As the secular year draws to a close the film GER: Choosing to be Chosen is taking shape. It looks a little different than what I first imagined it to be, a film about many different personal experiences, like Clocked my first film. It will be short, around 30 minutes this time around — instead of the 45 plus that the first cut of Clocked was. I feel more confident about the style, after I have cut it down and inserted my own story, unlike Clocked where I didn't have any of my story at all.

Some things that need to be done before the first cut is tested out on audiences:

1. Insert personal dialogue — Just can’t get away from my story.
2. Cut down interspersed segments from interviews — just not enough flow as it stands.
3. Weave my own Gay/Bi/Trans coming out story in parallel with “Jewish Coming Out” story.
4. Talk to Sue about interviewing as an educational mentor — Need to have a few more mentors involved, maybe chat with Paul.
5. Try to get some sound bites from local rabbis: Rabbi Angel, Rabbi Kukla and others as needed.
6. Work on opening sequence, would like some sort of animation — Preferably trans Jewish artist (any takers).
7. Edit, edit, edit... 

Getting ready to go to NY for Thanksgiving, feel like I need to film some of our trip. Shelli (my wife) is a great camera person, she used to volunteer at access in college. I feel a little skittish about putting myself out there on film but it isn’t anything that I haven’t asked the participants in my films and television productions to do...

B'Shalom,
Martin Rawlings-Fein

I'm in the home stretch now with the production of GER. There was quite a bit of controversy at the beginning of filming, while looking for participants. Some Orthodox community members thought that filming converts from different movements would be like filming apples and oranges, because they didn't recognize converts from other movements.

Since that confrontation I have changed my focus to a small segment of Reform, or Reform leaning, converts -- Queer Jews. I really have to thank the people who were so against the making of this film about conversion. I feel like I would never have narrowed the focus if I hadn't been pushed to the fringes. Of course there is the fact that most of my friends are Queer Jews, and I run in circles with a lot of Jews by Choice who are also LGBT or Queer.

On another note as the closing of AGENCY is a month away, another chapter in my television production career is opening. Etz Chaim will be taking the place of AGENCY, and running twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Sunday at 6 PM. Etz Chaim will be a chat show about Queer interpretations of Torah, and Rabbinical Texts.