5Q's w/Greg Bassenian "Miracle In The Desert" Director
#1: Can you describe your movie and why somebody should see it?
The Salton Sea is an ecological disaster that threatens the health of millions in Southern California if something isn't done immediately.
#2: What do you want the Borrego Springs Film Festival audience to know about your film that isn’t obvious from its title?
This film tells the complex, shocking and often unbelievable story of the formation of the Salton Sea all the way to its current state of ecological decline. The Salton Sea is a mysterious, and often misunderstood place and the film unravels some of those myths while also connecting the audience to the people whose lives are now threatened. We meet Michele Dugan, a young mother who's lungs have been severely damaged by asthma, and who's life is impacted by the drying up of the sea.
We meet Kerry Morrison, a young activist who's spent years trying to raise awareness about the sea and the vulnerable population around it. It's a harrowing story of immense size and scope hopes to raise awareness for an environmental issue that could affect us all.
But we also meet citizens and officials who raise the alarm about the decline of the sea and the enormous impact it could have on the lives of millions. This is the first time (so far as we can tell), that the whole story of the sea is told, and the truth behind it is revealed.
#3: What is your movie making background? Tell us about yourself.
I began my career in television, working on shows like The King of Queens, before ending up as a staff writer on CSI: Miami. I then decided to form my own production company, through which we produced this film which is our first feature.
#4: What was the biggest lesson learned in getting your film made?
When you begin to film a documentary, there are so many things that can act as obstacles in achieving a finished film. Things like budget, scheduling, along with a thousand other logistical and technical things that can go wrong.
The key is to pick a subject matter that you can continue to stay passionate about, and be diligent and disciplined in finishing the film one step at a time. You may be two years into it and feel like it will never get finished, but that is exactly the point at which you have to re-energize yourself and continue to push to create the film so that audiences can hear a new story.
You also never know who your film will resonate with, and in the end, your story might be something that plays an important role in changing someone's perspective for the better.
#5: What does the future hold for your film and you?
We hope that the film can continue to be accepted into festivals and raise awareness about the Salton Sea. We'd really love to see the film actually create some sort of positive change and push the California state legislature towards quicker action at the Salton Sea.
