed:  I want to make two to three films in 2024 that will shake up the world.

La Libertad:  What are your overall career goals?

Rasheed:  To get to make films of my choosing without the worries of financing.  

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?

Rasheed:  Our Trailer:  https://youtu.be/BRXk7z36tWk

La Libertad:  What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?

Rasheed:  Please go watch All I've Got & Then Some at [the] Slamdance Film Festival, for its world premier, January 20th, at 5 p.m. at The Yarrow, in Park City.

Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan

Friday, December 8

Interview With Film Producer Nicholas Gyeney


Josh Mitchell referred Nicholas Gyeney to us, and he granted us this interview.

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Nicholas:  My family is originally from Hungary, and I currently reside in Santa Monica, California.

[At left, Nicholas Gyeney and Sean Young]

La Libertad:  How did you get your start in film?

Nicholas:  My father introduced me to movies, and every weekend we watched movies together, until he died, suddenly, when I was twelve years old. Eventually, I began using movies as an escape, and realized how much they helped me cope with the grief. It wasn’t long until I decided I wanted to make my own films, one day, to hopefully help someone else, somewhere in the world, cope with theirs.

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Nicholas:  I think it has to be the overall journey. I’m thirty-seven years old, and have produced and directed eight feature films.

La Libertad:  Where did you get the idea for your new horror movie, The Activated Man?

Nicholas:  My own dog Louis (Louie), was like a son to me. When he died from cancer, the trauma I experienced eventually led me to develop this story. Maybe it was therapy in a way. I think all my films have been, in some sense.

La Libertad:  What would you like to tell our readers about your upcoming festival screenings?

Nicholas:  Dances With Films is an exciting one. The Activated Man [was] the Closing Night Film for the festival on December 3rd, which is quite an honor. I also have a screening coming up as the Closing Film for the Northeast Film Festival’s Horror Fest, and there the film is nominated for several awards, including Best Director and Best Feature, which is, again, quite an honor. Before the holiday break, we also [screened] at the Culver City Film Festival, on December 6th, and [will screen at] the Santa Clarita International Film Festival, on December 8th.

La Libertad:  What is your favorite classic scary movie and why?

Nicholas:  My personal favorite is Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. To me it was a beautifully crafted and executed film, and I love how aggressive and angry Freddy was in that film.

La Libertad:  What are you most looking forward to, in 2024?

Nicholas:  The theatrical release of The Activated Man!

La Libertad:  What are your career goals?

Nicholas:  If I can continue this path, and continue making films as a career, they could be big or small, I’d be more than happy with that.

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?

Nicholas:  

Facebook: Facebook.com/theactivatedmanmovie

La Libertad:  What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?

Nicholas:  The movie is a unique blend of genres. While it’s certainly a supernatural horror film, it’s equally an emotional drama about grief and loss. 

Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan

Tuesday, November 7

Interview with Screenwriter Michael Normand

Josh Mitchell referred Michael Normand to us, and he was gracious enough to grant us this interview.

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Michael:  I’m from Glasgow - the big, old one, in Scotland - not one of the ones in the U.S.  And, although I grew up there, I was actually born in a town called Falkirk, half way between there and Edinburgh.  I was officially the first Jewish birth in [the] Falkirk Royal Infirmary; I seem to have managed to retain that sense of being an "outsider."


La Libertad:  How did you get your start in writing?

Michael:  My business degree at Glasgow’s third-best university, Glasgow Caledonian, "catapulted" me into a job, in publishing, in London, at which I started moonlighting as a stand-up on the then burgeoning "alternative" comedy circuit.  BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] producers on the look out for new comedy writers would go to gigs, and indeed, I was spotted and engaged on a couple of radio and TV shows.  My "break," however, came when I met Gary Sinyor, then a budding producer at film school. He had the remnants of an idea for a film, and, having seen me on stage, suggested we co-write it.  To cut a long story short, our script Leon the Pig Farmer got made, won a handful of awards, and launched a career that I didn’t think was possible.

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Michael:  That’s difficult to answer without sounding overly dramatic, but I arrived at LAX with a two-year work visa, a backpack of clean underwear over my shoulder, and a shoddily written screenplay in my hand, naively thinking that Hollywood would snap it up.  Three years and an extended visa later, I was again at LAX, this time going home, but with three reels of a feature film, Dirty Laundry safely checked into the luggage hold, ready for screening at that year’s London Film Festival, before popping up on TV sets all round the world, as it still does.

