bobby weir. “Bobby Weir walked into my New York studio with an entourage – a crew who were clearly protective yet, everybody knew something special was about to happen. The atmosphere was respectful and charged. The man looked like a wizard – a thick, hand-knitted cloak draped over his shoulders, a worn leather cowboy hat topped waves of pure white hair, his snow beard was biblical, his eyes were on fire. This is a mystical man. The dialogue started immediately with a warm handshake, ‘I’m Bobby Weir, I play music and I tell stories.’ He continued, ‘it’s all about story telling – any artist is first and foremost a storyteller – it’s an urge that we artists have – it’s my escape – I get to step aside, I get to be somebody else and that somebody else is – ALL OF US. IT’S A SHARED EXPERIENCE.’ I asked Bobby about current divisions in our society and after a long, searching pause he spoke, ‘when people fall into the music all their tribal considerations fall away and their rooted humanity is what everyone shares. For instance, when Hank Williams sings about loneliness it’s totally universal.’ Bobby then quotes with the respect of history – ‘THE SILENCE OF A FALLING STAR LIGHTS UP A PURPLE SKY, AND AS I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE, I’M SO LONELY I COULD CRY. He’s sharing some pain there but it’s something we can all feel.’ Another long pause – I’m waiting with anticipation for his thought process to resolve… then he continues, ‘that’s something worth doing – to empathize with people.’ I asked Bobby about the meaning of people power, he said ‘I know we are all one. I’ve seen it – I’ve felt it. It’s hard to get that across to some folks – that I am you and you are me, but it’s the truth, I know that. I guess it’s difficult for a lot of people to accept the fact that you really are insignificant – and the more we come to that realization, the more we can accept the fact that we all share a common humanity.’ Bobby Weir, you are a wonderful and mystical human being, I salute you.” @gq
bobby weir. “Bobby Weir walked into my New York studio with an entourage – a crew who were clearly protective yet, everybody knew something special was about to happen. The atmosphere was respectful and charged. The man looked like a wizard – a thick, hand-knitted cloak draped over his shoulders, a worn leather cowboy hat topped waves of pure white hair, his snow beard was biblical, his eyes were on fire. This is a mystical man. The dialogue started immediately with a warm handshake, ‘I’m Bobby Weir, I play music and I tell stories.’ He continued, ‘it’s all about story telling – any artist is first and foremost a storyteller – it’s an urge that we artists have – it’s my escape – I get to step aside, I get to be somebody else and that somebody else is – ALL OF US. IT’S A SHARED EXPERIENCE.’ I asked Bobby about current divisions in our society and after a long, searching pause he spoke, ‘when people fall into the music all their tribal considerations fall away and their rooted humanity is what everyone shares. For instance, when Hank Williams sings about loneliness it’s totally universal.’ Bobby then quotes with the respect of history – ‘THE SILENCE OF A FALLING STAR LIGHTS UP A PURPLE SKY, AND AS I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE, I’M SO LONELY I COULD CRY. He’s sharing some pain there but it’s something we can all feel.’ Another long pause – I’m waiting with anticipation for his thought process to resolve… then he continues, ‘that’s something worth doing – to empathize with people.’ I asked Bobby about the meaning of people power, he said ‘I know we are all one. I’ve seen it – I’ve felt it. It’s hard to get that across to some folks – that I am you and you are me, but it’s the truth, I know that. I guess it’s difficult for a lot of people to accept the fact that you really are insignificant – and the more we come to that realization, the more we can accept the fact that we all share a common humanity.’ Bobby Weir, you are a wonderful and mystical human being, I salute you.” @gq
(1/2) george h. w. bush. ”Today is a day to remember George H. W. Bush. I have fond, personal memories to share with you. I photographed the former president in his Houston office during his son’s term in the White House. Bush Sr. had tremendous charm and wit – his unrelenting political battles of the past had not disfigured the spirit of the man in the present. I asked him about Margaret Thatcher – he said she was a tough lady but a loyal, steady friend. They were together at a summit the very moment news broke about Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, ‘she was a rock that day,’ he said. President Bush was also a huge admirer of Churchill. This picture is our private tribute to Winston – ‘V’ for victory at the end of the second world war. Here is the Bush Sr. character on view – playful, disarmingly cheeky, with a deep rooted love and respect, for public service, courage, and history. This picture was to become the cover of a great magazine called Texas Monthly. My dearest friend and greatest collaborator, Scott Dadich, was then, creative director. As soon as the cover was released publicly however, it occurred to me that the George W. Bush White House administration may read the image differently. I immediately received an email from one of W’s chief political advisors – I would love to share the note with you today. ‘Dear Mr. Platon, congratulations on a cover with cross-generational appeal. George H. W. Bush’s two upraised fingers may represent a victory sign, or a peace sign, depending on which side of World War II the reader was born. However, my three year old daughter had a different take. Upon glimpsing the cover from her seat at the front of the grocery cart, she exclaimed, happily, “daddy, that man sings LITTLE BUNNY FOO FOO!”’”
