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SHURA Documentary

THE TRAIL IS NEVER PAVED

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SHURA Documentary

SHURA Documentary

SHURA Documentary

SHURA Documentary

SHURA Documentary

THE TRAIL IS NEVER PAVED

THE TRAIL IS NEVER PAVED

THE TRAIL IS NEVER PAVED

THE TRAIL IS NEVER PAVED

Kayvon Derak Shanian
Kayvon Derak Shanian
Kayvon Derak Shanian
Kayvon Derak Shanian
1 Campaign |
Los Angeles, United States
$5,275 USD 28 backers
21% of $25,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Choose your Perk

I GOT YOU

$25 USD
2 claimed

Thank You Credit on IMDB

$100 USD
15 claimed

Assistant Producer Credit

$500 USD
3 claimed

Associate Producer credit

$1,000 USD
1 claimed

Co-Producer Credit

$2,500 USD
0 claimed

Executive Producer credit

$5,000 USD
0 claimed

Our film production team needs YOUR HELP to raise funds to complete this inspirational and important documentary,

 

The Story

We are David Damian Figueroa and Kayvon Derak Shanian, the filmmaking team behind Shura. 

Shura, our forthcoming documentary is a story of an octogenarian woman’s powerful commitment and mission in providing aid to migrants crossing the border and helping to save lives in the harsh and ruthless elements of the Arizona desert. 

Shura Wallin's philosophy of being compassionate and serving others proves to be a path to living a youthful, active, happy, fulfilled, and purpose-driven life. This upcoming documentary short film tracks Octogenarian Shura Wallin's unwavering commitment and mission to aid stranded migrants crossing the long, harsh, and ruthless elements of the Sonoran U.S./Mexico border near Nogales. Shura's friendly and emphatic spirit is infectious as she leads by example along with the tireless leader and Pastor Randy Mayer of the Good Shepard Church, both co-founders of the "The Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans" volunteer corps, comprised of over three hundred mostly retired, selfless and determined humanitarians.

Our crew filmed the USA/Mexican border at Nogales, where we came across forty-one stranded children, along with a  five-year-old girl who was lost and separated from her mother. They were famished and walking alone. A group of adolescents embraced the little girl as they wandered in the desert for ten days when they ran out of food. They had not eaten for the last two days when Shura met them, the Pastor, and a group of volunteers, only to be apprehended by the border patrol.

The migrants depicted in this documentary risk being exposed and the American volunteers risk being arrested, yet our documentary subjects were ready and willing to tell their stories. We will include them with the respect and dignity they deserve. Your donation today will help us ensure that their risks were not in vain, and that the world will hear their stories.

 

We’re asking for your help

The process of creating documentaries is often one of many years. After spending time with so many of our subjects and hearing their stories, the time eventually comes to take hundreds of hours of footage and assemble it into a compelling narrative that gives these brave people as much honor and dignity as possible. 

 As we move into the post production process we are asking for an additional $25,000 in order to complete and distribute our film. 

 

Who is Shura?

By Cosette Thompson

“When I look into the faces of the migrants we encounter, my heart begins to sink. When I see a smile across their faces, it is worth every moment of despair I have felt.”

January 2012 marked the seventh anniversary of the Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans. As a co-founder of that humanitarian group, Shura Wallin clearly remembers how it started.

Growing up very poor, she suffered from discrimination, but she also learned about compassion. Her parents taught her about the necessity to help those in need regardless of who they are.  “Even as a kid I would try to lessen the suffering of any living creature in distress.” Later on in life, when living in Berkeley, Shura spent 14 years working with the homeless as a co-founder of the “Dorothy Day House” food program. In 1996, in  recognition of her tireless dedication, the City of Berkeley chose her as one of its “Outstanding Women of the Year”.

​Now, Shura is devoting 30 to 40 hours a week to her volunteer humanitarian work. A significant percentage of that time is currently spent in Nogales, Sonora where the Samaritans assist migrants deported from the U.S. Once a week, they join the Jesuit priests and the Sisters of the Eucharist who run a shelter called El Comedor, established by the Kino Border Initiative. One day recently, Shura greeted a very ill and frightened 22-year old migrant deported through Tijuana where he had been separated from his brother. Shura was able to secure medical help and the assistance of the Mexican Consulate that led within a week to the brothers’ reunion. 

“I was dancing with joy. That is why I will continue to do this work as best as I can, as long as I live here. When I look into the faces of the migrants we encounter, my heart begins to sink. When I see a smile across their faces, it is worth every moment of despair I have felt.”

Guided in part by the Buddhist principles of kindness and non-attachment, Shura remains deeply focused on the core mission of the Samaritans––saving lives in the desert, one at a time. “Nothing is more sacred.  Moral laws have to take the high ground.”

 

Who are we?

Co-Director - David Damian Figueroa grew up working in the agricultural fields of Southern Arizona and knows first-hand the plight of those who work on farms and ranches picking America's fruits and vegetables.

"Shura - The Trail is Never Paved" is David Damian's first attempt at co-directing a documentary film. He currently is part of the completed productions of two multi-award-winning films, "Life is Art: Pepe Serna" (documentary film) and "Abuelo" (live-action film short). He was part of two critically acclaimed documentary films - as Associate Producer, "The Harvest / La Cosecha, - The Children Who Feed America," and co-executive producer of the film "Food Chains," which premiered at The Berlin Film Festival in 2014. Both films were in collaboration with Eva Longoria.

