September 9th - 13:13

Title: September 9th - 13:13 Medium: Super-8 film Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Resolution: 2880 x 2160 File Type: H.264 Codec / MP4. Comments: Melva was sitting at Kokko's healing center as I was drinking tea waiting for his mystical treatment, We met and she was sharing her story about fighting cancer and working with Iboga plant medicine with a tribe in Gabon. She is a spiritual warrior and found her way to battle this terrible disease with mother natures remedy. It is not for the faint of heart to drink this African root. Legends say that you are tripping for 48 hours straight, while your spirit travels through the netherworld to die and come back to life as your brain receptors and body cells regenerate. The most potent psychedelic experience on the planet. For some westerners seeking help as a final hope; it is said to treat depression and heroin addiction. Some plant medicines work better for some than others. I believe our bodies align with the different plant spirits and neurochemistry, where everyones experience can be unique. Melva shared her passion and roots to her African culture and was planning another trip to Gabon next spring. In that moment, we dreamt up a plan to raise money and build a water well for the community she was visiting and working with. Later that day I sent her a wire to pay for the entire construction. And we had planned I would come visit Gabon to meet her tribe and drink Iboga too. Months later, our plans had changed and for political reasons due to a military coup we decided not to go this time around. I was not called to drink the Iboga medicine. It is not something you want to fuck around with for fun. Its a sacred plant and must be treated with the respect for some serious healing and to honor the sacred wisdom of the traditions of those who grew up with it in their culture. Take this Super 8 film still and enhance it into a clean, sharp photographic image. Remove excess film grain and fuzziness while keeping all authentic details intact. Increase resolution 2–4×, balance colors, and avoid distortion, plastic effects, or hallucinated details. The final image should look like a high-quality Leica horizontal photograph, not a digital painting. Melva welcomed me into her home with her wonderful husband for another cup of tea. We stood out front of her home surrounded by large red wood trees and the sounds of the wood peckers knocking on their bark for worms. Illuminated, Melva began channeling the grandmother spirit of baba Iboga. Calling upon the healing energies through twisting light portals from the sun. A powerful woman with a mission to live and defeat the cancer that is yet to tame or define her. A blessing she calls her illness, to share her story of strength and resilience.