Christians in Cinema

Producer/Writer/Director/Cast & Crew - Holly’s Story

Located in Houston, Texas, Cross Wind Productions is not just a film production company. It’s also a mentoring and discipling ministry for youth who are interested in theater arts. Founded by Barbara Sundstrom, the organization has produced three films that depict some of the serious struggles facing youth today. Joining us today are two cast members from the award-winning Holly’s Story, Amy Harvey, the female lead, and Aaron House, who was assistant to the Director of Photography (DP). Holly’s Story has won the following awards: Adam Award for Best Youth Drama at the Sabaoth International Film Festival in Milan, Italy; a Platinum Remi at the Worldfest in Houston, Texas; a Silver Crown award from International Christian Visual Media.

Performing arts is associated with debauchery. Barbara showed us you can be a person of faith and be in theater

Angela: Barbara, would you tell us about your background and how Cross Wind Productions got its start?

Barbara: I was a High School and Junior High School theater teacher. After teaching for a few years, I went back to obtain my Master’s degree in communications. I was also the director of promotions for the A.D. Players in Houston (one of Houston’s largest resident theaters). I had written 2 kids’ screenplays and even had one play produced in New York City. Then I was compelled to develop a story that wouldn’t fit the stage and wrote my first screenplay. I had already studied screenwriting, but after writing that first screenplay, I went and studied some more, then wrote two more screenplays. While this was happening, I became disturbed by what I saw produced in the media for and by teens. The things I saw made me feel that someone should do something about it, and one day I realized I heard the Lord saying “It’s you!” I believe it was a calling. I always thought it would be a wonderful thing to be in ministry but had no idea how it would develop in my own life.

Angela: How do you segue from a career in teaching and live theater work to the running a non-profit for film production?

Barbara: With much prayer, a wonderful husband and close friend (David) and a good organizing committee. We studied setting up a non-profit and had a really steep learning curve to get going. As challenging as it was, it seemed that everything I had trained for (teaching, theater, screenwriting) was coming together around this vision. We are surrounded by a wonderful body of believers and artists. It includes our DP, sound experts and editors. They all have a heart and a real gift for working with teenagers. Each production has been the combination of just the right people whose schedules were open at the right time. It’s always exciting to watch the team come together, and that’s the most important thing.

Angela: How do your productions take shape?

Barbara: Each September we hold auditions for any teens who want to join us. One of the reasons we set up a non-profit was because we wanted any teen to be able to be involved. We didn’t want them to miss out because they couldn’t pay. So any child who auditions is eligible if they have talent and enough interest to commit to our schedule.

Angela: Amy and Aaron, tell us how you got involved.

Amy: I was 15 when I saw a flyer about Cross Wind at my church. I was active in theater and had done some other types of acting, but wanted some more training.

Aaron: I saw something about the auditions and went, then got a call to come back and read again. I’ve been doing all kinds of theater since I was 10; some on-camera work, and also had recently learned some about filmmaking.

Angela: So you held auditions, selected the teenagers to be involved, then went straight to film production?

Barbara: No, it’s a year-long process. We’ll have 30 or more teens audition and about 20 come into the program. It’s a commitment to attending workshops once a month beginning in October. We bring in professionals from stage and film backgrounds to teach the students. We’ve had Rosie Curtis from Theater Under the Stars in Houston, Tom Hickman from Mars Hill Productions, Elizabeth Bird, a professional actress, and other individuals with extensive experience from all over the world. All have been believers. It’s not been required, but God sends Christians to us. The teens don’t have to be Christians, but we do expect them to be respectful. We don’t make a secret of the fact that we pray, especially when we get stuck and situations are tough. It’s very welcome then! Everyone learns about the different crew positions and receives acting coaching. It’s really a challenge to go from the broad acting required for stage to the intimacy of acting on camera.

Aaron: That was something that was amazing to me. The workshops were great, but the majority of my education came during the filming process. I was the light tech and assistant to the DP, and frequently we were the only audience for the scenes being filmed. And we couldn’t respond because it was being filmed.

Amy: That was a real learning process for me. When you do a stage show, it’s maybe 2  hours and then you’re done. There’s an audience in front of you applauding (hopefully) and telling you it’s great. With this film, we don’t really know what people think. The film doesn’t come out in distribution right after it’s complete, and you’re already down the road when it is released. So I had to find satisfaction in something other than an audience.

Hopefully, our films are vehicles to open and increase lines of communications for teens who feel they have nowhere to go.

Angela: Tell us about the filming process.

Barbara: In May we work on pulling the funds together to film during the summer. The Lord sorts out the 7-10 kids who are in the production. They have to be completely committed to this; they must be available the whole summer and not have any conflicts. I meet with the parents because it’s tough for them also; they have to get their kids there every time. We also depend on them to provide meals during filming. I find the parents are so hungry for their kids to be in a hope-filled, uplifting organization that they are really supportive.

Aaron: Each of us had acting parts and crew assignments. Obviously, some leaned more one way than the other; I got to work with the DP. It was such a great training time; I think I learned much more during the few weeks spent filming than I ever did during the workshops. There’s a greater urgency because you’re on a time schedule. You’re trying to get all the shots scheduled for the day, but you never really know what the day will hold.

