Conversations with Fairlie & Jesse Arrow

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fairlie & Jesse Arrow.

Hi Fairlie & Jesse, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Fairlie Arrow

I was very fortunate growing up in rural Victoria in Australia, and from a very young age I fell in love with horses, absolutely obsessed. I spent 20-plus years riding and showing horses while also being surrounded by strays of every species, I was unable to turn away a single one. Animals of all kinds became my best friends as a kid, they give back what they get and they love you for you, no judgment.

As an adult, I have been involved in the entertainment industry as a musical artist, an on-air sports analyst, and for the last 13 years working behind the camera in all facets of production. However, it was only since 2018 after an amazing safari company “Dazzle Africa” hired us to go with them to Zambia to help them tell their story of philanthropy that I truly realized what I’m on this planet to do.

Firstly, I want to say that I’m incredibly blessed to work with my son on Kalamo projects, as a mum, that alone is awesome.

Jesse and I were in the South Luangwa National Park filming wildlife and found ourself completely surrounded by a herd of elephants and their recently born calves. These beautiful 4-ton matriarches could literally take out a safari vehicle in one second flat, yet they were so gentle and accepting, allowing us to be in their presence. There was something incredibly spiritual about that and I remember thinking to myself that we as humans, don’t deserve the honor of being in their presence. When you look at the terrible, horrific things our species does to all wildlife, we use, abuse, kill and for what? Money. At the end of the day, when you wipe away 95% of the pathetic excuses, it mostly comes down to money and Mother Nature is paying the price. That’s the moment I realized, I want to do better, I want to become part of this amazing community of change-makers that have dedicated their lives to protecting this incredible wildlife and the natural world.

We cannot have a thriving ecosystem without coexistence. We want to bridge the gap between humans and animals, educate and create change, and the best way we can do that is through storytelling. So for me, Kalamo Productions is the culmination of a lifetime of experiences rooted in love and respect for nature, as well as a feeling of personal responsibility to create a positive impact on the world and all its beings.

Jesse’s Story (my partner in Kalamo Productions & my son)

I’ve been in the arts since the Holiday Pageant in Elementary School trained as an actor through college, then built a career in Los Angeles. While I found some success on screen and still have acting in my bones and on my SAG card, I found an appetite for writing, directing and filmmaking. I can’t watch a movie without falling in love with it, even the worst ones. My friends throw the word ‘obsessed’ around. They’re obsessed, too.

I ran a theatre company for several years, then made some movies and wrote some tv, but in late 2018, I followed my mom to Africa, where her love for animals and her fervor for filming collided. In a scene I wish I wrote, she found a purpose that eluded her for so long.

Kalamo gives me the opportunity to turn my obsession with filmmaking toward subjects with real-world implications. While it’s a dream to be able to create the narrative films and series that occupy my heart, turning the lens toward the people we meet through Kalamo has fed my soul.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The film industry in general is a difficult place to survive, and especially when working in the genre of documentary storytelling. Only a certain amount of documentaries are going to make money and reach a large audience every year, and being at the mercy of distribution companies can be brutal. However, today there are many more options for independent distribution and we are only just beginning to learn how to successfully self-distribute getting the films out in front of as many people as possible while making enough to survive and do it all over again.

The organizations that we seek access to are understandably suspicious of people with cameras asking to be let inside. We are a company that builds partnerships with these organizations to help them get their message out into the world. Kalamo is a for-profit company, however a large percentage of profits from our films go to the communities and NGOs that are a part of telling each story. Because of our dedication to giving back, funding for our films remains a challenge, so we are always looking for partners and sponsors to help us in this arena.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Kalamo Productions is a film production company focused on the teams making a difference on the frontlines of the fight against animal injustice. We work with organizations that have a stake in finding harmony between people and animals, those who are finding ways to de-escalate the rising tensions between species that are fighting for a place to belong in the world. We believe that giving back is important, we do this through our documentary storytelling by giving back 50% of the films profits to the NGO’s that we work with. In order to do this, we partner with companies, businesses and philanthropies that believe in the work we are doing.

ONE OF OUR CURRENT DOCUMENTARIES.
We are currently in pre-production on a film about the Human Wildlife Conflict in Zambia. This conflict which is born out of a competition for food, water and a place to survive. As humans encroach further upon the wild lands, the animals are pushed back. Farmers growing crops closer towards the park areas in Zambia are now in conflict with herds of elephants who have been coming to these areas for generations to feed. A herd of elephants can destroy a farmer’s crop in one night leaving that farmer with no way to feed and look after his family and elephant populations are targeted by poachers and traffickers. Conservation South Luangwa, a Zambian NGO are working with farmers and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and the government to mitigate the conflict and find a peaceful co-existence before the elephant populations are gone forever.

www.humanwildlifeconflictfilm.com

Kalamo Productions loves to work and partner with companies and businesses that believe in giving back by telling branded stories about wildlife and the natural world. We also build stories for gala’s and fundraisers in this animal, wildlife, natural world genre.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Jesse:
– I’ve had teachers and professors and babysitters, but never a mentor.

– My mom is good at networking. She can talk. It seems to be a crucial ingredient as almost every connection we have has come from her talking about our work. Her two chihuahuas are a frequent icebreaker that ends with us talking to studio executives. I’m not sure what the steps in between are.

Fairlie:
– I think mentors come in many different shapes and sizes, so to speak, it doesn’t have to be someone taking you under their wing and teaching you everything they know. Mentors are not easy to find, at least not for me, however sometimes, mentors are people you run into that give you little nuggets of advice, advice that you’ll remember, especially when you need it the most. Sometimes they’re people doing those things that you respect and admire like David Attenborough whom I have never met but I have watched and learned from over the years. You absolutely cannot be successful in this world without someone at some point reaching out and giving you a hand up and the only way to find those people are by networking, being willing to put yourself out there, finding like-minded people and asking for help. Being vulnerable for most of us is scary, facing the possibility of rejection by our peers, but sharing what you’re passionate about and asking for help has definitely helped me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Kalamoproductions.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kalamoproductions
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kalamoproductions
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/Fairliearrow
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kalamoproductions6268
• Other: www.humanwildlifeconflictfilm.com