a real crush on future weather

Good morning, happy Friday to all. These crush posts are usually about people I love and admire from afar: musicians, trees, songs, painters, cheese, I know, I know, my love knows no bounds. However, today I am compelled to write about a real person, someone a little closer to home. All of my crush admiration this month without a doubt goes to Jenny Deller and her amazing film Future Weather.

I can’t remember exactly how Jenny and I met but I know it was while working at a job we have both since left. The whole time we were working there together I never knew she was going home each night to work on this script, Future Weather, the same way I was going home to make books in my studio. We didn’t really become friends until after Jenny left the job to pursue the movie full time. Since then it’s been countless nights of shared meals, stories and talking ourselves into the amazing wondrous scariness that is our lives as working artists. But here’s the deal. The entire time I have known Jenny she has been working on this film. It’s been close to 7 years.

This Sunday my car took a load of Jenny Deller fans to Manhattan to watch the Future Weather world premiere on the last day of the Tribeca Film Festival. We got to watch it on a big screen! We got to see almost 7 years of work right before our eyes. To say this was huge would be the understatement of the year. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it.

I don’t know if y’all know anything about making movies (I didn’t before watching Jenny make this one from the sidelines.) Um, it’s hard, pretty thankless, and mostly work that has nothing to do with actual film making for really really long periods of time. The fact that any films see the light of day seem like a huge feat to me now.

But let me tell you why this movie is so great. It’s a smart, beautifully told story of a family of women simply trying to find their way. They are each layered, flawed, interesting and struggling. The characters are unsentimental, honest, and funny. Somehow this movie manages to bravely champion girls, science, and the environment quietly yet fiercely and unapologetically. This movie is good, it’s so good. I’ve seen it twice and I just want to see it again.

When you are watching someone up close working as hard as Jenny does, for as long as she has been working on this project, you can’t help but want to work harder yourself. The sheer act of not giving up after this long is in itself a lesson in patience and intent. When you are traveling roads that aren’t necessarily mapped out for you, it’s nice to have a few friends who just sort of “get it.” It’s great to look over sometimes and see a friendly face who is still fighting the good fight. When I look over I always see Jenny so I know I’ve got to keep trying too.

My friend Jenny made a movie, y’all. A really good movie. That’s an amazing thing. And I couldn’t be more happy for her.

Help Jenny and her amazing producing partner in crime Kristin Fairweather (pictured above) finish what they started and share Future Weather with the world. Give what you can now until May 9th. We’ve only got less than 5 days left on Kickstarter to raise a bunch of money, but it’s possible, anything is possible. Thanks to Jenny Deller I know that now more than ever.

Psst… There are many perks for donating to the Kickstarter Campaign but if you contribute $250 or more, you’ll get a limited edition tree book made by yours truly in honor of Lauderee’s (and my) love of trees (not to mention a ton of other goodies like posters and DVD’s, you name it)

And one last note: If you are in Santa Cruz, Nantucket or Seattle, see Future Weather at the film festivals in your awesome towns. (Support good stories!)