Bridging Continents: The Epic Journey of Two Families Creating a better future for Children

My guest, Élisabeth-Ann, works in the world of cinema and television with over three decades of experience in the media production industry. She is a producer, screenwriter, production consultant, and teacher in short film production.

In addition to her numerous productions and achievements, my guest Élisabeth-Ann talks about her documentary film ‘STONE BY STONE: Building the Paradise Orphanage, a fascinating story highlighting the determination and solidarity of Georges Sawadogo in Africa and Howard Makofsky in North America, two families on two different continents, supported by their community and friends.

It’s the story of a 20-year friendship to build the Children’s Paradise orphanage in Burkina Faso, Africa which can accommodate 120 children.

Their journey transcends borders and cultural differences, testifying to the universality of altruism and perseverance. Stone by Stone: Building the Paradise orphanage is currently being distributed.

The documentary film team, Mark Morgenstern (director of photography), Robert E. Newton (editor), and Élisabeth-Ann Gimber, earned a Certificate - Honorable Mention - at the 2023 Vues d'Afrique Festival - Human Rights.

Training & Experience

• Elisabeth-Ann Gimber holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communications and Media Studies from Concordia University (Montreal) and California State University, Sacramento.
• Filmo Bandito Productions Inc. Producer for three decades. About Filmo Bandito Productions:  this company has offered a wide range of film and television production services.
• Teacher at O’Sullivan College - Fiction Short Film Production / Internship Supervisor at O’Sullivan College in Montreal / since January 2021
• Short film classes and internship supervision.

Awards and Recognition

• Festival Vues d'Afrique - Certificate - Honorable Mention - Human Rights (2023)
• Berlin Indie Film Festival - Best Documentary (June 2023)

To contact Élisabeth-Ann Gimber

Email: eag1962@gmail.com

To learn more about her career and achievements, visit:

LinkedIn  linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-ann-gimber

Useful Links

For more information on the project.

Website: https://stonebystone.ca/

Facebook: Facebook.com/Stone by Stone : The documentary

Feature-length documentary - Stone By Stone - the documentary :                   

Stone by Stone: Building the Paradise Orphanage

IMDB: [https://www.imdb.com)

Kaya’s Kids Organisation [https://www.kayaskids.org/]

Kaya’s kids is a non-profit organization that aims to provide financial support to the Paradise orphanage in Kaya, Burkina Faso, West Africa. It aims to meet the needs of the whole person: mind, body, and soul, in line with a compassionate Christian approach that seeks to address systemic poverty and social injustice so prevalent in that part of the world.

This amazing story of two families in Burkina Faso and Canada, who together built the Paradise Orphanage as well as a primary and high school. A medical clinic is underway and a university is in the planning stages.

Cercle de Fermières de Ville-Saint-Pierre

The contribution of the Cercle des Fermières Ville Saint-Pierre in Montreal to the project was to make 45 laundry bags and 45 pencil cases for the children of the Children’s Paradise orphanage in Burkina Faso.

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