Another trailer for the human rights campaign “Can You Solve This?”, which I filmed and edited for the launch in Washington, DC, aimed at encouraging other American cities and universities to bring the campaign to their localities.
A brother and sister, orphaned refugees from Burma, settle into a new home in America. But someone still lurks in the shadows, among the items mysteriously abandoned by the previous owners. Written and directed by Mark Perry and Jiayun Zhuang, editing and sound design by Luis Dechtiar, original score by Marie-Claire Saindon. “The Only Child” [...]
A Ford Foundation video I worked on about Teddy Cruz, an architect whose vision for metropolitan areas breaks down physical and cultural barriers, rethinking established structures of wealthy and poor, old and new, and public and private. Founded on his urban research on the Tijuana-San Diego border, his work has transformed neighborhoods by creating affordable, [...]
A video I worked on for the Ford Foundation’s 75th anniversary, about Elsie McCabe. A NYC lawyer and former city government executive, she has been relentless in her quest to enrich the lives of all through a deeper engagement with African culture and art, and after a decade of fundraising and planning, succeeded in establishing [...]
A commercial airing on Haitian television, celebrating 10 years since the founding of Alternative Insurance Company, a pioneer provider of microinsurance in Haiti.
In the West African republic of Liberia, USAID sponsored a program called GEMAP (Government Economic Management Assistance Program), which focused on capacity-building in the area of financial management at key government institutions and state-owned enterprises, such as the Ministry of Finance, the National Port Authority, and Roberts International Airport. This film documented the last five [...]
Renowned author and teacher Gretchen Bernabei introduces her revolutionary approach to creative writing in this multi-media DVD for both students and teachers. In the included 45 minutes of video lessons she demonstrates – among many things – how to write from the heart, how to play with text structures, and how to beat the standardized [...]
Jon Lebensold and I put together this mini documentary about some of the great work Habitation KYO, a Canadian timberframing company is doing to build an LEED Platinum home for an organic farm. Thanks to Ramzy El-Kassouf, Christian Groulx, Patrick Jetté, Mathilde Rineau and Mehran Nakhjavani.
The Northern Corridor Trade Route stretches from the port of Mumbasa in Kenya, through Uganda, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. This route, still plagued by vast inefficiencies and massive delays, is a vital link to global markets for land-locked countries that depend on trade to stimulate economic growth, create jobs and [...]
The World Bank’s eTransform Initiative seeks to leverage the power of widespread communications technology – such as the cellular phone – to create communities of practice in developing countries that are more powerful working together than they would be alone.
A tour of the headquarters of the non-profit organization AED in Washington, DC, prepared for the AED staff working on the field in various countries.
In October 2008, the Universal House of Justice announce 41 regional conferences to be held throughout the world over a period of four months. The response to the invitation was magnificent. Nearly 80,000 Bahá’ís and their friends from more than 170 countries attended. This film is a unique historical and inspirational record of those precious [...]
Four women cross paths while in a prison in Iran. In Farsi with English subtitles. An experiment in improvisational acting and story development, in collaboration with Chantelle Brader and Jonathan Lebensold.
An orientation video for those arriving in the Holy Land, in preparation for the Convention. Directed by May Taherzadeh with photography by Negeen Sobhani. Read about the unusual multi-language system created for the screenings.
A preview for the film “Opening a Space – The Discourse on Science, Religion and Development in Uganda” prepared for this story on the Bahá’í World News Service.
A video segment produced for the Bahá’í World News Service about the publication of a new volume of “The Bahá’í World”, a series of annual volumes that surveyed activities of the Bahá’í community during that year.
When Oscar (Anise Meccouri) returns to New York City for a conference, he tries to avoid his old friends and dysfunctional family, who have criticized him ever since he left for school in San Francisco. Flora (Stephany Martinez) somehow manages to get him to come back to their native Lower East Side for a few [...]
Two ambitious youth with opposing metaphysical viewpoints on the origins of the universe discover what they believe to be the next step in the evolution of the human species. Surrounding them is a network of underground groups battling for access to this precious knowledge.
Various media produced collaboratively by members of the Campus Conversations on Race Action Committee, for a 6-hour role-playing simulation of the events following the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Read more about the production of The Displacement, which went up against last-minute denial of school sponsorship, and for all those involved, proved to be a revealing educational [...]
The Children’s Theater Company, started in New York City, aims to build the character of children through their experience on stage and in service to their community. This film follows the Children’s Theater Company of Boston, for a course entitled Cinema and Social Change.
Geoffrey Chaucer returns from 14th Century England to continue his Canterbury Tales, this time telling of a noble boy whose desire for a life of slavery is betrayed by his own grandiose and unavoidable destiny.
Chuck, a young writer away from home in search of a real experience, gets caught up in a scuffle between best-selling author Gerald Brandy and his deranged uncle, unwitting subject matter of his slanderous new book. Directed by Will Drinker.
Barry Lane’s best practice for test practice. Lessons about writing creatively, learning meaningfully and taking tests humorously. Increases success on writing tests for students grades 3-8, and lightens up test-scorer’s sense of humor.
Assisted Jack Gordon to edit a documentary for DDC International about the boat clinics which roam the man-made Volta Lake in Ghana, treating residents of hundreds of remote islands.
The darkest secrets of Olympus Boro unravel in one night, when Grant Masterson and Alex Jones leave their cash-machine of a party to buy more cups, and have a run-in with sinister figures embroiled in an old mystery. A teen thriller shot on 35mm film over the course of a summer, by Writer, Director and [...]
My mother and sister share oven space to try and cook, respectively, lasagna and chocolate chip cookies.
An aspiring journalist discovers something about the psyche of her generation, but she is not sure what it is. A student – poet, insomniac, dreamer – is able to translate her articles into brilliant visions.
Mona Mahmudnizhad was a teacher of children’s classes in the Baha’i community of Shiraz, Iran. At age 16, during the country’s intense political revolution, she was the youngest of 9 women who became targets of the regime’s persecution of religious minorities, and in 1983 they were executed, to great public outcry. Twenty years later, Mark [...]
Jon Pivko’s short film about one youth’s isolation in the urban metropolis. “To live we must conquer incessantly.” -Henri Frederic Amiel waldomfilms.com/conquer
Neil Jablot, experimental filmmaker, and Sam Shepard, Spielberg devotee, are roommates in film school. A documentary crew follows their first collaborative effort, the 3-hour IMAX epic “The Day the Moon Stopped the Rain from Falling from the Sky”. A mockumentary written and directed by Jon Pivko.
The Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi, India, is open to people of all faiths. In order to receive the average 20,000 visitors each day, volunteers from every part of the world work in different positions at the Temple, for a period of three months. This is the story of their service.
Illusion, ego, trials, transformation, detachment. A music video based on the piece D.O.G. by the electronic artist Download.
From the vault of LuisGD Studios, available for the first time on DVD are 11 award-winning short films directed by Luis Dechtiar during the early years: 1999-2002. Titles include: “Conspiracy F” and “Conspiracy F2″, “Three Duels”, “Social Enemies”, “fireRant” and the pilot for the superhero TV satire “Throwing Darts”. Special Features include: 7 commentary tracks, [...]
Why “Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers” Should Be Remastered for the iPad 
South East Asia videos 
Can You Solve This? U.S. Campaign Launch 
