Kim has been making award-winning independent documentary films for over 35 years. Her tastes are eclectic and she has covered a wide range of subjects from Buckaroos in Nevada, to Sudanese refugees, to war veterans, to Buddhist nuns in Myanmar, and now, “higher states of consciousness” in two Qigong students from Portugal and New Zealand. Her films, THE HIGHLY EXALTED, COWBOY POETS, TUSCARORA, LOST BORDERS: COMING OF AGE IN THE WILDERNESS, A GREAT WONDER: THE LOST CHILDREN OF SUDAN, THE WELCOME, A THOUSAND MOTHERS, and ALREADY FREE have won numerous film festival awards, and have been broadcast nationally and internationally, on POV, PBS, National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, and the BBC.
Already Free
ALREADY FREE documents the profound transformation of Dorrie van Roji-Houtappels and Norberto Rodrigues. Though living thousands of miles apart, they travel the same path to awakening–a life cultivation path, Ren Xue. The practice opens them to the true freedom of mind and heart that is the ultimate promise of most spiritual traditions.
Dorrie, an inquisitive thinker and mother of two, currently living in Auckland, New Zealand, explores the meaning of life as she faces depression, doubt and fear.
Norberto, a spiritual seeker and young martial artist living in Lisbon, Portugal, finds himself facing permanent disability and constant pain through severe injury to his back.
Each struggles with a doubt that crippled them in the past, but through dedication, a willful openness to the realities of life and complete surrender, they find a deep trust that reveals their true freedom.
The viewer is invited into this world through intimate interviews, beautiful cinematography and revealing animation that tell a story that is beyond words. These portraits introduce us to doubtful but loving family members, surprisingly astute teenage children, and thankful students. We see two normal people who have reached a higher state of being and inner peace that fundamentally alters the way they feel, think and live. The effect of Dorrie and Norberto’s transformation on those around them is perhaps the most remarkable revelation of the film.
For the viewer, close-up studies of the Qigong movements are a compelling invitation to experience the quiet depth of these slow, thoughtful practices. We are drawn into the deep sense of energized calm that is Dorrie and Norberto’s inner experience and which is, they tell us, the natural state of all humans. In the end, this film is an offering, gently inviting all of us to understand that we are, in fact, Already Free.
Made in 2019 Kim Shelton, Producer/Director Sally Hinds, Producer Bill Weber, Editor Vicente Franco, Camera Todd Boekelheide, Original Music May Kindred Boothby, Animation
“Wow, phenomenal film, both its subject and its craft. Beautiful.” Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist and Author of N.Y. Times bestseller: Hardwiring for Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence
A Thousand Mothers
Set at an ancient nunnery above the majestic Irrawaddy River, A THOUSAND MOTHERS is an unprecedented look at the lives of Buddhist nuns in Sagaing, Myanmar. While the choices available to girls and women in Myanmar are quite limited, this film poetically reveals the opportunities offered to them at the nunnery, and the deep grace and dignity of a life dedicated to service.
Made in 2017 39 minutes Kim Shelton, Producer/Director Kirsten Johnson, Director of Photography Chris Brown, Editor, Sound Designer, Music Composer Judy Karp, Sound Recordist Joanne Feinberg, Associate Producer Petra Kuhl, Interpreter/Fixer
“Beautifully filmed, A Thousand Mothers’ shines a light into the simple, dignified lives of a group of nuns at a long established nunnery in Myanmar. A must see for anyone interested in Buddhist monastic ways, this film is like a window into the customs and attitudes of the women who walk this path.” Sharon Salzberg Meditation Teacher, best selling author
The Welcome
The Welcome offers a fiercely intimate view of life after war: the fear, anger and isolation of post-traumatic stress that affects vets and family members alike. As we join these vets in a small room for an unusual five day healing retreat, we witness how the ruins of war can be transformed into the beauty of poetry. Here our perceptions are changed, our psyches strained and our hearts broken. And at the end, when this poetry is shared with a large civilian audience, we begin to understand that all of us are a vital piece of the Welcome as Veterans try to find the way back home. Their examples of unflinching honesty, courage and love lift us up, inspiring all of us once again to feel our common humanity, always the first casualty of war.