john mccain. “I had the great privilege to photograph Senator John McCain many times. The first was back in the mid 1990’s. I was collaborating with John Kennedy Jr. on a large scale photo essay, honoring all the senators and congressmen who had served their country fighting in the Vietnam War. McCain stood out – he was mischievous and fun that day on Capitol Hill. It showed in my picture – a fearless man of conviction who always spoke his mind, ironically covering his mouth. Years later, we met again under different circumstances – now he was running for president and my role was to reflect the heavy responsibility he was carrying. He told me he hated that first portrait – that it was “too artistic” and not “Washington D.C. material.” He said, “make me look like a president this time and I’ll forgive you.” I replied that I could not portray him as anything other than himself. Suddenly, he got it – that moment of empowerment – a chance to project his own authenticity. John McCain rose to the photographic occasion – a dignified man facing a divided nation. With great humility, he believed in service and it showed in my pictures – he was not a physically graceful man – he had sustained permanent injuries from being tortured in Vietnam and this affected his posture and flexibility. But what I captured was his courage, his dignity, and his respect for his country. This was a man whose service was a true measure of his patriotism – a political maverick driven by his moral compass and not by mob rule. The last time we met he pulled me aside and whispered in my ear “you are forgiven.” Ultimately however, my pictures were not of a president to be but of one of the most honorable senators ever to serve on Capitol Hill, unwilling to bend to the split screen – party politics that defines our current turbulent history. Senator John McCain, Requiescat in Pace, I salute you.”
john mccain. “I had the great privilege to photograph Senator John McCain many times. The first was back in the mid 1990’s. I was collaborating with John Kennedy Jr. on a large scale photo essay, honoring all the senators and congressmen who had served their country fighting in the Vietnam War. McCain stood out – he was mischievous and fun that day on Capitol Hill. It showed in my picture – a fearless man of conviction who always spoke his mind, ironically covering his mouth. Years later, we met again under different circumstances – now he was running for president and my role was to reflect the heavy responsibility he was carrying. He told me he hated that first portrait – that it was “too artistic” and not “Washington D.C. material.” He said, “make me look like a president this time and I’ll forgive you.” I replied that I could not portray him as anything other than himself. Suddenly, he got it – that moment of empowerment – a chance to project his own authenticity. John McCain rose to the photographic occasion – a dignified man facing a divided nation. With great humility, he believed in service and it showed in my pictures – he was not a physically graceful man – he had sustained permanent injuries from being tortured in Vietnam and this affected his posture and flexibility. But what I captured was his courage, his dignity, and his respect for his country. This was a man whose service was a true measure of his patriotism – a political maverick driven by his moral compass and not by mob rule. The last time we met he pulled me aside and whispered in my ear “you are forgiven.” Ultimately however, my pictures were not of a president to be but of one of the most honorable senators ever to serve on Capitol Hill, unwilling to bend to the split screen – party politics that defines our current turbulent history. Senator John McCain, Requiescat in Pace, I salute you.”
