Steven Hoffen’s short documentary film has earned wins and nominations in over 70 film festivals around the world, and it will be part of the upcoming Phoenix Film Festival! The festival runs March 31– April 10 at Harkins Scottsdale 101. Find information at phoenixfilmfestival.com.
Steven’s film is about making peace, and growing plants (hydroponics)! I had the privilege of interviewing Steven about his film, “Growing Peace in the Middle East.”
To start, you might want to know about hydroponics. Well, it is a type of farming, “the future of farming,” as some call it. The hydroponic system is simple! There are pipes that will bring water through other pipes. The plants do not use dirt! The nutrients normally in the dirt are in the water! This water will recycle around the plants. Hydroponics take up less space, and the process of growing hydroponic produce is less work than in normal farming.
On a trip to the Middle East, Steven and his family connected with an organization called Sindyanna. Its mission is to bring Arab and Jewish women together and break through cultural barriers by helping the women learn to run a hydroponics business. Throughout the film, Steven enjoys talking with two of the women participating in the project. There is a conflict between Arab and Jewish peoples—these cultures have not gotten along for a very long time. The project aims to help as the two groups work together, solve problems together and develop relationships.
Steven is 14—at the time of producing this film, he was 12. He enjoys technology and debating, and hydroponics uses a lot of technology! He wanted to help the hydroponics project. That is the goal of Sindyanna, bringing sustainable farming, new business opportunities, and new relationships between two cultures.
Steven gave me some advice to share with other filmmakers when I interviewed him. He says, “One of the main things is to fi nd a topic that you are passionate about. For example, making a film, you have to find something that you really love. Otherwise you can’t really make the film and it won’t be as interesting and inspiring to other people.”
You can support Steven’s project and find out more at growingpeaceinc.org.
