Soap Lake filmmaker receives awards

Posted: Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 02:54:50 pm PDT
By Aimee Seim
Herald staff writer

SOAP LAKE -- Three years after work began on her latest film, "Boobalogue Our Breasts, Our Lives," Soap Lake filmmaker Kathy Kiefer has received two awards for the documentary which explores women's experiences with their breasts.

Kiefer is co-owner of JACOL filmworks and received a bronze Telly Award in April, an award which on average receives more than 10,000 entries a year, as well as a gold Aurora Award. The awards are designed to recognize local, regional, independent and industrial filmmaking both nationally and internationally.

"It's just a meaningful look at a subject people often don't discuss," Kiefer said of her film.

Working with seven women associate producers, Kiefer met with the group during monthly meetings beginning in 2003.

The film debuted on Mother's Day 2004 at the Masquer's Theater in Soap Lake with proceeds made from the film going to support the Moses Lake Cancer Foundation.

The role of the associate producers was to go out into the community to promote the film.

Interviews with women including from around the Basin and internationally, in the 1 hour and 20 minute film, tell of stories about breast-feeding, breast reduction, breast cancer and personal accounts of how others' perceptions of their breasts have impacted the women featured.

One of the associate producers for the film, Emma Lou Bishop, a former nurse practitioner, agrees many of those issues are ones women are much more aware of now compared to 20 years ago.

"When she asked me to be a part of this I said, 'Great,' and being involved in women's health care I was very interested in that too," Bishop said.

Women of all ages and different ethnic backgrounds including African American, Native American, Mexican American and Maori women appear in the film.

Receiving the awards is something Kiefer describes as an exciting time for her, although she admits she still has much she wants to do in filmmaking.

"I love what I do, but I'm still learning," Kiefer said.

Mother Jennifer McCarthy is interviewed in the documentary while shown breast-feeding her baby.

McCarthy said she was comfortable talking about breasts in the film.

"I really think it is really just a true slice of life, but a part of life that is not often talked about or investigated," McCarthy said of women's breasts.

A sequel to "Boobalogues" isbeing planned. Kiefer expects the sequel will focus on women's perceptions of their own body image.

Documentaries about Grant County's dams and "Back Roads," a piece about Soap Lake in the early part of the 20th Century, are previous works completed by Kiefer.

In September, Kiefer will show her film at the Rural Washington Health Care Association annual conference in Chelan.

"Filmmaking is just holding up a mirror around you saying this is who we are," Kiefer said.

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