What is the best thing that I love about my work? I love stories. Everyone has one. In fact we have many. Not everyone feels they have a voice though. Or a voice that is cared about, seen, or heard. And working in film, television, games, live events, provides me opportunities to spotlight and amplify people’s stories. I never particularly felt my own voice and my own stories were of much value, which is trauma I carry on the journey, so I focused on uplifting others and their visions. That’s the part of the work that provides me purpose. Keeps me forging ahead, even when it’s hard.

What is my idea of happiness? I think happiness is something we all chase, but it can’t be captured in a chase. Viola Davis said it well when she realized she was the love of her life. I like that descriptor. When we come to find the love in ourselves, and cease this need to chase the happiness, chase needing other people especially to fill a void inside us, that’s when we blossom. It has taken me 40 years to really reconcile that. I also think that is the center of the ask God makes of us. Can we learn that lesson in the time we are here? To learn to love ourselves, and to give that love back into the world that allows us to be good stewards and caretakers in this place, to our wildlife, our environment, and each other.

What is my greatest fear? Loneliness. A lot of people often think death is the scariest fear of all. But death is inevitable. We all will face it. Loneliness is a very different thing. We are not designed to be alone. We are social and communal creatures. I love people, and have felt so alone for a very long time, even amongst many wonderful people. I rarely have felt anyone has really had my back, or would come to my aid if I really needed it. So I don’t believe that’s in the cards for me. Not in the way I have done for others. So it often leaves me feeling like an island.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? I’m needy and clingy. I like giving all of myself to someone. But that can easily turn to overdoing it, and overwhelming someone. Where I want to spend all my time with them, give them all my attention, and then expectations get set too high, which leads ultimately to disappointment. I’ve never changed that in myself. So maybe I don’t necessarily deplore it, but it is a bane on my existence because it has almost never turned into outcomes I desire. I have never really known what it is to feel desired, to feel wanted. So it is hard to shake this habit of clinging hard onto others when they do come into my circle.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? I really admire Ethan Hawke. He is always willing to do a deep dive on the nature of storytelling, our nature in providing others with a refuge for stories to thrive and represent the vast perspectives we talk about so much. He says “art is not a luxury, it is sustenance”. Great artists are brilliant observers. He really is one. I enjoy him as an actor too. That’s why you won’t hear people calling him a celebrity. He’s an artist, an actor, storyteller, who clearly shares the kind of care and concern for this world that I do. He would be one of my most fun dinner companions if I could choose one.

What is my greatest extravagance? Traveling. I am a pretty simple person. I don’t particularly covet money. Could say I have almost a Tom Bombadil type relationship with it. But I do have a need to put myself in positions where I am vulnerable, where I can really learn to understand people’s perspectives and what it is to be in their shoes. And traveling is expensive. So I would call it an extravagance. Unless you consider my penchant for sparkles, bright colors, and flamboyant clothing an extravagance. But really it’s getting to explore the world, and come to appreciate and understand nuances better to how we all live.

On what occasion would I lie? I lie when I feel I will not be believed. Sometimes inflating truth is what’s needed to get people’s attention. I lie when I am scared. We create the setup in the systems we build for people to feel they are not listened to unless they lie. It creates and perpetuates a vicious cycle, where then nobody knows what or whom to believe.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? The ease of exploitation. The entertainment industry as a whole is especially talented at packaging and selling hopes and dreams. When you work in it, you’re fed and told “everybody wants to do this”, which quickly flips to “why would you complain, risk your spot, be ungrateful to get to do this?”, which makes it easy to weaponize against people. So that even speaking up is a major risk, rarely does anyone back you, and makes you appear ungrateful. Which allows for a toxic environment to thrive. And it does. I have had over 100 jobs in entertainment, from assistant, to C-level, and have survived the worst Hollywood has to offer. Exploitation and abuse is rampant, and I regret my part in it.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Living in Denmark, helping a young film company find its legs, and strategize its future. The culture there didn’t prize heavy exploitation. Life balance was more prized. So it brought my blood pressure down a few notches. Everyone bought into using film and stories to achieve a social good. The team was genuine, our CEO is a good man and now a friend. I also just really enjoyed living in Denmark. Lived right on the Baltic sea. There was a calm in the work I had never experienced before, nor since.

If I could, what would I change about myself? My damage XP. I can be a fierce fighter, but I am wounded easily. I get emotionally hurt a lot and carry those scars with me. No matter what I have been through, my armor doesn’t seem to get much stronger. That also speaks to my tolerance for injustice. My emotional wounds make it very hard for me to just ignore or forge ahead when I see bad things happening or others being mistreated. Even if it doesn’t directly affect me. I wouldn’t change how much I care, but rather how much I allow it to keep me from functioning.

