I was privileged to spend part of the pandemic watching the creation of The Secret Society for Slow Romance unfold on social media, and was absolutely thrilled to get a chance to be one of the earliest screeners for the movie. While I was worried about how Sujewa Ekanyake’s movie would handle a comedic romance during a global pandemic, I was delighted to find that it dealt with the pandemic (and a variety of deep subjects) with a heavy dose of wit and a sprinkle of intelligent, disarming earnestness. The movie is like a warm, cozy blanket — soothing and comfortable, and good for uplifting spirits. Ultimately, The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a cozy love note to cinema, independent film-making, and New York City.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene and Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
I can’t be sure of how I initially started following independent filmmaker Sujewa on social media, but it probably has to do with our shared love of David Lynch (and an admiration for what Dune was). I was certain I’d watch anything he made once I watched his incredible slow cinema comedic noir “Werewolf Ninja Philosopher.”
On the most fundamental level, The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a slow cinema romantic comedy that explores what happens when two extraordinary people go on a few dates in New York City. The slow cinema styling allows us to explore big questions and even larger answers as filmmakers Rene (Sujewa Ekanayake) and Allyson (Alia Lorae) share take-out, conversation, and beautiful views of New York City. Throughout the movie, shots are allowed to linger on interesting spaces, objects, and people — the soft, welcoming glow gives character to the camera itself, which should be no surprise in a movie focused on two filmmakers.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene,Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Rene and Allyson aren’t just any filmmakers. Scientific studies found Rene to be the Happiest Man in North America. Allyson was voted The Most Productive Person in NY City by an independent film site. Through conversational exploration of the differences in their approaches to independent movie making, as well as their respective interests, we’re invited to contemplate all that cinema has to offer the world and just what a vast scope the word ‘film’ encompasses.
During the movie, Allyson and Rene talk about their ambitions in film, and it was wonderful to feel like I was in on conversations about some of the challenges of independent filmmaking.
Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
“I never really thought of happiness as a goal to achieve, I just kind of thought of it as something that happens like other things in life.” — Allyson
I found myself, more than once, jotting down pages of notes of what Rene thought we should all learn in junior high — the movie is so dense with philosophical concepts and film references that attempting to catalog them all is a feat in and of itself. The slow, easy timing of the movie and laugh out loud absurdist humor makes the dense material playful. This positive atmosphere permeates every moment of the film. While Rene often comments on his surprise that Allyson hasn’t encountered a concept, that surprise is never from a place of judgement. Allyson’s interest in the most independent and experimental of films doesn’t reject anything more popular. In other words — these two characters are too comfortable in their own skin to be bothered with that.
While the bulk of the film is focused on time with Rene and Allyson together, it doesn’t mean that the world of The Secret Society for Slow Romance isn’t filled with interesting characters. Days after watching, I found myself wondering about the adventures of characters like Pyjama Jams and Tor. We also get to spend some time with Allyson in her space, dictating her thoughts to her phone ala Dale Cooper’s microcasettes. Every moment and space has thoughtful purpose, and gives these scenes space to breathe, reflect, and admire.
The wonderful world of The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Because we spend so much time with Rene and Allyson together, it was refreshing to see them talking, listening, and reflecting with each other. While many films with philosophical concepts create talking-head vehicles for monologues, The Secret Society for Slow Romance remembers that it is, indeed, a romance — and space for conversation is important to such things. Questions are asked and answered with earnestness, and while the conversation topics can soar to incredible, elevated discussions exploring the nature of happiness, Rene and Allyson never take themselves or the subject matter too seriously. This is the rare sort of movie that allows you to curl up in a comfortable part of the world while still acknowledging the faults of that world.
Yet, The Secret Society for Slow Romance isn’t satisfied with the boy meets girl plot. A Secret Society should have a loftier, larger project — one that could transform independent film making and ultimately end world poverty. But to understand how it all works, you need to see the movie, it’s worth it. Besides, Google won’t help you find that bit about Winston Churchill.
The Secret Society For Slow Romance will be released in April 2022, and you can go to the official website, https://www.slowromancemovie.com, to track the film’s progress towards saving the world!
The scope of Lady Budsis deceptively simple — it is the story of six women entering the legal cannabis market. This thoughtful and beautifully-shot documentary uses that scope to reveal sweeping insights into the challenges, triumphs, and players within the cannabis industry. In her feature debut, director Chris J. Russo offers a compelling film that is part crash-course and part masterclass in some of the intricacies and frustrations women face in the cannabis industry. Lady Buds should be on everyone’s must-watch list in the cannabis industry, as it offers a thoughtful examination of how legalization has impacted small farmers in California, it will resonate with anyone who has worked within the cannabis space. Not only does Lady Buds have something for everyone impacted by cannabis in the United States, but it also has important things to say about the industry as a whole.
Second generation cannabis farmer, Chiah Rodriques, prunes a plant on her property in Mendocino County, California. She feels most at home working on her land, though she has stepped into the public view forming a collective of farmers to navigate the changes brought on by the legalization of cannabis in California. Image source and caption from Lady Buds — used with permission.
One of the stars of Lady Buds is Sue Taylor, a retired Catholic school principal turned hopeful dispensary owner. Sue’s dream dispensary includes space to educate seniors on the importance and power of cannabis. Sue’s dream compels the 72-year-old African-American woman to navigate an industry largely populated by white men as well as an ever-changing landscape of regulations that cause seeming unending financial strains.
The Bud Sisters, Pearl Moon and Dr. Joyce Centofanti, are judges of the Emerald Cup. Through the film, we watch their efforts to legalize the salve they make. Their humor about the unique struggles faced by small farms in Humboldt county brings some light moments to a film filled with heavy emotional power.
Karyn Wagner first moved to Humboldt to be with her high-school sweetheart, who happened to be a master cannabis grower. Lady Buds gives us the chance to watch as she applies her business skills to Humboldt-grown weed.
Chiah Rodriques, a second-generation Mendocino cannabis farmer, shares her memories of growing cannabis under the constant threat of helicopters while the film explores the challenges she faces as a small farmer juggling jobs, family, and the financial stresses of a barely-legal industry. We get to see her passion as she acts as a co-founder of a Mendocino County farm collective.
