SYNOPSIS
Inspired by the true story of Jenny Smith, a legendary environmental activist who has planted over half a million trees, One Precious Life poetically documents Jenny's heroic journey to finding her life's purpose. As the founder of Community Carbon Trees, she addresses our climate crises by educating and empowering the next generation of world leaders.
In response to our current climate crisis, I felt a necessity to empower viewers with environmentalist Jenny Smith's story. In the film, Jenny speaks, "Listening to the trees, I learned how to believe.", encouraging the next generation of global citizens not to lose hope in the adaptability of our planet. She trusts that "Healing is the act of regeneration.". This belief drives her to teach youth about the interconnectivity of nature and the nature of us.
Drawing on themes of childlike wisdom and motherly care, One Precious Life, is a series of diary entires in a dream journal. We walk beside Jenny on her path to service and witness the application of the lessons she has learned from listening to nature. She recalls asking her mother who taught the trees to grow? And wonders, who taught me how to love?
CREDITS
Realized by Treyden (Director/Writer/Cinematographer/Editor)
FEATURING:
Jenny Smith
Memphis Healer
PRODUCER
Hive Creates - Nathan Hirschaut
COMPOSITION
ARKAI
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Philip Sheegog
TECHNICAL SPECS:
1080p video, 24 fps
TOOLS:
Black Magic Pocket Cinema 6k
Rokinon Cine DS Lenses 24mm, 50mm, 85mm
Tokina 11-16mm Lens
Premiere Pro CC 2020
REFLECTION
Having never met Jenny Smith (lead actor), nor been to Costa Rica before this project, I was prepared for a challenge. The film was shot in 8 days and I didn't have the luxury to reshoot any scenes or locations. Therefore, I was forced to take an improvisatory approach as a director, cinematographer, and writer. Working with a child actor for the first time in this project taught me greatly. Watching Memphis always brought me to the present moment, as did the breathtaking locations I was lucky to be immersed in. The images I captured with the untrained actors performed the narrative organically. After crafting the frame, or bones of the picture, I allowed the project to grow and decompress in each moment. Then my main focus was listening to the hand of nature.
