I LOVE YOU AND THAT MAKES ME GOD  

FLORENCE FAIVRE

Florence Faivre lived in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France until the age of eight, at which time her family moved to Bangkok, Thailand. By the age of 13, Florence was the host of two television shows, Teentalk and E for Teens, while also guest presenting for international television programs throughout Southeast Asia.

In 2004, Florence received a Best Actress nomination at the Bangkok International Film Festival for her lead performance in The Siam Renaissance, the second largest Thai production of all time. She starred in Chokdee and The Coffin. Soon after moving to New York, she won the female lead in The Elephant King co-starring Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Florence currently resides in New York, and has recently acted in television shows such as The Following, How to Make it in America, and Kings.

PATRICK HUGHES

Born in Australia in 1978, Patrick Hughes has risen to prominence as a Hollywood director. His most recent projects include the action film The Expendables 3, and an upcoming remake of the acclaimed Indonesian film The Raid.

Patrick Hughes began making short films on a Super 8 camera at the age of eight, and has since directed Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Jet Li, Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelsey Grammar, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Jason Statham, Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, Randy Couture, Robert Davi, and Terry Crews. Hughes attended three years of film school at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to writing and directing the film Red Hill (2010), which was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 1st AACTA Awards, he gained industry attention with the short film Signs (2008) and a number of high-profile commercials. Primarily known as an action film director, Hughes is currently based in Los Angeles, California.

RUSSIA HARDY

Born in Newport News, Virginia and raised in Stuttgart, Germany, Russia Hardy is a professional dancer who has lived and worked throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, primarily in Egypt. Russia was trained as a gymnast at the age of six, and subsequently received training in ballet, modern, aerial, fire, sword, and belly dance, along with dance traditions of the Old Silk Road.

Russia received her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Centenary College in New Jersey. After moving to Los Angeles, California in 2003, she received vocal and physical training at Aquila Morong Studio and Antaeus Theatre Company Academy. She was married in July 2014, and is currently based in Los Angeles.

CHRISTOPHER MOSS

Born in New Jersey, Christopher Moss has lived in New York, Connecticut, and California, and briefly in India and France. At various points, he has worked as a baker, chef, hot dog cook, dishwasher, massage therapist, and real estate broker. He is currently based in New York.

DON WAS

Don Was has earned his iconic recognition as a record producer of an array of artists from The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Ziggy Marley, Bob Seger, Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Garth Brooks, Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Cocker, Hootie and The Blowfish, Amos Lee and Willie Nelson to Elton John, Stevie Nicks, George Clinton, Randy Newman,The Black Crowes, Carly Simon, Travis Tritt, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, The Barenaked Ladies, Old Crow Medicine Show, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Richie Sambora, The Presidents of the United States of America, B.B. King, Paul Westerberg, Kurt Elling, Poison, Cheb Khaled, The B-52’s, Zucchero, Todd Snider, Elizabeth Cook, Jill Sobule, and Solomon Burke. He has received three Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year in 1994.

Originally born Donald Fagenson in Detroit, Michigan in 1952, he graduated from Oak Park High School prior to attending the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for one year. Adopting the stage name Don Was, he formed the commercially-successful group Was (Not Was). In addition to his prolific career as a musician and producer, he has worked as a songwriter, documentarian, and as music director/consultant on a number of films, and is a philanthropic supporter of the David Lynch Foundation.

He was appointed president of Blue Note Records in 2012, and is currently based in Los Angeles, California. In May 2013, he was instrumental in forging the Blue Note/ArtistShare partnership along with Brian Camelio and Blue Note Chairman Emeritus Bruce Lundvall.

SIMONE WHITE

Born in Hawaii in 1970, Simone White is a singer-songwriter. In 2006 she was signed to the UK record label Honest Jon’s, and has since released three albums on the label. In 2008, Simone gained widespread critical praise for I Am the Man, including by Q Magazine, the Daily Mail, and MOJO, which described her as “not just a pretty voice but a mesmerizing intelligence.” Simone has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe, including the Barbican Center in London, Les Nuits Fourviere Festival in Lyon, the Green Man Festival in Wales, WOMAD in the UK, and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. Her single “The Beep Beep Song” became the soundtrack for a worldwide, award-winning ad campaign for Audi.

Simone’s 2009 album Yakilmo received 4 stars in UK’s MOJO and entered the German Rolling Stone critic’s pick at No. 5. The opening track “Bunny in a Bunny Suit” toured the world as the soundtrack to an Omega watch commercial starring Nicole Kidman. Her 2012 album Silver Silver features Andrew Bird on violin and vocals, and received 4 stars in UK’s MOJO. The album was featured by Spin and included in NPR’s discussion Our Favorite Music of the Year So Far. Simone currently resides in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California.

JEFF BARRY

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1938, Jeff Barry is an iconic American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991 where over 650 songs are listed. He has written and arranged music for innumerable artists, including Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Freddie Mercury/Queen, The Beach Boys, Kiss, Deep Purple, the Glee Cast, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Celine Dion, Twisted Sister, the London Symphony Orchestra, Nelly, and Fats Waller.

In his early twenties, he signed with RCA Records, and in 1960 reached No.1 on the Billboard pop charts in both the U.S. and the U.K. His work fell into the hands of the most significant artists of the day, including Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, and Ricky Valance. Barry worked with songwriter-producer Phil Spector to create the “Girl Group” sound, exemplified in their songs “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me” by the Crystals, “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes, and the holiday perennial “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love.