Felicia Carbajal’s story is one of activism and community — and the film echoes with their observation that cannabis is at the intersection of social, racial, gender, and economic justice. Felicia’s story gives insight into the challenges the cannabis industry faces when it comes to equity and justice.
The stories of these powerful voices encompass many different experiences and sections of the cannabis industry. All of them are focused on the hard realities of trying to make it as a small business in a vicious, barely-legal industry.
Latinx Queer Cannabis Activist Felicia Carbajal and her campaign team discuss how to talk with voters on election day. Image source and caption from Lady Buds — used with permission.
Lady Buds is more than just insight into an industry that is both state-sanctioned and federally legal. It’s also an important document of the incredible support systems created by these women, and what happens when they collide with the cruel mechanations of a capitalistic bureaucracy that favors the interests of the far more deep-pocketed and traditionally powerful.
Director Chris Russo said, “The films I make have always been informed by my experience living as an outsider, as a woman, as a lesbian who’s had to fight for her own rights and visibility in our society. I felt a personal connection and imperative to tell the story of “Lady Buds,” and it made sense to frame it from a woman’s point of view to provide a contrast to the male-dominated and stoner stereotypes perpetuated by the media. I wanted to paint a picture of powerful, courageous, and passionate women like we’ve never seen before, as the superheroes they seemed to be, to inspire others to take risks and reach for their dreams. It all felt inherently organic to the fact that, at the heart of it all, cannabis — as we cultivate it — is a female plant.”
Lady Buds is going to be my go-to recommendation for anyone in the cannabis industry. With its perfect soundtrack and score, lush cinematography, and intimate storytelling, it should be no surprise that it is emotionally powerful as well. More than once I found myself moved to tears by laughter, frustration, sadness, or shock.
Not only does Lady Buds give insight into the stories of women in a male-dominated industry, but also gives space to the emotional strength and resolve it takes for these incredible women to keep going despite an increasingly harsh landscape. Unflinching and reverent, Lady Buds brings into focus the difficult path to cannabis legalization and the women who walk it.
Data black markets within an organization drive data policy.
Any organization large enough to have a centralized data source is bound to have a data black market that has sprung up around that source. This is especially true if there aren’t meaningful governance strategies already in place.
Maybe it’s a ‘sideload’ of ‘just a quick analysis of recent trends’ that someone bumps up against the data warehouse data, but it will quickly escalate into ‘all of our membership eligibility needs this Excel spreadsheet that Marcos does.’ Maybe it’s an Access database. Regardless of what it is, it’s sent via email attachments and departmental drives, and sooner or later, it will become a bottleneck for a key decision-maker.
Often the black market is even powerful enough to strangle fledgling data governance efforts. Newly-incepted governance strategies will often slow the data supply chain (much to everyone’s chagrin), and those with the data (power) will halt support of the project due to pressing timelines. Many governance programs have wilted and floundered due to such frustrations at the early stage.
Counteract the damage a data black market can do by instead bring these citizen data developers into the fold. It is vital that consideration on how to integrate governance strategies into all areas where data creation and development occur to be given early in governance projects. An organization needs to ensure that there are appropriate support and cross-coverage for any key data assets.
Data governance requires that business and IT already be effectively communicating about the data.
These programs are not replacements for complete data dictionaries, consistent change management practices, effective metadata tools, and clearly defined issue management procedures. Hiring a data governance director isn’t going to fix any bad blood that is rising between IT and the business, and it’s not going to get your data dictionary written any faster, either (it might add to your analysts’ annoyance, as now they have yet another ‘boss’).
Adding another layer into a contentious relationship is not helpful. Instead, strategize around data change management and data issue management before introducing a large comprehensive data governance program, because your data stewards and champions will naturally arise during that process.
Once there is healthy infrastructure in place that supports meaningful conversations instead of spiraling bickering, then it’s time to introduce formalized data governance programs.
Data projects suffer more from a lack of ‘lessons learned’ exercise.
Many places are starting to try to understand the ‘data lifecycle’ and acknowledge that there are nuances between how we handle, process, talk about, and manage data and how we do the same for software development. This adds to poor habits as data projects are already the projects most likely to skip phases, especially lessons learned. This is most unfortunate, as data projects have the most to gain from serious considerations of their lessons learned.
Data engineering and data pipelines often have a complicated web of cross-departmental initiatives that need to happen to ensure data availability before departments can build new information assets on that data. Understanding the timeline and resource impacts of these cross-departmental support efforts will be key to future successes.
The ‘style’ of technology and tools will always get more interest from stakeholders than the behind the scenes data infrastructure.
Data stakeholders and C-Level executives are far most often more interested in visual representations of data and analytics than having to hear about the infrastructure that makes it happen. The most apt comparison I’ve heard is that your data shop is more like the electric company — people don’t praise it, and they complain when things aren’t working.
As much as they may not want to admit, both big data and analytics are still dependent on the behemoth of the warehouse, and all depend on data governance to be effective
I’ve been working on a series of articles featured on my Medium account about terpenes.
I also plan to expand these articles into a larger reference work for other medical cannabis patients that I plan to make available as an ebook and some special editions in print. Watch this space for more!
Not a great fashion accessory but handy for holding pens.
I tore my ACL into three pieces when I was 16. Because I had a terrible surgeon, I spent most of my senior knee in an immobilizer. The terrible job done by the second rate hack surgeon came back to roost in 2003, when I had to have two surgeries to fix the damage: the first to remove all the horrible hardware the initial surgeon put in (most too large for my bone structure) and to band the bones from all of the fractures, and the second to reconstruct the knee ligaments as best as the new knee surgeon could. All of this knee talk is to say that I initially found out about Pilates’ system of Contrology in my 20’s, when I went looking for an exercise regimen I could participate in between those two surgeries. I found Pilates’ system when I went looking for something that was “little to no impact” ( to help me after so much injury) while still being effective.
Once I had taken my search to the internet to figure out the best sort of exercises (trust me this was a weird approach in 2003), I stumbled on the work of Joseph Pilates. The more I read, the more I knew that his system was the sort of exercise I wanted to try, and after consulting with my knee surgeon and physical therapist I was certain. If you want to learn Pilates’ system of exercise, you absolutely should (and do check with those medical professionals!), because you might love it for the same reasons I do.
