Dream Nation Love

Writer and Director Roy Hsu on filmmaking. The conversation covers a range of topics including dreams and aspirations, the immigrant experience, the power of storytelling, the idea behind the film 'Cheap AF', personal stories in the film, cultural differences and hilarity, representation and diversity in film, universal themes in storytelling, directing style and collaboration, filmmaking in Seattle, and the impact on local economies. The discussion emphasizes the importance of supporting local economies and the significance of storytelling in film. The conversation covers the themes of supporting underrepresented voices in filmmaking, the importance of business acumen in filmmaking, building the right team, creating a positive work environment, the role of trauma and pain in creativity, and the pursuit of filmmaking dreams and passion projects.Takeaways- Immigrant experience- Power of storytelling Diversity and underrepresented voices in filmmaking- The importance of business acumen in filmmakingChapters00:00 Introduction and Background08:57 Idea Behind 'Cheap AF'05:11 Storytelling and Empathy in Film07:50 Cultural Experiences and Humor in Immigrant Families10:30 Casting and Collaboration in Filmmaking13:10 Directing Style and Creative Freedom15:20 Reviving Seattle's Film Scene15:28 Cultural Differences and Hilarity17:23 Navigating the Film Industry Landscape19:05 Emerging Filmmakers and Local Economies21:15 The Business of Filmmaking25:11 Lessons Learned in Production26:20 Supporting Local Economies28:25 Creating a Positive Work Environment31:20 Staying Creatively Energized31:21 Lessons in Filmmaking and Business Planning34:21 Passion Projects and Personal Stories38:13 Future Aspirations in Filmmaking38:37 The Role of Trauma and Pain in Creativity

or Season 8, our first guest is Adam Himebauch, a multi-media artist in NYC. Adam is one of my favorite contemporary artists in performance and fine art. He was recently profiled in the New York Times. You can easily spend hours down the Himebauch rabbit hole — which is pure fun, meta, and is multi-dimensional. The best way to describe Adam is “But wait, there’s more.” With each new body of work, Adam delivers an entirely different performance. Adam is constantly evolving his art, as well as himself. Making you question which one is the real artwork.Adam talks about pushing boundaries in art, reviving 80's amusement park rides, the future of art being grounded in human experiences over AI, and going from grief to gratitude.

This is the Second Episode in our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn Series. This podcast is focused on data and what Indigenous activists are doing to help humanize MMIW data. At the end of the day, data is a collection of stories. Stories about individuals, events, and places. Providing a window into the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. When it comes to data gathering, a difference exists between the Indigenous and the Western approach. The approaches can have a vast effect on bringing relatives home. On the episode, we’ll hear from people working to decolonize data. As well as how activists are using Tik Tok to create awareness about the crisis and avoid being censored. Stories determine what percentage of cases are solved by authorities. Or in most cases, not solved. Missing person searches and murder investigations often depend on how well they are tracked and logged by various authority groups. Since 2016 there have been 5,712 reported Missing and Murdered Indigenous People cases. Out of those, only a tiny number — 116 have been opened by the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation. Even when reports are filed, racism still plays a factor in the cases pursued by the authorities.  On the show you will hear from Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Crotty. Delegate Crotty spoke about decolonizing data and how the MMIW crisis is affecting the largest reservation in the US. Annita Lucchesi who is the Founder and Director of Research and Outreach at Sovereign Bodies Institute shared how she put together the first MMIW database in the US. Meghan Leinhauser spoke about Instagram, Tik Tok, and Censorship. Meghan is an ally who recently published an honors thesis at the University of Dayton. It’s titled “TikTok and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People Movement.” Liz Marin who is the Program Director of Seeding Sovereignty spoke about how Instagram censored her posts on May 5, 2021 which is the National Day of Awareness of MMIW. Dr. Charlene Aqpik Apok joined the discussion from Alaska to talk about her work decolonizing data as the Executive Director and Founder of Data for Indigenous Justice. An Alaskan Native and Womxn led non-profit which is home to a database for missing and murdered Indigenous womxn, girls and relatives data. Many thanks to everyone for amplifying awareness around the MMIW crisis and indigenous data gathering. The stories are powerful and I am so grateful to Melissa Spence who was the Producer and Editor on the series. It would not exist without her care and meticulous attention to detail. Thank you to Patrick for setting up the interview with Amber Crotty. Please listen, please share, and please care.