An author, David Damian's latest children's novel, EL OZ, is a sweeping story about a family separated by borders and dealing with hardship while maintaining hope. The project is a grantee of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the Ford Foundation for its "Changing the Border Narrative" campaign and initiative.

David Damian worked in the entertainment industry as a publicist and spearheaded campaigns for celebrity clients from José José to activist Eva Longoria.

He served as Vice President of Strategic Communications at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). He led the communications strategy on immigration, public resource equity, access to education, social justice campaigns, voting rights, and redistricting. He conceptualized and live streamed seven Latino State of the Union productions and five Latino State of the State productions there. At MALDEF, he led the Truth in Immigration campaign, which included a benefit concert in Los Angeles with Los Tigres del Norte and Los Lobos." When the MALDEF announced its lawsuit against Arizona's anti-immigrant SB1070 at the state capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, David Damian produced the film short and EP (recording) of "America, Our Home" as an effective response. The EP features the Ronstadt Brothers and Los Tucsonenses.

David Damian collaborated with "Farmworker Justice," a national organization that fights for farmworkers' rights in America. His contributions included COVID awareness campaigns and social justice film projects.  

In 2007 the Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) Library and Archive of UCLA maintained the David Damian Figueroa Collection/Papers, which documents Figueroa's social impact work, including immigration in California and throughout the country. In 2022,

The University of Arizona's "Reclaiming the Border Narrative" invited David to host a personal archive titled, "The David Damian Figueroa - A Career Retrospective on Latino Civil Rights and the Border Experience."

He received the 2017 Dolores Huerta Award from Farmworker Justice and was recognized by Valle Del Sol with its Rosa Carillo Humanitarian Award in 2015.

 

Co - Director - Kayvon Derak Shanian, also known as Kevin Derek, is an award-winning filmmaker who has extensive experience in the entertainment industry as a producer, director and editor. He has studied under the tutelage of some of the best in the business beginning at Columbia College in Hollywood, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Pictures.

His film The Real Miyagi, winner of 7 international film awards, starring Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren, Micheal Jai White, depicts the life of the greatest karate master of our generation was picked up by Netflix in 2015-2021.

In 2018 Make America Laugh Again, opened theatrically in New York and Los Angeles with favorable reviews, also winning the Audience Award at CINEQUEST. Make America Laugh Again also qualified for the 91st Academy Awards in 2019. 

In 2021, Kayvon revisits Mr. Miyagi, this time with a documentary about the prolific actor behind the character, Pat Morita, with More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story.  Starring  Ralph Macchio, Tommy Chong and Henry Winkler. Available worldwide on all VOD Platforms.

In 2022 he produced “Pepe Serna: Life is Art” About a Mexican-American character actor Pepe Serna that starred in over 250 films who has paved the way for generations of Chicanx actors in Hollywood. Starring Edward James Olmos, Eva Longoria and  Cheech Marin. The film premiered at the Palm Springs international Film Festival and Austin Film Festival.

 

Executive Producer - Pepe Serna - Durable Mexican-American actor Pepe Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, but is most recognized for his gritty support performances in a variety of motion pictures, including Scarface (1983) as Al Pacino's ill-fated cocaine partner, as well as the western Silverado (1985) with Kevin Costner, the crime yarn The Rookie (1990) starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen, and the drama American Me (1992) starring Edward James Olmos. In a career surpassing five decades, Pepe's characters have played on both sides of the law -- from drug peddlers to sheriffs.

He was born (and raised) in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 23, 1944, the son of a naval base interpreter for Latin American pilots and a hairdresser. His desires to become an actor happened early in life, moving to Hollywood in 1969 to finally pursue his dreams. He didn't have to wait long to find steady Latino work on film and TV.

Making an inauspicious debut in the exploitation film The Student Nurses (1970), Pepe found more "A" quality work after being discovered by producer Hal B. Wallis for the coming-of-age film Tim Belcher starring Richard Thomas and Catherine Burns and the western Shoot Out (1971) starring Gregory Peck. Specializing in urban, streetwise roles, he went on to mix a number of popular films (The New Centurions (1972), The Day of the Locust (1975), Car Wash (1976), A Force of One (1979), Walk Proud (1979), Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Inside Moves (1980), Deal of the Century (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Caddyshack II (1988)) with a slew of popular TV crime dramas such as "Mannix," "Police Story," "Adam-12," "The Rookies," "The Rockford Files," "Baretta," "Kojak," "CHiPs," "Barney Miller," "Scarecrow & Mrs. King," "T.J. Hooker," "Simon & Simon," "Hill Street Blues," "Miami Vice," "Cagney & Lacey" and "Diagnosis Murder."

Long married to wife Diane, Pepe is a noted keynote teacher and motivational speaker who tours colleges and universities. His strong sideline as a painter has been met with critical success, having been commissioned quite frequently. His vibrant paintings and one-man stage shows reflect a serious return to his Mexican roots and was the subject of the 2015 short documentary "Life Is Art."

 

 

 

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