Nearly no equipment = relatively cheap hobby.
I have a beautiful mat (I think). Other than that, I bring myself to the mat. I have a video that I’ve bought four times now, of some great soloists performing the exercises, but other than that, I haven’t invested any money in Pilates. You can absolutely go the route of going to the studio. I might one day seek out one of the lineages instructors, but I don’t feel a pressing need to do so — the exercises are straight forward. Plus, these days we have Youtube, and you can actually just watch Romana Kryzanowska lead a class and talk about Pilates.
But — once you understand the exercises and their order you don’t even need a video!https://www.youtube.com/embed/O5vCQic-IPE?feature=oembedRomana was Pilates’ greatest student, and this class includes Peter Fiasca, who is an amazing pilates soloist and one of the folks from my favorite Pilates demonstration video.
When they say little or no impact, they mean little or no impact.
It’s that simple — the mat exercises do not include heavy impact on the joints, which really makes it a great set of exercises. Even with my knee as bad as it was, I was still able to perform modifications on most exercises. And speaking of those modifications . . .
What’s great about the Pilates system that I use is that it’s the same exercises in the same order (I have a lot of theories on why my psychology is such that I crave that sort of repetition and predictability in my exercises), and they are very modifiable for anyone.
There’s always a way to challenge yourself.
Even with as many years as I’ve been doing the hundred and the teaser, I still see room for improvement. Once I start feeling pretty confident, I change the exercises to the more challenging version.
It takes a lot of joints through a huge range of motion.
All of the exercises are meant to ‘challenge the position of your powerhouse’ but to fire up that core, it takes moving your legs and arms quite a bit. This is astounding for not only stretching, but strengthening as well.
It’s fast.
I can clock in a significantly challenging Pilates mat workout in a bit over a half an hour for the mat exercises. If you want even MORE of Pilates’ Contrology in your life, you can look into an apparatus like the Reformer. In his works, Joseph Pilates emphasized consistency, and highly encouraged daily mat workouts.
The breath-centered exercises of Pilates can help center the mind.
Joseph Pilates emphasized the importance of the flow of the breath during the exercises. Many are dictated by the flow of the breath, and would be challenging if you weren’t constantly working with the breath. All of this focus on the breath helps center my mind.
Hopefully these seven reasons help encourage you to discover the work of Joseph Pilates — you can grab a mat and find a good workout routine on Youtube — I hope it brings as much to your life as it has brought to mine!
Amir Motlagh’s MAN is a beautifully shot, prescient meditation on the nature of the human experience and of connectedness in increasingly disconnected times. The film moves through a mantra of daily activities before accelerating towards an emotionally impactful ending. I’m going to admit I wasn’t expecting to emotionally connect with this film the way I did, but the impact of the movie left me in tears, grateful for the experience.
It’s hard for me to express just how important I think its message is. COVID has taught us all the challenges of isolation, interaction — and, seemingly paradoxically, isolated interaction — and MAN is adept at showing the profound absurdity of it. I’ve been thinking about what, exactly, to say about this movie after sitting with it. I don’t know how to talk about how or why it moved me without getting into particulars, and I don’t think that fits with the entire spirit of the film. The longer I’ve pondered it, the more the themes and imagery have expanded in my mind, and trying to pin them down would be foolish.
Some stories are in the experiencing.
Establish the technology in nature themes early. Lovely shot from MAN by Amir Motlagh. Image used with Permission.
The opening shots of MAN move between trees, homes, and power lines before opening up into a shot of Los Angeles as we listen to Arman’s day begin. In a few moments, we are attached to him and will spend a majority of the film connected to him via the camera itself as he goes through his day.
Arman (Amir Motlagh) works from home in the Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. He mainly interacts with people via his computer and other varied screens around him. In 2018, Arman’s life at the Laurel Canyon, separate from most except for his connection through screens, would have seemed far more strange than it does now. In the post-lockdown world, this experience is much more common, which makes a lot of the feelings explored in the movie something that we can all relate to.
One of MAN’s stars, Roscoe. MAN (Amir Mortlagh). Image used with permission.
For most of the movie, Arman’s main physical companions are his dogs and voices emanating from screens that arise from various interruptions. The strange intrusiveness of unwanted connections amid the struggle for meaningful connection is one of the key feelings within the film — and something that all of us are more readily able to relate to thanks to the realities of our current lives.
What makes MAN extraordinary is how much it gives back to the viewer after asking so little. A small investment rendered hours of consideration and contemplation of how the movie was so effective at presenting the strange world we inhabit — where all of our social connections have the feeling of parasocial, and leave us too soon and before something with more depth can be created.
Rachel Sciacca as Des in MAN by Amir Motlagh. Image used with Permission.
The visual and emotional world of MAN is extraordinary, and the first part of the film created a meditative state so that by the time disarming and charming Des (Rachel Sciacca) appeared, I was as fascinated and curious about her as Arman was.
MAN is a fascinating movie that turns the message on the viewer, asking about the essence of relationship our relationship to technology and how it dictates, shapes, and shifts our other relationships. It is one of a trilogy of movies called the “Three Marks, Too Many Signals” series. Given the impact I felt from MAN, I’ll be sure to check out the others.
Progress can sometimes feel like suffering when you’re in the middle of it
Image Source: Author
If people ask me how much I meditate, I’ll be coy about it — as if it’s a secret, personal experience shared between the universe and me. Too many people are carrying trauma as we endure the ravages of a pandemic, so I feel it’s important to share some of the lessons I’ve collected during my decades-long, practice of meditation with PTSD.
I can attest that meditation can help with trauma — I can also attest that the wrong approach can hurt.
Medical Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional and of COURSE I think you should seek professional help if you are able. If you are seeking therapy, especially about trauma, please discuss meditation practices with your therapist. Please, be aware that any tool that is powerful enough to help you to heal can also be harmful. Be cognizant and cautious when embarking on a new path.
If one type of meditation feels like it’s harmful or you’re certain it’s not for you, you can try others.
People have a tendency to talk about meditation as if their form of meditation is the only one, and that it is good for every situation in their lives. When a new practitioner tries that method and it doesn’t work for them or ‘feel right’ — that can be discouraging! Maybe Buddha gained enlightenment by sitting still under a bodhi tree, but were you born a prince? Be open to the fact that doing what someone else did might not be your path.
