About this project
It is one of the world’s oldest professions and a primitive lifestyle that few Americans are willing to take on. That is, the life of a shepherd. Which is why U.S. ranchers recruit herders from South America with experience working with sheep, cattle or llamas in the Andes and Patagonia regions.
They arrive to states like Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado under guest worker visas -- and just days later, having barely recovered from the jet lag (for many it's their first time flying), are sent to the desert and mountain ranges across the northwest.
They spend up to three months at a time with little or no human contact. They endure extreme weather conditions, dangerous wild life, and profound solitude. Many of them are treated with dignity; others become victims of physical and psychological abuse. There are those who return to their country with years of savings and ready to retire, and those who return with less than what they left with. And there are some who never return.
We want to shadow one of these shepherds who decided to come to the U.S. for a better opportunity for his family. The plan is to witness the farewell of his homeland and embark with him on the quest from Chile to North America. We want to tell a story of immigration -- a story of expectations and sacrifice. We want to take you on the search for their “American dream" in the beautiful, lonely open vistas of the West.
It's a project that we deeply believe in. We're ready and willing to sacrifice our time to spend long periods with the shepherd -- to immerse ourselves in the lifestyle, enduring long periods of 'roughing it' in the wilderness. But we need help financing our travel expenses to get there. And that's why we've come to Kickstarter in search of support.
We are grateful whether you give a donation or share our project with others on your Facebook wall or by good old-fashioned word of mouth!
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
64
Backers
$5,313
pledged of $4,200 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on January 12.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
Our sincere appreciation & the option to be included on the list of supporters on our official film page.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Special advanced DVD of the completed film.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
A pair of wool socks, DVD and special thanks listed in the film's credits.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
All of the above PLUS a framed photo of a South American shepherd in the mountains (black & white - 16x20)
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
All of the above PLUS a beautiful mate tea set with yerba mate tea from Patagonia.
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
All of the above PLUS handicraft ornament brought by the filmmakers from Chile -- and a Chilean rain stick (20" long musical instrument) etched with your name.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
All of the above PLUS the filmmakers will take you for a dinner to the Peruvian steakhouse, Chimu, in Williamsburg and a seat of honor at the New York premiere of the film (transport not included)
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
All of the above PLUS an Executive Producer credit (with official IMDB listing)
Pledge $3,000 or more Pledge $3,000 or more
All of the above PLUS we take you on an all expense paid trip to the mountains of Idaho to drink yerba mate with a shepherd.
Project By
Connected as Sofian Khan (658 friends)
Sofian Khan is a writer/director and founder of Capital K Pictures. His work includes feature films, shorts, documentaries and music videos.
His most recent short documentary 'Brother Rob' premiered on the Doc Channel and has played at festivals across the country, including the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and the Woodstock Film Festival (competition finalist) and received Best Documentary at the Independent's Film Festival.