Throughout the 1960s, Barry continued to create chart-topping work, including the songs “Hanky Panky,” “Chapel of Love,” “Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand),” “Leader of the Pack,” “Do Wah Diddy Diddy,” and “Sugar Sugar.” In 1966, he teamed with Phil Spector to write “River Deep Mountain High” with a recording by Ike and Tina Turner. Barry and his ex-wife Ellie Greenwich discovered the young singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, and went on to produce his first hits, including “Solitary Man,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “Kentucky Woman,” and “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon.” Barry also produced tracks for the Monkees, including “I’m a Believer” which rose to Billboard No.1 and become one of the best-selling records of all time.

In 1971 Barry moved from New York to California, and in subsequent years shifted his focus to television, writing the theme songs for One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, and Family Ties. During the mid-1990s, Barry served as president of the National Academy of Songwriters, and in December 1998 was a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a partner at NightBird Recording Studios at the Sunset Marquis, which uses his son’s artwork for their logo. Jeff Barry songs continue to be featured in popular films including such blockbusters as Forrest Gump, Goodfellas, Full Metal Jacket, Light of Day, Four Weddings And A Funeral, The Bridges Of Madison County, and What’s Love Got To Do With It. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine listed six of his compositions under the greatest rock songs ever written.

JANE LeCROY

Jane LeCroy is a poet, performance artist, and public school teacher based in New York. She fronts the avant-pop band Transmitting with Tom Abbs, and The Icebergs with Tom Abbs and David Rogers-Berry. She has performed as part of San Francisco’s female poetry troupe Sister Spit, and Kid Lucky’s hip-hop a capella spoken-word beat-boxing orchestra, Nu Voices. Her poetry collection Names was published by Booklyn in the award winning ABC Chapbook Series. Her multimedia book Signature Play, a collection of lyrical poems, musical scores, visual art, and access to audio files, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2013. She has been published in Frank 151, Mudfish, Hanging Loose, Maintenant, Equinox, and Great Weather for Media anthologies. Jane also works as a teaching artist through Dreamyard and the Teachers & Writers Collaborative.

Ai Kato

Ai Kato was born in Osaka and raised in Nagoya, Japan. As a child, she attended the Nagoya International School. She received her undergraduate degree in Art History and Visual Arts from Bennington College in 2013.

Upon her first visit to New York City at the age of eight, Ai told herself she would one day live there. She currently resides in Manhattan, where she serves as Art Director at Tower 49 NYC. Her primary interests are art, feminism, and international travel.

NINA LILI J

Nina Lili J was born in France in 1992. She is a self-taught singer, composer, producer, and multimedia artist. At the time of filming she was working with MAD Agency, a gallery dedicated to promoting the work of young artists in France and internationally. Her work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, California (January 2014) and Paris, France (May 2014).

HANK MANDEL

Born in New York, Hank Mandel received his master’s degree in Social Work from Rutger’s University. During his ten years as a professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, he began his career as a psychological therapist, and was instrumental in diffusing the famous Hells Angeles/Black Panthers riots in New Haven. He subsequently served as the executive director of the People’s United Community Foundation. In 2009, he directed Five Friends, a documentary exploring the nature and significance of male intimacy.

As an adolescent, Hank was a victim of sexual molestation. He has since dedicated himself to counseling, rehabilitation, and empowerment of molestation victims, and has created programs used internationally by various organizations, including the Roman Catholic Church, to address widespread cases of abuse. Hank currently resides in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

DANIEL BROMBERG

Daniel Bromberg was born in Ohio in 1962. He was sexually molested at age 11 by his uncle. In the 1980s, while in his early 20s, he himself was convicted on child molestation charges, and subsequently served three years in prison.

After his release from prison, he worked various low-paying jobs primarily in the food service industry throughout Northern California. At age 46, Daniel relocated to Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

LANE DAVIS

Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Lane Davis attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2013.

Shortly after graduating, Lane was scouted to work as a fashion model. He has since worked in foreign and domestic markets such as London, Milan, and California through Next Models. He has walked for high fashion designers such as Missoni, and shot for several renowned magazines. He aspires to further develop his career in Asia, and ultimately to live and work in New York.

FREDERIC MESCHIN

Frederic Meschin was born in 1961 in Royan, France. He attended L’Ecole Hoteliere de Bordeaux, where he studied to become a chef and restaurateur. He relocated to Los Angeles, California, and in 1984 founded his first establishment, Paris Mexico Café, followed by Flaming Colossus in 1985. In 1988, together with his brother Nicolas Meschin, he founded the famous club Po Na Na Souk, a favorite among Hollywood royalty ranging from creative industry executives to celebrities including Madonna, Mick Jagger, and Tom Waits. The brothers subsequently founded the highly successful BoKaos in 1992.

In 1997, Frederic was a founding partner of The Little Door restaurant in Los Angeles, an enterprise that expanded to The Little Next Door in 2007. Since its inception, The Little Door has been lauded as “the most romantic restaurant in Los Angeles,” and continues to cater to a variety of celebrity clientele. Together with Hollywood director Roland Emmerich, Frederic is currently a managing member and partner at Acabar, founded in 2013. Frederic continues to work and reside in Los Angeles, California.

PEDRO LOPEZ

Originally from Mexico, Pedro Lopez relocated to Southern California in his youth. Highly intelligent and self-educated, his most recent jobs have included service positions at Tiara Café in downtown Los Angeles and Local Café in Silverlake. Having found himself between places to live at the time of filming, Pedro operated largely without phone, email, or other forms of technology or communication.

