Acclaimed director to show “Echoes of Creation” locally
Published 10:52 am Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Emmy award-winning director Jan Nickman will introduce his film “Echoes of Creation” following the Aug. 8 meeting of the Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board.
The film begins immediately following the Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board meeting on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at the Silverdale Community Center.
The Echoes of Creation has received several accolades and has been presented on PBS stations throughout the country. Although the director’s intent was to show nature’s beauty, the end product has had an unexpected therapeutic value those who’ve seen it, including those suffering from PTSD and other traumatic experiences. Madigan Army Hospital has screened the film for a few patients with positive returns.
“This is not an academic documentary explaining the symptoms of PTSD. It is a visually stunning film of nature, with beautiful music and very little narration, which has impacted people ranging from combat veterans to inner city youth, to those sitting at home watching it on television,” said Leif Bentsen, coordinator for the Kitsap County Veterans Program.
Bentsen added that he recommends the film to anyone who might be wondering about life’s existence and for counselors who might use it in their practice.
Director Nickman’s goal as a filmmaker was really to just show people a good time. With “Echoes” and “Sacred Earth”, the idea was to explore the creation of immersive experiences into the natural world that were life affirming and celebrated its beauty.
“I chose music as the primary narrative rather than the spoken word with the idea of having the viewer “feel” rather than think about nature, as is usually the case with nature films. Past that, my thinking was that if we gave the viewer an emotional and perhaps spiritual experience of falling in love with the natural world, that they in turn would feel more compelled to protect it. So it was an environmental film as well in that limited context.”
There will be a facilitated discussion following the film. Thirty DVD copies will be distributed free to those interested.
