Deep Roots II – Full Documentary Online!

“Deep Roots II – Days and Nights on the Farm” the Full Documentary is online! Thank you to those who made it to the premiere screening at The Bainbridge Club on December 1st. The hall was filled with more than fifty people and it was truly a wonderful experience to  see people who participated in the video, people who are dear to me and people who I did not know personally!

“Deep Roots II” focuses on the use of art on farms to spread the message of the importance of local urban farming and being conscious of how to support your community through collaboration…

“Deep Roots II — Days and Nights on the Farm” is a documentary produced by Michelle Saul-Yamasaki of the multi-media art installation by Meei-Ling Ng, that took place on October 6th and 7th, 2012 in collaboration with Weavers Way’s Mort Brooks Memorial Farm and their Farm Festival and in conjunction with the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST) and lighting designer Jackson Kay. The aim of this event was to spread the message that urban farms by necessity need to be multi-use spaces not just for growing food. Meei-Ling Ng and her collaborators took a unique approach to raise awareness on the importance of farming by expanding the audience past foodies to art lovers and beyond. Meei-Ling’s multimedia art installation featured sculptures using repurposed and recycled farm materials that focus the viewers’ attention to the many facets of urban farm life. It included a multimedia bee keeper sculpture, a farmer sculpture, light shows (to see life on the farm at night) and functional art that the farmers utilize in their daily tasks such as the decorative chicken tractor.

Collaboration was another key theme of the event and of this documentary also. Meei-Ling collaborated with many, from light designer Jackson Kay to Farmer Rick, farm educators to high school students (Central and Friends Select), Anna the director of POST to photographer Sang Cun and Michelle Saul-Yamasaki, the videographer. This amazing collaboration resulted in a great turn out of people, an amazing art installation that everyone enjoyed and learned from, many became interested about becoming a part of Weavers Way Co-op and those involved met new friends while eating and enjoying music. And with the collaboration of Meei-Ling and Michelle Saul-Yamasaki, they were able to capture this great event and the people that made it happen to then share it with more communities and continue spreading this message to inspire other communities. It would have been impossible if it wasn’t for everyone collaborating in the name of something they believe in…

Please check it out, share it with people, groups and organizations who may find this meaningful and let us know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment below, comment on Ponder Tree’s Facebook Page or through email. (pondertreemedia@gmail.com)

List of Collaborators
Video production – Michelle Saul-Yamasaki www.pondertree.com
Artist/Event Producer – Meei-Ling Ng www.meeiling.com
Farm and Educators – Weavers Way Co-op and Weavers Way Community Program (WWCP) www.weaversway.coop
Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST) www.philaopenstudios.org
Location – Awbury Arboretum www.awbury.com
Lighting Designer – Jackson Kay www.facebook.com/JKConceptsDesign
Photographer – Sang Cun www.SangCun.blogspot.com
Music – Painted Blue www.myspace.com/PaintedBluegrass
Trailer used on the Bee Keeper Sculpture – “Vanishing of the Bees” www.vanishingbees.com
The Bainbridge Club – www.bainbridgeclub.yolasite.com/

“Deep Roots II” – Film by Michelle Saul-Yamasaki

(Thanks to Meei Ling for designing this wonderful poster.)

The Holiday Pop-Up Art Show is a three day event filled with local art to shop for the holidays, food, live music performances by various artists and a local documentary being screened!

And I cordially invite you! The documentary being screened is of “DEEP ROOTS II  – Days and Nights on the Farm” that I, Michelle Saul-Yamasaki,  shot and edited. It will be screened December 1st at 6:30PM at The Bainbridge Club on 15th and Bainbridge! Come to as much of this entire event as you can, but I would love for you to come see this video that I shot and edited in collaboration with Meei-Ling Ng of her art installation Deep Roots II…

For full schedule of performances and participating artists, go to South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA) or go to the Facebook Invitation which you can join and share!

About the documentary of Deep Roots II
“Deep Roots II – Days and Nights on the Farm“ took place on October 6th and 7th and it was amazing. (See Deep Roots I here.) Deep Roots II was a multi-media art installation by Meei Ling in collaboration with Weavers Way’s Mort Brooks Memorial Farm and their Farm Festival and in conjunction with the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST) and lighting designer Jackson Kay. The key messages of this event were to raise awareness and appreciation for the farmer and for the gifts of nature and the danger that they’re in, such as bees. Also a key theme was collaboration.

See you there!
Michelle Saul-Yamasaki, your classmate, neighbor and friend.
A Temple University Film and Media Arts student.

Like Michelle’s Ponder Tree’s Facebook Page or follow her blog by adding your email on her www.pondertree.com site.