To Touch the Soul

Infobox Film
name = To Touch the Soul


image_size =
caption = Theatrical poster
director = Ryan Goble
producer = Teresa Hagen
Co-producers:
Ryan Goble
Erin Henning
writer = Story:
Teresa Hagen
Writers:
Ryan Goble
Erin Henning
narrator = Cassandra Hepburn
starring = Carlos Silveira
music = Martin Herman
cinematography = Erin Henning
editing = Ryan Goble
distributor = Cut Loose Productions
released = October 11 2007
(La Femme Film Festival)
runtime = 70 minutes
country = United States
language = English
budget =
website = http://www.totouchthesoul.com
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1143916|

"To Touch the Soul" (2007) is a documentary film, directed by Ryan Goble, and produced by Teresa Hagen. The film was written by Goble and Erin Henning, from a story by Hagen. The documentary is narrated by Cassandra Hepburn. [imdb title|id=1143916|title=To Touch the Soul.]

ynopsis

"To Touch the Soul" follows California State University, Long Beach Professor Carlos Silveira, a Brazilian-born artist educator and social activist who recruits 27 American university students to join him in a pilot program that uses art to help impoverished Cambodian children affected by HIV/AIDS express their wishes and desires for their futures. As Carlos and the students grapple with the realities of a culture much different from their own, a language they don't understand, art projects that don't go as planned and a three-week deadline, they form a bond with the children. Through these young Cambodian mentors—all of them abandoned by society—the Americans empower their own social activism and learn the true meaning of kindness, selflessness, courage and community.

Background

The story is told from Carlos’ and six of his students’ perspectives through a mix of spoken (voice-over) diary entries, interviews and interaction with the children as they create art projects together, and shows that even the smallest attempt at making a difference can have life-changing consequences for all the people involved. The film also highlights the growing problem of the 77,000 children in Cambodia who have become orphans due to their parents dying from AIDS, a population expected to grow to 108,700 over the next five years.

Filming locations

Filming locations include: Long Beach, California and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Interviews

* Carlos Silveira
* Saneya Bair
* Heather Hamilton
* John Lachey
* Amanda Mithers
* Saveun Nhim
* Casey Quirarte
* John Tucker
* Sundy Ven
* Cassandra Hepburn (Narrator)

Film festivals

* La Femme Film Festival, Beverly Hills, California
* Wild Rose Independent Film Festival, Ames, Iowa
* Myrtle Beach International Film Festival, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
* Conscious Life Film Festival, Los Angeles, California
* Byron Bay Film Festival, Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
* Memphis International Film Festival, Memphis, Tennessee
* Newport Beach Film Festival, Newport Beach, California
* Global Arts Film Festival, Los Angeles, California
* San Joaquin Film Festival, Stockton, California

Awards

Wins
* Accolade Competition: Best of Show, Videography, 2007.
* Wild Rose Independent Film Festival: WRIFF Award, Best Documentary Film, Ryan Goble, 2007.

References

Notes

External links

*
* [http://www.totouchthesoul.com "To Touch the Soul"] official web site