The Pivot, from The Way of Chuang Tzu, is counter-intuitive for a television producer. It pictures a circle around which extreme positions of yes and no chase each other in competition. The truth( tao) is to be found in the centre, recognizing that in all arguments there is some right and some wrong. The wise producer "sees all things in direct intuition".
So here I am in Costa Rica, acting on intuition. Twenty-five years ago I made The Rainforest-a Report from Costa Rica; i want to investigate what has changed since then, on a hunch that it might be interesting comparison, a concept for a followup film. And, as one would expect, there is a pull from the "no" side that says Costa Rican attempts to find an enlightened path to develop and protect its natural resources have failed miserably. There is also the opposite pull from the "yes" side that says, this little country continues to amaze the world with its insistence on protecting its nature capital. Either would make a compelling film.
More difficult is the find the tao, the true situation that exists in the tension between these opposites. And if you can find it, the challenge is to turn that "ambivalence" into something a broadcaster might want. Ambivalence equals dull and dull is the death knell of a television idea.
The mission is to make truth, "not dull". Stay tuned.
So here I am in Costa Rica, acting on intuition. Twenty-five years ago I made The Rainforest-a Report from Costa Rica; i want to investigate what has changed since then, on a hunch that it might be interesting comparison, a concept for a followup film. And, as one would expect, there is a pull from the "no" side that says Costa Rican attempts to find an enlightened path to develop and protect its natural resources have failed miserably. There is also the opposite pull from the "yes" side that says, this little country continues to amaze the world with its insistence on protecting its nature capital. Either would make a compelling film.
More difficult is the find the tao, the true situation that exists in the tension between these opposites. And if you can find it, the challenge is to turn that "ambivalence" into something a broadcaster might want. Ambivalence equals dull and dull is the death knell of a television idea.
The mission is to make truth, "not dull". Stay tuned.