When I first tried to meditate, I was convinced by someone that meditation meant sitting absolutely still and thinking about NOTHING. I was miserable doing it, I was terrible at it, and I never really got better because I hated meditating that way. Luckily, I wasn’t discouraged for long and continued to seek other ways to meditate.
It is valid to listen to what your mind (and body) tell you during your meditation sessions (it is also valid to let it go and sit as still as humanly possible if that’s your meditation practice). The difference for me as someone who sits with trauma is that if I find myself having an extreme reaction (rage, fear, anxiety), I prioritize giving that emotion space over arbitrary rules dictating what I’m doing.
It was by allowing myself to understand this was a practice of self-care and self-compassion that I was able to allow meditation to become less rigid. Paradoxically, I became more disciplined.
If you find yourself having adverse reactions to silence, try a guided meditation!
Do you struggle to sit still while meditating and hate it? Lay down. I do! Or, try walking meditation!
Do you find your mind wandering far too much to control it? Try mantra meditation!
Feel free to change your meditation techniques to deepen your practice, and discover your favorites! You’ll discover a variety of meditation techniques with a large array of uses.
Meditation is not a panacea that will solve all of life’s problems.
Meditation hasn’t solved all of my problems for me, that’s for sure. But meditation has helped me recognize times when I am being a problem. It is one of my go-to tools, and it’s become a meaningful part of my life.
It took a long time for me to understand what types of meditation would help me to work with some of the issues I was facing — and I even found that some meditation techniques made things worse. There have been times that my ‘inability to meditate in the right way’ made me feel more broken as a person, or even put me into situations where I was retraumatizing myself because I was insistent it was the cure that I needed. I’m not alone — there have been many studies across several meditation disciplines that demonstrate that meditation can sometimes increase anxiety and depression.
Because of my PTSD, I found that mindfulness could feel perilous. When I would try to mindfully focus on my breath and sensations in my body, it would trigger memories or powerful waves of emotion that I wasn’t able to handle. If I was in any sort of pain I risked spending the entire session falling into that pain.
More than once during a particularly intense period of working with different types of pranayama, a breath-based meditation, I collided with emotions so intense I had to pause in order to have a good cry while processing them. While meditation didn’t cure the trauma I was experiencing, it helped me to understand and recognize that while I was processing these large emotions — at that moment I was safe to do so.
Meditation itself isn’t a cure — it’s a powerful tool of self-discovery, and that can lead to healing.
Relationships with meditation might be filled with oddities and challenges.
This can manifest itself in many different ways — from how long you sit to what you do while you’re sitting.
When I encountered the Dark Night of the Soul, I was so profoundly shaken by the feeling that even meditation had abandoned me, too that I had to take a few weeks off before even trying a tentative practice again. It has been years since that experience, and while I have learned many lessons from that experience and embrace it as a particularly dark and harrowing part of the journey — I am still wary about re-traumatizing myself in that way.
That’s when I remind myself that meditation is my practice — it’s all in my head. It’s okay if my relationship with it is different and odd — I am different and odd.
I know my enemy quite well, and when it comes to meditation — that enemy is, of course, me. For a while, before I engaged in some focused, self-compassion meditation, I found it hard to ‘make time to sit.’
After taking some time and examining what was happening, I discovered the common ways I’d disrupt myself. I would insist that my space ‘wasn’t good’ for meditation and that I’d have to wait until I could make it better.
Or I’d convince myself that the time wasn’t perfect because I was waiting on something. Or, I’d launch into ‘serious self-inquiry,’ asking myself whether I was REALLY meditating if there’s a bunch of noise, I’m expecting an email I need to respond to, and I wasn’t seated just so in front of that perfect altar in that peaceful space?
YES.
There are times when my meditation needs a boost when I will go all out, build a quick, impromptu altar, and relish that experience. It is a definite treat experience — but after some practice, I’m also just as capable of meditating to the noises of traffic.
People, even the wisest of gurus, often want their way to be the way that helps you because humans love to solve problems, and that’s true for meditation, too. Sometimes, those people are wrong.
Mindfulness meditation was a great teacher of this lesson for me. I struggled with mindfulness meditation, finding it particularly difficult for me to reconcile with my PTSD. My sessions would often leave me spiraling. That surprises people, especially its ardent practitioners. The fact I had this sort of reaction and difficulty helped teach me that sometimes when passionate people think something will help — they’ll oversell it a little (or, you know, a lot).
This includes me!
Maybe it is as simple for you as using an app. Maybe Vipassana is as amazing as they say and I’m just broken or not disciplined enough.
It is the practice itself, and not its perceived results that matter.
It really is that simple.
But to put a finer point on it — it’s often very hard to see our meditative progress. This is especially true after challenging sessions that bring up trauma that needs to be processed, or exhausting sessions that don’t offer the bliss we were seeking. Because meditation is all in our mind, it’s easy to lose sight of the progress made by sitting at all. Progress can sometimes feel like suffering when you’re in the middle of it.
When feelings of frustration overwhelm my ability to see my own progress, reminding myself that it’s the practice itself that is important helps me to relax into the process more.
I hope that these lessons help those looking to add meditation to their lives or deepen a practice that’s already present.
No data science program will be successful if its source data quality issues aren’t addressed. Anyone that says their source data doesn’t have data quality issues hasn’t looked at it hard enough, talked to business users or data warehouse analysts enough. Every source system will have endemic quality issues — it is the duty of the data professional to address them in a meaningful way.
Many organizations struggle at even defining what the issues are because it seems like an overly simple exercise in Who, What, When, and Where — but it’s easy — not simple.
Who
To diagnose your data quality issues, you’ll need to enlist some aid. If you are approaching this problem from an IT standpoint, you can’t just rely on IT analysts, you’ll need to listen to all of the business users / downstream users of the data to understand what they might be doing to transform that data into something usable. If you are a downstream analyst / internal data broker/citizen data developer, then you’ll need to listen to more than just the concerns of those within your data consumer circle, you’ll need to take into account some of the upstream vulnerabilities that IT may know of.
The more serious data quality issues you have and the larger your organization, then the larger their downstream systems will be. Throughout any data exercise, you’ll find many workarounds in the wild. Data is where business and IT collide, and it’s often a huge friction point of misunderstandings and poorly strategized communications.