MARK STEGER

Born in 1962 in Los Angeles, California, Mark Steger has spent his career exploring themes of evolution and the history of the body through live performance and film. He is the recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation Grant, a California Arts Council Fellowship, the Durfee Artists Award, and repeated recognition by the Los Angeles Times annual “10 Best” performances list.

Mark is the director of the acclaimed performance group Osseus Labyrint, which has performed around the world in environments ranging from castle ruins, tree tops, and sailing ships to factories, bridges, Madison Square Garden, and the Los Angeles River. As a choreographer, he has worked in diverse contexts including American Horror Story, The Pact, I Am Legend, and World War Z. He is the creator of the web-based comic series Gearbox, and has directed numerous music videos and live performances. Mark is currently based in Los Angeles.

DYLAN MONROE

Dylan Monroe was born in Orange County, California in 1989. Adopted before birth, Monroe grew up in San Diego, where he attended high school. Following graduation, Monroe moved to New York where he modeled and traveled abroad in Paris, Milan, and London.

Dylan Monroe was a part of the gender-queer community, and lived by the idea that ‘beauty transcends gender.’ Monroe at the time of filming resided in New York, where she worked as a nightlife personality and performing artist at The Box NYC, a venue widely regarded as the most sought-after, stimulating, and celebrated erotic burlesque club in New York.

ISADORA REISNER

Isadora Reisner is a modern dancer from Manhattan, New York. She has performed with Alvin Ailey of the American Dance Theater; Larry Keigwin, Noémie Lafrance, Brian Brooks, and Elizabeth Streb as part of the Young Dance Collective; and with Karen Finley at New Museum of Contemporary Art.

Isadora works with performance and curatorial practice to deal with issues placed on the body and art in the digital age. Recent projects have focused on the pixelation of artworks as they travel through digital spaces and of bodies of loved ones through digital communications during long-distance relationships. Isadora currently studies Art History and Philosophy at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

TOM POGUE

Born in San Antonio, Texas in 1987, Tom Pogue grew up in south Texas on his family’s cattle ranch. An aspiring writer, Tom currently works for Mister Freedom, a vintage men’s clothier based in Los Angeles. In the course of developing various collaborative projects, he travels frequently throughout the U.S., and resides on sail boat in Marina Del Rey, California.

MADJULA TAGUE

Originally from West Africa, Madjula Tague is Senegalese and Soninke. As a university student at Staten Island College in New York, she is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in nursing. At the time of filming, while receiving her education, she concurrently worked at the famed Jacques Torres chocolate shop in the West Village of New York.

ANDREW CHEN

Andrew Chen was born and raised in Taiwan. He received his bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising at Fu Jen University in Taiwan. He also studied at Central Saint Martins in London, and Parsons The New School for Design in New York.

During his career, he has worked as a stylist, designer, model, and business professional. He currently works with Issey Miyake based in New York and is engaged with various social causes, including environmental protection and human equality.

NAZARETH DARAKJIAN

Born in New Jersey in 1971, Nazareth Darakjian holds both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in literature from New York University. He is currently an adjunct professor in the English department at Montclair State University, where he has taught for five years. His areas of academic interest include postmodern literature, philosophy, and contemporary art.

Nazareth is also a partner in an auto recycling business that supplies recycled automobiles to steel factories in China. He has lived and done business in Shanghai, China for the past ten years. Nazareth is currently based in Brooklyn, New York.

LARA PAN

Lara Pan is an international curator born in Belgrade and based in New York. Lara began her career working with the landmark SKC Gallery, which presented conceptual and new media art in spite of the instability of the former Yugosalvia region in the 1990s and early 2000s.  In 2005, she founded The New Art Project, a curatorial platform with the goal of forming spatial interventions between various forms of artistic supports and habitats.

Among the exhibitions at institutions and non-profits curated by Lara Pan are: The Wizard’s Chamber (2013) at Kunsthalle Winterthur in Switzerland; Reynold Reynolds’ solo show (2012) at Videotage in Hong Kong, China; Robert Lima’s Displacement (2012) and Braco Dimitrijevic’s retrospective (2011) at White Box in New York; Win Delvoye’s Torre (2009) at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy; Pandora’s Sound Box (2009) for Performa in New York; and Walls & Gateways (2008), an exhibition at the abandoned factory Esec in Ghent, Belgium in collaboration with Existentie. She curated a corporate project, When The Fairy Tale Never Ends, the inaugural exhibit at Ford Art Project in 2011.

Her gallery exhibitions include: 3A Abstraction, Absorption, Attribution (2014) at Bodson Gallery in Brussels, Belgium; Alessandro Brighetti’s solo show (2013) at Scaramouche Gallery in New York City; Steel and Freedom (2014) at Otto Zoo Gallery in Milano, Italy; and Carlo Zanni’s The Possible Ties Between Illness and Success (2008) in Paris, France. She has also presented projects at art fairs and festivals globally, including a panel discussion of Paco Barragan and Oliver Kielmayer at Arte Fiera Bologna (2012), Elaine Levy Projects’ booth for Art Vilnius (2009), and projects with Circa Puerto Rico and Photo Miami in 2007. Pan has also collaborated with Art Pulse Magazine, RES, and various other art publications.