john mccain. “I had the great privilege to photograph Senator John McCain many times. The first was back in the mid 1990’s. I was collaborating with John Kennedy Jr. on a large scale photo essay, honoring all the senators and congressmen who had served their country fighting in the Vietnam War. McCain stood out – he was mischievous and fun that day on Capitol Hill. It showed in my picture – a fearless man of conviction who always spoke his mind, ironically covering his mouth. Years later, we met again under different circumstances – now he was running for president and my role was to reflect the heavy responsibility he was carrying. He told me he hated that first portrait – that it was “too artistic” and not “Washington D.C. material.” He said, “make me look like a president this time and I’ll forgive you.” I replied that I could not portray him as anything other than himself. Suddenly, he got it – that moment of empowerment – a chance to project his own authenticity. John McCain rose to the photographic occasion – a dignified man facing a divided nation. With great humility, he believed in service and it showed in my pictures – he was not a physically graceful man – he had sustained permanent injuries from being tortured in Vietnam and this affected his posture and flexibility. But what I captured was his courage, his dignity, and his respect for his country. This was a man whose service was a true measure of his patriotism – a political maverick driven by his moral compass and not by mob rule. The last time we met he pulled me aside and whispered in my ear “you are forgiven.” Ultimately however, my pictures were not of a president to be but of one of the most honorable senators ever to serve on Capitol Hill, unwilling to bend to the split screen – party politics that defines our current turbulent history. Senator John McCain, Requiescat in Pace, I salute you.”
quincy jones. “I have been thinking a lot lately about Quincy Jones. I spent the day with him at his LA home back in the late 90’s. John Kennedy Jr. asked me to photograph the most generous philanthropists in Hollywood, and Quincy was on the list. His home was a temple of cultural history – evidence that this legendary game changer had consistently defied musical and racial categorization. The list of his collaborators is extraordinary – Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. Just think – it was a Quincy Jones recording with Sinatra and Basie that became the first piece of music ever to be played on the moon. Just think – it was a Quincy Jones recording with Michael Jackson that became the best selling album of all time. All my heroes broke social barriers but did so with artistic merit, love, and optimism. I call it, GREATNESS OF HEART. But honestly, it takes faith and unremitting zeal to step out and fight for racial fairness and dignity. So I asked for some advice: “What did you say to the old guard, the outdated power brokers who were unwilling to give your talent a chance?” Quincy’s glowing smile morphed into the face of determination. He replied, “Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.” I had tapped into this man’s FORCE FACTOR. This close up picture was taken one second later. Eventually, it was time to hug this legend goodbye – I couldn’t help feeling emotional. Quincy put his hand on my shoulder and said, “man, you must be a musician.” It doesn’t get better than that. Quincy Jones, I salute you.”
THIS IS OUR TIME.
Our time to lead not mislead –
to the politicians who divide us for votes,
to the technology titans who profit from our echo chambers,
to the journalists who coat fact with opinion,
I say this: WHAT KIND OF A PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WE ARE?
Yes, your phobia is infectious but so is our compassion and commitment to belong to something beautiful again.
WE WILL NOT GO DOWN AS THE GENERATION OF CONNECTIVITY THAT DISCONNECTED ITSELF.
No, we will rise up and rekindle the spirit of optimism and together we will proudly sign our names on the title deeds of freedom.
The battle of persuasion rages on – our sleeves are rolled – we are ready with greatness in our hearts to reclaim OUR TIME!
THIS IS OUR TIME.
Our time to lead not mislead –
to the politicians who divide us for votes,
to the technology titans who profit from our echo chambers,
to the journalists who coat fact with opinion,
I say this: WHAT KIND OF A PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WE ARE?
Yes, your phobia is infectious but so is our compassion and commitment to belong to something beautiful again.
