Director/Producer Windy Borman with Producer Tim VandeSteeg at the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival.

April 29, 2010– I recently returned from the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival where I saw the west coast premiere of My Run, a documentary about a single father who ran from Minnesota to Atlanta in order to bring awareness to single parents, directed and produced by Tim VandeSteeg. To learn more about My Run, click here.

Tim VandeSteeg is an award-winning Director, Producer and Filmmaker. Over the past decade he has directed, produced and written independent feature films, including the award-winning inspirational documentary My Run, narrated by Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton, the indie love story Fall Into Me and the indie golf comedy Mulligan. Tim’s recent success is the documentary My Run, which has screened in multiple film festivals throughout the US and has won numerous awards, such as the “Audience Award” at the Austin Film Festival, “Best Documentary” at the Mammoth Film Festival, “Award of Merit” from the Accolade Competition, and received the “family-friendly” seal and “5 Doves” rating from the Dove Award by the Dove Foundation (highest quality rating).

Tim’s development and production experience as director, producer and writer has included narrative and documentary films, national and local commercials, promotional television shows (Capital City, Diversity, Less Than Perfect and Dinotopia) and field producing the behind-the-scenes video of the Music Man (starring Matthew Broderick & Molly Shannon), films, PSAs, interstitials and behind-the-scenes segments for such high-profile clients and promotional partners as ABC, Hallmark Entertainment, ABC Family, Subway, Sun Country Airlines and Minnesota Twins. Tim established Indiewood Pictures with the mission to develop and produce story driven and high concept motion pictures that will inspire, engage and entertain audiences worldwide.

We’re happy to have Tim on board to help us edit and distribute The Eyes of Thailand and can’t wait to share our progress with you!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, The Eyes of Thailand

Photo Credit: The San Francisco Chroncile

April 20, 2010–Normally, this blog focuses on Thailand’s elephants, but yesterday I read about the success one man, known in Cambodia as “Uncle Elephant”, has had teaching humans to co-exist with the dwindling elephant populations.

As Geoffrey Cain reports, “In Cambodia’s elephant zones, Sereivathana Tuy has stopped farmers from cutting the animal’s nationwide population – which stands at less than 400. For that, he is one of six recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize, to be awarded today [April 19, 2010] in San Francisco.”

According to Cain, the program’s success lies largely with its focus on education, not law enforcement:

The Cambodian program begins with teachers who educate children on how to co-exist with elephants in one of four schools across the country in isolated communities. The children then pass the new knowledge to their parents. Soon, “the whole village is talking about these techniques,” Tuy said.

The plan also encourages farmers to alternate rapidly growing crops such as cucumbers and white radishes, which can be harvested several times a year before elephants have the chance to eat them. Tuy also encourages farmers to stop planting crops that elephants love – watermelons, sugarcane and bananas – in favor of ones they detest, such as eggplant and chile peppers.

“This way, the villagers keep their harvest and we conserve the elephant population,” he said….

In Cambodia, the clash between elephants and humans peaked after the communist Khmer Rouge regime was ousted in 1979. Vast deforestation followed, forcing elephants to search for food and water on farmlands near their traditional forests… At the same time, wealthy Cambodians sought expensive elephant tails, tusks and the tips of their trunks – body parts they believe are symbols of power. This led to widespread poaching, Tuy says.

Before Tuy became director of his elephant project in 2005, conservationists would often report elephant killings to the police, who would then jail the perpetrators until a fine, sometimes as much as $2,400, could be negotiated.

Today, poaching has been reduced significantly. Irate farmers, however, are still known to kill elephants that threaten their crops. Tuy says law enforcement is just part of the solution. “Ultimately, you need education and improved livelihoods,” he said…

Tuy estimates that there have been between five and 10 elephant attacks on humans since 2003, and only one death since 2005 – a sign that farmers are using safer methods to drive elephants away.

He hopes that his program will double the elephant population to 1,000 elephants in 20 years. He concedes that would be a difficult feat, given the animal’s long gestation and maturation process. Asian elephants, which can live as long as 60 years, don’t reproduce until they are between 8 and 14 years of age – enough time to be killed by predators, poachers or disease.

For now, however, Tuy’s biggest hope in saving the elephants is changing Cambodian attitudes.

“When I was a poacher, I made a mistake,” said Sophal Shout, a 54-year-old community leader in Prey Proseth who teaches villagers about alternative ways of repelling elephant attacks. Tuy “helped me find the right path.”