TSEHAIE

Born in Sweden and of East African descent, Tsehaie Abraham was raised in various settings throughout Europe, Africa, Brasil, and the United States. The daughter of a senior economic advisor to the Government of Eritrea and to the Ministry of National Development, she went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in World History from UCLA. She is philanthropically involved in efforts to address poverty in Skid Row, Los Angeles. Following a period as a competitive ice skater and dancer, she currently works as a massage therapist, and is based in Los Angeles, California.

LEILANI ZITO

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Leilani Zito moved to Seattle, Washington at the age of three. After graduating from high school, she relocated to Los Angeles, California, and briefly attended Pepperdine University, where she studied media production until January 2014. An active community volunteer, she has recently participated as a supporter of the U.S. Surf Open in Huntington Beach, a number of local charitable races, and is currently developing a new volunteer program for the Boys and Girls Club in Santa Monica. Leilani currently works at the Water Grill in Santa Monica, and is based in West Los Angeles, California.

MARTEL FRANCOIS

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Martel Francois is a businessman and lifestyle consultant. He graduated from high school in Brooklyn in 1968. In 2010, he co-founded KoreyFrancois, a lifestyle consultation firm based in New York City, together with partner Chris Korey who also participated in the project. He is an involved supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of New York, where he currently resides.

CHRIS KOREY

Born in Manhattan, Chris Korey is a businessman and lifestyle consultant. He attended college at UCLA, followed by the Parsons School of Visual Arts in New York. In 2010, he co-founded KoreyFrancois, a lifestyle consulation firm based in New York City, together with partner Martel Francois who also participated in the project. He is an involved supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of New York, where he currently resides.

CAROLINE BERGONZI

Born to a prominent family of violinmakers in Monaco, Caroline Bergonzi grew up in the Mediterranean before moving to Paris at the age of 17. She received a degree in business from the Institut Superieur du Commerce in 1995, along with a post-graduate degree in marketing and management from the Institut Francais de la Mode in 1996.

Her diverse career includes work in various fields, including haute couture (Christian Lacroix, Givenchy, Ungaro, 1992-1994) and costume design for the videogame company In Vivo (1993). She assumed the role of Fashion Director for Trump World Magazine in 2005, and has served as contributing fashion editor for Spanish Cosmopolitan, Chinese Harper’s Bazaar, Kult Italy, and Metropolis China. In 1997, she moved to New York and later founded CreaLab LLC, an independent creative production space in Manhattan. Her work has been featured at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, at the United Nations, and throughout Europe and the United States. Caroline currently works and resides in Manhattan.

NICHOLAS CLOUTMAN

Nicholas Cloutman was born in 1976 in Hamilton, Massachusetts. He received a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from New School University in New York City. As a musician, he was a founding member of the Boston-based band LUSTRA.

Nicholas moved to Los Angeles, California in 2001. He quickly obtained a role with the highly esteemed art book publisher Taschen, where he currently operates as manager of the company’s U.S. flagship location in Beverly Hills. In addition to his role at Taschen, he continues to work as a songwriter and pop-up exhibition curator in Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

PIERRE-ANTOINE BAUBION

Pierre-Antoine Baubion was born in 1950 in Dreux, France. Following an international career in the telecommunications industry, he is now a prominent collector of contemporary art and an administrator of Silex Artists Residency in Mézières-en-Drouais, France.

Baubion is closely involved with various art institutions, including Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, Jeu de Paume, Maison Rouge, and Ecole des Beaux Arts of Paris. He was recently named to the selection committee for ADIAF (Association Française pour la Diffusion Internationale de l’Art Français), as well as the Prix Découverte of Palais de Tokyo for 2015. He currently resides in Paris, France.

YANN TOMA

Born in 1969 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, Yann Toma is a French contemporary artist and academic. In 2001, his Dynamo Fukushima installation at the Grand Palais in Paris drew over 17,000 visitors, who participated in generating light energy by pedaling hundreds of bicycles. The highly regarded exhibition was created in response to the 2011 Fukushima Daichii nuclear disaster in Japan.

Yann’s work is included in the collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Musée National d’Art Moderne, and the National Collection of Contemporary Art. He is the founder of the energy research institution Ouest Lumière, and is a professor-researcher at both New York University and the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne.

DR. LOIS LEE

Dr. Lois Lee is the founder and president of Children of the Night, the first established and only comprehensive sex trafficking program in North America. She has rescued over 10,000 American children from prostitution in the United States—more than all other sex trafficking programs combined.

Dr. Lee has received countless awards for her humanitarian work, most notably the prestigious President’s Volunteer Action Award, presented to her by President Ronald Reagan at the White House. Lee has been profiled on national television including appearing on CBS’ 60 Minutes, and her life was portrayed in a CBS Movie of the Week entitled Children of the Night. She was lauded by rock musician/songwriter Richard Marx in his song “Children of the Night,” which appeared on his Repeat Offender album. Recently, she has established a presence with the Vatican in Rome to teach organizations throughout the world how to create programs for victims of sex trafficking, and she is currently working on developing financial, law enforcement, and political resources for those already working to help sex trafficking victims.

JULIAN WASSER

Julian Wasser began his career in photography in the 1950s as a teenager shooting crime scenes in Washington D.C., which he sold to The Washington Post. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1984, Julian settled in Hollywood and became a contract photographer for Time, Life, Vanity Fair, and People Magazine.