The first set of people that you identify should probably be easy — they will be the loudest about all of the information pain points they are facing. Gather those people together and start talking about what processes they are having problems with, and what they have to do to work around them.
You don’t want to be disorganized about these conversations. Ultimately, you are seeking to sum up your experience into a simple summary paragraph that can be used in executive summaries of your data governance efforts.
Over the past [period of time], data quality issues have impacted the accuracy of [type of data] in [system], which has impacted analyses in [business units impacted by data quality]. These issues have caused costly manual rework and distrust in our data integrity, as well as overall decreases in productivity and costs.
To be able to construct such a simple summary, you’ll need to systematically explore some questions. These don’t have to be asked in order — but they should all be asked.
What
Sit with data stakeholders and ask the following questions:
What are your symptoms of poor data quality?
What are the top risks are you facing due to those issues?
What points of friction are hurting the most?
Think of this more of a brainstorming session, though often you can throw in a healthy dose of therapy because these sessions are often painful. There are built-up emotions in those who work with the data day in and day out. Often, when all of the stakeholders are sitting in a room together (or if you hold smaller cross-functional data-SME focused subgroups to foster focused meaningful conversation), their passions for the data will be laid bare. It can be both exhilarating and difficult, and if you are proctoring, ensure that you maintain everyone’s empathy with each other. This isn’t a time for us vs. us — it’s a time for us vs. the data issue.
Once you have a handle on the fundamentals of the ‘what,’ you’ll later able to ask this question.
What are the top opportunities you can see?
Here is where you can brainstorm for short term and long term, cross-functional projects to address data quality issues.
When
When and with what frequency do data quality issues present?
How long do the data quality issues last?
These time-based questions help to identify issues that may have been marked resolved as ‘working as designed’ but never truly resolved to your users. You’ll find some data issues that only happened with a historical update, or others that happen once a year — or others that are far more complex and perplexing. If you are looking to summarize the impact of the data quality issues for your executives, understanding the time frames for possible errors will be vital. While this step often seems to be a no-brainer, it’s important that you not skip it — again, it can be surprising to hear what some people are experiencing/correcting within data, especially if you’ve never embarked on such questions before.
Again, the simpler questions are going to be some of the most enlightening. It was surprising to IT executives to find out that one of the most important data stores of information was trapped within Microsoft Access (and it was devastating to find this out because an upgrade to the software broke functionality within the system) or in Excel spreadsheets. There are still many systems of Master Data Management that are remediated in Excel and Access behind the scenes. To properly identify those, and any errors they are attempting to address (or errors that they might introduce!) it’s important to return to the simple questions.
You’ll often discover that data that was being prepared by a carefully engineered process is being replaced by users downstream by another Excel spreadsheet that someone’s admin assistant has to maintain. Be prepared for these types of situations to come up! Remember, it doesn’t matter how graceful your solution is if your C-suite still is getting their admins to write up a summary in their email for them.
To get a handle on what data is being used to create what information returns us to simple questions, which often do not have easy answers.
An Analysis of two Conversation-driven Films: My Dinner with Andre’ and The Secret Society For Slow Romance.
I knew I’d have to watch My Dinner with Andre’ to understand all of the influences that went into making The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Sujewa Ekanayake, the auteur behind The Secret Society for Slow Romance, made Louis Malle’s film a ‘must watch’ for actress Alia Lorae before filming. That meant it was a must-catch for me.
I’m glad I watched it, because The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a variation on My Dinner with Andre’ in the purest classical music sense — Ekanayake takes structures and motifs from My Dinner with Andre’ and transforms them into something effervescent, sweet, and uplifting, despite dealing with some heavy subjects.
The two films have quite a bit in common. Both focus on lively conversation between New York storytellers covering a variety of topics over shared dinners. But the focus of ‘The Secret Society for Slow Romance,’ is filmmaking as a vehicle for connection and that is the driver of the conversations, while My Dinner with Andre’ is focused on the nature of our disconnectedness. At the heart of ‘The Secret Society for Slow Romance’ is a rejection of pessimism, which gives the film a big heart and an important message for these times. Its philosophy merges productivity and happiness and is a key difference that drives a number of the contrasting elements between the two films.
My Dinner with Andre’ explores the magical vs. the pragmatic — while The Secret Society for Slow Romance celebrates when the two are working in concert.
Opening Focus
My Dinner with Andre opens quietly, joining Wally Shawn (Wallace Shawn) on his journey through the streets of New York to an upper-scale restaurant to meet a man he’s been avoiding, Andre’ Gregory. He’s been avoiding Gregory because, in Wally’s eyes, it sounds like Gregory is unhinged. He sobs outside of cinemas, he talks to trees, and it’s obvious this isn’t what Wally signed on for. The opening scenes focus on Wally as he makes this journey — the city dwarfs his figure as he moves through it, and rather than interact with his environment, he seems to move almost in spite of it.
He’s there, he really is. Wallace Shawn as ‘Wally’ in My Dinner with Andre’, directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
Wally has a look of defeated monotony about his life and his day — a thousand-yard stare of daily tasks and doings. His face barely registers recognition or even interest in the city surrounding him as he moves from street to subway to the posh interior of a high-class restaurant — he seems equally uncomfortable and discontent in all, shielded from the world in a slightly overlarge coat until he’s divested of it to enter into Andre’s realm. Wally’s voice-over is punctuated with the occasional sounds of the city around him, as he tells us about himself and his life.
Wallace Shawn as ‘Wally’ traveling to dinner in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
By contrast, The Secret Society for Slow Romance uses its opening to pull us into a New York City even more magical than ours.
Introducing a key character: the opening of The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake.. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Thirteen seconds of the sounds of a New York radiator open up into Kevin Macleod’s “Tango de Manzana” scoring a tour of New York. The music choices help celebrate New York’s stunning vista.
Alia Lorae as Allyson, who moves through New York City with confidence, and purpose in The Secret Society For Slow Romance directed by directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Allyson (Alia Lorae) glides confidently through the city streets. She’s animated as she looks around herself, taking everything in. Unlike Wally, Allyson moves with the city, not in spite of it. She seems invigorated by the possibilities New York offers and is always animatedly taking in its sights with large eyes and open arms. In other moments in the film, she even dances, but here in the introduction, we see an Allyson who is fully engaged with her environment and able to live within and with her art.