WE WILL NOT GO DOWN AS THE GENERATION OF CONNECTIVITY THAT DISCONNECTED ITSELF.
No, we will rise up and rekindle the spirit of optimism and together we will proudly sign our names on the title deeds of freedom.
The battle of persuasion rages on – our sleeves are rolled – we are ready with greatness in our hearts to reclaim OUR TIME!
THIS IS OUR TIME.
Our time to lead not mislead –
to the politicians who divide us for votes,
to the technology titans who profit from our echo chambers,
to the journalists who coat fact with opinion,
I say this: WHAT KIND OF A PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WE ARE?
Yes, your phobia is infectious but so is our compassion and commitment to belong to something beautiful again.
WE WILL NOT GO DOWN AS THE GENERATION OF CONNECTIVITY THAT DISCONNECTED ITSELF.
No, we will rise up and rekindle the spirit of optimism and together we will proudly sign our names on the title deeds of freedom.
The battle of persuasion rages on – our sleeves are rolled – we are ready with greatness in our hearts to reclaim OUR TIME!
marilyn manson. “I took this picture in 1997 while Marilyn Manson was on tour in Hawaii. We transformed the infamous hotel suite where Elvis used to stay into my photo studio. Manson was polite, mild-mannered and introverted – yet also a dynamic visual collaborator. We talked about hypocrisy and failed leadership while a tropical storm raged in paradise that day. I took him outside onto the balcony overlooking the windswept palm trees. Although I focused on the tormented background scene, you can still see all the scars on his chest from his violent stage act. Now, Marilyn Manson is 50 years old, and so am I. Here’s to being a true cultural provocateur. Marilyn Manson, I salute you.”
marilyn manson. “I took this picture in 1997 while Marilyn Manson was on tour in Hawaii. We transformed the infamous hotel suite where Elvis used to stay into my photo studio. Manson was polite, mild-mannered and introverted – yet also a dynamic visual collaborator. We talked about hypocrisy and failed leadership while a tropical storm raged in paradise that day. I took him outside onto the balcony overlooking the windswept palm trees. Although I focused on the tormented background scene, you can still see all the scars on his chest from his violent stage act. Now, Marilyn Manson is 50 years old, and so am I. Here’s to being a true cultural provocateur. Marilyn Manson, I salute you.”
(2/2) george h. w. bush. “Politics has always been a combative business; a melting pot of victories, losses, friends, and opponents. In reflection, President George H. W. Bush’s legacy is a complicated one – as are all presidential legacies. Yet one thing is crystal clear – he believed in service. Ultimately, he would only be a one-term president; losing a bitter political-cultural fight to Bill Clinton, signaling a new generation of leadership. Yet, despite Bush’s devastating election loss, he wrote a gracious letter to Bill Clinton on Inauguration Day in January 1993 – ‘Your success now, is our country’s success.’ President George H. W. Bush, I salute you.”
It is with great pride and humility that I announce the world premiere screening of my first film ‘My Body Is Not A Weapon’ starring the legendary Dr. Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Now that we are going public, I am able to share with all of you our poster campaign for the film. Each day this week you will see a new icon.
We are releasing the official trailer exclusively here on IGTV. It is time for all of us to decide if we are bystanders, or upstanders. And if you are with me, let’s change the world together. #ActionThisDay
Dr. Denis Mukwege, and the women you have championed, I salute you.