The feeling on that flight back to London would never have occurred had it not been for the L.A. earthquake of ’94.  I literally bumped into Robert Sherwin, a filmmaker out of NY, at a post-quake garage sale. He was a producer looking for a script; I was a screenwriter looking for a producer.  Synchronicity!  Maybe serendipity...  Two-and-a-half years later, and re-write after re-write in Venice Beach’s Novel Cafe, we were shooting Dirty Laundry in New Jersey.  

La Libertad:  Where did you get the idea for your new screenplay, The Holy Cow?

Michael:  When I first started writing The Holy Cow, the story was set in Glasgow.  My body and soul

Michael Normand and Jan Pester

can’t last a week without Indian food… a throwback to student days when Sunday evening meant we Jewish boys would go to The Koh-i-Noor or The Shish Mahal, in the West End.  The Chicken Tikka Masala had been voted "Britain’s Favorite Dish," and I read an article about a Glasgow curry house laying claim to have invented the now famous recipe.  The first drafts were called The Kanpur Curry House, but they were messier than The Shish’s tablecloths.  I wanted the story to have more gravity - more intelligence - more cultural resonance.  I not only had to change the concept of the story, but [I] also had to find a setting in which there was an Indian heritage.  I’d shot Dirty Laundry in New Jersey, years earlier, and had remembered from our location scouting that there was this place, Edison, in which there was a restaurant strip called "Little India."  A feature film project about food, family, and sub-culture will surely have more chance of finding interest and finance if it’s set in the U.S.; that’s sort of a fact, particularly when you think of films like The Big Sick, Today’s Special, and Chef.  So I had my location, and, with it, I weaved a story about an Indian-American family, the Agarwals, and their restaurant, The Holy Cow.  A spoiler alert isn’t necessary when I tell you the decrepit, down-on-its-knees Holy Cow was once a famous institution, NJ’s first Indian restaurant, now in need of saving and restoring to its former glory, but whether its new owner, Anwesh Agarwal is up to the task is another question.

La Libertad:  What would you like to tell our readers about your other projects?

Michael:  I have two other feature film projects on the go.  Set in London, The Visa is a highly contemporary and socially relevant story that traces the relationship between an immigration lawyer and an illegal immigrant. She wants a baby; he needs a visa. "All" he has to do to stay in the country is get her pregnant! It’s a quid-pro-quo that [could get them], respectively, disbarred and deported.  

And, set on the west coast of Scotland, Fly Me to Dunoon is a project that nearly got made a while back but for the death of the great Rod Steiger, who was to play the lead.  Based on true events, the backdrop starts in 1938, when hundreds of fleeing Eastern-European Jews, tricked and conned by the shipping line, were deposited at the docks of Glasgow, thinking it was New York, the destination on their tickets.   The film will tell the story of that shameful slice of history; and traces the present-day misadventures of a young American who discovers a family (the ancestors of that ill-fated voyage) alive and well, in a Scottish, seaside town, but with perilous plans for their long-lost "son."

La Libertad:  What inspires you?

Michael:  Quite simply, I’m inspired by the brains behind a really great film, and, by that, I mean the kind of alchemy that occurs when you combine a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and composer to make something like Paris Texas, Butch Cassidy, The Graduate, The Small Back Room, et cetera, et cetera...

Ricky Callum and Michael Normand

La Libertad:  What are you most looking forward to, in 2024?

Michael:  Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, and someone telling me they’d like to produce The Holy Cow.

La Libertad:  What are your overall career goals?

Michael:  My career goals are what they have been, and what they will continue to be - to turn ninety pages of script into ninety minutes of film.

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?

Michael:  

Website - www.michaelnormand.net

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfnormand/

Instagram - mfnormand

Interview by Josh Mitchell

Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan


Monday, October 30

Interview With Genealogist and Author William Mortensen Vaughan

 It has been several years since we interviewed our Senior Editor, William Mortensen Vaughan; the last time we interviewed him was in the summer of 2020.

La Libertad: How long have you been a writer?

William:  I feel that I have been a writer all of my life, and I recently celebrated my sixty-first birthday. 

