This project is inspired and honors the memory of Lisa Harris. Lisa Harris was the mother of my girlfriend of eight years, Rachel Harris. On Monday, May 15, 2006; Lisa Harris, at the age of 52, lost her 3 year battle with breast cancer. It was due to her valiant and graceful fight that this I became moved to get involved.
Initially, I wanted to go across the country to meet breast cancer survivors, hear their stories and take their pictures to encourage Lisa in her battle for her life. Then, upon my arrival in California, I would compose a scrapbook of the journey and send it to her to encourage her and give her strength in her fight against breast cancer. However her condition quickly became terminal; and as she lost her battle with breast cancer, I felt the need to expand the vision, and reach out to survivors across the country in an effort to give a voice to these remarkable individuals. The road trip became a way to reach out to those who are in the midst of their fight and to document the successes of those who are winning the battle. This project is all about HOPE!!! The hope to keep fighting and keep surviving and the hope for one more day with the people they love. I plan to intertwine travel, spirit, and art to raise awareness and allow these inspiring individuals to reach out and empower those still fighting.
This is a journey from New York City, across the country to California. The team will be Rachel Harris (Lisa's daughter); my good friend Jason Stamm, a very talented cinematographer; and Bell Soto, a friend and well-known published photographer with the amazing ability to capture beauty in any moment.
We will meet with 35 to 70 survivors organized by the American Breast Cancer Foundation and we will shoot film and still photos while speaking to them on a "Paul" unintrusive level. Our journey will begin on June 12th, 2006 and will be completed on July 4th, 2006. The vision of these meetings is to meet these people in their homes and capture them in natural and comfortable settings while hearing their stories.
I have purchased a polaroid camera that I will use to take some very raw, yet soft, pictures of the survivors we meet. Also, Bell Soto (photographer) will be taking professional high resolution photos capturing the heart and soul of each person and what makes each person unique. Our goal is that when this is viewed by a newly diagnosed individual, that person will be able to relate on some level to one of the survivors and derive hope from that person and their story. Jason Stamm (cinematographer) will be filming from NYC to San Francisco and comprosing a 20-40 minute documentary.
Wish us luck!