Made in 2011 Produced & Directed by Kim Shelton Produced by Bill McMillan Edited by Josh Peterson Additional Editing by Eva Ilona Brzeski Principal Cinematography by Andy Black Second Camera by Leigh Kimball Music Composed by Todd Boekelheide Sound by Lauretta Molitor Photography by Rory Finney Production Assistant and Photography by Bob Parker Production Assistant Henry McMillan
“Sometimes you stumble into something out of a sense of duty or good intentions only to find yourself absorbed and overwhelmed beyond anything you might have anticipated…” Shawn Levy, The Oregonian
“Astonishing…” Craig Comstock, Huffington Post
“A Breathtaking profile in courage…” Norm Stamper, Huffington Post
“..Powerfully positive and brimming with hope…” David Templeton, The Pacific Sun
“Everyone in America should see this.” Vickie Aldous, Ashland Daily Tidings
“‘The Welcome’ should be viewed in every community across this nation…..” Shad Meshad, Founder, National Veterans Foundation
“This film captures both the beauty of the setting and the beauty of people working together to help heal the souls of our Veterans and their loved ones. We are brought into the process as witnesses of the power of community to heal. I had tears in my eyes throughout this film. It celebrates the resiliency of the human spirit, never shrinking from the psychological horrors of war.” Judith Broder, M.D., Founder /Chair, The Soldiers Project
“The documentary film, ‘The Welcome’ left me sitting stunned and crying in my chair. I literally could not move. I found myself in an intimate relationship with veterans through the film, reengaging and enlarging my humanity. I felt alive and sense that my wholeness depends in part upon my response to veterans and their service.” Intersections International, Rev. Scott Thompson
“The film itself is an intimate and inside look at the experience of veterans and their attempts to heal. Perhaps the serene retreat setting a vital balm for the torrent of feelings. Perhaps the facilitation and emphasis on the overlooked dynamic and importance of a process of ‘return’. Perhaps it is the openness and willingness of the veterans to share with each other. Perhaps the vehicle of poetry as a path to healing. Perhaps the veteran’s finding of their gift and voice and sharing it with civilians. Perhaps being witnessed by a civilian community. Through watching ‘The Welcome’ you are provided an invitation to be part of this healing of veterans, aware that your own healing is intimately related. It stirred in me a call to re-enlist as a citizen and become the civilian that soldiers need for their return. Thank you Bill, Kim and The Welcome Home Project. Our work has begun.” Scott Thompson, Director of Social Dialogue/Founder – Veteran – Civilian Dialogue, Intersections, International, New York City
“Our Board thinks this film is an invaluable education for those who do not have contact with serving troops, as well as a source of support for those of us who deal with the aftermath of these wars on a daily basis.” Board of Directors, Military Families Speak Out
“Love and respect, honor and reconciliation, healing and wisdom are on view here. As “The Welcome” shows, you will be moved and transformed in the listening and in service to our nation’s healing.” Edward Tick, Ph.D., Author, WAR AND THE SOUL, Director, Soldier’s Heart
“Returning Veterans Project, NW: “The healing in this film is already palpable. It will help those veterans who were never asked what happened to them as well as those of us who didn’t really want to know. It will speak to the children raised in households where the pain of war is only spoken in screaming nightmares, fights and drinking binges, and it will inspire civilians around the country to show their concern and to honorably welcome all of the men and women troops as they return home.” Shannon Pernetti, Board of Returning Veterans Project NW
“I was blown away…” Steve Maieli, Transitioning Veteran
“A joy and inspiration to watch..” The Argus Currier, Petaluma, CA
A Great Wonder: the Lost Children of Sudan
More than 2 million Sudanese have died in the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world, now in its 20th year. Another 5 million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting.
A GREAT WONDER traces the extraordinary journey of three young Sudanese orphans, a fraction of the 17,000 so-called “Lost Boys” of Sudan, who have spent the majority of their lives either in flight from war or in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Having navigated the hazards of warfare, disease and starvation, their arrival and resettlement in Seattle, WA, is not your average immigration story.