Knowing the Characters
It’s long been a theory of mine (and others) that instead of wanting to converse, everyone’s just waiting to talk. Both of these films show a world in which that is NOT true — these are characters that are listening to each other. In My Dinner With Andre’, Wally spends the first two acts of the movie after his introduction to us via voice-over listening to Andre’s stories of his strange travels, experiences, and hallucinations. Wally also spends time as a detective, questioning Andre’ and his motives and thoughts to bring them to the surface, like a detective (which he said he’d do). It isn’t until the third act of the film that we get Wally’s opinions on what he’s heard and he starts to attack Andre’s ideas about the nature of action, habit, and the supernatural. While we as an audience are attached to Wally since his opening voiceover, we aren’t privy to his real thoughts and feelings on Andre’s fantastical tales until the end.
In contrast, The Secret Society For Slow Romance allows us to spend time with Allyson as she explores the city and dictates her thoughts on the world to her phone (a la Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks). While there is always a sense of impending conflict and tension in My Dinner with Andre’, the connectedness and earnestness of the characters in The Secret Society For Slow Romance advance their relationship.
In The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake., we get the chance to know Alia Lorae’s character Allyson through more than just her conversations with Rene. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
It takes until the third act of My Dinner with Andre for the audience to see Wally’s true feelings about the conversation, while The Secret Society For Slow Romance’s opening conversation between Rene and Allyson shows a much healthier conversational dynamic where they are equally contributing to the conversation’s ebb and flow. This is one of those delightful instances of variation — a slow romance isn’t going to be possible if the characters aren’t initially intrigued by each other, and making them both equal participants is important to the believability of their later affections. While they both express skepticism at the other’s viewpoint, it is a skepticism entirely lacking malice. Instead, they are both amused and even delighted at such a differing view from their own, while Wally is visibly unsettled by some of the ideas that Andre’ is introducing him to. While Wally embarks on a line of questioning meant to differentiate his worldview from that of Andre’ and to later try to assert to himself that his beliefs are more fitting for this world, Rene and Allyson are more explorative and curious of what the other is saying without reservation. Rene and Allyson are seekers and are looking to see how the other can enhance their journeys.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t address another way in which the films are different in the realm of how they treat characters. The Secret Society for Slow Romance, while focused on Rene and Allyson primarily, also has a third character, the city of New York. While waiters, bartenders, and others serve the courses (acts) in My Dinner with Andre’ with little to no characterization in their dialog — in The Secret Society for Slow Romance, New York herself ushers us between scenes and Allyson serves up a true New Yorker’s delight — take out.
It’s also interesting to note that both Wally and Allyson are working on the fringes to discover their voices, while the more established Rene and Andre’ are both seeking something deeper and more meditative within and about their work.
The Structure of Mealtime
In My Dinner With Andre’, one of the ways we are pulled through the dinner is in the mechanics and process of its actual serving. These moments remind us how out of place Wally feels in the world, and this starts with Wally’s inability to order himself a drink at the bar. His discomfort in this place is extended when he has to ask for help with the menu (while Andre’ seems to be very familiar with the dishes and their preparation).
Andre’ Gregory as Andre’, Jean Lenauer as the Waiter, Wallace Shawn as Wally in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
It’s very obvious that Wally is in Andre’s world (he even removes the protective barrier of his coat in order to enter this wild realm) — and while Wally appreciates comfort, this isn’t comfortable for him.
The moments in which those serving the meal intrude upon the conversation are telling — right after recalling a moment in which he was astonished at his poor treatment of his building’s doorman, Andre’ fails to recognize the waiter bringing his food. These are the moments where the real world encroaches on their cloistered conversation, and these sort of moments also help break the reverie of the conversation while simultaneously making the dinner seem more real to the audience. If you’ve eaten at a restaurant, you’ve had the experience of the mid-conversation food arrival.
Right before dinner is served, Andre’ is saying “And then we pulled the graves up the best we could and went back to New York,” Wallace Shawn as Wally, Andre’ Gregory as Andre’, and Jean Lenauer as the Waiter in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
The Secret Society for Slow Romance plays on this theme of meals helping to mark time. One of the twists within the variation is that of the pandemic as the characters are sharing in take-out which serves to tighten the world.
Alia Lorae’s Allyson serves up dinner in The Secret Society For Slow Romance, directed by Sujewa Ekanayake.
Since The Secret Society for Slow Romance also takes place over a greater period of time, there are other ways the film shows the passage of time (including spectacular sunrises, sunsets, and indications of holidays as they pass). Both use food to help usher in a new conversation, but because of its longer timeline, The Secret Society for Slow Romance has some other great ways to show how time is passing.
The Setting
New York City is a place full of possibilities. As far as characters go, she certainly has a great amount of depth! The Secret Society For Slow Romance is a movie that is focused on our ability to connect with others and the world around us, the movie spends a lot more time in New York City than My Dinner With Andre’ does.
A rare glimpse of another angle of their table which is pretty much the setting for this piece. Wallace Shawn as Wally and Andre’ Gregory as Andre’ are being seated for dinner in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
This isn’t to say that My Dinner with Andre’ doesn’t include some quintessential New York moments or doesn’t feature the city, but since that film is discussing whether or not people should insulate themselves from the world, the fact that Andre and Wally are insulated from New York is an important thematic note. In the span of My Dinner with Andre’, we only spend around seven minutes in the city itself, instead of sequestered away from it in a fancy restaurant. Our only connections to the outside world are the waiter, and occasional flashes of others in the mirrors behind Wally and Andre’.
1980’s New York City as captured in My Dinner with Andre’ directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
It’s also worth it to note that in a particularly impassioned speech, Andre’ talks about something he heard a tree expert say about New York City: ““I think that New York is the new model for the new concentration camp, where the camp has been built by the inmates themselves, and the inmates are the guards, and they have this pride in this thing that they’ve built — they’ve built their own prison — and so they exist in a state of schizophrenia where they are both guards and prisoners. And as a result they no longer have — having been lobotomized — the capacity to leave the prison they’ve made or even to see it as a prison.” And then he went into his pocket, and he took out a seed for a tree, and he said, “This is a pine tree.” And he put it in my hand. And he said, “Escape before it’s too late.””
