How can art be used to bring people together in a way that not only helps them, but touches their soul? That is ultimately the question that Art Therapy: The Movie seeks to answer. What started as a week long project in the Dominican Republic has now turned into something even greater, a film about human connections and the power of art therapy in healing hearts.

Producers, Alfonso Bui and Kelvin Ramirez are hoping to see their dream of Art Therapy: The Movie become a reality with the help of people just like you through Kickstarter, an online way to fund creative projects.

I got to chat with Alfonso and find out a little more about what the movie is about, what it hopes to accomplish, and why we should be paying attention!

GGTN: What will be the main focus of the documentary?

AB: It’s going to be a very character driven documentary. Most of the best documentaries are very character driven. We want to follow two or three main stories. That’s the pitch, three continents, three journeys.

GGTN: What do you need to make this film happen and be successful?

AB: We have a goal of 20,000 bucks, realistically the bare minimum of what we need to travel there to film and do post production. Just because it’s indie doesn’t mean we’re cutting costs. Every dime goes to the project.

GGTN: What places will you need to travel for the film?

AB: Kelvin and I want to travel to Japan to help people cope with the effects of the tsunami, and then we want to go to Haiti to help people cope with the earthquakes there. There are some other countries, we’ve been getting a lot of feedback and it’s exciting but we’re just taking it one step at a time right now.

GGTN: What do you hope will be the outcome of the film?

AB: Short term we want to get into film festivals but it’s definitely something we want to be used in the classroom. I think it will not help put art therapy on the map, but more give it a mainstream platform. Most people probably don’t think of it as a profession and that’s where the pressure is at for Kelvin and I because it hasn’t been done before.

GGTN: If you could give people one reason to support this project what would it be?

AB: I think we have a really great story that I think people will want to see. It makes you think about art in a way you haven’t thought about it before. The most important part in life is the friends and family you have around you. We think we can show these values in an education light.

Alfonso and Kelvin plan to film in New York, Japan, Haiti, and a country in South America that has yet to be determined. They hope to be able to release the documentary in spring of 2014. Though their goal is ambitious they’re confident that they have something special.

The deadline to become a supporter for Art Therapy: The Movie is September 19^th so if you want to become a part of this incredible story, be sure to do it now.

Image credit to arttherapythemovie.com.