“Create your own future.” It’s a time-tested axiom Dream Team Directors Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir have obviously taken to heart. Where others see only impossible obstacles, the award-winning filmmakers, featured recently in an episode of Scientology Network’s Meet a Scientologist, see opportunities to inspire.
The pandemic has only brought that ethos into sharper focus for the husband-and-wife duo, dubbed the “Dream Team” by their film colleagues, as they found new ways to add to their growing body of award-winning work.
At the onset of the global lockdown, Bayou and Daniel sprung into action with an idea to create a global music contest in which artists were asked to submit a mobile phone video recording of their original song that carried a message of hope. Bayou and Daniel directed a behind-the-scenes video of the studio recording of the winning entry (chosen by a jury of top industry professionals) and will be including it as part of their docu-style TV special showing the daily struggles of life for up-and-coming artists during the pandemic.
The contest, dubbed Music Is the Universal Cure, is very much in keeping with how Bayou and Daniel view the role of artists as change makers in society.
“Every project we’re working on, we have an ability to put our point of view out there to uplift and inspire…. It’s like filmmaking activism. We can really be change makers with filmmaking and use it to spearhead important subjects and discussions,” stated Daniel.
One of those important discussions led to their award-winning and innovative short film Tombstone Pillow. The film raised awareness of the plight of impoverished families living in cemeteries in the Philippines.
The film’s message is one of “helping others,” said Bayou, “to help your neighbors, help people as much as you can.”
Predating the “Zoom boom,” the film was cast virtually before the pandemic and was co-directed by Daniel on location in Manila and virtually by Bayou (in Los Angeles), 6,000 miles away via Facebook Live in 2019. Tombstone Pillow went on to win over 30 awards and is a testament to their innovation in overcoming obstacles.
The duo continues to thrive with a recently completed film on female empowerment and is currently producing a feature-length film with an Oscar-nominated actress.
Find out more about Daniel and Bayou’s success and how they’ve managed to keep thriving in the film industry in their episode of Meet a Scientologist.
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