About the Project
I come from a family of single mothers. Many of my friends and co-workers are also single mothers. For them, every day is a complex dance of scheduling, energy management, discipline, balance, hope, loneliness, serendipity, and a hundred tiny betrayals.
I have seen them wring out the last ounce of energy from themselves to accomplish what I can only describe as superhuman. All while they exist in an environment which is unsupportive at best and at times completely hostile.
They are our teachers, our business executives, our store owners, our neighbors, our lovers, and our friends. They are powerful. They are impacting our world every day. They give and give and give.
And they are taken for granted.
I wanted to do something to show my appreciation for how single moms have affected my life. I wanted others to be aware of what they go through. I wanted to give single mothers a point of contact where they could find community and creative expression.
So the Something Real project was born. By the way, “Something Real” is an anagram for “A Single Mother.”
I love film and find it a wonderful medium for expression. So I am turning to another group of powerful women who face their own unique challenges: women filmmakers.
I will be accepting short films by women filmmakers on topics that are empowering to women, especially those that concern single mothers. The films chosen will be part of the screening on March 24th, 2008 at the Regal Arbor Cinema in Austin, Texas. Proceeds from the screening will benefit the National Partnership for Women and Families.
Additionally, I will be creating web sites to provide a forum for single mothers as well as a place to find resources and information to benefit their daily lives.
Thank you for your interest and participation.
- Andre Monserrat