Julian is known for his intimate and candid photographs of political, artistic, and entertainment royalty, including Marcel Duchamp, Marilyn Monroe, David Bowie, Robert F. Kennedy, Steve McQueen, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Barbara Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Anjelica Huston, Cary Grant, Liberace, Brigitte Bardot, Gregory Peck, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Hugh Hefner, Martin Luther King, Jr., Joan Didion, Andy Warhol, Jayne Mansfield, Sophia Loren, Michael Jackson/The Jackson Five, Gloria Swanson, Joni Mitchell, Farrah Fawcett, Rudi Gernreich, Mick Jagger/The Rolling Stones, Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood, Iggy Pop, and the Beatles. He has also photographed significant cultural events ranging from the Los Angeles civil rights riots to the funerary procession of John F. Kennedy.

Julian’s work has been exhibited and included in permanent collections in a number of national and international museums. His book of photographs The Way We Were was published by D.A.P. Damiani in 2014, and has since been described as “iconic” by Details Magazine and “legendary” by the New York Times. Julian continues to work and reside between France and Los Angeles, California.

CAARA SHAYNE

Caara Shayne is the founder of Optimize Health Now, a Los Angeles based nutritional consulting practice dedicated to helping people reach their health and wellness goals. She coaches people worldwide on how to lose weight, get fit, and feel their best by tailoring custom programs for her clients.

During her career, she has traveled the world, taught yoga, and continues her studies and practice in Massage, Cranial Sacral Balancing, Metatronic Healing, and Meditation. She is currently based in Los Angeles, California.

JENNIFER HERREMA

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1972, Jennifer Herrema is an American rock music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her work with the rock band Royal Trux, which she founded at the age of 16 with partner Neil Hagerty. The band now known as Black Bananas released Rad Times Express IV in 2012.They released their first EP, Electric Brick Wall, in June 2014. The album has been met with excellent reviews in a variety of media, including Vice, Pitchfork, and Album of the Year.

Jennifer was instrumental in starting the independent record labels Drag City and Domino Records. She has 20 record releases and has played and recorded with numerous musicians since 1989, including Jon Theodore, David Pajo, Chris Pyle, Artimus Pyle, Alan Licht, Alex Minoff, Mike Fellows, Chris Bald, Paz Lenchantin, and MGMT. She was the original “heroin chic” poster girl as interpreted by photographer Steven Meisel for Calvin Klein print ads and TV commercials. In addition to her successful career as a rock musician, Jennifer has produced and mixed numerous records under the name Adam & Eve, has been published in various magazines including Vice, RayGun, and Dazed & Confused, and has conducted interviews with Keith Richards and John Lee Hooker for publication. Presently Jennifer Herrema heads the rockband RTX, and is currently based in Los Angeles, California.

GUY TURNER

Guy Turner was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. At age 16, he attended Arizona State University, where he received his degree in architecture. Following graduation, he began work as a draftsman for DWL Architects, a prominent structural engineering firm in Arizona.

In 1989, Guy returned to Los Angeles to work as a designer for RTKL Architects. Since that time, he has assisted with design on hotels, commercial centers, office towers, and mixed-use projects including Universal Studios, Marriott Laguna Niguel, Fashion Island, and The Grove in Los Angeles. He continues to live and work in Los Angeles, where his focus is the architectural design of challenging hillside homes.

KINSKI GALLO

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Kinski Gallo is an accomplished world musician based in Los Angeles, California. As the frontman of the bi-lingual rock band Monte Negro, Kinski has shared the stage with a variety of mega-acts ranging from Gwen Stefani and Nine Inch Nails to Cafe Tacuba, Zoe, and Enanitos Verdes. In 2012, he formed the group Gallo, whose trilogy of albums Fuego, Phoenix Rising, and Mamawe have met with widespread critical acclaim.

A highly versatile artist, Kinski is also a music video director, art director, songwriter, and music producer. He is also known for having conceptualized and designed award winning album covers for the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Monte Negro, as well as for contributing to album booklets for artists such a Neil Young and the Deftones. As a musician, his currently solo project seeks to coalesce a range of genres and influences, from cumbia, salsa, and reggaeton to electronica, punk, and pop.

JOAN RHEE

Born in Los Angeles, California, Joan Rhee is a real estate tax attorney with Ernst & Young. In 2008, she received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA in history and political science. In 2011, she served as a judicial extern for the Superior Court of the State of California. She received her law degree from Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University in 2013. Joan currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

ANDREW CADLER

Born in 1964, Andrew Calder is best known for his work as a writer and entrepreneur. In 1985, he founded Nouvelle Dimension, an organization for the design and development of sustainable architectural homes. He studied philosophy, writing, history, and mathematics at Harvard University, and received his liberal arts degree in 1990. In 2008, he founded The Author Group, which promotes the work of non-profits using innovation, particularly technology, to improve society. Andrew currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

STANTON KAYE

Born in Los Angeles in 1943, Stanton Kaye is an internationally and historically acclaimed filmmaker. Following the release of Georg (1963), he was awarded a special recognition by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Eugène Ionesco, Roberto Rossellini, Georges Auric, and Karlheinz Stockhausen at the United Nations Forum on New Ways and Means of Communication in 1965. He has since been honored by inclusion in the Congressional National Registry for Brandy in the Wilderness (1968). The film was also re-shown at the Cannes Film Festival and Telluride the same year, three decades following its initial release.

In more recent years, Stanton Kaye has dedicated himself to scientific advances and innovation. As founder of the tech company Infratab, he was honored as one of the Top Ten Innovators of 2012. He is currently developing a solution to increase the viability of heat-tolerant vaccinations for children in tropical climates.

