Candace Paul
- Entertainment , Spotlight
- September 15, 2023
- 0 views
“A Million Miles Away” a true story about perseverance—interview with NASA flight engineer Jose Hernandez
“A Million Miles Away” staring Michael Peña, is inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández. The film follows Jose on a decades-long journey, from a rural village in Michoacán, Mexico, to the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, to more than 200 miles above the Earth in the International Space Station. Despite numerous rejections and impossible odds, Jose makes a hard fought dream a reality. During our interview Dr. Hernandez discussed what it was like to be above the earth and to see the vastness of space. He also explained how to deal with failure and the huge impact his family had on his life. Watch our interview below and make sure you watch the release of “A Million Miles Away” on Prime Video, September 15, 2023!
- Entertainment
- August 15, 2023
- 0 views
“A Million Miles Away” a true story for those who dare to dream BIG
Every so often a film comes around that reminds us of the unbreakable will of the human spirit. A Million Miles Away staring Michael Peña, is inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández. The film follows Jose on a decades-long journey, from a rural village in Michoacán, Mexico, to the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, to more than 200 miles above the Earth in the International Space Station. Despite numerous rejections and impossible odds, Jose makes a hard fought dream a reality. Available on Amazon Prime, September 15th!
- Entertainment
- November 22, 2022
- 0 views
“Devotion”: The untold story of Naval Aviator Jesse Brown
Something interesting has been happening in the film industry lately. More films telling the true stories of Black heroes—we never knew, are being made. Jesse Brown, the first Black U.S. Naval Aviator to fight in the Korean War, is one such story honoring his life and legacy. Aknowingspirit was invited to a private screening of “Devotion” at the American Film Institute (AFI). The film centers on Jesse Brown as a Naval Officer in flight school, and highlights the racial tensions he endured while in training. Throughout the movie, just before a test, Brown would look in the mirror and tell himself every negative and hateful comment others said about him. His aim was to psyche himself up, so he could once again prove the naysayers wrong. Still, he wasn’t alone in his struggle. His beautiful and loving wife, along with his young daughter, were always there for him—and their support was the biggest contributor to his resilience. More support came in the form of a true friendship between Jesse and his co-pilot, Tom Hudner. A major take away from this film, is the importance of defining yourself. Jesse’s heroic story would have never been a reality had he listened to the negative and unfounded opinions of others. “Sometimes, you can’t do what people tell you,” Jesse said. His defiance made it possible for others like him to dream bigger. Go support this powerful film! Out in theaters November 23, 2022.
- Entertainment
- August 5, 2022
- 0 views
THIRTEEN LIVES: A film about faith in action
A few years ago, the world anxiously waited for updates regarding the boy’s soccer team trapped in a cave. “THIRTEEN LIVES” tells the story about how it happened, and how the brave rescue was even possible. “There were no easy choices in this film,” Candace Paul, founder of Aknowingspirit LLC said. “With each dive, and with every moment that passed, the probability of death for the children and the divers increased exponentially.” The Ron Howard film shows how ingenuity, and faith in action, can make all the difference. Also, why every life matters. “THIRTEEN LIVES” premieres today on Amazon Prime.
- Entertainment , Opinion
- October 28, 2021
- 0 views
“Colin in Black and White” gets us back to Black issues
I didn’t know what to expect from the limited series, Colin in Black and White. Lately, I’ve been very careful about what I watch or read regarding “thought” pieces on Black culture. I’ve noticed that the Black American struggle has become trendy, lucrative, and in many ways, hijacked by other agendas that are not our own. Black movements today Ironically, what starts out as a movement to bring attention AND reform for systemic black issues, quickly becomes a self-interested attention grab for some of those involved. What happens next is shameful. Those who have been unjustly killed end up becoming tag-lines, while their faces sell over priced tee-shirts, and their tragedies boost social media “likes”. Meanwhile, things stay relatively the same. Or worse, “Black issues” are reduced to “one issue” while everything else is underplayed or overlooked. So, after the marches, the photo-ops, and moments of silence…things go back to “normal” and the same injustices like clockwork happen again. Colin’s important role By taking a knee, Colin Kaepernick was arguably the catalyst that helped bring real attention to Black issues in modern times. His decision to take a knee was marred in controversy, misinterpreted, and spun into something negative when objectively it was not. Kaepernick was clear from the beginning: His aim was to bring attention to black injustice, police brutality, and to finally see change. The world watched as a man put his career and reputation on the line for Black issues. For that reason alone, the bar was set high for this series. I was really hoping Colin in Black and White didn’t miss the mark – especially since Colin Kaepernick was part of it’s creation. Thankfully, the series did its job very well. What to expect from the series The series touches on hair, micro-aggression, subtle racism, black “exceptionalism”, colorism, white beauty standards, white approval, and how Colin navigated through all of this to walk his own path. What the series highlights more than anything else, is that his experience is very similar to many Black experiences in America. While we are not a monolith (and shouldn’t be viewed as such), Black people often deal with the same struggles. Overall, it was a really good series that touched on so many issues that are worthy of thoughtful discussion and consideration. I laughed many times, teared up a few times, but was glad that time and care was taken with Colin’s story, because in many ways it is a story all Black Americans can understand. Colin in Black and White premieres October 29, 2021!
