What motivated you to become a writer?

Since I moved to the US (the American dream) I had the time and opportunity to go through old notes of my beloved grandfather, Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger (Museum of the Psalms, Jerusalem). I discovered that in his book Sefer Yetzirah he left notes that were specifically addressed to me, Chana. I realized that after his passing (October 2015) I was in a static surviving mode and almost forgot his teachings and promises I once made. I began to start writing in memory of my beloved teacher and grandfather Moshe Tzvi, who taught me how to live.

Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?

The creativity stems from ancient books like Sefer Yetzirah, the Zohar and of course the Torah. Becoming a student of these books is only possible through a teacher- the main teacher was my grandfather. I want to give also special thanks and credit to Rabbi Glazerson in Jerusalem. My grandfather admired Rabbi Glazerson and felt especially connected on a deep soul level to his teachings. He saw Rabbi Glazerson as one of the biggest visionaries of our times but never had the chance to express it. Special thanks to Dr. Haralick- he is a truly blessed writer and indeed all his books and writings focus on the very essence of our existence. I also want to give special thanks to my (neuro)science teacher Professor Ernst Poeppel, he is a library of arts and sciences, a genius of our times. Special thanks to Shifu Yangxin, a 34th generation Shaolin monk who made his ancient wisdom available to the world. And not to be forgotten my creativity stems also from Elisheva my grandmother who taught me what unconditional love really means.

Do you write projects knowing that so many other factors need to happen to get it to screen and does that come into your project creation?

Yes, this project touches the realm of supranatural occurrences, the mystical and even magical side of life. In a world which focuses mainly on the material side (unidimensional), screenplays which are touching also the invisible realm are of pivotal importance. Entering the realm of Divine Consciousness can be a challenge in our material world which is fundamentally lacking in spirituality. This project could give us a taste that all of us have the potential to live in a higher realm of Consciousness like our ancestors, the realm of Divine Consciousness- opening the gates of multidimensionality. Meditating upon the possibility of parallel universes shouldn’t be of surprise nowadays, we are living in the times of quantum computing/supremacy. Seeing is believing, bringing these ideas into the screen could deepen our theoretical understanding of a multi-verse.

What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate?

My dream for this project is to emphasize that our ancestors share common virtues and values. “The lost sparks in Kaifeng” gives an example how Jewish ideas and teachings like Sefer Yetzirah (attributed to Avraham) and the Zohar (attributed to Shimon Bar Yochai) are also deeply rooted in Eastern/ Asian cultures and civilizations like China. The practice of martial arts (Gong Fu) can be seen as a means of refinement and perfection of a human being. The word Gong Fu means that through time and effort one can achieve mastery in any field, hence the word ‘Fu’ (夫), denotes that through training of Gong Fu one can become distinguished person in life. The longing to become a complete, distinguished (not selfish) human being is only possible if one balances the attributes (the Sefirot), the yin and the yang forces (the feminine and the masculine). Torah students, Taoist grandmasters, Shaolin monks and ultimately all people who try to understand nature on a deeper level (all true scientists) are contributing to the unification of these attributes- a lifetime mission and yearning. Ultimately completion of man and perfection of the world is only possible if yin and yang are forming a unity together and balance each other in harmony (on a micro and macro-level).

This project could serve as a model for future projects focusing on the multidimensional aspects of our existence, the possibility of complex parallel universes and the shared wisdom and value systems of our ancestors. Connecting to ancient teachings and wisdom in our modern times might even become an immersive experience through virtual reality and/or mixed reality or ‘magical’ Worlds similar to the experiences in Universal Studios and Disney World.

How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?

I enjoyed participating in this contest, it is the first time I have ever participated in a screenwriting contest. My next project is the “Empress of the Other Side” – I am looking forward to sharing the new project again – thanks for this amazing opportunity.

If you could stand in a room full of investor partners looking at many projects what would you like them to know about you and this project?

This project “The lost sparks in Kaifeng” focuses on the innate strengths of a human being. Through effort everyone can achieve new heights. Everyone is unique in his strengths and talents- that’s the key message – we should not fear to immerse ourselves fully in whatever we are doing and bring our unique ‘light’, our unique contribution to the world. Broadening our perception and bringing ‘Divine Consciousness’ into this lower world is possible. Let’s strive together in making this world (a world among the other worlds) a better place.