JOSHUA BERMUDEZ

Born in 1987, Joshua Bermudez is a physical trainer and wellness consultant based in Los Angeles, California. The first in his family to attend college, Joshua received his master’s degree from Yale University in 2013. A former weightlifter and boxer, he has worked as a stunt coordinator and physical advisor for a number of projects, and has served as a guest educator at universities and conferences in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Joshua is the founder and director of Invictus Vitae, a publication dedicated to health, holistic fitness, and empowerment.

AMANDA BERMUDEZ

Born in Nebraska in 1987, Amanda Bermudez grew up throughout the United States. After graduating high school ranked first in her class at age 17, she moved to Moscow, Russia, where she worked as a volunteer with Afghan refugees and as a textual translator. She received her bachelor’s degree between Chicago and Sydney, Australia in Philosophy of the Arts, and went on to study art and film studies at the postgraduate level at Yale University.

Her diverse career includes volunteer teaching (Winnebago Tribal Reservation), public arts organization (International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Yale Repertory Theater), and editing texts including The Directory of World Cinema: Belgium (various authors) and Alexander Sokurov: Figures of Paradox (Jeremi Szaniawski). She has written, devised, and directed a number of works, including Duel (Nystrom Theater Chicago, 2009), The Last Night Anywhere (Yale University, 2012), and an adaptation of W.H. Auden’s The Sea and the Mirror (Yale Center for British Art, 2013). She is a National Merit Scholar, recipient of the prestigious Jameson Prize, and a Writer’s Digest National Award winner. She currently works as project manager for artist Fawn Rogers.

DOMINIQUE & ELDAR SHUMINOV

Eldar Shuminov was born in Baku, now known as Azerbaijan. In 1995, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he played in the NY Junior Tennis League and eventually worked as a coach and site director for the organization. He concurrently studied hospitality management at Saint John’s University. Soon thereafter, Eldar began hosting parties in prominent clubs in Manhattan where he met his wife-to-be in 2005. He started photographing events and weddings, which is now his full-time career.

Born and raised in Switzerland, Dominique Shuminov graduated from the Intstitut Le Rosey “School of Kings” in Rolle, Switzerland with a bilingual diploma (French-English). She later moved to Paris, where she studied at the prestigious Cours Florent school. Her diverse international career has since included entertainment booking, modeling, a brief stint as a baker in Thailand, and documentary photography.

In 2010, Dominique and Eldar co-founded Moon Baby Photo in New York. The couple was married in 2013. At the time of filming for I Love You And That Makes Me God, they were expecting their first child.

JULIA PARAS

Born in Chicago and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Julia Paras is the Associate Director of Development at the The Broad Stage in Los Angeles, California. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, she relocated to California, where she accepted a post as Development Operations Coordinator and later Donor Coordinator for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a position she held until 2013. Julia is an active supporter of the arts, and currently resides in Los Angeles.

RON CORONA

Born in 1945 in Alberta, Canada, Ron Corona is the founder of Environmental Sculpturing, a Los Angeles-based company dedicated to the innovation and development of natural swimming ponds in the United States. He has created environmentally sustainable ponds for numerous high-profile clients, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Lee Iacocca, and Frank Gehry.

In 1963, Ron attended El Camino College in Torrance, California, followed by L.A. Trade Tech in downtown Los Angeles. A devoted naturalist, Ron began his career creating custom driftwood furniture, and later became involved in the interior design of Los Angeles disco clubs in the 1970s. In addition to his ongoing work with Environmental Sculpturing, he is actively involved with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Equine Rescue Division of the Department of Animal Care and Control, and the Anam Cara Compassionate Care Center in Los Angeles, California.

EMMA MIRON

Originally from Florida, Emma Miron left home as a young teen following her mother’s suicide. She is a member of the Gutter Punks movement, a loose collective of transient individuals sometimes referred to as “oogles.” The U.S. gutter punk population numbers in the thousands, and is comprised of individuals that travel and meet in various cities, often referring to each other as family though they lack a communal protective code. A member of the movement from her youth, Emma works to create jewelry as a form of income, and has traveled throughout the U.S. by hitchhiking and hopping freight trains, and is careful to avoid Mexico. At the time of filming, she was living homelessly in New Orleans, Louisiana.

DJOSEFIN MAURER

At the time of filming, Djosefin had resigned from the modeling profession, and was seeking residency and employment in Los Angeles, California. Born in Germany, Djosefin Maurer is best known for her work as a couture fashion model. After beginning her career at age 15, she quickly became one of the fashion industry’s leading international models. She has represented numerous brands including Chanel, Calvin Klein, Gucci, DKNY, MarcCain, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, L’oreal, Estee Lauder, and Nexxus, and has appeared in Vogue, Marie Claire, ELLE, Flare, i-D, Nylon, Glamour, Zink, Lucky, and Surface magazines.

VALERIE BLAISE

Valerie Blaise at the time of filming was 24 years old and of Haitian-American descent. Prior to emigrating to the U.S. in 1998, Valerie’s father owned a business in Haiti and her mother worked as a stay-at-home cosmetologist. At the age of eight, Valerie moved to her grandparents’ home in Boston, Massachusetts with her parents and three siblings. While adjusting to a new language and culture, Valerie completed her primary education in multiple mass public school systems throughout Boston. She attended Fisher College, a small private institution, for two years before moving to New York. An aspiring leather handbag designer, she is currently works at the Manhattan club Acme, and is based in Brooklyn, New York.

