Today we’d like to introduce you to Benn Wiebe

Hi Benn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I have always been a sensitive human. In tune to what others are feeling. I like being a gentle person. That’s when I’m at my best is when I feel that, and embrace that. Doesn’t always make me good at being empathetic though. I have failed at that many times. But it does shape my worldview and the core of who I am. I started as a soft spoken person, who felt largely inept and inadequate to identify anything I would be or was particularly good at. And in a culture like the US, we are taught to identify ourselves as much by what we do for a job than who we are as people. So I searched far and wide to figure out what I might be good at. And it didn’t hit me until well into adulthood that what we can be good at doesn’t have to equate to a job. Not so linearly anyway. I wanted to tell stories, share stories, make stories. We all have a tale to tell, but without context, the rest of us won’t get the full story. And without a good story, we’re never going to persuade anyone on much of anything. Feeling so inept however, made me focus more on where I could amplify other people’s stories, rather than my own. But I didn’t know how to accomplish that. So I realized I would have to become a more nomadic human in order to embrace the power of stories. So I did.

After my time at Uni, I realized that if I wasn’t willing to leave the corner of the world I was from, I might never open myself up to understanding what it is to be in other people’s shoes. And that is really the heart of why and where stories become so compelling. They offer us a chance to personalize a journey, and an experience. To try to put ourselves in the shoes of another and see through new eyes. I wanted that. I needed that. So I took out a calendar, picked a date, and said “job or no job, I’m going”. And when that date came, I did exactly that. I packed up my car with whatever I had and drove 1000 miles to start a new life. And I never stopped moving. I grew up in Oregon, then lived in California, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York City, and then just kept going east, to Denmark, then to the UK where I now reside.

Friends and acquaintances have often told me I am crazy for being so mobile. Not developing long term roots in any one place. It’s definitely a choice. I think it’s important to challenge ourselves. Scare ourselves even, in the search for meaning, purpose, and understanding amongst nature, our fellow humans, our wildlife, everything about this place. I may miss out on some things by not standing still. But I would rather put myself into the paths that other people walk, rather than just talk about them. It has expanded the kind of work I can do, where I have gotten to be involved with films on surviving women of the gulag camps, grieiving children, humanitarian rangers, climate lawyers setting major precedence, and projects many people may know about and appreciate like “Don’t Look Up” or Barack Obama’s “Our Great National Parks”. More importantly though, it has expanded my understanding of perspectives. That is what I want to encourage people to embrace more. An expansion of perspective, so we can make room for many voices to be heard, for them to be seen. How else can we expect to come together as a people, and shape a healthier world? It starts with reconciling that we all really do have common ground. That is the walk I am on. That is the journey. But when we have often been hurt, or are survivors of abuse, as I am, it can be a difficult road to navigate. We can see ourselves as natural listeners, natural empaths and carers because we know what it is to truly hear other’s plights and be empathetic when we need to be. While also in denial of when we may fail at that too. Especially when that comes with us feeling pain at the same time, or alongside someone else. It is an imperative thing that all of us should strive to be better at. I know if I can improve in this area of being, it will have made the whole journey, and all its obstacles, worth it.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

It’s all a roller coaster. High highs, and low lows I suppose is what can be expected when we choose a path less followed. I wouldn’t change it in exchange for a life that is more stable and predictable though. When we take big swings, live on a precipice, we have to be prepared for things to go either way. I have always believed in taking big swings in life. That can easily be conflated with a professional mantra. For me it is not. It’s simply the lens I view the world through, in everything.

I upped and changed my professional direction halfway thru Uni and basically had to start over to follow my goal of working on films and telling stories. That was a big swing. I picked a random date on a calendar and said I’m going to move 1000 miles away to give life a shot. That was an even bigger swing. I moved to Denmark without knowing the language, the culture, or really much of anything about it, and having never visited it before. It was a hard adjustment, life change, and something that ultimately didn’t last. But Copenhagen has been the loveliest memory of any place I have lived. It was home. This kind of living does not come without its downsides though. I have failed many times over in my life, some within my control, and some without. From being ostracized when speaking out about injustices or trying to protect others; being laid off or rejected from jobs; losing those you love and care about; surviving all kinds of abuse; just being an emotional mess who can’t keep strong relationships nurtured without failing people in my life. No matter what, there will be bumps in the road. Some we create, some others create for us. We just have to decide what to do with the time we have, and if we will continue to forge ahead despite these inevitable bumps and bruises. And know we aren’t walking it alone. God has His hand on time and time is the great equalizer. Will it keep us from taking more big swings? From venturing into unknowns? From exploring new people and new perspectives? I hope it doesn’t. Because the unexpected can present itself at any point. That’s what faith is all about isn’t it? Being ok not having all the answers and going forward anyway? Here’s a prime example of that too.

