SANTA MONICA, Cal.─Documentary filmmaker, Paula Fouce, loves people, their unique cultures, and the art and spirituality that develops from their distinct traditions. The relationship seems mutual.
We met for coffee in Santa Monica, she had a green tea Boba, before taking me to visit her studio where she and co-producer, Tim Kettle, discussed the last editing adjustments to her soon to be released film, Not in God's Name, presented by her film company Paradise Filmworks.
With rich and sumptuous images, a trademark of her work, Not in God's Name, set in India, was born out of Fouce's personal experience when she was trapped in a religious riot in 1984, as Hindus boarded her bus in India, looking specifically for Sikhs to kill. At the time she was wearing a necklace, given to her as a gift, bearing the Sikh symbol.
She set out to understand how religions, which espouse peace and tolerance, could resort to such extreme violence. Fouce chronicled India, home to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, as well as Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews, and its very bloody history of religious prejudice, where over 2 million have died in the name of God.
Fouce got her first taste of the East when, as a fine arts student at Claremont College at Pitzer, received a note in her mail box saying, "There is a lot for you in Katmandu"—her study abroad destination. Enchanted with this curious and compelling land, she returned after graduation' importing and exporting jewelry from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and later was a tour guide to Nepal, Tibet, China, and India, traveling to Burma, Brazil, and Bali as well.
"When I was over there I got to meet some fascinating people," said Fouce, "I got to meet the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa, they had so much in common—total humility".
Fouce represents the third generation in the entertainment business; her grandfather owned the historical theaters downtown including the Million Dollar and the Mayan.
"I grew up backstage at the Vaudeville shows downtown, they were all in Spanish, but they were the greatest entertainment of all time."
It seemed a natural progression, that after co-writing a photo book about yogis, Shiva, with friend Denise Tomacko, Fouce would take to screen writing. "I had so many friends in L.A., including screen writers, so I started to write screenplays, as a way to reach the most number of people."
Because of the sensitive subject of Not in God's Name, that deals with matters of war and religion, the film had been a long and difficult process to make and complete; so much so, that she released two movies in the interim, Origins of Yoga: Quest of the Spiritual, and Naked in Ashes, which follows the intriguing Yogis on their pilgrimage through the Himalayas.
Now in the editing room, is a film tracing the mysterious lineage of the Gypsies, and with Fouce's usual crew of five or six, a Flamenco documentary is in the works.
"I really enjoy culture, I really enjoy how people are different and yet alike at the same time," stresses Fouce, who tries to merge humor and spiritual, or universal truths, "we have these great similarities, it's fascinating to see."
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