Of course, to become a writer, I first needed to learn to read. 

According to my mother, my father started reading to me almost as soon as I was born. I wore out my first copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses by the time I was three years old, so my father bought me another copy of it.

Also according to my mother, the first two words I spoke were not "ma-ma" or "da-da," but "Huh?" and "book."

When I started attending school, I remember wanting to read so badly that I would stare at written words, and struggle to imagine how people were able to interpret the symbols. It seemed like the actual business of learning to read took far too long for me. I think it was late in my First Grade year (or perhaps in the Second Grade) before my teachers started teaching me to read, and it was one of the most thrilling abilities I ever developed. We had competitions, based on the honor system, to see who read the most books, and I was among a couple students who read the most. If I remember correctly, a Japanese girl was my closest competitor. She and I both started reading books from outside the children's section at the Weber County Library, in the town of Ogden, Utah, where we lived.

My father, who served as a U.S. Army Lieutenant during World War II, was a man named "William Knowlton Vaughan." He was a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and a published author, so I think he would probably have taught me to read before my fifth birthday, but he died before my fourth.

La Libertad: What types of things did you write about?

William:  I used to write poetry, including romantic poetry; I also wrote about things I read about or experienced.

Although I am currently agnostic, as a teen, I was very immersed in the Mormon religion, which inspired me to write a science-fiction fantasy novel titled Our Lord and His Sword, about the savior of another planet, which I invented. I typed this novel using a manual (not an electric - a manual) Olivetti-Underwood typewriter, which I inherited from my father.

When I attended Ben Lomond High School, in what I consider my "home town" of Ogden, Utah, it offered a Creative Writing Class, taught by an elderly woman named "Mrs. Gillins," whom we called "The Gila Monster," or merely "The Monster." This class published a booklet each year, titled The Thistle. It featured poems and short stories by Ben Lomond students, as well as drawings, also by Ben Lomond students. Mrs. Gillins had the final say on what literature was published in The Thistle. She probably had the final say on what art was published in it, too; I presume she coordinated with one or more of the art teachers to obtain illustrations for The Thistle. But before Mrs. Gillins had her final say, she had her Creative Writing students review all of the literary submissions, and come up with a certain number of poems and short stories, or pages of such, essentially by voting on them. Of course, students had a tendency to vote for their own poems and/or short stories. However, all Ben Lomond students were allowed to submit their writing for consideration.

I did not take Creative Writing in my sophomore year (Ben Lomond was a three-year school at the time), but a friend told me about the class, and The Thistle, so I submitted a stack of poems to him, to submit for consideration, in our junior year.

Mrs. Gillins had never met me in person, and I was not a very popular student, so, not having the privilege of voting for any of my poems, I had little chance of having any of my poems published in The Thistle. However, Mrs. Gillins was so impressed by one of my poems that she insisted on publishing it, in The Thistle, that year; it was titled "On Being a Man."

I took Mrs. Gillins' Creative Writing class during my senior year. One of the assignments Mrs. Gillins gave us, was to write a "scene report" about life in one of the less affluent neighborhoods, on the west side of Washington Boulevard. A significant portion of the students at Ben Lomond lived on the east side of Washington Boulevard, where it was common for them to receive new automobiles for their sixteenth birthdays. 

This scene report was a particularly easy assignment for me, because I lived with my mother and an ogre of a stepfather, on the west side of Washington Boulevard. I simply wrote a true story about a time when, at age seventeen, I ran away from home after one of the times that my stepfather physically assaulted me. It was during the winter, with snow and ice on the ground, and I tried to sleep on the back porch of a department store, Z.C.M.I. (Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution), where two police officers detained me. In their infinite wisdom, they returned me to the custody of my mother and stepfather.

During the class critique of this story, its greatest flaw seemed to be that it was not believable, and it was not believable because, in the small minds of my fellow students, a seventeen-year-old would simply have driven away in a car, rather than trudging through snow and ice to find a place to sleep outside.

Mrs. Gillins took me aside, and told me to change my story. She told me to change it from the first person perspective, to the third, and to give the boy a name, and make him thirteen. Apparently, even a fourteen-year-old would have known how to drive. She told me to make these changes, and to submit it to a short story contest at Brigham Young University.

