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The Mother Tree

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A shaman and a drum magically change one boy's life.

Winner of the best short film for kids at Moondance, “The Mother Tree” weaves the tale of young Martin Slegle. Orphaned and distraught by the loss of his mother, he sits for hours under a tree where his mother used read to him. One day he arrives to find the tree is gone, it's been chopped down by his bully cousins. He begins to cry, but not for long. Soon he meets Knowles, a healer from Africa. Through his friendship with the older man, Martin learns the art of drumming and drum healing. As the boy becomes empowered through his practice, Knowles teaches him to play a rhythm that changes his life forever.

This heartwarming coming of age tale was enjoyed by audiences at 7 film festivals across the country. “The Mother Tree" is an engaging story and a delightful experience for young and old alike. Watch it alone or with the entire family.

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Production Notes

I'm of course grateful for my wonderful cast and crew. I'm a person who's used to working alone, and you can not make a movie by yourself, so thankyou to all. There are many interesting stories from the making of this film, but the most bizarre is the deer story. You can read the details at www.themothertree.com, but, in short I almost ended up with a criminal record for the use of a roadkill deer in the film.

The casting of the movie was also a magical experience. Sedona is a small town and I needed some very talented young people for my script. I was amazed to find the perfect person for each role. And the bonus, Jordan Mandell, who played Martin, already knew how to play the drum.

 

Director's Statement

My mission as a writer /director is to create films that touch the human heart. "The Mother Tree" is such a film. Archetypal in nature, viewers seem to respond to the film on many levels, from the mundane to the profound. "The Mother Tree" is a tale that speaks to all ages, striking the universal chord that vibrates the longing for a mother's love.

Created as my student thesis film, this project was made for fewer than two thousand dollars with a relatively small crew. For me, it was magical the way the pieces fell in place, from my outstanding cast of unknown actors to the amazing appearance of a roadkill deer at just the right moment. It was as if exisistence itself was supporting the making of this film. I hope the experience of watching it touches you, as much as making it touched me.

 

Filmmaker Biograpy

When it comes to talents, Shaeri Richards has many. Ms. Richards began her career as a broadcast journalist. She spent 10 years in radio, winning numerous awards for her radio documentaries. Then she moved to television for a two-year stint as a morning news anchor. Ms. Richards capped that career with the completion of A Journey in Friendship: Discovering Citizen Advocacy. Written and produced by Ms. Richards in conjunction with Louisiana Public Broadcasting, this groundbreaking documentary received national attention in the mid-1980's.

In her spare time, Ms. Richards also managed to master the drum kit. She spent nearly 10 years as the drummer for a popular Northern Arizona R & B band. She's also an actress, with more than 30 plays and several Independent films on her resume'. She spent five years as the morning DJ on Northern Arizona's number 1 radio station. And her voice is highly sought after for both film narration and commercial work. In 2001, Shaeri Richards wrote, narrated and published an award winning audio-book for kids called, Maressa & Merlone: A Musical Fairy Tale.

With the completion of The Mother Tree, Ms. Richards adds writer/director to her list of talents. She lives in Sedona, AZ with her husband Jerry Hartleben, a professional cinematographer. Together they plan to create Independent films that touch the heart.