When Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg set down what they dubbed the 'VOW OF CHASTITY' for the movement known as 'DOGME' in 95 they had some wonderful intentions. They forecast our burgeoning revolution in film and understood the inherent 'democratisation' of movie making that could potentially come.

However, in creating binding rules and stringent laws they cast an almost military edge to their movement. It was so fastidiously anti-aesthetic that they created a uniform of their own which I believe shackled them to some extent. To restrict a director before he or she has set out on the path to creating a film is tantamount to stealing the brushes of a painter and tellling him he must paint with his hands. No one set of rules should ever dictate what another artist may or may not aspire to.

Although Geoff and I detest superficiality, we do not hate style.

Filmmaking is entering an entirely new phase.

Because of the recent exponential surge in HD media and apparatus, it has become possible for people to circumvent the whole 'regime' of movie-making. Advanced systems of editing have become available to consumers in the last couple of years, HD cameras are tremendously superior and the gulf between what was film and what is video is becoming narrower.

For as long as the life of the medium, filmmaking was usually reserved for either massive studios or people with significant financial support. Especially if the pursuit was to make something of tremendous beauty as well as substance.
This is largely due to the costly and fickle nature of film itself. Processing, cutting and treating film alone costs hundred of thousands...often millions of dollars.

HD has introduced the opportunity to capture vast amounts of footage at almost no cost. At the same time it produces frame rates and picture quality that beautifully imitate film-photography. The need for enormous budgets is starting to evaporate.

It is the beginning of a revolution.

HOLY MONSTER is a company devoted to creating a window from the West to the rest of the world. If we can simply introduce another culture to an American, European or Australasian audience, then we are creating awareness. We are excited by the concept of a 'world community' and the advantages to societies that expand their consciousness to a global level.

Our desire is to place Western characters within a 3rd world context, or an environment vastly different from that which we are exposed to in the West. These characters are able to serve as a vehicle for English-speaking audiences. If we can show alienation and estrangement in these Western characters, then you have an immediate relationship with a Western audience.
In the case of 'Richard' in 'WAIT FOR ME' for example, we were able to feel his frustration and despair through the obvious linguistic and cultural obstacles.

Geoff and I are definitely drawn to areas that are more afflicted by poverty and hardship. In the United States most of us don't really have any concept of the conditions of a constant life-threatening environment. Most Americans would never travel to a country where English was not spoken, let alone venture into areas where disease and violence were the social norm. Recent studies have revealed that an embarrassing 15%-18% of Americans are even in possession of passports.

The most dangerous disease in the West today is apathy.

The mission of HOLY MONSTER is to illustrate the beauty and the humanity within these forgotten realms. We wish to represent the conditions of every country that we feature with unwavering honesty. Without judgement and prejudice. The stories have to reflect the social conflicts and dilemmas or we are compromising the spirit of enlightenment. Our intention is not to villify nor to lionize a given character, country or context. We seek the truth.

Also, in the spirit of that for which we are striving -

In the event that HOLY MONSTER procures a profit on a given film - we are more than confident that we can - our great desire is to make an on-going financial contribution to the community that we depict, and those suffering therein.