I did as Mrs. Gillins told me. I called the boy "Paul," and gave the story the title, "An Urban Nowhere." It took First Place, and I received $50 in prize money for the story. 

I was dismayed when none of my fellow Creative Writing students wanted to publish anything I submitted. Fortunately, Mrs. Gillins insisted on publishing my short story. How could she not? No other Ben Lomond student had placed First in a writing contest that year, or received $50 worth of prize money for their writing. Mrs. Gillins also insisted on publishing one her favorite poems which I wrote that year, titled "The Return of Ulysses."

La Libertad: What is your favorite subject to write about?

William:  Genealogy and adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

La Libertad: What do you consider your writing style?

William:  I consider my writing style formal and old-fashioned, but also personal. I prefer to write in first person, to make my writing more personal, but I also like to use formal language, as if speaking to people who are older than me, and more educated.

By the way, one of the things Mrs. Gillins taught me, was to write as if to one particular person, in order to make my writing seem consistent. One of the people I choose to write to is a cousin named Ronald Mortensen, who is old enough to be my father, graduated from college, and had a career as a school teacher.

La Libertad: What subjects do you like to read about?

William:  In addition to studying genealogy, I like to "read" adaptations of A Christmas Carol, including adaptations in foreign languages. I use the term "read" loosely, because I prefer to listen to Audibles, especially with Whispersync, so I can follow along in the written version or refer to it when I want to. 

I am currently in the middle of listening to and following along, via Whispersync, and Audible titled Ebenezer:  The True Life Story of Ebenezer Scrooge. It's an in-depth adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which provides a detailed version of Scrooge's life, from the day he was born until he was about to die. Scrooge is a fictitious character, so the author, Douglas Bass, has, apparently, invented most of the details about Scrooge's life. The Audible is narrated by Benjamin Fife.

I am also interested in history, politics, foreign languages, and etymology.

La Libertad: Which writers inspired you?

William:  I am one of the few people who have read The Holy Bible from cover to cover. I also read it twice - once in English, and again, in Spanish. 

 Full disclosure:  Although I studied the King James Version, in Mormon Sunday schools and Seminaries, the version I read from cover to cover was mostly a children's version, but it had all of the same books, chapters, and verses as the King James Version. 

In Spanish, I read a Reina-Valera version. According to Wikipedia, as of October 30, 2023, there have been revisions of the Reina-Valera version published in 1602, 1862, 1909, 1960, 1977, 1995, and 2011; I read it in the '80s, so the one I read was probably the 1977 version, of which I bought a brand new copy.

I also read The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price, which I, as an agnostic, believe were written by Joseph Smith. I believe that The Book of Mormon is a work of fiction, which Joseph Smith fabricated. However, I read these books as a teen, and the Bible, in Spanish, between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one, so I feel that they must have had a significant influence on me.

Another of the most memorable authors whose work I read was Alfred Hitchcock. I read most, if not all, of his fictional series, The Three Investigators. I also read some of his short stories. 

Another of my favorite authors is Edgar Allan Poe. I still have his poem, "El Dorado," memorized.

Of course, now-a-days, I am more interested in Charles Dickens. While serving with the U.S. Army, in Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom VII, my Battle Buddy took me to see a live adaptation of A Christmas Carol, performed by fellow Service Members and D.H.L. employees, at the Base Chapel, on Bagram Airfield. I was so impressed that I have been obsessed with the story, and Charles Dickens, ever since.

La Libertad: Where can we read more of your writing?



William:  My author page on Amazon.

La Libertad: Where can we purchase your book?

William: The Genealogy of William Mortensen Vaughan, on Amazon.

La Libertad: What other books, if any, do you intend to write and/or publish?

William:  The next book I intend to write, and publish on Amazon, hopefully, in time for Christmas about thirteen months from now, will be a book about adaptations of A Christmas Carol, in film and television.

Then I intend to write another book about my genealogy, which will be a collection of profiles of my forebears - perhaps with a few profiles of some of my favorite aunts, uncles, and cousins.

I also intend to write a book titled The Memoirs of William Mortensen Vaughan.

