6/1/2006

Progress Report

Filming:

P-Qubd Productions film crew of five arrived in Guatemala City on March 23, 2006. For forty days the crew lived and traveled with Don Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj and his wife Elizabeth. In addition to experiencing their gracious hospitality while living in their home in Antiqua, the crew accompanied them for over 3,000 miles touring the sacred sites of Tikal, Lake Atitlan, Quirigua, the Caves of Candaleria the Western Altiplano where Tata (the affectionate name we came to call Alejandro) was born and raised and Copan in Honduras . On April 13^th the crew flew with Tata and Elizabeth to South America arriving at Cusco, Peru. Travels included stays in Ollytaytambo, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Copacabana on the shores of lake Titicaca, Island of the Moon, Island of the Sun and Lapaz.

Throughout the tour we documented numerous sacred ceremonial events with Mayan and Andean Elders. In addition elders from both Central and South America were interviewed with the sessions being video taped. At the various sacred sites Tata would “walk-about” the glyphs and temples giving explanations of the Mayan teachings. In our time together we documented the life and teachings of Tata and the Mayan perspective on the year 20012 with over 200 hours of professional grade video and more than 2000 photographs.

The film crew returned to the United States on May 2^nd and has since that date been involved in the preparation of the film footage for editing. On June 2^nd our Producer will be going to Siberia and joining Tata and Elizabeth in a gathering of Elders. He will be gathering video footage of the Elders to be included in the documentary.

Financing:

The first phase of the documentary (filming in Guatemala, Peru and Bolivia) has been completed within the projected budget of $27,000. Funding for that phase was fully subscribed by investors prior to our departure. Upon our return an additional $50,000 was underwritten by an investor bringing our total investment as of this date to $92,000.

To bring the project to completion will require an additional $108,000. We anticipate having our Documentary Trailer ready for release by the end of July at which point we’re anticipating the balance of the project will be underwritten.

Future:

One of the prophecies of the Mayan tradition speaks of this time as a period when the eagle of the North and the condor of the South will fly once again “wing tip to wingtip” in balance and harmony. The prophecy indicates that it is the responsibility of the Mayans from Central America to bring the North and the South together into Oneness. To that end the documentary production has taken of an “organic” nature and is progressively growing in concept and application. We are currently planning for five Andean Elders from the South to join with five Mayan Elders from Central America for a three week tour in North America to hold council and do Sacred Ceremony with Native American elders. Projected dates for this final filming event to be included in the documentary is September 14 thru October 5.

The budget of $200,000 for the documentary does not include the estimated $60,000 required to fly the elders to the United States and host them for the three-week tour. These funds are being sought through gifts and grants and will not be included as an integral part of the Documentary budget.

The tour with the Elders will begin in the Los Angeles area with special events being planned with Native American Elders of Southern California. One of the events is being coordinated with the Sun City United Church of Christ to be an inclusive religious ceremony honoring all traditions. We anticipate representation from the Indigenous cultures of the South, Central and North Americas performing Sacred Ceremony that includes all traditions.

The tour will take us to the Joshua Tree Sacred area where council and ceremony will be held with the Native Americans of that region. Continuing East we will gather with Navajo and Hopi Elders at, and around, the Grand Canyon before journeying to the Four Corner’s Area and meeting with local indigenous people in the Chaco Canyon area. From there we plan to journey further East connecting with Indigenous peoples in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area. Tentative plans at this time have us turning West to the Sacred lands of Zion and Bryce Canyons in Utah before traveling to Las Vegas and then North to the Mount Shasta in California. The exact itinerary has not be worked out so don’t be surprised if there are different plans announced in future communications.

