In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker JD Disalvatore about her upcoming documentary entitled “How To Save A Dog” which she hopes will contribute to making Los Angeles, California a no-kill city. “How To Save A Dog” is a feature-length documentary project that provides a compelling inside look at what it takes to rescue animals in America. Though cats and dogs are considered family members millions are killed every year just because they are unwanted. In Los Angeles the rescue community has been working on a movement to make the city no-kill which means that animals wouldn’t be euthanized for space. Having been diagnosed with terminal Stage IV cancer four years ago, Disalvatore never slowed down and even amped up her volunteer time at her local LA City Animal Shelter which was the inspiration for the project. In addition to the feature documentary, 20-30 educational videos will be made for social media to educate and engage anyone interested in helping make our nation no-kill. We talked to JD about her motivation for “How To Save A Dog” and her spin on our LGBT issues.
When asked what she would you like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Disalvatore stated, “I think what we’re doing now is stamping out the last embers of those who seek to oppose us. I think all the really horrible laws we’re seeing in the last couple of weeks are direct reaction to the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. So it took a couple of years for them to get these laws in action. They want to ban the bathroom issues, they want to ban services to LGBT people and the reaction is huge corporations like Pay Pal and Lionsgate Films and rock stars like Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr are saying, guess what, we’re not coming to your state because you’re bloody bigots, and that’s really great to see. It’s like we reached a tipping point where this is unacceptable. So I think right now we have to concentrate on smashing out these last ashes of discrimination because the worst thing they can do is teach the next generation that this is okay. We could completely go backwards depending on how the next election goes and how the local elections go. I mean everywhere there’s a problem these people were elected. So if they’re doing things you don’t agree with you need to get out and campaign and vote if you do nothing else. We have to stamp out these anti LGBT laws and movements and I think we’re doing that. In the old days people like us had to go out and march in the streets and bear the brunt of all sorts of hate mail and now Bruce Springsteen is doing it for us.”
JD Disalvatore brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from her involvement as an activist for our LGBT community and as an accomplished award-winning filmmaker to her current project “How To Save A Dog”. Her film credits include “Eating Out 2”, “A Marine Story”, “Gay Propaganda”, “Elena Undone” and “Shelter” for which she won the GLAAD Media Award for best feature film in limited release in 2009. Now is the time for everyone who cares about making America a no-kill zone for our pets to get involved. This documentary will definitely take you on that journey.
For Info & To Contribute: howtosaveadog.com
ReplyDeleteJD has a great attitude about life and it goes a long way to make even the difficult times easier with that attitude. So glad to hear her voice; she puts things in a more positive perspective. Great interview.