Photo and interview by Libertad Green


Monday, September 18

Fall 2023 Accessories for Your New Wardrobe

CC0 Licensed Image Courtesy of Pexels

Fall 2023 accessories will help round out that new wardrobe you are working so hard on this season. Fashion changes all the time yet appears to remain the same, so it’s not too hard to stay on top of things. From shawls and wraps to handle handbags there are some exciting trends this year. If you aren’t sure about what to try, here are some of the popular ideas.

Statement Pieces, Of Course

Nothing allows you to state your style more than the statement pieces you adorn yourself with. Earrings, bracelets, and even hairbands can help you complete your look from specialist designers like David Yurman. Further than this, though, accessorizing helps you highlight your best features, add some personality to an ensemble, and add more detail to a look. Some trending statement pieces for 2023 include bows, metal heels, and latte nail manicures.

Warming Shawls and Wraps

Off-the-shoulder and shoulder-enhancing statements are making waves this fall over at Saint Laurent. This has led the way in the autumn statements followed by other fashion houses as they adorn their models with scarves and pashminas. Maybe it is an old Hollywood throwback, or perhaps it is never going out of style. Depending on how you look at it, fall is the most sensible season for fashionable shawls. Icons like Stevie Nicks rock the shawl at any time.

Fashionable High Heels

Heels have long been associated with femininity and have either faded away or become fashionable again, depending on the movements and attitudes of the time. Today, heels and sharp-pointed toes are making something of a comeback as a symbol of female power and confidence. Expect to see a lot of these around the office, parties, and even a shopping trip with friends this fall. Just remember to take something more sensible for when the weather says no.

Handy Hanging Handbags

Handbags are a statement that ensures practicality, too. Fashionable and glamorous, the handbag industry is worth a staggering $50 billion globally and grows around 6% per year. The reasons are clear. Nothing ties an ensemble together like a well-paired handbag, and the various styles are almost never-ending. This fall’s trending style rests squarely on handled handbags, with the point being they complement your outfit almost like a practical bracelet.

Boots Not Made for Walking

Who doesn’t love a great pair of boots? They look great, feel glamorous, and can make you look unbelievably sexy, which isn’t a bad thing. This season’s boot trends include over-the-knee boots, which are a great pairing with shorter skirts in early fall. They also look great with fall dresses and open jackets, supporting the overall thinner look on top. Taking it a little further, a slouched top can add a little more flair to your boots, which accentuates your walk as well.

Summary

Statement pieces like custom jewelry are must-have fall 2023 accessories. Yet walk-wear is dominating the trends this year. Fashionable high heels coming back as women look to assert their female power. And knee-high boots have the ability to really tie together a fall ensemble.



Saturday, August 12

French Bulldog Wellness


Summer Crosley is the C.E.O. (Chief Executive Officer) of French Bulldog Wellness.

Summer is a passionate, inspired world traveler, explorer, environmentalist,  and model, having been featured in more than three hundred fashion and lifestyle magazines worldwide.

Summer owns two French Bulldogs (also known as "Frenchies"). Their names are Chloe and Lola. Summer adores them, and admires their breed so much that, in 2017, she founded French Bulldog Wellness! She considers it a trendy, hip, culturally relevant company/brand that creates relevant products germane to French Bulldog health and wellness.

Summer created this company and its products to afford Frenchie owners a dedicated, decisive destination to buy quality products for Frenchies, from a company that they like and trust, and a company created by a Frenchie owner, for Frenchie owners.

Breed specific pet brands and companies are trending. Summer drew a line in the sand. Summer is all about Frenchies, all the time, and she has no qualms about it! French Bulldog Wellness is at the forefront of this movement, with one of the most popular dog breeds in the world!

The American Kennel Club has named the French bulldog as the "top dog" and "favorite purebred canine," in the United States of America, in 2023. (For those who think pit bulls should hold this title, it should be noted that the American Kennel Club does not regard pit bulls as purebred.).  

Unfortunately, many people, including some Frenchie owners, do not realize how much work goes into taking care of a French bulldog.  Their face and tails have deep pockets and folds that require daily hygiene.  French Bulldog Wellness wipes were created to get deep into the folds of the face and tail pocket to prevent the growth of bacteria and yeast.   

 French Bulldogs struggle to breathe, and are not a dog that should be taken hiking or running due to their delicate spinal cords and breathing issues.   

Summer Crosley started French Bulldog Wellness to teach French bulldog owners how much care and maintenance these cute, sweet dogs need.