Reflections:

While recounting the history and reporting the details of the project is appropriate as a report to our investors and other interested parties, there is so much more happening that alludes concrete expression. The trip to Central and South America was a continual “magic in the making” experience. It had the feel of an energetic ball that surrounded us and preceeded us on our journey. We knew we were protected and that the work we were doing was in service to our collective higher consciousness. Though we entered South American without one firm appointment with an Andean Elder, we had magical and mysterious meetings that made each moment one to be remembered. On our first night in Ollytaytambo Tata was walking in the town square and “ran into” an elder he’d met some ten years earlier at a meeting in New Mexico. The next day he was walking in the town square of Aquaes Calientas and had a similar experience with a second elder. As the journey progressed elders continued to emerge on a daily basis and when we arrived in LaPaz it was as if they were coming out of the proverbial “wood work.”

There is a sub-plot to the documentary that deals with the return of a 2000 year old staff that’s been passed down from generation to generation in Tata’s family. This sacred staff is used to empower Sacred events. Prior to the year 2000 it was used for empowering an event in New Mexico. An elder from LaPaz, Bolivia, asked to coordinate the next gathering of elders and was accordingly “passed” the staff in sacred ceremony.

The event that was planned was “commercialized” and consequently did not have but about a dozen elders from all of South America, Central America and North America (normally the gatherings have 300-500 elders). Consequently the event was not judged by the elders to be a valid gathering and it was requested the staff be returned so it could be used to empower the organization of the next event.

At this point the elder of that event asked if he might keep the staff and organize another gathering that would be in keeping with the intentions of the elders. He was granted that request. However, some 6 years later the gathering has not been convened and now the elders of Guatemala are requesting the staff be returned so it can be placed in the hands of an elder organizing a World Council of Indigenous elders to be convened in El Salvador in November of 2006. The elder who has granted the extention of time to convene an event in the “right spirit” is now refusing to return the staff.

Our trip to LaPaz included meetings between Tata and leaders of the Andean Elders in Boliva for the purpose of explaining the situation and seeking their assistance in securing the staff to it’s rightful function: i.e. to be passed from elder to elder to aid in the empowerment of sacred gatherings. The elders of Boliva graciously received Tata and are presently working with him to secure the return of the staff.

There was more “magic” surrounding the official meeting of Tata and the council of Elders. To “hold energy” for that gathering, the production crew was invited to go to a private home to do ceremony at the same time Tata and the Council of Elders were in session. We took a taxi to the designated home and were warmly greeted by Monica Medina whom we learned was the former Mayor of LaPaz. Monica and her husband currently own a T.V. channel featuring the programming for the indigenous peoples. After the ceremony, Monica presented me (Les/Leyland) with a lovely poncho that had been used by her deceased husband. I felt deeply honored to receive such a gift.

The next evening was our last night in LaPaz. At the completion of a full day that included doing sacred ceremony with some 20 Andean Elders, we arrived at the hotel about 8 p.m. and had one last interview to conduct with yet another elder. When we arrived Steve learned that the Elder did not have his Andean regalia and asked if I would loan him the poncho I was gifted the evening before. When I gave the elder the poncho I related the story of how I came to be blessed with the gift. The elder listened intently to my story and when I finished he smiled and said: “I’m the Godfather to Monica’s children.” He went on to tell me more information about Monica’s deceased husband. His name was Carlos Palenque and he was dearly loved by the indigenous people and was the favored nomination to be elected as the next president of Bolivia when he met with an untimely death. The poncho I had been gifted was the garment he wore for sacred events. The elder was deeply honored to wear the poncho of his beloved brother and to share his story.

Whew!!! Now is that magical or what?!

As I write this report Steve is in Moscow enroute to a gathering of Siberian elders including Tata and Elizabeth. Truly this project is blessed and ever so timely. Upon Steve’s return we will focusing our attention on the next phase of our project, the securing of funds to complete the documentary and to underwrite the 3 week tour of elders in North America. As that is happening, the footage we already have is being digitized and prepared for editing.

Our projected date for the documentary’s completion is scheduled to coincide with the release of Mel Gibson’s fictional blockbuster, “Apolalypto”, on December 8, 2006.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers.

Les