Kae Burke is the Co-Founder of House Of Yes in Bushwick, Brooklyn. As well as the Creative Director of Yes Etc Creative Agency. HOY was recently named the #2 Best Thing To Do in the World by Time Out New York. The venue is internationally celebrated for fostering self-expression and nurturing emerging artists of all genres. Their events lead the way for developing safer spaces and consent culture. On the show Kae talks about going to fashion school with Anya Sapozhnikova and how they created HOY. Kae also speaks about how the House Of Yes fosters an inclusive culture and how costumes and self-expression go hand-in-hand. As well as how the pandemic has changed the party landscape and we delve into the ways people have started to be more mindful of their consumption. Her new Creative Agency is called Yes Etc and we talk about what it was like to open an experiential agency during a pandemic and where she finds inspiration.

This five-part series brings attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn Crisis in the US. MMIW cases are also prevalent in Canada but this series highlights the situation in America. The systemic struggle is so complex that it would take years to cover all the stories. These MMIWR true crime episodes are different from the usual Dream Nation Love format. They are the first multi-episode story that DNL has published. The idea for the MMIWR (R standing for relatives) series originated from a conversation I had six years ago with my sister-in-law. I first noticed airport signs in Washington asking people to keep an eye out for human trafficking victims. Our conversation quickly went from human trafficking to the MMIW crisis. I’ve never heard of either back East. It was astounding to learn that this was happening in the US (and Canada) and that the mainstream media was barely covering the issue. The more I spoke to families and read articles, the bigger the MMIW story would become. The systemic struggles created an environment for many Indigenous Womxn, Boys, Girls, and Two-Spirits to be susceptible to murder and/or disappearances. Most are not aware that there are 5,712 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls in the US. The episodes are edited and produced by Melissa Spence who is an Audio Producer and a Voice-over artist. An Anishinaabe Ojibway, Melissa is enrolled in Lake Manitoba First Nation of Canada. She is the Co-host of the Indigenous Vision Podcast alongside Souta Callinglast who is Blackfoot. Indigenous Vision is a collective of Native professionals empowering the future of Indigenous communities in Canada and the US. They do so through educational resources for environmental and cultural preservation. I am forever grateful to Melissa for her talent, friendship, and knowledge. The introduction features the “Strong Woman” song performed by Nicole Matthews, Guadalupe Lopez, and Angelica Allery. Nicole is the Executive Director of The Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition and Angelica is the Membership and Outreach Coordinator. Guadalupe is the Executive Director of Violence Free Minnesota. The song is a part of Nicole’s Tedx talk ”How Indigenous Values Can Help Sexual Violence Victims Heal.” Thank you to the women for sharing the powerful performance with the podcast. The voices that you are about to hear on the podcast are from Mary Katherine Nagle, an Attorney specializing in tribal sovereignty of Native Nations and Peoples. She is also one of the country's most-produced Native American Playwrights. Mary is also the Executive Director of the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program. You will also hear Minnesota Senator Mary Kunesh who created the MMIWG Task Force, to assess and recommend solutions to the crisis in Minnesota. as well as a report on MMIW with mandates to the Minnesota legislature. Mary is a founding member of the Native American and People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) caucuses. You will also hear from Amber Crotty who is a Delegate of the Navajo Nation (one of the largest Indian reservations in the US) about the MMIWR crisis there. The six years of research culminated in these episodes. The goal is to amplify Indigenous Voices and feature interviews with survivors, relatives, state patrol, tribal law enforcement, sexual assault coalition directors, senators, lawyers advocating for tribal sovereignty, environmentalists, and many more voices impacted by the MMIW crisis. After listening to the episodes, my dream is that you share the knowledge. In the hopes of creating awareness, advocating for change, protecting yourself or others, identifying persons being trafficked, and speaking up against injustice. Thank you for listening.