The STICK & POUND AGENDA

By birth, I am the direct beneficiary of the will and determination of my ancestors and of ancient african women of wisdom--a woman of power, of passion and compassion. As the uniqueness of my birthplace gave me a lifelong fascination with the origins and development of different peoples, cultures, customs, and varied spiritual beliefs of humanity. I have a deep respect for people's desire to be understood in their own terms.

My purposes as an artist is to serve humanity as a cultural ambassador. Stick & Pound bridges experience and knowledge with the psychology of learning as it explores the collective memories of many African cultures that are so very different and yet so much alike. It bridges cultures by integrating the traditional and the nontraditional with new ways of looking at life through multidimensional means of viewing, discovering and creating stories.

Melanie DeMore, Master Stick Pounder
San Francisco, CA - March 7, 2008

Whether its, San Francisco, Toronto http://documentarychallenge.org/, The Moari's New Zealand or Prizren, Kosovo's Dokufest, http://dokufest.com/ Stick & Pound is on a role and a journey without a destination. The sky is the limit. It's been on the road since it's inception March 6, 2008 in San Francisco. Stick & Pound screens this week August 4-10, 2008 in Kosovo. I wish I could be there in the physical, but I'm definitely there in spirit. I know my ancestors are smiling down on me. But don't worry, you may still have your chance to see it here in the U.S. There will be a screening of Stick & Pound, Doggie Style, and Tail at the Avalon Micro Film Festival Series in Sunnyvale, CA (August 30, 2008) Oakland, CA (October 18, 2008) and East Hampton, NY (TBA December, 2008). For details check out http://www.avalonstudios.org/whats_new.html
or for constant updates visit the the team's website at: http://itdonnedonme.com/

First stop, Toronto's Hot Docs Screening where it received international award winning acclaim.

ONE MO GIN... (translation...one more time)

It's making leaps and bounds as other cultures embrace it. The world finally may be ready to listen to indigenous people. Where Stick & Pounds goes, history is constantly being made.