(1/2) alina diaz. “This is a picture about exploitation, perception, and above all, courage. THESE WOMEN are all farm workers in the USA. The lady on the left has her hand on her heart – she is my friend, my hero, and her name is Alina Diaz. Alina has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of women who are undocumented farm workers in the United States. At the time this picture was taken, it was estimated that 50% of all farm workers in the US were undocumented. Colleagues of mine, in the human rights community, have urged me not to show this picture when campaigning for immigration reform. They claim, that the two masked women on the right look menacing, and play into the perception that undocumented immigrants are bandits and criminals. I AM HORRIFIED BY THIS NOTION. I know THESE WOMEN and nothing could be further from the truth – they are not in America to threaten or steal – NO – they are in fact the most vulnerable members of society, living in the shadows of injustice. If you work in the fields you are supposed to wear projective clothing to guard against poisonous pesticides – THESE WOMEN are given nothing – they cover their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs and cotton bandanas. Their clothes are disheveled – baggy and masculine – THESE WOMEN have learnt from experience not to wear fitted, attractive, and feminine garb – it sexually arouses male predators in the field. THESE WOMEN face sexual harassment and sexual violence on a daily basis. Should we allow the architects of intolerance to shape our human rights narrative? – No my leaders – we must dare to challenge tribal perception first – only then, can we confidently humanize the data. I am a man who lives and thrives in a great city called THE BIG APPPLE. A city nicknamed after a fruit that abundantly grows in it’s surrounding farms and fields. To the courageous women who pick our apples, I salute you. Standby for Alina’s story….”
It is with great pride and humility that I announce the world premiere screening of my first film ‘My Body Is Not A Weapon’ starring the legendary Dr. Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Now that we are going public, I am able to share with all of you our poster campaign for the film. Each day this week you will see a new icon.
We are releasing the official trailer exclusively here on IGTV. It is time for all of us to decide if we are bystanders, or upstanders. And if you are with me, let’s change the world together. #ActionThisDay
Dr. Denis Mukwege, and the women you have championed, I salute you.
dr. denis mukwege. I am so proud of my friend and hero, Dr. Denis Mukwege. The Nobel Peace Peace Prize Committee have named him the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, along with Yezidi Activist and Survivor Nadia Murad. In 1998, Dr. Mukwege built Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was set up to help women give safe, natural child births in a poor region, one of the doctor’s first patients was a woman who had been raped with extreme violence. He treated her successfully hoping this was a horrific isolated case – tragically it was not. To date, the Panzi Hospital has treated over 52,000 survivors of rape as a weapon of war. In 2016, I stood at the gates of Panzi Hospital with my friend. We made a promise to each other that we would give the heroic women and girls he has treated an enhanced platform of leadership. I was compelled to amplify their voices to the world. With this post, I present to you the trailer for my first film, “My Body is Not a Weapon.” How honored I am to be of service to the doctor and his mission. Dr. Denis Mukwege, I salute you.”
(2/2) alina diaz. “I asked Alina how she describes her job title. She replied, ‘my occupation is to be a human being’ – I asked Alina what she hopes for and she replied, ‘I hope to die a happy old lady in my bed, surrounded by my majestic women from the fields, and they are singing my freedom song, called NOW.’ Here are the words – ‘Alina, NOW things are better – Alina, NOW we have rights – NOW they give us drinking water and bathrooms in the fields – they pay us fairly NOW – they don’t rape us NOW – they don’t poison us with pesticides – NOW we can walk with dignity in the county where we live and work – NOW we know that we won’t be arrested because our skin is a darker color – Alina, things are better NOW.’ This year, I am proud to celebrate the courage of Alina Diaz with THE PEOPLE’S PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP AWARD. Alina Diaz, I salute you. For more heroic human rights stories, please follow @peoplesportfolio.”
(2/2) alina diaz. “I asked Alina how she describes her job title. She replied, ‘my occupation is to be a human being’ – I asked Alina what she hopes for and she replied, ‘I hope to die a happy old lady in my bed, surrounded by my majestic women from the fields, and they are singing my freedom song, called NOW.’ Here are the words – ‘Alina, NOW things are better – Alina, NOW we have rights – NOW they give us drinking water and bathrooms in the fields – they pay us fairly NOW – they don’t rape us NOW – they don’t poison us with pesticides – NOW we can walk with dignity in the county where we live and work – NOW we know that we won’t be arrested because our skin is a darker color – Alina, things are better NOW.’ This year, I am proud to celebrate the courage of Alina Diaz with THE PEOPLE’S PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP AWARD. Alina Diaz, I salute you. For more heroic human rights stories, please follow @peoplesportfolio.”
