Time Inc. asked me to capture the experience of the  Habitat for the Humanities 25th Anniversary Build. Here both volunteers and recipients join forces to build not just houses but homes. Jimmy Carter created FEMA when he was president and – three years after Katrina – with devastation still rampant, he wanted to turn the spotlight back on to the Gulf Coast. The 1 hour special aired over the Christmas Holiday on PBS.

My fourth short film, “Drowning Lessons”,  is about a brother and sister in a cat and mouse struggle for dominance. It won a Jury Prize at Sundance, the Martin Scorsese Director’s Award, and festival slots at Telluride (premiere), Clermont-Ferrand, Buenos Aires, Sydney, LA & Paris among others. It was chosen as one of the best short films of the decade for the upcoming Clermont-Ferrand DVD.

A scene from "The Life a House Built" about the very first Habitat project which took place on the Lower East Side of NYC.

A clip from "Drowning Lessons"

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter talk about what drew them to becoming involved with Habitat.