By contrast, Allyson literally dances in the streets of New York City. When I first wrote about The Secret Society For Slow Romance, I called it a love letter to New York City. I felt very connected to her as a character and felt as though there was an entire plot that showed the city’s recovery after the pandemic. We venture with Allyson through empty subways and streets into increasingly busy ones as the city once again teems with life and is flooded with possibilities. Instead of relegating New York City to a construct, The Secret Society of Slow Romance celebrates New York as a character and one that we visit often.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene and Alia Lorae as Allyson, who are embarking on a date in (with?) New York City, The Secret Society For Slow Romance’s third character. Image from The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
My Dinner With Andre’ sets up its two main characters and where they are in their career, as does The Secret Society for Slow Romance, but the New York City of The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a different character from the setting known in My Dinner With Andre’. Not only is the city elevated to character status in The Secret Society for Slow Romance, but the city itself has also matured, grown, and become more nurturing (and safe) since the time of My Dinner with Andre’.
Another important difference to note about the setting is the passage of time — while My Dinner with Andre’ spins us into a tight dinner, The Secret Society For Slow Romance is about a longer period of time, during which our characters are growing, maturing, and changing in their views. At the end My Dinner With Andre’, I felt that Wally’s perspective had been impacted by his dinner, but I have no insight as to what Andre’ got from it, other than a good debate. Since The Secret Society For Slow Romance is a film that is about connectedness, it should be no surprise that we have a good sense of how both Allyson and Rene (and others) have been impacted by their conversations.
Money, Money, Money
I don’t want to make it sound like both of these films are obsessed with money, because they aren’t, but money, finances, and the impact of capitalism are not far from the subtext in either of these films. While neither film gets into a full-throated defense of a particular economy, both deal with the hard realities and impact that money and economic systems have on storytellers. Wally spends part of his opening monologue discussing his money woes and how he has to take on acting (and his girlfriend has to wait tables) because he can’t make money writing. Allyson ‘loves her day job’ but wants to move into being able to make films full time. Andre’ and Rene both contrast this by being established enough to spend their full days working on art.
Another difference in approach comes where Rene begins to suggest ways for Allyson to get to her personal goals. When she presents ideas and concepts that aren’t a perfect fit for his experiences, he starts to brainstorm with her how she can make it work. In all of the moments where Rene and Allyson share their goals and ideas, they both become excited and motivated to help and encourage the other, which is a beautiful and uplifting concept about what a slow romance is and entails.
Rene (Sujewa Ekanayake) and Allyson (Alia Lorae) in The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
Further, the storyline of The Secret Society For Slow Romance posits some ways in which the arts and artists could thrive under capitalism, but you have to be a member of the society to find out more.
“Money is just a way to track consumption and production.” -Rene in The Secret Society for Slow Romance.
No Nazis: None.
Nazis come up a LOT in My Dinner with Andre’, and The Secret Society For Slow Romance has time travelers. I know how and why Nazis and fascism are used in My Dinner with Andre’, but honestly I like more time travelers and zero Nazis in my movies.
Rumi-mills.
There’s a great section of The Secret Society for Slow Romance where they quote Rumi at each other and it’s adorable. My Dinner with Andre’ did not do this at all, and that’s probably a good thing — one of the reasons that The Secret Society for Slow Romance was able to do such things is the overall light tone of a rom-com will allow for it. It’s also notable that there isn’t the feeling that Rene and Allyson are trying to ‘beat’ each other at this game of quotes because they aren’t — instead, they just feel more invigorated by hearing what the other liked, and hearing a beloved quote spoken by a dear companion.
The Resolution
I think the largest point of contrast between the two movies lies in how they resolve. While both are dealing with the challenges of being a storyteller, of connecting, and how we can create meaningful relationships with and within our world, My Dinner With Andre’ ultimately leaves its larger questions and the conflicts between the characters unresolved. While Wally’s perspective about his world has been impacted by understanding Andre’s experiences and that’s evident in his closing monologue, it has not changed his view on the fantastic stories he heard, or his opinion on whether those experiences are necessary for someone to grow and be fulfilled as a person. His dinner with Andre’ has left him richer and more able to connect with the world around him, but ultimately his world will continue in its usual comforts as he cuddles into his electric blanket and tells Debbie about his dinner.
By the time The Secret Society For Slow Romance closes, we are confident that not only have Rene and Allyson changed, but how they interact with and see their world has been deeply impacted by their connected experience, and Allyson’s radiant smile at the end shows how deeply she’s been changed by her experiences with Rene. The film doesn’t just resolve for its characters but tries to paint a resolution for everyone, and implant that passion in the viewer that its two characters have.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene and Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society For Slow Romance, directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
My Dinner With Andre’ explores the question of whether theatre will reinforce feelings of alienation within its audience — and Wally and Andre’ can’t come to an accord as to what the purpose of theatre is. This is delightfully subverted in The Secret Society for Slow Romance where instead of focusing on the purpose of independent film in fostering connectedness, they instead focus on its usefulness as the solution to the problem. This subversion directly reinforces the overall philosophical rejection of pessimism.
Wallace Shawn as Wally and Andre’ Gregory as Andre’ in My Dinner With Andre’ directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
The timeliness of both
It’s pretty crazy to consider that My Dinner with Andre’ is 40 years old because far too much of the conversation is far too applicable. I loved watching it and was easily immersed in the conversation, and the issues that Wally and Andre’ discuss: connectedness and the human experience, are still valid. The class issues that are brought up in the film are also still highly relevant, and if you’ve not seen it yet, I’d highly recommend it (Wallace Shawn even says inconceivable!).
The Secret Society for Slow Romance is going to feel modern. But it also has a lot in common with other forms of entertainment that have been created to challenge and uplift philosophical ideas. Within the first few minutes, we’re involved in a discussion of the Four Brahmaviharas, the ‘houses of the gods’ or the four virtues, in addition to suggestions on how to reduce stress and increase happiness. The Secret Society for Slow Romance is really about embracing what we have, seeing its potential, and loving the process. There’s a blueprint for using indie filmmaking as a vehicle for connection between people and a solution to some of society’s deeper woes. While My Dinner With Andre’ seeks to elevate a conversation, The Secret Society For Slow Romance seeks to inspire creation, connectivity, and intention.
