Shot in a sweatshop in India, a social influencer realizes her responsibility towards Mother Earth
CONNECTION, a short film shot in India, Pakistan, Ghana, LA, and Hong Kong, is a compelling testament to the power of small changes. It has been chosen for the esteemed Valley Film Festival, the influential Green Festival, and the Canadian Fashion Film Festival, all of which will open this summer. This film is a reminder that our individual actions, no matter how small, can have a significant impact on our environment.
The film tells the story of a cynical social influencer who embarks on a transformational journey. She realizes she has Mother Earth inside of her and that her environmental decisions have a global impact on the future of the planet and the human race.
The core message of the film, which was shot in an actual sweatshop in India and at the location of a plastic pollution crisis in Ghana, is to enlighten audiences that their daily actions have a global impact and that they can positively affect the future of the planet by taking simple actions.
Setting a good example in the notoriously wasteful film industry, "Connection" was produced following green protocols. No use of single-use plastics, no heavy packaging in catering, no generators with polluting fuels but instead utilizing ride-sharing, compostable materials, on-set recycling as well as ensuring group responsibility resulting in no negative environmental impact on filming locations such as the pristine coves of Laguna Beach, CA.
We were pleasantly surprised to discover environmental improvements while making "Connection". In creating the Indian sweatshop scenes, which were shot in actual factories, we were happy to discover that no child labor is present today in Southern India as well as no dangerously harmful chemical dyes. We do have a great deal of progress to make with poverty however. Also, in Ghana, Africa, where we shot, several locations in the capital city of Accra had been documented by Greenpeace for their massive plastic and trash pollution. But during the filming of "Connection," these spots where observed to have been greatly cleaned up.
Director Daniel Lir
The film’s directors, husband and wife team Daniel Lir and Bayou Bennett of Dream Team Directors, made the film at the suggestion of Silvia Bizio, former head of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who invited Bayou and Daniel to screen at the Ora Fest in Italy where celebrities like Matt Dillon, Dame Helen Mirren, and Terry Gilliam, had gathered to take a stand against global warming.
Film is more than just images on a screen; it's a global language that connects hearts and minds across continents. By capturing stories on three continents, I'm not just making movies; I'm weaving a tapestry of understanding. Our actions in one part of the world ripple across the globe. Whether in the United States or Africa, our choices matter. Through film, I'm spotlighting how interconnected we truly are, reminding us that every plastic bottle tossed aside impacts lands near and far. Let's collaborate, let's create, and let's make a difference together.
Director Bayou Bennett
Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir have previously collaborated with Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo, Oscar Winner Jane Fonda, and artist Shepard Fairey to highlight the dangers of urban fracking and its poisonous impact on South LA's low-income populations.
In April, Connection was an Official Selection at the Beyond Hollywood Film Festival, where the lead actress, Berite Labelle, the face of Balmain Hair, won Best Actress.
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