Owning a French bulldog is a lifestyle. Summer respects and admires French bulldog owners, because, as the owner of two Frenchies, she can relate to how much Frenchie owners love them.  They not only bring their owners joy with their immense character, human-like expressions, personality, and love, but they are a cultural and artistic phenomenon that influential people of the world embrace! 

Emanating from Los Angeles, this brand, this story, and this message are indeed unique!

For more information, please visit these French Bulldog Wellness websites:



www.instagram.com/frenchbulldogwellness
 

frenchbulldoghealthproducts.com

Article and photos by Mary Logan

Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan

Saturday, July 29

Interview With Aparna Dasgupta

Josh Mitchell introduced us to Aparna Dasgupta, who introduced herself to us as the founder of ADited Motionpictures, and she graciously granted us this interview.

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Aparna:  I was born and raised in Kolkata, India also known to be the cultural capital of India.

La Libertad:  How did you get your start in producing?

Aparna:  It was a natural progression from distributing movies to start making films. I grew up watching films, and picked up film studies during my higher education. I have always been passionate about films and wanted to make good films.

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Aparna:  The best accomplishment is yet to come, but it was an extremely satisfying experience to produce our first film Yours Truly, which we were not only able to make the way we wanted to tell the story, but also how the film traveled to [the] Busan International Film Festival and other prestigious film circuits globally. We did extremely well in terms of the commercial aspects of the film, which our investors were really happy about.

La Libertad:  Where did the idea for Bandit Queen of Bengal come from?

Aparna:  We have been listening to lot of scripts over the last couple of years, but wanted to wait for the one which we feel most passionate about. So, when the Director Subhrajit Mitra approached us, we instantly liked it, and wanted to see it get made. It’s been the seventy-fifth year of Indian independence, and the script couldn’t have been any better timed. I always have had a liking towards periodic movies -  especially the ones based on great novels like Bandit Queen of Bengal, which finds its root in the classic novel Devi Chowdhurani by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. If we look at the documented, Indian freedom movements, we normally find [them] telling stories of male freedom fighters who we have deepest respect towards, but there were many women, too, who [made] extreme sacrifice[s] for their motherland, and, at the same time, showed supreme leadership qualities in driving the movement which can be an inspiration for women of present days, too. As a female Producer, I am constantly looking to highlight those stories.

La Libertad:  What would you consider an ideal distribution plan for the film?

Aparna:  No distribution plan can be called ideal till it works out successfully. For Bandit Queen of Bengal, we will be doing an extensive theatrical release, both in India and overseas (U.S.A., U.K., Germany, France, Australia, Middle East, et cetera) with large Indian diaspora. We also would be looking to represent India in prestigious international film markets like Cannes (the motion teaser of the film was unveiled at Cannes this year), and working with international sales agents for global [sales]/distribution.

We will also be looking for digital streamers/platforms, DVD, [and] video rental markets to distribute the film effectively.

La Libertad:  What inspires you?

Aparna:  Any good performance and any well made films inspire me.

La Libertad:  What are you most looking forward to, in 2023?

Aparna:  I am looking [forward] to...filming Bandit Queen of Bengal. It’s a massive project, and something that has not been attempted too often. The scale and the grandeur of the film will be testing our best skills, and the fact that, as an entertainment industry, we are still recovering from the pandemic aftermath, makes it all the more challenging.

La Libertad:  What are your overall career goals?

Aparna:  I want to see myself as a successful Producer, having a slate of films that appeals to global audiences. I particularly like films based on novels, and look forward to be bringing such films to life, while backing talents and creators.

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?



Aparna:  I can be reached at:

www.facebook.com/apu.dg1

La Libertad:  What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?

Aparna:  Our industry is going through a lot of changes, many of which are expected with time. We all need to adapt, and keep backing meaningful content. One thing that will probably always stay the same is people’s willingness to listen to great stories, and heroic characters who inspire us in all spheres of life.

Thanks...

Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan
 

Wednesday, May 31

Interview With Philip La Croix


Josh Mitchell introduced us to Philip La Croix, and he was gracious enough to grant us this interview.

La Libertad:  Where are you from?

Philip:  I currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona, but [I am] originally from Oceanside, California.

La Libertad:  How did you get your start in writing?

