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Millions of people declare their love on bridges around the world by attaching padlocks and throwing away the key. This gesture is at once incredibly romantic and but to some destructive, and cities, like Paris, have a very real dilemma that needs a solution.
As an independent filmmaker, documentarian and President of Los
Angeles based Cinterra Pictures, I have long been intrigued with this story. At Cinterra Pictures I suppose we are to be considered “hopeful
romantics” who believe that art may be a bridge to solving this predicament.
So what to do?
How can cities, and Paris - the City of Love - in particular provide a method for people to continue this expression without compromising their historical landmarks? What if cities
chose to harness this outpouring of love and positivity and create an
appropriate venue for this expression?
People have an innate desire for connection – to each other, to
the places they visit and to history. It
is no coincidence that in our digital and globalized world, people long for a
real, permanent, and physical representations of important moments in their
lives.
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The moment I watched the latest removal of locks from the Pont des Arts, this idea behind this project was born: to document the story of the lovelocks and provide a solution to
this problem with the subsequent goal of preserving history and securing a
future for this expression.
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The Film: The documentary will tell the story of the lovelocks, the legend and history behind them and their increasing popularity throughout the world.
The Solution: An art installation created to provide a venue which will allow people to continue to share and show the world their love through the gesture of the locks, but in a method suitable for this purpose.
Our romanticism makes us dream that art and creativity will find a way to preserve and continue this new tradition.
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The Film – Love Prolific
Feature Documentary Film
Targeted Budget: $500,000
Used to produce a feature-length documentary film –Love Prolific – the stories behind the Paris Love Locks.
Creating The Film:
The story of the lovelocks and this expression, particularly on
the Pont des Arts in Paris, involves millions of people around the world. Much
like Life in a Day (2011) we will
source video submissions from lovelockers around the world and invite them to
share their stories with us for use in the documentary. The best of these stories will be part of the
finished film, while the rest will be made available online as a companion to
the film.
The film will also explore the real hardship this activity
causes for cities and their officials who are tasked with preserving public
spaces and historical sites. We will look at the different ways cities react to
this activity and explore the varying opinions about the practice of
lovelocking.
The film will also document our solution to
the problem cities face: the creation
of the art installation specifically designed to give lovelocks a home.
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Sculpture
Targeted Budget $500,000
Used to commission an artist to create an art installation specifically
designed for the lovelock tradition.
Creating The Installation:
Lovelockers need permanence. We believe that with some effort we can show government
officials that they have an opportunity to participate positively in this
activity. Each time a person affixes a lock
to a bridge they are asking for a place to express their sentiments not only for or with a
loved one but for the host cities themselves.
We intend to choose an artist who sees the possibility in our vision and one who will create a structure that will be a beautiful solution to the lovelocks conundrum.
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This is a real problem, and we have a real solution that can quite
literally impact people from all over the world.
We have chosen flexible funding because there are many possible
positive outcomes for this project – even if we do not raise the goal of $1
Million.
We believe that at many levels of funding there are still ways
we can make a positive impact. We are passionate about telling this story and finding a solution in some way, so chose not to apply for fixed funding. We don’t believe in “all-or-nothing” and this
flexibility will allow for this idea to iterate, and be successful at various funding levels.
$20,000 or
less: Funds will be donated to a notable charity.
$20,001 -
$100,000: An effort will be made to
buy back locks from the City of Paris, and incorporate our "perk" locks to create an installation that will preserve a piece of the Pont des Arts moment.
$100,001 -
$250,000: We will produce a short film about the lovelocks while also documenting the
creation of the smaller traveling instillation.
$250,001 -
$750,000: We will produce a feature length documentary film about the lovelocks,
their history and include submitted stories. We will also document the creation
of the smaller travelling instillation.
$750,001 -
$999,999: Original budgets will
be adjusted to make the best possible film we can and the largest instillation
we are able in order to reach the widest audience possible.
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Are You a Love
Locker?- Are you, or do you know someone who put a lock on the Pont des
Arts? If everyone of the estimated one million or more people who declared
their love to the world donated just $1 we would be funded. We would also love
to hear your story!
Use Your
Social Circle- Do you know the Deputy Mayor of Paris? Or perhaps your neighbor
is a curator at the Centre Pompidou? Maybe you play tennis with Bruno
Julliard’s cousin’s best friend’s wife?
Like in life it’s not about what you know but who; help us spread the
word.
Use Your
Skills- Are you a blogger? News Reporter? On Air Personality? Host? You can contribute just by using
your sphere of influence and noting this campaign. Your support to expand our
relevance will not be over looked.
The last thing the world needs are less expressions of Love,
positivity and creativity. Help Cinterra keep this prolific outpouring of
expression alive while simultaneously documenting a pivotal change for the
future.
Art. Creation. Expression.
Love.
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Sincerely,