"Filming Until Further Notice..." (A Mr. Manifesto Production)

What's been happening in my life...

For the last 3 months I have been in pre-production with a documentary titled "Filming Until Further Notice...". This documentary will be a first for me; this will also be the first project under my independent documentary film production company, Mr. Manifesto Productions.


The documentary will follow the Campus Video Network - Dearborn and its members around this semester. The idea is to shed light on the behind the scenes work and creativity that goes into our projects and films. It will also express the diversity and characters (students) that make up the organization.

It's been a long time coming and this week I begin filming. I hope to deliver this project in a forward thinking way. I want to create my own style and image with this project. I fortunately have put together a great team to help me make this a reality.

I'm not an aspiring filmmaker by any means. I feel I'm more a writer than anything else. However I'm coming to learn that I'm a storyteller. Now that I know that I'm a storyteller, I can understand why I enjoy creating stories. This is also the reason why I enjoy filming and writing music, because these are forms of storytelling.

Hansel & Gretel -- The After Folktale

Read the original story here

(Gretel's POV)

After returning from our journey in the wilderness Hansel and I explained the entire story to our father. As we explained the details of our life threatening adventure our father cried. As I was about to hand my father a piece of cloth to wipe his tears, Hansel stood up and said, “No! Do not give him a cloth to wipe his tears, he deserves to feel regret!” I looked at my brother and could not understand why he was upset, however I handed the cloth to my father anyways.

During dinner the next night Hansel stood quite and did not speak to father. I was finally serving myself after cooking a chicken pot pie, and decided to confront Hansel. “Hansel, why haven’t you spoken to father?” I said. Hansel replied, “He’s a coward that left us for died; he deserves to die like mother did too.” Hansel grabbed his plate and walked away from the dinner table. I began to cry.

After dinner father knocked on Hansel’s door to talk to him. Hansel never replied or opened the door. Father walked away and went to bed sad because he knew Hansel had lost all love for him, and in place had hatred toward him. Hansel decided never to talk to father again.

I tried for a year to convince Hansel to speak with father, but Hansel’s anger grew over time. Hansel was consuming himself with this hatred. Hansel was very much like our mother; he held on to his feelings and did not budge. After a while Hansel started to get very strong chest pains, and he became very ill. I tried my best to help him, but Hansel did not want any help. Hansel was dying and because of his anger and hatred he did not want help from father and I.

After two months in bed Hansel died, the doctor said that the cause of death was a mystery. The doctor pulled me aside and said, “Gretel to be honest with you it’s as if Hansel strained his heart and emotionally was going through stress. That can’t be proven physically, but I can’t puzzle it together.”

I cried and vowed to never hold any grudge or to ever leave anyone alone in life. My mother and brother were cruel hearts, and I learned that cruel hearts have short lives.

Juan Bobo's Pig

My favorite folktale would have to be Juan Bobo's Pig (page 4). First told to me by my grandfather in Puerto Rico, I've learned to love this story. Growing up watching Disney retell many folktales and going to school in Detroit learning many African American folktales there were not many Hispanic folktales told.

Juan Bobo's Pig is compelling to me because it's used in our everyday life as Puerto Ricans. The phrase, parece al puerco de Juan Bobo, is often used in our language, and unless you know the story it serves no meaning. It is referenced in conversation, and is assumed that those around would know what it meant.

The story also is interesting as it creates a relationship between a young boy and a pig. Pigs tend to not be the first animal writers/storytellers would choose for a story. However, it is vital in this story for the animal to be a pig, due to its reputation in society.

There is nothing like a folktale that comes from your own land or culture. Although I do have plenty of other folktales that are from other walks of life, nothing is like my Juan Bobo's Pig.

Welcome/Bienvenido

Welcome to the Living On Pluto blog.

My name is Daniel Rodriguez, and I'm a junior at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. My major is in Education and minor is Spanish. My goal in life is to become an English teacher for high school students, and hopefully one day become a published author. I was born here in Michigan, and have lived here my whole life. My father was born in Puerto Rico and my mother was born in Spain.

I enjoy reading and writing. I prefer fiction, sci-fiction, and poetry. I'm infatuated with outer space and the mystery that is "The Universe". I also would like to write a children's novel someday. As it pertains to writing I have accomplished most of my pieces through song. I play the piano and enjoy music. I'm a song writer, at least that's what I tell myself.

As for why I chose Living On Pluto as my blog title, I think I will explain that further later.