HAYRETTIN KARAOGUZ

Born in 1984 in Ankara, Turkey, Hayretten Karaoğuz is a prominent Turkish comedian. A celebrity in his own country, he grew up studying theater in school. He received early recognition for his performance in the film Adam’s a Girl’s Name, and is perhaps best known for Gelecekten Bir Gün (2010) and A Day in the Future (2011).

His work has appeared in a wide range of settings, and he has recently traveled to the U.S. to extend his international audience. Nicknamed the “Jim Carrey of Turkey,” Hayrettin enjoys a broad following among fans in a variety of media.

EUGENIA KUZMINA

Born in Moscow, Russia in 1985, Eugenia Kuzmina is an international model, actor, and comedienne. She grew up between Moscow and Ekaterinburg, Siberia, and began modeling at the age of 13. Two years later, she moved to Paris, France, and has lived and worked in Paris, Tokyo, London, New York, and Los Angeles. Over the course of a prolific career, she has modeled for numerous couture campaigns, including Hermes, Dior, L’oreal, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood, and has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and Glamour magazines, among others.

Eugenia relocated to Los Angeles, California at the age of 23, and began acting in 2011. She has since appeared in a number of films and television series, including the John Turturro/Woody Allen film Fading Gigolo, Barry Levinson’s Rock the Kassbah, and the series New Girl (FOX), Castle (ABC), and The Comeback (HBO). Eugenia is also an involved supporter of Doctors Without Borders.

RACHEL & REBEKAH RIFE

Rachel and Rebekah Rife were born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. Attracted to all things aquatic from a young age, they grew up competing in synchronized swimming, speed swimming, and water polo. After competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials at age 16, they went on to compete in numerous settings internationally, including the Oceania Aquatic Championships in 2012.

Both Rachel and Rebekah attended San Diego State University on swimming and water polo scholarships. In 2013, they devised The Mermaid Show, a fully underwater exhibition at the Dubai Aquarium, where they performed alongside sharks, stingrays, and eels. They are currently based in Los Angeles, California.

JASMINE & JAYNESSA ROSE

Born in 1991, Jasmine and Jaynessa Rose are identical twins and business partners. Both graduated in 2010 with an associate’s degree in merchandise product development from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Originally from Northern California, they have since worked bi-coastally as on-set assistants and stylists for a number of designers and artists, including Alexander McQueen, Pharrell Williams, Joy Bryant, Dax Shepard, and Oliver Theyskens. Combining their experience in the design and manufacture of apparel, they recently co-founded the clothing brand New Vintage, and are currently based equally in Los Angeles and New York.

JEANIE LIM

Born in London, UK and of Korean-British descent, Jeanie Lim attended the prestigious Wimbledon School of Art. She later received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art/Art Critical Theory from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Since 2007, she has worked as a freelance visual consultant for various media and commercial projects. She continues to work in various media disciplines, and is currently based in Los Angeles, California.

MATI WAIYA

Mati Waiya is a chief and ceremonial leader of the Chumash tribe, a Native American population of 2,000-5,000 people. He founded the Wishtoyo Foundation, a non-profit organization, in 1997. In his leadership role, he addresses cultural resource laws protecting sensitive archaeological sites as well as endangered species and natural resources. He is involved with Chumash cultural preservation and education programs, and has presented programs to thousands of individuals to promote sustainable lifeways and environmental responsibility.

Mati Waiya is the first Native American to be named a Keeper in the International Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental organization headed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and based in New York. Chief Waiya’s belief is that education is the primary tool for a sustainable future, and that awakening a passion for one’s natural surroundings in today’s youth can be passed on for generations to come.

EDWARD GOLDMAN

For over 20 years, Edward Goldman has been art critic and host of “Art Talk,” a weekly program which airs prime-time Tuesday evenings during All Things Considered on Los Angeles’ largest NPR affiliate, KCRW 89.9 FM. Edward also contributes weekly art reports to the Huffington Post. Born and educated in Russia, he received his master’s degree in history from St. Petersburg University in 1969. He went on to work for the famed Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, where he served as an educator until 1977.

After moving to the U.S., Edward began working as an art critic in 1988. In 2005, Edward began leading a seminar on art collecting at Otis College of Art and Design. Since that time, he has developed his own regular series of classes, “The Fine Art of Art Collecting,” set in artist studios, private collectors’ homes, art galleries, and museum exhibitions. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.

Although he is not in the installation because of background noise complications, he gives his opinion about the project after saying the expression.

SARAH DEANNA

Born in Oregon, Sarah DeAnna is an international high fashion model and bestselling author. She has lived in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Spain, and Norway, and has worked throughout the world. With over 20 covers to her name, she has appeared in prominent fashion magazines, including Vogue, Italian Vogue, German Vogue, Mexican Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire, among numerous others.

Overcoming childhood poverty and surviving the foster care system, Sarah DeAnna graduated high school with honors, then put herself through college, graduating early with an International Business Marketing degree. She is highly interested in health technology, and is actively involved in charitable work with underprivileged children, and with adolescents and adults in the U.S. prison system. Her bestselling book Supermodel YOU promotes a sustainable lifestyle, healthy eating, and personal empowerment.

MARCELA STUART

Born in Neza, Mexico in 1982, Marcela Stuart moved to the U.S. with her family when she was an infant. She received her bachelor’s degree in education in 2009, with a post-graduate teaching credential. After receiving her certification, she taught first and fourth grade as an elementary school teacher. In 2013, she received her license as a cosmetologist, and was an honorable mention recipient for the NAHA (North American Hairstyling Awards) Beacon Student Award. She currently resides in Torrance, California.

