Director_DanielKooman_DreamChalkboard
We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Matthew and Daniel Kooman about Dream. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Matthew and Daniel! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your new film Dream. Tell us what inspired the documentary.
Daniel: Dream is a project that has been in the works for a long time. As filmmakers, we see it as the culmination of the journey we’ve been on since we began telling stories. Since our first film E for Everyone, where we traveled to Kenya, India, Thailand, and Malaysia to ask 9 questions about needs and happiness, our films have been about making a real-world impact. As a result of that, we’ve met amazing people, including several featured in Dream. I had been traveling to Tanzania since 2006 and visiting rural villages and refugee camps. One of the themes that emerged when working with children in poverty, was this idea of learning how to dream for the future. One of the first questions we faced was whether it was even possible to dream for the future when faced with extreme poverty and loss. But then we began discovering the power of redemption. Seeing beautiful dreams come to life, even out of broken people that began to have a hope for their future was part of the inspiration for the film.
Did you have to do any specific research for the documentary?
Matthew: When we were doing our research one of the things we focused on was the definitions of a Dream. ‘Dreaming’ is a huge topic. Dreams can be thought about in so many different ways from something that happens when you are asleep, an aspiration or hope for the future, or a delusion, a fantasy. With a foundation of what a dream is, you can begin to ask the question, ‘What is a good dream?’
Another part of our research was around the possible subjects for the film. We wanted to focus on the side of a dream that inspires us. To us, good dreams are things that extend beyond a personal aspiration and are inclusive of a greater goal than self-satisfaction or a personal feeling of fulfillment. A good dream realized can change lives and bring restoration and create significance. We really looked for subjects who were pursuing meaning in an inspiring way.
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You’re also raising funds to make it. Tell us more.
*At this point our Kickstarter campaign is complete and it’s funded (and it was a 240% success!). We are working to complete post-production, in part with funds raised from the Kickstarter.
That’s amazing! Congrats! Have you faced any challenges making the documentary?
Matthew: When Dan and I originally planned to shoot in Tanzania, we were actually going to shoot an entirely different story. Our shooting plan fell through and we had to evaluate if we were going to even shoot anything at all. As we talked about why we were going to Tanzania we realized that we had a huge story sitting right there in front of us. Dan had been doing these trips for years to Tanzania and talking about breaking the cycle of poverty and reaching for big dreams. This helped us find our direction and really inspired the bigger concept of the Dream Series. So the film itself was birthed out of a challenge.
In Mexico City, we had some significant challenges. Just pulling out a camera during the day in some areas was dangerous. Late one night we were trying to capture some scenes downtown in a particularly dangerous part of the city. When it became clear that we were not going to be able to capture anything with a larger camera, we had to try and find a way to use our phones discreetly and not raise suspicion.
Scheduling was probably one of the greatest challenges. Trying to align schedules with busy people can be the difference between capturing great footage at amazing events or almost getting great stuff. We had to really work with a small crew and be flexible to make the individual shoots work with at our different locations over an 8 month period.
How did you choose the talent to feature?
Daniel: We really wanted to feature talent and subjects in Dream that ranged from emerging, to famous, to relatively unknown. Dream is not only about people that have lived their dreams, but it’s also about individuals discovering their dreams for the first time or learning that they have permission to dream. So we reached out to some of our own contacts, and then took a few leaps of faith. Everyone that we were able to connect with and describe the vision of Dream to was hugely supportive and came right on board. Based on their excitement to be part of it, we knew we had a special story to tell.
What is going to surprise people about the stories you’re going to tell?
Matthew: I think one thing that will surprise people is how a simple dream or a simple idea can be so inspirational. We often look to celebrity or people in positions of power as people ‘living the dream’. We found some of the most inspiring people actually gave up their dream to be doing what they truly wanted.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite scene and why?
Daniel: One of my favorite scenes features young children in Tanzania writing their dreams on a chalkboard. The light in their eyes speaks to the incredible possibilities before them. It reminds us to never lose that glow and to never stop dreaming.
Matthew: One of the subjects of Dream is my 10-year-old son, Elijah. He was a big part of the original trip to Tanzania and part of the inspiration behind the whole concept of the series. He had raised some money to help a family in Tabora, Tanzania pays for sewing machines and supplies to start a small business in their home where they could make some extra money. Filming Elijah in the market, learning how to use manual sewing machines, and gifting it to the family was really special and significant.
When looking at the current production, what is resonating with you the most and why?
Daniel: What is resonating so much about Dream, is how the theme of the film, and the secret that we reveal to finding your own dream, is so life-changing. Without giving too much away, throughout the series we unpack the power of finding your life purpose, and how it will advance your own dreams when you find it. Seeing this unfold within each of our storylines, including our own as filmmakers, has been incredible.
Matthew: We often think of dreams a certain way in our heads. This project has really made me think about dreams in a different way and really ask more questions about intention and purpose. Why are we pursuing a dream? Is it for the right reason? If it is for the right reason it can have a major residual positive impact. This is something that has been resonating with me as we work to share the stories from Dream.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about Dream?
You can learn more about the project and follow the journey at www.unveilstudios.com/dream.
If you’re interested in supporting the Dream of Milka, a young Tanzanian woman with a dream of becoming a doctor, you can purchase a Dream Elephant to support her dream (This project is a direct real-world result of the series). http://dreamelephants.com/
Do you have anything else you would like to share about Dream?
Thank you for chatting with us about Dream. I hope we can catch up in the future for another interview.
We were so honored! Thanks for your interest and for sharing about this dream.
We’re sharing the journey of Dream to the final cut and beyond on Social:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unveil_studios/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnveilStudiosInc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/unveil_studios
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/unveilstudios
Featured Image Credit: Director DanielKooman at the Dream Chalkboard.
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