This blog follows the journey of Sarah and Greg as they made their film. To see a trailer, read more, learn about the progress of the film or share your story visit AMERICANBEARFILM.COM


60 days. 25 States. 5 Bears.

Sarah and Greg are setting out on an adventure exploring American trust and fear through hospitality. Armed with their charm, courage, and a camera, they will rely on the kindness of strangers for a home each night, and if they're lucky, a few meals along the way.


The story began in summer 2009 when Greg exclaimed in his sleep, "We have to go to Bear, Colorado!" Unfortunately, no Bear actually exists in Colorado. However, there are five Bears in America, fortuitously located in a perfect a 'U' around the continental U.S. - in Washington, Idaho, Arizona, Arkansas, and Delaware. Following the trail of the Bears, Sarah and Greg will travel through 25 states of all different cultures, demographics, populations, and Americans.


Through conversations with locals, we will explore our themes on a personal level and embrace the stories that turn strangers into neighbors. Our discussions with scholars and professionals will dig into the philosophy and nature of a core aspect of what makes us human. We will understand why (or if) we let people into our hearts and our homes.

Check us out at: facebook.com/BearDocumentary

4.13.2010

Our application for a Major Grant from the Maryland Humanities Council is officially submitted! After weeks of working on it and securing two scholars and a hospitality professional in Maryland for planned interviews, it is all done.

This is a huge step in getting our long list of State Humanities Council applications on their way. We've got fifteen to call tomorrow and if the phone calls are encouraging, we've got fifteen applications to do ASAP.

Looking at the calendar, we realized we're only nine weeks away from hitting the road! We've sent our prospectus out to family and friends, planned a fundraising party in Colorado, and we've got an e-mail campaign about to hit cyberspace that emphasizes the kindness of strangers -- as in, if 100 strangers each donate 100 dollars, we've raised $10,000 which is about half of our budget.

Thanks for reading, and spread the word! This blog will be especially vital this summer while we're on the road, when we'll be posting almost every day and uploading weekly videos of our progress -- the more followers we have now, the better!

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