North Shore Unitarian member, Jon Cooksey, a writer and show runner for television, has recently been nominated for a Best Documentary Gemini award for his one hour film, How to Boil a Frog. A number of other NSUC members/friends worked on it, and part of it was shot in our sanctuary. The film is still being broadcast from time to time on The Movie Channel (don’t know which channels in other parts of the country), and also at an increasing number of film festivals around the world. The Toronto Premiere was recently held at First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto.
Jon is part of a growing network of people, many UUs among them, who are passionately working on behalf of our climate, a sustainable economy, post-peak oil planning, and other related issues. His web-site has many resources and lots of information on this, and if you have an environmental or ‘green group’ in your congregation, they might benefit from what it offers. http://howtoboilafrog.com/
Further, a DVD of Jon’s film can be ordered for $15, and a youth-oriented (but accessible to all) Study Guide is near final publication. It could be a multi-generational religious education program.
A trailer for the film runs in QuickTime format on the web-page. It’s informative, scary, funny and inspiring. I encourage you to check it out. Rev. Stephen Atkinson
I think what Jon & his group are doing is so great and I love the way Jon is able to make things comedic in the film. I am a sarcastic person so I enjoy that tone very much, enough to keep me interested and listening throughout the entire hour – which is more than I can say for any movie or class I had in highschool! I really hope it does become a program for highschools as soon as possible! I appreciate that I was able to watch it on the movie network but I am now 27 years old, it would’ve been a great asset to have had a film like this back when I was about to start my first job, at McDonalds! I have always been questioning the way the world is and confused by the lack of control people have over all of the details that we should have atleast a say about but then like most I don’t actually take action. After seing this movie I am going to make some changes in my life which will also effect my family and hopefully others around and so on because I do care about the world and all who are in it wether they care about me or not although I have been taught not to care for ones who don’t return the feeling I do not believe thats the way the world is meant to be. I believe we’re all waiting to be inspired and right now I am! I’m making a promise to myself for my family & the world we live in; to do what I can to protect eachother! what can I do? 1) stop eating beef! I have never been a big fan of it anyway, I prefer chicken any day. 2) grow food at home – much better than buying food that ends up rotting before you’ve made your meals anyway. 3) I already do this & will continue not to get gas at Esso. 4) I’ll walk my kids to school instead of driving them. 5) I’ll stop consuming so many items from stores such as Walmart and continue to buy used as well as continue to donate our used items rather than pollute the earth with our garbage. *** I have always known but it took being inspired by creativity as well as others taking action for me to join in but I promise this is a new beginging for me that wont end!
Thank you for caring 🙂