2022 ANNUAL REPORT
LETTER
In 2022, Seeing for Ourselves continued its second effort, on behalf of the clients of New York’s Department of Probation (DOP).
Our half-hour documentary In a Whole New Way played in the film festival circuit, selected by over a hundred eighty festivals around the world and amassing over fifty awards. The film also won the support of legislators, justice officials, and the probation industry itself. A workshop on the film was conducted with NYC Department of Probation Commissioner Ana Bermúdez at the annual conference of the American Probation and Parole Association. All this was a major step in terms of the hoped-for impact on the scale of Project Lives. Press coverage would be key but was not solicited, pending a more strategic moment.
A highlight was the film's acceptance for PBS screening.
The planned major exhibition of Seeing for Ourselves photography wound up being postponed until 2023, after the Delta and Omnicron variants of COVID-19 dashed hopes for a museum reopening. Meanwhile, the Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth, Maine staged an inspiring exhibit in February, including a remote screening of the film including a discussion with local officials.
Book publishing was completely disrupted by the pandemic’s impact on global supply chains, but we signed a deal with Prospecta Press at year end to publish In a Whole New Way in June 2023.
The balance sheet for the year, as previously, was effectively a blank. We put out personal funds for festival fees, manuscript editing, exhibits, and other expenses.
Meanwhile, Jonathan and George continued to contribute a person-year between them in voluntary labor.