ATTN: DMV Residents. Need something to Do? Talented Generation to the RESCUE!

One of the things I love about living in this area is that there is always something to do. For the remainder of this week, that something is in Silver Spring at the Silverdocs International Film Festival. 


What the heck is the Silverdocs Festival? 

Since you're too lazy to Google it I'll tell you. Silverdocs encompasses a seven-day international film festival and five-day concurrent conference that promotes documentary film as a leading art form, supports the work of independent filmmakers and fosters an atmosphere for public dialogue and civic engagement around the issues and ideas explored in the films. Silverdocs was created through a unique alliance between AFI and the Discovery Channel, the festival’s Founding Sponsor.


Already underway, the 10^th annual Festival lasts until June 24, 2012. The  festival will take place at the AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center and other fantastic locations in and around downtown Silver Spring, MD. 
 
One documentary I'm going to support is La Source. The documentary chronicles the journey of Josue Lajeunesse- a Haitian Princeton janitor who seeks the support of the privileged community he serves everyday and sacrifices everything to revive his lifelong dream to bring what is most fundamental to his village’s survival; clean water. Lajeunesse grew up in the rural town of La Source, Haiti, where the residents live without plumbing or electricity and must embark on a treacherous hike up a mountain every day in order to obtain clean water. Now working as a janitor at Princeton University by day and a cab driver by night, Lajeunesse is convinced that there must be a better way for his hometown friends and family to live. Together with his carpenter brother Chrismedonne, who still lives in Haiti, Lajeunesse decides to organize an effort to finally bring clean water to La Source. 


The doc premiers tonight at the AFI Silver Theatre at 5:00pm. The only other showing is on Saturday, June 23 at 9:45am. 


Tickets are $13.00 for general admission and can be purchased here. 


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Mr. Lajeunesse serves as an example that you don't have to "make it" before you give back. I know some of you are waiting until you make a certain amount of money or work a certain job before you do something to give back but you don't have to wait. You CAN give back right now. Some people think giving back is about money and that is not always the case. Don't be ashamed if you can't make monetary donations because you can donate your time. Some organizations have funding but don't have manpower. Volunteer your time or donate your lightly used clothes to churches/shelters. It costs you nothing but a few days a month to serve as a big brother or big sister and you could change someone's life. I encourage all of you to find a way to give back. I can personally testify that making a difference in someone else's life is a blessing unmatched by any amount of money I have seen in my lifetime. 


If you have free time and you are not giving back in some way SHAME.ON.YOU.