PATRICK McMULLAN

Founded in the 1980s, the Patrick McMullan Company houses one of the largest celebrity event photo archives in the world. Andy Warhol was once quoted as saying, “If you don’t know Patrick McMullan, you ought to get out more.”

McMullan is a member of the Cancer Survivors Hall of Fame and Walt Whitman Hall of Fame, and is founder of the Doreen McMullan McCarthy Award. He is also an involved supporter of the Southampton Animal Rescue Foundation, and is a recipient of the Philanthropist Award for Coalition for the Homeless.

Patrick McMullan was born in New York and raised in Huntington, Long Island. Educated at New York University, he received his bachelor’s degree in business while establishing a reputation as a photographer. Now recognized as the premier nightlife photographer in New York City, his work appears regularly in “Party Lines,” his weekly New York Magazine column, along with his columns in Allure, Interview, Hamptons, Ocean Drive, and Gotham. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and his photography has been featured in New York Times Magazine and Vogue; international editions of Harper’s Bazaar, Details, Tatler, and Out; and numerous other publications worldwide. Patrick McMullan can also be found on TV on his “Party Flash” segment of “Full Frontal Fashion” on the Ultra HD channel on the VOOM HD Network.

Patrick McMullan’s book Glamour Girls (2007) is one of the largest photographic collections ever published on the topic of celebrated women, with over 1400 photographs of society galas, Hollywood celebrities, New York nightlife, and everything in between. His other titles include Kiss Kiss, InTents, so80s: A Photographic Diary of a Decade, Secrets of the Riviera: A Photo Essay, and Men’s Show.

ANGELA JANKLOW

Angela Janklow is a writer and publishing entrepreneur. She is the daughter of esteemed literary publisher Morton Janklow and New York Lincoln Center Theater chairman Linda Janklow; the granddaughter of Hollywood director/producer Mervyn LeRoy; and the great-granddaughter of Harry Warner, co-founder of Warner Bros. After receiving her college education at Princeton University, she became Vanity Fair’s youngest columnist. She wrote for the publication for two years, after which she worked in development for producer Ray Stark. She launched her teen magazine Mouth2Mouth in 1994. The magazine sought to combine fashion, music, and celebrity culture for both a male and female teen audience, and was published by Time Inc. Ventures, the Time Warner division responsible for the popular culture magazine Vibe. Angela currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

AMBI SITHAM

Born and raised in London, Ambi Sitham earned a degree in law and began her career at the acclaimed media law firm Schillings (then Schillings & Lom) in 2000. She maintained a prestigious client roster including A-list celebrities and entertainment moguls such as Naomi Campbell and Harvey Weinstein, among numerous others. In 2005, she left Shillings to work at Miramax Films and then the Weinstein Company as Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs.

In 2006, she established a business affairs consultancy with international clients across a variety of industries. As a result of her expertise in legal and media matters, she became an on-screen commentator for major news outlets, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, CNN, and the Associated Press, as well as for documentaries and television programs.

Following a significant career shift in 2010, Ambi extended her professional services to include coaching and mentoring. Since moving to Los Angeles, California in 2012, she has also engaged in writing and public speaking, and has worked with schools throughout Los Angeles as a supporter of the Farley Project, an anti-bullying charity. She recently completed her first book The Laws of Love, due to be published in spring 2015, and is currently working on her next book Trials and Tribulations.

CARMEN MOLINA

Born in Bogota, Colombia in 1975, Carmen Molina is a visual artist based in Los Angeles, California. She received a French language degree from Université Paul Valery in Montpellier, France in 1998, and received her bachelor of fine arts degree in photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2001. While living in Bogota, she worked as a freelance writer for El Espectador from 2005-2007. As an artist, her technique of “photo layering” involves the deconstruction and blending of photographic images to create new works. Her art has been shown in gallery and museum settings in New York and India.

ERIC MINH SWENSON

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Eric Minh Swenson has since resided in Texas, South Korea, Idaho, Utah, and California. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University Film School, and currently works as an art world photojournalist, F.64 Productions filmmaker, and blogger for the Huffington Post. His photographs have appeared in a number of art publications, including Artillery, Coagula, and Art Ltd. He is an involved supporter of the Republican National Committee and the National Rifle Association. Eric is currently based in Los Angeles.

DEVIN NELSON

Born in 1987, in an area of Los Angeles infamous for its systemically high crime rates, Devin Nelson describes his experience by stating, “Where I’m from, if you make it to 25 you’ve made it.” At age 14, Devin witnessed the murder of his best friend, who was shot and subsequently died from his injuries. Violence and death have played a significant role throughout Devin’s life, as indicated by the scars from a gunshot wounds and stabbings on his body and the teardrop tattoo beneath his left eye. He feels a strong connection to god and love when thinking about his family and protecting the people he cares about. He currently resides in Inglewood, California.

ISAAC CHISOM

Born and raised in central Los Angeles, Isaac Chisom was immersed in a culture of violence from as early as he can remember. At 13, he chose to take a job in order to lessen the pressure of participation, and while having avoided opportunities to do so himself, has witnessed the taking of life on numerous occasions. In exploring the connection of love and god, Isaac most notably references diamonds – an object associated with nature, Africa, and the divine. Isaac currently works as a valet at Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.