Philip:  I've always been a performer. I even graduated with my B.A. [Bachelor of Arts degree] in theatre, from California State University - Fullerton. I became interested in reading very late, but the passion grew rapidly. One day, I had a very vivid dream, and decided I had to get it down on paper. I found that writing stories was the ultimate acting experience because you have to become and think like the characters you write, and, if done right, [they] eventually take on a life of their own - all while telling an enthralling story of what's happening to them.

La Libertad:  Of what accomplishment are you most proud?

Philip:  I'm definitely most proud of the fact that I became a Knight for Medieval Times. It has been a wonderful experience that I had to work hard to achieve, and [it] scratches my performer's itch with every show. I started back in 2008, and have been unable to give it up because it's just too much fun!

La Libertad:  What prerequisites and requirements did you need to meet, in order to become a Medieval Times Knight?

Philip:  There are a lot of prerequisites you have to meet in order to become a knight, and...I had at least one [more,] extra layer to go through than my coworkers.

I didn't even start off in that department when I got accepted into the company. I was hired as a sound and lighting technician. For my first day they had me sit down and watch the show, and I thought to myself, "I want to do that." It took me a few months to get transferred down there before I could even begin to train. Then, I had to learn to be a squire, which is basically a stagehand for the knights (getting horses ready, bringing them down, handing them weapons, et cetera). When I was finally accepted into knight training, I had to learn how to fight the way Medieval Times instructs; then I had to not only learn to ride a horse, but to joust and jump off at a full run. I did all of this while earning my Bachelors degree at California State University Fullerton. I trained hard for months, both mentally and physically, before I became a knight, and even after that, I still had to continue to work hard to rise through the ranks and be cleared to do all the different knight spots in the show. It was exhausting and very trying to my body, but it was also a labor of love. This is certainly the most fun job I have ever had, and, even after earning my B.A. in the theatre arts, I had to keep going because I love it so much. Even now, as I try to shift my career focus over to writing, I plan to continue with Medieval as a fun side job.

La Libertad:  What else would you like to tell our readers about your experience as a Knight in Medieval Times?

Philip:  I absolutely love it! It has given me many wonderful stories throughout the years, and has definitely opened doors for me that might have otherwise remained closed.

La Libertad:  Where did you get the idea for your new novel, The Best Laid Traps?

Philip:  Like the main character, I was bullied in school for being "the fat kid." I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the umpteenth time, and thought, "If I had an immense fortune, how would I go about getting back at the people who'd bullied me?"

La Libertad:  What inspires you?

Philip:  Random thoughts pop into my head, and either I have gotten an idea for a new story, or another part of a current story has just been revealed. When these thoughts occur, it's kind of like being hypnotized because, all of the sudden, I'll come out of these musings, and have huge chunks of time missing. They say that writing is less of an act of creating everything in your stories, but rather watching what happens in your head, and writing the events down exactly as you saw them. I certainly agree!

La Libertad:  Do you have your next book in the works and, if so, what is it about?

Philip:  I do! It centers around the characters from L. Frank Baum's original novel...The Wizard of Oz. It takes place many years after the story, and paints a different picture of what happened at the end of L. Frank Baum's version. Instead of sending her home, Glinda traps Dorothy to keep her in stasis while she deals with a mysterious gloom or poisoning of the Land of Oz, stemming from the great wizard himself. Glinda disappears, and Dorothy finally breaks out and has to take up Glinda's mantle to try and put everything back to rights. It's kind of like Wizard of Oz meets Shutter Island, and has been very exciting to write because it has so many huge twists and turns, and an ending that I think will blow your mind; at least, it did for me.

La Libertad:  What are your overall career goals?

Philip:  I hope to make writing my full time career because I have so many stories left to tell, and, hopefully, I can continue with Medieval as a fun side gig.

La Libertad:  What links would you like to share?

Philip:  To buy a copy of my book (paperback, ebook, or audiobook):

https://a.co/d/5EyTaMi

For more about me, or to come along, on my journey through social media:

https://www.facebook.com/Philip.Lacroix06

https://www.instagram.com/philip.lacroix_

https://www.philiplacroix.com

La Libertad:  What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?

Philip:  Your time is your most valuable asset, and I would consider it a great honor if you came along with me on any or all of my adventures!

 Edited by William Mortensen Vaughan