Brownstones on The Insider Blog

Sarasota Film Festival's The Insider just posted an interview with our co-directors Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker! See it here.

INSIDER: Are these kids—from both locales—still a part of your lives?

DL: Obviously, we’ve been able to see the kids in Bed-Stuy more often–we’ve yet to go back to Salone–but they are a major part of our lives. We’ve exchanged a few letters and constantly get updates from the headmistress in Sierra Leone. We’ve also undertaken a considerable fundraising effort to benefit both groups. We’ve currently raised over $53,000 to build a school in Sierra Leone and create a school library in Bed-Stuy. I think it’s safe to say we think of them non-stop. I know Chad does–ask about his tattoo!

CW: Indeed. Before we left Sierra Leone we were all given Krio names and I had mine tattooed on my wrist. The name they gave me is Pa Sorie – which means “the one who delivers messages.” It is a reminder of not only our time in Sierra Leone, but also how much that time changed me as a person. Whenever I am having a bad day I look at that tattoo and it reminds of the kids in SaLone and how they have so much faith and hope even after the tragedies in their lives and when I think of life in those terms, my day never looks bad.