About this project
THE PROJECT
Katrell Christie is a thoroughly modern do-gooder. She was an Atlanta Rollergirl—skate name: Takillya Sunrise and she runs a funky teashop in Atlanta that sells 50 cent books for a cause. She’s a woman who loves life and who believes in community.
In the summer of 2009 Katrell went to India looking for tea. What she found in Darjeeling is the darker side of the region: a hub for trafficking girls into forced labor and child prostitution. Non-Governmental Organizations in the area estimate that between 7-10,000 girls are tracked annually to Indian brothels from Nepal which borders Darjeeling. Girls—some as young as 6 and 7— are frequently forced into prostitution. Not wanting to be consumer profiteer, Katrell came up with a plan: The Learning Tea.
Through the sale of Darjeeling tea from a Fair Trade tea plantation Katrell hopes to create a sustainable system that supports jobs in the community and funds higher education for girls. The question is—can this simple plan work?
Unblinking Eye Films--producer Phoebe Brown-- will document Katrell's return to India and introduce you to the young woman Katrell is sponsoring from orphanage to university. These girls—many of Nepalese origin—age out of a Buddhist run orphanage at 16 and face the grim realities for young women lacking opportunity and education: a life of forced prostitution, hard labor or servitude--too often under brutal conditions. The sexual enslavement of women is one of the most pressing issues of our time and the world's eyes need to be opened to the possibility and importance of change.
THE LEARNING TEA NEEDS SIPPERS! YOUR MONEY
All of the funds for the documentary are being raised by by the filmmaker. Katrell has been very successful in her fundraising campaign for the girls and help keeps pouring in from new and exciting sources. She has the funds currently to launch and get the first eligible girls ready for university. We did not want to attach in any way to her fundraising campaign because every dime belong to those girls and the ones that will follow.
The film has found a sponsor for our equipment needs so that dramatically reduces our budget. We have raised $1200 towards our production and travel budget--this will cover roughly one round trip ticket. We need an $1200 to cover the DP's airfare, an additional $1400 for travel, food and lodging costs during our 4 week shoot in India, $400 to cover equipment insurance.
This is the bare minimum needed to get this film rolling. If we can get our initial footage shot we will be in a much better position to seek out grants and other funding. But with your help we can get our feet on the ground in India. Any additional funds raised will go toward the following:
$200 rigging some cheap highly portable light "kit"
$225 Carbon Offset for Flights
$500 Additional Sound Equipment Needs
$1000 One Week of Post-Production Editing
$4000 DP Stipend
FAQ
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on May 30, 2010.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Tea Leaf: The filmmakers will send you a hand-drawn or collaged postcard from India with an update from the field during production. Not a mass marketed generic image but your own postcard art and a handwritten note to boot! If you mailbox feels lonely and anonymous this is the support level for you!
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Teaspoon: In addition to a postcard from India with an update from the field during production. You will receive a signed 8 x10 digital photographic print on archival paper from Phoebe or Katrell. And you will get an advance copy of The Learning Tea on DVD upon completion. For those of you who like to be ahead of the curve.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
Teacup: In addition to a postcard from India and a signed 8 x10 digital photographic print on archival paper from Phoebe or Katrell, we will send you one suprise tea related item from India--could be a drawing, a teacup, who knows! In addition you will be sent one package of Learning Tea and you will get a free DVD and given a special thanks in the credits.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Tea Lover: In addition to a postcard from India, you will receive a signed 16 x20 archival digital photographic print from Phoebe or Katrell, and 5 packages of Learning Tea with a specially chosen teacup. You will be sent a thank you letter from one of the girls in the orphanage, two free DVDs and a Contributing Producer credit. We will also send you a surprise perk from our travels--something weird and wonderful.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Tea Farmer: You will get all of the perks that the Tea lover gets and a special handmade book of stories and photographs from India created by the director. Additionally you will be invited to a special VIP screening upon the film's completion and be able to have an open dialogue with the filmmakers about the process.
Project By
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An independent filmmaker with an MFA in photography who has written, produced and directed numerous short documentary films. Phoebe Brown’s film "99 to 1: Ovarian Cancer and Me" has screened in festivals worldwide and won the Jury Prize for Short Film at the 2009 International Health Film Festival in Greece. Phoebe co-produced “Grounded by Reality” the winner of the American Documentary/POV award in the International Documentary Challenge 2010 and hopes for a national broadcast in 2011.
Phoebe participated in Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School 2010 where she learned how to pick a lock and forge necessary documents which she will add to her other unusual skills: placing an IV catheter in a cat, propagating English heather, and booking train tickets in India.
