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Anne
Macksoud
John
Ankele |
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About
Us
Anne Macksoud and John Ankele,
Filmmakers
We
are two “old dogs” who are worried about
the state of our world and saddened by the suffering
we see all around us. Since 1985, we have produced and
directed documentary films about the subtleties of individual
human experience and the complexities of our collective
challenges. Our work encourages thoughtful responses
to the interconnectedness of all life. We hope it inspires
viewers to become agents of change, determined to do
what it takes to create a more just and peaceful world.
It is clear to us that our political leaders cannot solve the
problems of our time. They themselves are too beholden to privileged,
powerful constituencies to inspire us to think beyond our own
self-interest. We believe that change, if it is to come at
all, must start with ordinary people around the world who understand
the relationships and responsibilities of a global community.
We believe that ordinary people have the will, the resourcefulness,
the compassion, and the decency to craft new solutions that
serve the common good.
We offer our films as catalysts for this kind of awareness— as
tools for education and activism in the name of social
change. We invite you to watch them at home, show them
to your friends, share them with your classes and your
community. We are happy to answer questions, provide
additional resource materials, and suggest ways of using
our films that will support your own efforts to nurture
and protect this world that we share.
Thank you,
Anne Macksoud and John Ankele
Background
John Ankele, B.A., M.Div., started out as Program Director for the NYC Council of Churches, doing public affairs programs for WABC radio, WNBC-TV, and WCBS-TV. He then spent six years teaching at the Communications Center of the All-Africa Conference of Churches in Nairobi, Kenya. Back in the U.S., he developed curriculum videos for schools and institutions and promotional videos for nonprofit organizations. Lately, he has led workshops exploring "the common ground between contemplative practice and the experience of visual perception, from the point of view of both filmmaker and watcher.” "Cartier-Bresson said
that there 'must be a relationship
between the eye and the heart'—that good
filmmaking requires not just seeing the world in its
beauty but feeling the world in its suffering. We
are trying to pass on that moment when otherness dissolves
and we realize that we are not strangers—that
we share this life, this world. Caring is a simple thing."
"What
Anne and I are trying to do in our work is probe beneath the surface,
find the connections, and offer up the results. We’re looking
at present systems through an ethical lens, and
we take a critical approach because we see things falling apart. So,
as a distinctive part of our work, we listen for and lift up the prophetic
voices that are calling our attention to the breakdown and
showing us what needs to be done to 'repair the world.'"
Anne Macksoud, B.A., M.A., spent 17 years as a teacher (English, photography, and music) before transitioning to film and video production. Once she discovered the “eye-opening” power of the documentary medium, she brought rented documentaries into her classroom on a regular basis. Eventually, she began helping her students make their own films and slide shows on the issues of the day (civil rights, the Vietnam War, and global poverty, to name a few). She approaches filmmaking from the perspective of an artist as well as an educator.
"Although
I enjoy the entire production process, I see film primarily as a means
to an end—a useful tool for opening
minds and hearts. I feel that John and I have
gained greatly from our filmmaking in a number of ways. This 'job'
has been two decades of 'enrichment courses,' and
we feel lucky to be able to do this work."
About Our Name
Anne says: "John and I have
been at this work for a long time. We are, in fact, 'old
dogs'—not in the sense that
we are slow to learn new tricks (on the contrary,
we are skilled in the newest non-linear editing technology),
but in terms of an old dog's calm perspective, knowing how
to conserve energy for the essentials. John, who is a Buddhist
practitioner, says that the wise Tibetan lamas were called
'old dogs.' I
can't claim that. It's enough that the two
sweet old dogs in the logo (the boxer John's, the beagle mine)
were beloved teachers for us and the inspiration for our company
name."
Awards and Screenings
Anne
and John’s films have appeared on PBS, Link-TV, ABC-TV, and other television
and cable stations nationwide. They have been screened at the United Nations
Film Festival, on Capitol Hill, at the Smithsonian Institution, and at the
Museum of Modern Art. They have won Cine Golden Eagle Awards and prizes of
note at film festivals in the U.S. and abroad.
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