About this project

UPDATE:
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us in reaching our goal!! Even though we are fully funded we are still actively seeking funding and appreciate any level of involvement. All additional pledges will be used to cover the costs of organizing a celebration for the planting of Victor's 10,000th tree, a score for the film, film festival submissions, and distribution costs. Be sure to check out our newest reward "The Little Sprout" and if you've already donated, an 8$ increase gets you a digital download!

TAKE NOTE: If you've already donated, selecting "The Little Sprout" will drop your donation to $8. To increase your donation (to receive the digital download of the film), simply type your original donation amount + $8.00 into the box at the top that says "enter your pledge amount."

Thank you!

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VICTOR'S STORY:
Ten years ago, Victor Kaufmann purchased a plot of land in Lyle, WA and realized that something was missing: trees. Fascinated by all things living, Victor finds it hard to imagine that human beings are ravenously plundering and trashing such a miraculous Earth to a degree that may soon leave it incapable of supporting life. In a letter to his granddaughter, he writes, “If my small effort should move us a nanometer back from that end, I would be gratified.”

10,000 Trees is the story of Victor actualizing his vision and finding fulfillment, eighty-five years young. Despite the physical hurdles that accompany age, Victor embraces both the spring season and life itself as he prepares to plant his 10,000th and final seedling. It doesn’t bother Victor to know his age will prevent him from witnessing his trees become a grand forest. Instead he sees himself as “a friendly observer as life grows the plant.” 10,000 Trees makes us ask ourselves what we aim to grow in this lifetime and it’s Victor who gently teaches us that it’s never too late to begin.

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OUR STORY:
When Sarah Berkovich told me the story of her grandfather Victor, I immediately knew we had share this beautiful, thought-provoking project through documentary. Sarah B. recently graduated, but we’ve decided to extend Victor’s project out to audiences through a short documentary as my BA Senior Practicum during my final semester at Emerson College.

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JOIN US:
Victor’s story is about the inner joy that comes along with working for something bigger than the individual self, which is why we're inviting you to be a part of this project, whether it be posting our kickstarter link to your AARP blog, emailing it to your tree-loving friends, or even throwing a few greenbacks our way!

Although students in the Senior Practicum class receive excellent feedback and critiques throughout the semester, Emerson College does NOT fund our film. Any support you give will be appreciated and if monetary, used for production costs such as: travel, equipment rental, data storage, and other post-production expenses.

We thank you for your interest in 10,000 Trees and encourage you to contact us with any questions, comments, or feedback you might have. We'll take em'.

Although Victor is on the verge of planting the final tree of his project, any contribution you make will keep his message growing.

Warmly,

Sarah Ginsburg
Sarah Berkovich