- Entertainment
- August 13, 2021
- 1 views
When times got hard, Aretha relied on her faith in NEW movie RESPECT
There’s much to like about RESPECT, the new movie about the “Queen of Soul”, Aretha Franklin, played by the talented Jennifer Hudson. Not only do you learn more about Aretha’s difficult childhood, her abusive marriage, the tension with her father, you also see how much she reverted back to her faith when she needed it most. Watch the trailer and check out the movie in theaters August 13th!
- Entertainment
- August 6, 2021
- 0 views
VIVO – a film about keeping your promise
Vivo, an animated musical adventure, features all-new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Hamilton. Vivo follows a kinkajou (rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively square with his beloved owner Andrés. When tragedy strikes, Vivo must decide if he can carry forward the life long dream of his owner. This film tells a beautiful story of love, honoring a promising, and finding your calling – all through vibrant original music. From the art, to the music, to the accurate representation of Cuban culture, this film was masterfully done! Here is a sneak peek of one of the songs!
- Entertainment
- May 14, 2021
- 1 views
Finding You – a film about looking deeper
I had the opportunity to speak with actress and author, Rose Reid about her latest film Finding You. The movie set in Ireland is about believing in yourself, having the courage to forgive, and looking deeper than the surface. Watch Aknowingspirit’s exclusive interview with Rose Reid below!
- Entertainment
- May 7, 2021
- 0 views
Jennifer Hudson plays a mom leaning on faith in the Netflix film MONSTER
I had the opportunity to watch the impactful and timely film, MONSTER on Netflix. It shows how one decision can change the trajectory of your life. MONSTER tells the story of Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) a seventeen-year-old honor student whose life takes a turn for the worse when he is charged with felony murder. Watch this powerful clip of his mom, played by Jennifer Hudson, leaning on faith to help her son through. For more film info visit: http://netflix.com/monster. Streaming on Netflix May 7, 2021.@NetflixFilm#Monster
- Entertainment , Opinion
- April 12, 2021
- 2 views
College Cheating Scandal Part II
I published my initial take on “Operation Varsity Blues” – commonly known as “the college cheating scandal”, back in 2019. I intentionally planned to wait until after the court rulings before I published Part II. I had a slight hope that justice would be served in this case – since this was the first time we were able to peek behind the veil and collectively witness how privilege and resources converge to manipulate our educational system. I predicted that the parents involved would get slaps on the wrists (no real punishment) – and that after the dust settled, things would return to how they’ve always been: Wealth buying access to undeserved spaces. Unfortunately, my initial pessimism was spot-on. No new outcomes (I could have published this piece a year ago). Still, a few good things came out of waiting to publish this piece. I not only had the opportunity to watch failed celebrity PR strategies, but I also had the chance to see the eye-opening documentary, “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal” on Netflix. Now, I can speak on ALL of it! via GIPHY Damage control 101: pretend to care… When news broke about this scandal, the big names involved were scrambling to figure out what to do next. Retaining legal counsel was of course the most important, but immediately after was image repair – especially for the children involved who claimed to be totally unaware of what was happening around them. Lori Loughlin’s Daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, was of particular public interest because: 1) her mom played Rebecca – Uncle Jesse’s love interest on “Full House” and in recent years starred in a popular Hallmark TV series; and 2) Olivia Jade was somewhat famous in her own right as a social media make-up influencer. By all accounts, Olivia Jade was already well on her way to being a successful business woman in high school. Prior to all the bad publicity, she managed to secure a brand deal with Sephora, an internationally renown beauty company. Ironically, it was her social media presence that helped bolster the prosecution’s case. She would often lament about having to study or do school work in YouTube videos – never hiding her strong disinterest in academics to millions of followers. So when Olivia Jade and her older sister were accepted to the prestigious University of Southern California (USC), it raised more than a few eyebrows. via GIPHY While her mother was preparing for trial, Olivia Jade asked to be a guest on the popular Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, hosted by Jada Pinkett-Smith. During the interview, there was only one thing I wanted to know: Did Olivia Jade know what her parents were doing to get her into school? She doesn’t admit to that – and I don’t think the question was directly asked. But, she had to have known something, or at the very least, was willfully ignorant about the admissions process. She took pictures on a rowing machine which was added to her college application, and her acceptance letter stated that she would be on the rowing team. Olivia never rowed…