To read more of Cain’s article, please visit: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/19/MN4G1CN4QV.DTL#ixzz0lfNJRo4N

Worldwide Elephant Numbers:

African: The largest populations, found in eastern and southern Africa, are threatened by the ivory trade. At the start of the 20th century, the African population was estimated at between 5 million and 10 million. By the end of the century, poaching and deforestation had reduced their numbers to about 500,000.

Asian: Experts say 40,000 to 50,000 wild Asian elephants live across Asia, 60 percent of them in India. In Cambodia, deforestation has caused the elephant population to dwindle from 2,000 in 1995 to fewer than 400 in 2010. In Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, China and Nepal, experts say only 300 or so are left in each country.

According to Soraida Salwala, founder of the world’s first Asian Elephant Hospital in Thailand and featured in The Eyes of Thailand documentary, Thailand has less than 4,000 wild and captive elephants.

-Windy Borman

Director/Producer, The Eyes of Thailand

Photo Credit: The San Francisco Chronicle

Screenshot for the trailer.

April 16, 2010– D.V.A. Productions, in Association with Indiewood Pictures, is proud to present the powerful and hard-hitting feature documentary The Eyes of Thailand. The newly edited trailer features:

• Soraida Salwala, founder of the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital
• Dr. Preecha, a veterinarian at FAE
• Staff from the Prostheses Foundation
• Motala, a 48-year old elephant landmine survivor; and
• Baby Mosha, a 3-year old elephant landmine survivor.

Please click here to watch the trailer, rate it and leave comments. It takes just a few moments and helps increase our overall rating.

The Eyes of Thailand is the inspirational story of one woman’s quest to help two elephant landmine survivors, Motala and Baby Mosha walk on their own four legs. Treating their wounds was only part of the journey; building elephant-sized prostheses was another. Directed and Produced by Windy Borman. Produced by Tim VandeSteeg. Music by Amie Penwell.

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/eyesofthailand
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/eyesofthailand
Website: http://www.eyesofthailand.com

Enjoy!

-Windy Borman

P.S. The Eyes of Thailand is currently in post-production, and we’re raising funds to edit it so we can premiere the film in 2011.

Please support our work by making a tax-deductible donation today! We’ve set a fund-raising goal of $2,000 by June 30, 2010. If we reach it IndieGoGo will donate an additional 5% to the project! Please donate here: http://www.indiegogo.com/eyesofthailand

April 15, 2010–Earlier this year we announced that  Soraida Salwala, Founder of the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital and featured in the elephant conservation documentary, The Eyes of Thailand, shared the successful birth of a new baby elephant, named Dante, on February 15.

Baby Dante reaches to nurse on Kamnoi at FAE's Elephant Hospital (April 12, 2010).

While he and his mother Kamnoi have bonded and are doing well, she is still not able to produce enough milk for him, so the staff at FAE are supplementing her milk with goat’s milk.

Staff at FAE's Elephant Hospital supplement Kamnoi's milk with goats milk, in order to help Dante gain weight (April 12, 2010).

Dante remains small and we’re hoping he is able to start putting on weight. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more information.

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, The Eyes of Thailand

April 14, 2010–Here are two pictures of Motala’s new prosthesis, complete with pedicured toenails!

As you can see, the elephant landmine survivor Motala is getting around well and she continues to enjoy her sunbaths at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital.

As always, we’ll keep you posted on her progress!

-Windy Borman

Director/Producer The Eyes of Thailand

P.S. Please consider supporting our work on the documentary film, The Eyes of Thailand, by making a tax-deductible donation today! We’ve set a goal of raising $2,000 by June 30, 2010 and if we reach it IndieGoGo will donate an additional 5% to the project! Please donate here: http://www.indiegogo.com/eyesofthailand

Belinda Ogley and Soraida Salwala with elephant landmine survivor Motala.

The Eyes of Thailand fan and supporter Belinda Ogley visited FAE’s Elephant Hospital in February.  Here is what she had to say:

In February 2010, I flew from Heathrow to Thailand, heading for Sukhothai where I had arranged to stay in the guest house of Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary (BLES).  I was somewhat thrilled with anticipation.  When I finally met Katherine Connor, the owner of BLES, my anticipation turned to joy – I was surrounded by 200 acres of lush forest and animals (wild life and rescued elephants, dogs, cats, cows, tortoise).

Katherine then took me to visit the FAE hospital in Lampang.  Soraida was kind enough to show us around the hospital and introduced us to the patients currently undergoing treatment or requiring life-time care. We spent time with Motala and played with Mosha, both of whom have prosthetic limbs and the tiny baby elephant, Dante who was born prematurely. We watched the vets treat a new comer who had arrived the night before.

