It’s all about respect.
Respect for our audiences. Respect for the people whom we work with. Respect for communities, or countries and continents whom are different than we are.
The world of entertainment is too fast and easy these days. Cinechicks and it’s new division, Michigan and Trumbull, are interested in how we live good lives, how we are good neighbors, how we live, not how we die in some fire and flame of fake Hollywood special effects. We value the human condition and the exploration of the emotion around it.
On every project and production, we ask: What else will help influence change and open minds? The work around our projects and productions – to develop and support people and communities – is just as important to us as our entertainment. The nature of the work we do with people and communities is tailored to each specific project that we’re involved in.
For instance, we created a study guide on South Africa for American kids in and around Drumstruck.
We fought to ensure the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency movie was actually shot in Botswana and worked diligently to support the creation of a film industry infrastructure in Botswana. In our second year of production, 2,335 people worked on the production in Gaborone !! The economic benefits to Botswana and the boost for its tourism sector were staggering.
We deeply commit to the notion of giving back. This can come through our approach to projects, and it can also come through direct financial support. A percentage of our net profits is given to organizations. These organizations have included:
Nkosi’s Haven, Johannesburg, South Africa
Maitisong Festival, Botswana;
Masisukumeni Women’s Crisis Centre, Kwalugedlane, South Africa.
We created the “No. 1 Ladies Fund” to benefit women and children. We wanted to support the empowerment of African women, for women have taken a major hand in the care-giving of the Continent.
Finally, our Memory Box Project in South Africa helps the preservation of culture and the roots of family among the AIDS crisis. We empower families and loved ones to create “memory boxes,” personal video messages — of joy, tears, and remembrance — for those dying of AIDS. As the organization evolves, we have used the Shoah Foundation as an amazing model of what can be done.
If you have an idea or would like our support, please contact Cati Weinek here. We can’t guarantee that we can help but we certainly will listen and we will certainly try.