Amy: That’s important, because it’s very hard to start again once you’ve stopped. One night we filmed until 3:00 AM the next morning. But we knew that time is money, so we had to be extremely focused, and continually asking what can I do to help? All of us wanted to experience the crew and tech side.

Aaron: Barbara is tremendously organized and kept on top of everything. She and the other leaders came and knew exactly what needed to be done every day. We came in, went to work, and got things done. It’s pretty disjunct in the way scenes are filmed. In the same day we’d do a scene from the beginning of the film, then turn around and do another from the end of the film.

Angela: What was it like to spend so much time together in such an intense environment?

Aaron: We all formed some great friendships. Every waking moment we were together for 2 weeks. Amy: You’d think that animosities and jealousies would develop, but none did. Even though we’re pretty scattered (Amy is at the University of Alabama and Aaron is at Ouachita Baptist in Arkansas), we still talk to each other a lot. It was also great being around older experienced people who took an active interest in us. They want to know how we’re doing, and want to see us succeed. So many people associate the performing arts with a life of debauchery, but Barbara showed us that you can be a person of faith and still work in theater.

Angela: What was it like the first time you saw the finished product?

Amy: It was strange! I was surprised by how good it looked; there weren’t any technical errors. I was really proud of what we’d been able to do. I can be pretty self-critical and beat myself up over what I thought I should have done. But I was proud of all of us. And Barbara did a masterful editing job.

Aaron: I have to agree with that. I found myself looking for the things that I knew were there; wires, the clutter we created. But none of it was visible. I would see a scene and remember where we filmed it and the other things that were going on at the same time. I was very self-conscious watching it.

Amy: I was really proud to be part of something that’s way bigger than myself, and I’d encourage anyone to do it. Even if you think you’re not good enough or there’s no way God could use you. He can!

Angela: “Holly’s Story” is about teen abortion. That’s a pretty controversial topic. Did you ever think about choosing a “safer” topic to explore?

Barbara: If I go back to the reason I got into this, the answer is “no.” I feel compelled to address in a very real way the issues that teens struggle with. I had a booth at a Youth Specialties conference and had “Holly’s Story” showing. Would you believe a youth minister walked up to me and said he didn’t want to talk about or deal with abortion? Yet there are girls who are dealing with it every day. And telling a story does a better job of opening doors than having a “talking head”. In my research, I learned that 40% of all women have had an abortion by the time the reach the age of 40. Most suffer from post-abortion syndrome, and are dealing with the emotional pain and remorse they are experiencing because of it. One website I visited had more than 70 pages of postings from women who said it was the most horrible thing they had experienced in their life. This message needs to get out to the public.

“Someone should do something about it,” I thought. One day I heard the Lord saying “It’s you!” It was a calling.

Amy: I did a lot of research to learn about the act of abortion. There are so many stories from girls and women who have had them. NO ONE is OK after they have one. I felt it was important to tell the story truthfully and to represent their lives. I felt compelled to explain that there is no disconnect from yourself – you can’t say it doesn’t affect you. It’s really a self-mutilation.

Angela: Barbara, what other topics do you plan to explore?

Barbara: “Saber” is close to release. It’s about young men’s battles with internet pornography. It opens the doors to talk about the effects and repercussions of being involved with pornography; what happens to future relationships with girls and women. “In a Mirror Dimly” focuses on eating disorders. So many women and young girls have struggled with eating disorders. Just in the preparation stages for that production I’ve had so many women express their support because they have personally struggled with a disorder. We’re filming this at Remuda Ranch, which is a treatment center with Biblically-based programs for eating disorders. I’m also developing a story called about the relationships between fathers and sons. Most sons feel like they can never live up to their fathers’ expectations, and even if they did, their fathers wouldn’t express it. In this story, a young boy who doesn’t feel like he can live up to his father’s expectations becomes involved in drugs and gangs.

Angela: Barbara, you’ve accomplished a tremendous amount of work in a short time. What are some of the blessings and challenges ahead of you?

Barbara: The greatest blessing is my husband David, who loads the trailer and the Expedition during production. It’s not his background at all; he works for GE from our home. But he supports me. I also have an active board who gives me great guidance and wisdom and also help with fundraising. My challenges are fundraising, getting our films distributed, and taking advantage of the many opportunities that have come our way. There are some great things we could be part of but I have no time to go after them. We’re relying on donations and grants, and the fundraising is difficult.

“Holly’s Story” has taken on a life of its own. The sales numbers don’t reflect the impact it’s had. We’ve received orders from all over, and know that it was even shown to kids in an Indonesian school! So word is getting out. My prayer is that we are creating a track record that will help us get additional funding to grow. I receive requests weekly from people who want us to do out-of-state workshops, but we’re just not set up for that. Above all, we want to keep presenting realistic stories about the tough issues facing teens today. Hopefully, our films are vehicles to open and increase lines of communications for teens who feel they have nowhere to go.