I was moved to tears over and over again as we listened to Soraida tell the painful stories of each individual. My tears of sadness were quickly replaced by hope for the future as I watched the vets care so lovingly for the sick animals.   It warmed my heart to see Katherine and Soraida together, whose shared passion for the elephants and their welfare has led to a firm and fruitful friendship.

This visit to FAE was a most humbling experience for me to see such gentle giants formerly enslaved by the covetousness of humans and reduced to begging and illegal logging, but now free although only able to walk with the aid of prosthetic limbs.

-Belinda Ogley

If you’ve visited Soraida Salwala and FAE’s Elephant Hospital and want to tell us about your trip, please leave us a comment. Your story could appear in our next blog or newsletter!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, The Eyes of Thailand



Baby Dante playing at FAE's Elephant Hospital (March 24, 2010).

April 7, 2010–In addition to building prosthetic limbs for elephants (like Mosha and Motala) that step on landmines, the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital also treats elephants for everything from illness to injuries. On February 19, 2010, Kamnoi and her healthy baby boy, whom they’ve since named Dante, arrived at FAE.

Baby Dante with his mother Kamnoi at FAE's Elephant Hospital (March 30, 2010).

Kamnoi and Dante are bonding, but he continues to grow very slowly. Consequently, FAE supplements his mother’s milk with goat milk, because she does not produce enough.

Please send good thoughts for Dante to continue to grow to Soraida Salwala and her staff at FAE’s Elephant Hospital.  We’ll send updates as they come!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer The Eyes of Thailand

Baby Dante drinks water after playing at FAE's Elephant Hospital (March 30, 2010).

Baby Mosha, an elephant landmine survivor at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital and featured in the documentary The Eyes of Thailand, is growing so fast, the Prostheses Foundation had to return to FAE and adjust her prosthesis again.

Elephant landmine survivor, Mosha, at FAE's Elephant Hospital (March 24, 2010).

On March 16, 2010, we reported that Mosha received a new prosthesis in honor of Thailand’s National Elephant Day (March 13th).  Two weeks later, the Prostheses Foundation staff returned to adjust her prosthetic limb.

Examing Mosha's new prosthesis.

Below are some pictures of Motala, a fellow Elephant landmine survivor and patient at FAE, greeting Mosha in her pen.

Elephant landmine survivor, Motala, walks with Soraida Salwala to visit Mosha in her pen (April 1, 2010).

Baby Mosha walks toward Motala, a fellow patient and prosthesis wearer (April 1, 2010).

We’ll keep you posted on Mosha and Motala’s progress!

In the meantime, please watch and rate the new Sizzle Reel for The Eyes of Thailand, which features Mosha, Motala and FAE’s founder, Soraida Salwala. (Please note: The numbers of ratings and comments help the film get more exposure).  Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, The Eyes of Thailand

On March 18, 2010, Baby Nampet arrived at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital from Chiang Mai.  He was walking on the road when a vehicle hit him.

Baby Nampet arrives at FAE on March 18, 2010, after being hit by a car in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This is a daily threat and a sad reality for many street elephants in Thailand.  Luckily for Nampet, his owner took him to FAE’s Elephant Hospital so the staff could examine him and dress his wounds.

Unfortunately, because baby elephants earn a lot of money on the street, posing in pictures and getting fed by (uneducated) tourists, his owner picked him up and took him “back to work” on March 23, 2010.

Staff at FAE encourage Baby Nampet to walk into the truck, so his owner can take him back to Chiang Mai.

Baby Nampet is not the first elephant to be hit by a vehicle in Thailand.  Injuries and car accidents to street elephants will only end once it is no longer profitable; if we end the demand, we’ll decrease the supply.

Please take a few moments to sign the following petitions to get ALL elephants off the streets in Thailand:

Ban Street Begging Elephants in Chiang Mai

Lonely Planet Petition to Educate Tourists

Please consider joining the following Facebook Groups:

Help Ban Begging Street Elephants in Chiang Mai

Save the Elephants, Stop Street Walking Exploitation

Additionally, if you are in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Sunday, April 4, please join the “Help Ban Begging Street Elephants in Chiang Mai” group distribute flyers and raise local and tourist awareness.  Details are listed on their Facebook group page listed above.

Thank you!

-Windy Borman

Director/Producer, The Eyes of Thailand