I didn’t find the love of my life until I hit middle age. And I wasn’t looking for it. I wasn’t looking for them. I was so in love with her. Blindingly in love. But heeding our own advice is hard. So when we say we love someone so much we want them to be happy, no matter what that means, we rarely think that will mean them being happy without us. In this case, that’s exactly what happened. We get so invested in someone, or something, that we can become blind to even consider if its what we need, if its what they need, if its even good for us to forge ahead in that direction. Because we’re invested. We want the story to go a certain way. I’ve learned to be more ok now with the story not playing out to such expectations. I failed her in many ways. I made impossible asks of her that left her in a no-win situation. In the moment they seemed reasonable. They weren’t. I was harsh. Something I was delusional to think I could never be. And I ruined it. To be a good friend to her would mean the world. To take joy in seeing her thriving and happy, fulfilled and satisfied with where she is, that’s what loving someone is all about right? But like so many things out of our control, we can take the learnings and become better from them, and do our best to keep going. And maybe the good people do come back to us. I’m ever hopeful because I know God brought her into my life for a reason. And part of that reason has already been realized. I would not have made major changes in my life, to my health, to my future, to my commitments, to my worldview, to my walk with God, if it wasn’t for her. She was my catalyst in changing and becoming a better man. So even if I don’t get to see her again, she has changed my life. And I honor that in documenting our meeting on my skin. Right on my hip. Because I never loved walking anywhere more than walking anywhere with her. We need to give ourselves chances to step back, gain new perspective. Seek other counsel in our lives too. Those we respect, appreciate, can give us some objectivity with what we’re looking at. Whether its personal, professional, and all in between, taking those steps back allowed me to re-evaluate why I wanted this person in my life. And would my own failures keep me from having a good presence in their life at all? Or could I take the learnings and be good to them in a way that they need? When we take big swings, we have to prepare for anything. And if we are led by kindness and care, we will find a way to become better in the end. We can’t change what we don’t acknowledge. In this case, I hope my own acknowledgements of my own faults can inspire others to be more open and brutally honest about where we all are and about the things we have done.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I produce films, festivals, social impact driven events mostly. Everything from producing films like “Women of the Gulag” on some of the last remaining survivors of those camps; to grieving children with “Beautiful Something Left Behind”; or impact campaigns for films like “Don’t Look Up” or Barack Obama’s “Our Great National Parks”. I used to produce entertainment news for SE Asian outlets, and produced the first livestream ever allowed into China for the Billboard Music Awards.

Lately I have been involved in projects like producing the JUST PLAY Game Jam for social justice and climate futures. Our inaugural event was hosted by SXSW, and the grand prize winning game “Pip Pepper Park Planner” is a brilliant example of the ethos of such events. It is an excellent game. I highly recommend giving it a look, as the lovely developer duo Anzal Baig and Jose Luis Pacheco Boscan are a brilliant team. I’m particularly proud of this event because it has led me to form lasting friendships, all while amplifying important and entertaining work through games and play.

Now I am in development on the documentary “Earth Elders” with the world’s indigenous leaders spotlighting their mission to protect global sacred sites. I coordinated talks and panels at When World’s Collide for the Paris Summer Olympics. I program the final selection of Wildscreen. And I mentor creative minds for the National Film & Television School, Creative UK, East London Arts & Music, and London Screen Academy.

What sets me apart in the end is that I don’t believe in boxes. In limiting anyone to just one thing. None of us are one thing. We are dynamic, changing, and full of a multitude of talents. But what we make isn’t supposed to be the best part of ourselves. It’s the bonds we form with each other, and the grace and decency we give to each other. I believe we don’t live in a binary. We can make great things, and be decent and expect decency at the same time. I try to keep that kindness and care in the center of what I’m doing. Meeting others who share that care and concern makes it all worth it.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?

I have been an owner of the Dallas Independent Film Festival for many years, and have enjoyed immensely the community of creatives that thrive there. I also coordinated some of the Real Housewives of Dallas show. So I have always held a connection to it, and the only thing I can say I like least about it is that I don’t get to visit the city enough. Texas overall will always have a special place for me. I regularly mentor for SXSW, and won the Grand Jury Prize there for “Beautiful Something Left Behind”, then brought our JUST PLAY Game Jam there as well. So I am always looking for reasons to return to this great state and team up with creative minds here.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bennwiebe.wixsite.com/bennwiebe/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennupm/?hl=en