Alia Lorae as Allyson, who moves within her city and her world with intense purpose. How else can you be voted the Most Productive Person in NYC? From The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
In the Secret Society for Slow Romance, the discussion of the best things about America emphasizes not only what immigrants have brought, but also what was done as a society, cooperatively. This idea is an important one that we need right now. There’s also this gem of a quote, “Is America a Revolutionary society? Maybe. Technically, we are born of a successful revolution, the overthrow of a colonial power. But have we lost our revolutionary zeal? Have we grown lazy and comfortable? Is the rest of the world passing by us? Well, every civilization rises and falls, but we do have some pretty good Mexican food. Also Chinese…” As is fitting its philosophy, Allyson doesn’t linger on the thought that America could have grown comfortable and lazy and what that means — unlike Wally and Andre’, her thoughts don’t linger there, and instead move on to what is good, and what is possible.
Final Thoughts
Wally’s initial thoughts about Andre’ in My Dinner With Andre’ describe Andre’s reaction to “I could always live in my art, but not in my life”, while The Secret Society for Slow Romance shows us storytellers who live in their life and integrate their art within it — the movie emphasizes the connection between the life and the art instead of mourning the relationship for how it is. In the magical potential that New York City holds in The Secret Society for Slow Romance, art can be both their explorations of the truth of their world in addition to their escape from it. Allyson’s productive streams of movies indicate how she is constantly inspired by the stories in the world around her and is scrambling to capture every minute. This stands in stark contrast to Wally’s numb reaction to his time in the city and time talking about it during My Dinner With Andre’.
Both of these are stories about how storytellers connect — to their art, to each other, and to the world. Both engage in an examination of how those connections can be deepened or severed. Since The Secret Society For Slow Romance seeks to show a philosophy that can join both productivity and happiness, its overall approach is vastly different, and more oriented on results. And it has time travelers.
I loved the experiences that both of these films had to offer! Both will leave you feeling transported into interesting conversations between adept storytellers but will leave you with a different overall emotional timbre.
The scope of Lady Budsis deceptively simple — it is the story of six women entering the legal cannabis market. This thoughtful and beautifully-shot documentary uses that scope to reveal sweeping insights into the challenges, triumphs, and players within the cannabis industry. In her feature debut, director Chris J. Russo offers a compelling film that is part crash-course and part masterclass in some of the intricacies and frustrations women face in the cannabis industry. Lady Buds should be on everyone’s must-watch list in the cannabis industry, as it offers a thoughtful examination of how legalization has impacted small farmers in California, it will resonate with anyone who has worked within the cannabis space. Not only does Lady Buds have something for everyone impacted by cannabis in the United States, but it also has important things to say about the industry as a whole.
Second generation cannabis farmer, Chiah Rodriques, prunes a plant on her property in Mendocino County, California. She feels most at home working on her land, though she has stepped into the public view forming a collective of farmers to navigate the changes brought on by the legalization of cannabis in California. Image source and caption from Lady Buds — used with permission.
One of the stars of Lady Buds is Sue Taylor, a retired Catholic school principal turned hopeful dispensary owner. Sue’s dream dispensary includes space to educate seniors on the importance and power of cannabis. Sue’s dream compels the 72-year-old African-American woman to navigate an industry largely populated by white men as well as an ever-changing landscape of regulations that cause seeming unending financial strains.
The Bud Sisters, Pearl Moon and Dr. Joyce Centofanti, are judges of the Emerald Cup. Through the film, we watch their efforts to legalize the salve they make. Their humor about the unique struggles faced by small farms in Humboldt county brings some light moments to a film filled with heavy emotional power.
Karyn Wagner first moved to Humboldt to be with her high-school sweetheart, who happened to be a master cannabis grower. Lady Buds gives us the chance to watch as she applies her business skills to Humboldt-grown weed.
Chiah Rodriques, a second-generation Mendocino cannabis farmer, shares her memories of growing cannabis under the constant threat of helicopters while the film explores the challenges she faces as a small farmer juggling jobs, family, and the financial stresses of a barely-legal industry. We get to see her passion as she acts as a co-founder of a Mendocino County farm collective.
Felicia Carbajal’s story is one of activism and community — and the film echoes with their observation that cannabis is at the intersection of social, racial, gender, and economic justice. Felicia’s story gives insight into the challenges the cannabis industry faces when it comes to equity and justice.
The stories of these powerful voices encompass many different experiences and sections of the cannabis industry. All of them are focused on the hard realities of trying to make it as a small business in a vicious, barely-legal industry.
Latinx Queer Cannabis Activist Felicia Carbajal and her campaign team discuss how to talk with voters on election day. Image source and caption from Lady Buds — used with permission.
Lady Buds is more than just insight into an industry that is both state-sanctioned and federally legal. It’s also an important document of the incredible support systems created by these women, and what happens when they collide with the cruel mechanations of a capitalistic bureaucracy that favors the interests of the far more deep-pocketed and traditionally powerful.
Director Chris Russo said, “The films I make have always been informed by my experience living as an outsider, as a woman, as a lesbian who’s had to fight for her own rights and visibility in our society. I felt a personal connection and imperative to tell the story of “Lady Buds,” and it made sense to frame it from a woman’s point of view to provide a contrast to the male-dominated and stoner stereotypes perpetuated by the media. I wanted to paint a picture of powerful, courageous, and passionate women like we’ve never seen before, as the superheroes they seemed to be, to inspire others to take risks and reach for their dreams. It all felt inherently organic to the fact that, at the heart of it all, cannabis — as we cultivate it — is a female plant.”
Lady Buds is going to be my go-to recommendation for anyone in the cannabis industry. With its perfect soundtrack and score, lush cinematography, and intimate storytelling, it should be no surprise that it is emotionally powerful as well. More than once I found myself moved to tears by laughter, frustration, sadness, or shock.
Not only does Lady Buds give insight into the stories of women in a male-dominated industry, but also gives space to the emotional strength and resolve it takes for these incredible women to keep going despite an increasingly harsh landscape. Unflinching and reverent, Lady Buds brings into focus the difficult path to cannabis legalization and the women who walk it.