Over the course of 18 months, these youths have recorded their own experiences through their own eyes and in their own words using digital video cameras. The resulting “diaries” serve as a personal thread throughout the film, incorporating first-hand accounts of their experiences in war with their radically different lives as immigrants in America.
A story of survival in its most elemental form, A GREAT WONDER explores the concepts of loss, faith, community and freedom as it bears witness to the spirit that drives these young people to rebuild their lives.
Made in 2004 61 minutes Directed by Kim Shelton Produced by Two Shoes Productions Co-Producer, Camera by Leigh Kimball Edited by Jennifer Chinlund Music by Todd Boekelheide
“The best film I have seen…on refugee settlement.” Susan Baukhages, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
“A GREAT WONDER is one of the best films I have ever seen dealing with the new lives of refugees in the United States. It effectively and respectfully captures some astonishing encounters between a few Sudanese youth and their new Seattle community, presenting those encounters in all their pain, absurdity and grace. The youth and their American foster families are real people, with real strengths and faults – and they are the kind of extraordinary heroes living in lots of neighborhoods across this country. See the film; be inspired.” Anne P. Wilson, Executive Vice President for Planning and Programs, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
“A testament to the strength of the human spirit as young men and women from war torn Sudan, facing the adversity of conflict unknown to most Americans, find new hope and opportunity in the Pacific Northwest…also a tribute to the humanitarian workers and families who opened their homes and hearts to these young displaced Sudanese.” John Hirsch, Former US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Senior Fellow at the International Peace Academy, New York
“The best film I’ve seen on The Lost Boys and Girls and on refugee resettlement for that matter…a touching tribute to the human spirit. The extraordinary sensitivity and resiliency of these young people comes through beautifully and powerfully. I laughed. I cried. I came away from the experience loving them. [A GREAT WONDER] should be mandatory viewing for every prospective foster parent and foster care agency that works with refugee children.” Susan Baukhages, Director for Communications, Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services
“A GREAT WONDER invites its audience to intimately witness the struggles and ultimate survival of the thousands of lost boys and girls of Sudan…a tremendous contribution and I hope that this film will give new hope to victims of war.” U.S. Representative Jim McDermott
“Warmly affecting.” Ken Eisner, Variety
“Excellent” The Movie Times
“[A GREAT WONDER] poignantly shows how these eager new Americans also cling to their own traditions…figures like the orphaned Martha make you want to learn more about [Sudan]…powerful.” Zana Bugaighis, Seattle Weekly
“Provide[s] an alternative way of viewing these youth that challenges the ‘uprooted’ and ‘denuded’ refugee stereotype… A Great Wonder help[s] to debunk this myth of ‘refugeeness’ as an essentializing identity by emphasizing that these youth are more than what they have lost… mesmerizing with [its] first person commentary by the Sudanese refugees describing their hopes, joys, and challenges… By examining Nuer and Dinka within a refugee framework, [A Great Wonder] engage[s] broader theoretical questions about the tension between refugees as victims of larger structural events beyond their control and their adaptive strategies in negotiating complex and shifting circumstances… A Great Wonder with [its] nuanced and spellbinding portrayal of the tragic lives of these resilient youth, help[s] the viewer understand that they can be victims and heroes at the same time.” Dianna Shandy, Ph.D., American Anthropologist
“[A GREAT WONDER] highlights not only the plight of the children of Southern Sudan…but…the general predicament facing children at times of wars and ethnic conflicts…The film shows…how the experience gained from their arduous pursuit to stay alive will affect their future characters, and expectations. The film shows how the host families in the US…with different expectations, and perceptions, are absorbing this unique experience differently and hence both guests and hosts are affected by the experience of these children.” Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, African Studies Center
“A story of survival in its most elemental form, A Great Wonder takes a hard-core look at war, and its impact on the lives of these young people [and] the families they left in Sudan. Highly Recommended” Educational Media Reviews Online
