‘War is Never Civil’ Premieres at Ringoes Farm in Film and Wellness Event
Audience attend film screening. Photo courtesy of Our Farm by the Creek and Heart and Crown Wellness.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
BY MONIQUE HOWARD | South Jersey Information Equity Project
RINGOES — On June 28, Our Farm By the Creek LLC and Heart and Crown Wellness LLC partnered with Third Culture Kid Media (3CK) to host “Screen & Relax” on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The charming farm, nestled within sprawling acres of land and dotted with trees, not only provided the venue for the screening of “War is Never Civil” but also served as its filming location.
The 15-minute apocalyptic thriller, an official selection of the Diversity in Cannes Film Festival, was directed by Dana Verde and featured the talents of Pablo Sandstrom (Best Actor nominee), Marine Lea Thomas, Miguel Matos, and Rose Mallick.
Guests were invited to enjoy lunch with the director and cast members, followed by a Q&A session after the screening. Fresh raw honey from the farm was available for purchase, and attendees were also treated to a soothing sound bath meditation.
Marine Lea Thomas reflected on embracing her role as the female lead in the film.
“In talking to Dana, I think we were very aligned about the character—where she came from and the hardship of being a city girl who had everything,” Thomas said.
“Now, having to leave everything behind and live somewhere she’s not familiar with, there’s grief that comes with that. You can tell she’s deeply sad and trying to make the best of the whole situation.”
After her character discovers a mysterious little girl in the woods, Thomas believes the character may have found something to live for.
Portraying a cyborg antagonist in “War is Never Civil” was a dream role for Miguel Matos.
“I’ve always wanted to do this type of genre film—you know, apocalyptic. That was always my thing, that and westerns,” Matos said. “When I saw the opportunity, I applied for it.”
Prior to the film’s production, Verde attended a “Nature Nurtures” self-care retreat at the farm. After the memorable experience, she decided to film “War is Never Civil” on the picturesque 80-acre property in Ringoes.
Verde began her career as a film review co-host on the MTV show “Your Movie Show” while attending The New School University, where she studied Media Studies and Screenwriting.
“I started out wanting to be a screenwriter, and my professor said I would make a great director—that I should go into directing,” Verde shared in an interview with Front Runner New Jersey. “So that’s how I pivoted.”
She went on to earn an MA from The London Film School and began directing and writing independent films, including “Grand Gesture”, which was nominated by HBO for Best Feature Film at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.
Verde also founded her own media production company, 3CK Media. For Verde, the creative process begins with inspiration—often from the environment itself.
“With this movie, I was looking at this farm,” she explained. “It inspired me and made me want to create and tell a story here because it’s so cinematic.”
“It’s about the lighting and the color of the composition. In a way, you have the eye of a photographer—you know when it’s going to be a beautiful picture, and that’s when you know it’ll look good on screen,” she added.
As with any profession, there are obstacles to overcome in the pursuit of success. For Verde, as an African American woman director, this is especially true.
“The challenge I face is the lack of support. Sometimes, when I write scripts with a Black female lead, they’re not given as much financing or consideration,” she admitted.
Despite these challenges, Verde continues to champion marginalized voices and remains determined to prove that there is a place for minority, female-focused stories in mainstream and global media.
When casting, Verde relies on instinct to find actors who embody the spirit of her characters.
“I’ll write a character and know physically what I want them to look like, but I’ll also consider people who are against type,” she said.
“They might surprise you. You can’t get locked into how a character looks. You have to focus on the performance.”
For aspiring filmmakers, Verde believes that confidence is essential.
“The first thing is to believe in yourself and your voice,” she encouraged. “Don’t let anybody make you feel insecure or doubt your validity. Then, find your tribe—your people who will support you—and just keep making things.”
“And you know, you might fail. It might not turn out right. Just get back up and make another one.”
In addition to the recent release of “War is Never Civil”, Verde is currently working on a “Black Boy Joy” comedy film titled “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo”.
To learn more about “War is Never Civil” or Dana Verde’s upcoming projects, please visit her website at https://www.3ckmedia.com.
To learn more about Our Farm By the Creek and Heart and Crown Wellness’s activities and events, visit:
https://www.ourfarmbythecreek.com
https://heartandcrownwellness.com
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