(2/2) alina diaz. “I asked Alina how she describes her job title. She replied, ‘my occupation is to be a human being’ – I asked Alina what she hopes for and she replied, ‘I hope to die a happy old lady in my bed, surrounded by my majestic women from the fields, and they are singing my freedom song, called NOW.’ Here are the words – ‘Alina, NOW things are better – Alina, NOW we have rights – NOW they give us drinking water and bathrooms in the fields – they pay us fairly NOW – they don’t rape us NOW – they don’t poison us with pesticides – NOW we can walk with dignity in the county where we live and work – NOW we know that we won’t be arrested because our skin is a darker color – Alina, things are better NOW.’ This year, I am proud to celebrate the courage of Alina Diaz with THE PEOPLE’S PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP AWARD. Alina Diaz, I salute you. For more heroic human rights stories, please follow @peoplesportfolio.”
It is with great pride and humility that I announce the world premiere screening of my first film ‘My Body Is Not A Weapon’ starring the legendary Dr. Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Now that we are going public, I am able to share with all of you our poster campaign for the film. Each day this week you will see a new icon.
We are releasing the official trailer exclusively here on IGTV. It is time for all of us to decide if we are bystanders, or upstanders. And if you are with me, let’s change the world together. #ActionThisDay
Dr. Denis Mukwege, and the women you have championed, I salute you.
It is with great pride and humility that I announce the world premiere screening of my first film ‘My Body Is Not A Weapon’ starring the legendary Dr. Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Now that we are going public, I am able to share with all of you our poster campaign for the film. Each day this week you will see a new icon.
We are releasing the official trailer exclusively here on IGTV. It is time for all of us to decide if we are bystanders, or upstanders. And if you are with me, let’s change the world together. #ActionThisDay
Dr. Denis Mukwege, and the women you have championed, I salute you.
dr. denis mukwege conducting a prayer vigil during his morning sermon. “I am writing to you from my hotel room in Oslo, Norway. This week I witnessed history unfold before me. I was invited by my friend and hero, Dr. Denis Mukwege, to attend the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. It was a humbling moment in my life to watch the global establishment acknowledge the courage and compassion of this year’s two recipients – Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad. Over the past few years, Dr. Denis has taught me the meaning of empathy, truth, and righteousness. His resilience in fighting rape as a weapon of war is remarkable – everyday he faces daunting obstacles and risks, yet he is driven forward by a hope that justice will prevail over injustice, and that action will triumph over inaction. Nadia’s family was murdered by ISIS in Iraq. She herself was then abducted and forced into sexual slavery by the terror organization. Yet somehow, she has survived the horrors of history and has joined the battlefront to end this dark epidemic of sexual violence. Nadia’s Nobel lecture was an exemplary demonstration of stoic nobility. Dr. Denis Mukwege followed with a thunderous call to the world to end this barbaric brutality. He asked the question – how can we live in the 21st century with all our technological advances and yet we refuse to halt a war on women and children, forged with weapons of a bygone era. Through dark days, Denis and Nadia have not lost the capacity to dare. And so, to my friends of peace who read these words – Now is the time to speak truth to power. Now is the time to hold compliant corporations and governments accountable. Now is the time to rise above our differences and end this moral bankruptcy. Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, I salute you.”
It is with great pride and humility that I announce the world premiere screening of my first film ‘My Body Is Not A Weapon’ starring the legendary Dr. Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Now that we are going public, I am able to share with all of you our poster campaign for the film. Each day this week you will see a new icon.
We are releasing the official trailer exclusively here on IGTV. It is time for all of us to decide if we are bystanders, or upstanders. And if you are with me, let’s change the world together. #ActionThisDay
Dr. Denis Mukwege, and the women you have championed, I salute you.