What is my greatest achievement in work? I really have a special place I hold for SXSW. Winning their Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary was a lovely moment, especially for a project that let children really tell their stories, and communicate about their grieving, without any adults being interviewed. Completely children’s POV. So it makes me grateful that SXSW and fans recognized both the importance of it, and that it connected and resonated with them. Plus I have now been mentoring every year for SXSW, ran the Just Play Game Jam there as well. I met one of the most important people in my life there. I love that festival. It means a lot to me.

Where would I most like to live? I’m a summer baby, so I do think about living in a warmer spot, on an island, like Ambergris Caye in Belize. A lot of people think they want to just retire to an island and live on the beach, but I have found few people who both need and enjoy solitude as much as I do. I need community like everyone does, but I am at peace amidst the calm and the roar of the sea. I don’t require a lot of people to be around either. I don’t want to be surrounded by man made things as much. And if that doesn’t work out, I would enjoy a cozy existence being back in Copenhagen. I really did have a lovely time living in Denmark.

What is my most treasured possession? Though it’s not a possession, my most treasured thing is my daughter Mai Mai. She is my whole world. I have taken her everywhere since she was born. I never wanted more than one child, and I didn’t want a boy. I only wanted a girl, so I could bring her up knowing what unconditional love looks like. And a girl that knows that she is seen, heard, listened to, understood, believed. so she is my miracle. I have taken her everywhere too since she was a baby. Art galleries, stand up shows, job interviews, industry events, conferences and expos, Disney World. People know not to ask why I bring her with me. They just know she’s coming.

What is my most marked characteristic? I’m a very fluid person. So I have masculine days and feminine days. My gate may change, my mannerisms may change, my voice tones may change, and how I dress may change. Some days I want to be incognito wearing double hoodies, cap underneath with glasses, all black; while others I will wear an all pink suit and brightly colored shoes. For a long time people couldn’t make sense of it and it confused them. I would get “weird”, or “gay”, or “strange” a lot. Assumptions without ever asking me. Now people just know I am a colorful person, and they make fun nicknames for me everywhere I go.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? I live in London, and I am one with the sea. So I find my fortress of solitude that inspires me when I’m walking or cycling along the Thames. Especially in the evening, when the city is lit up. I need those moments, to connect with the water. This is the most landlocked I have ever been, the furthest from the sea I have lived. So this is my special place I ride to most days.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? Oh there are a few. Let’s see. Wing Wing in Chinatown has liquorice chicken and a Lagkagehuset Danish bakery right next door, so that’s the ultimate win-win. The Ice Cream Project has Soy Sauce Ice Cream! Filishack has Filipino burritos with Sissig, or Tocino. I am always on the lookout for good breakfast places. No one single favorite.

What books influenced my life and how? “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge is a particularly good one. It’s a really good discovery of what masculinity is about, without needing to enter into macho territory. It really touches on the desires of our hearts, and how we come to understand and reconcile those. As men, we often seek validation through work, through conquest, are expected to be warriors and dominate. Ultimately attempting to tackle the question of “do I have what it takes?”. I ask myself that question daily. If we are, both male and female, in an image of God, then as a man, I am meant to be a warrior, meant to be fierce. While I feel equally strong masculine and feminine parts of myself, I think books like this help us better understand how to find balance in that.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For?”
Alessia Cara – “Wild Things”
Keala Settle – This is Me
Jars of Clay – “Like a Child”
Rascal Flatts – Fast Cars and Freedom
Gavin Greenway – Elysium & Now We Are Free

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Atticus Finch. Because even today, it is still rare to see others stand up for what is right, even when it is unpopular. Even when it may mean walking a lonely road. Even being ostracized and shunned. A person who stands on principle. Speaking out for racial justice, fighting for another, even when it may gain him nothing, and despite the adversity and consequences, while also being a gentle person. He is a gentle, and compassionate person as a father too. Never leads through fear. Teaches by example that leading with kindness will always be worth it. That is what I strive to follow.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My parents set a great example for me. The abuses I have experienced have all come from everywhere else. But my parents also taught me to be led by kindness. That ruthlessness and coveting everything is a short term and myopic view that can also never fill the void it’s trying to fill. I developed a gentle and compassionate attitude because of them. My desire to fight for others and be vocal about injustice comes from them. And even when we do lend aid anywhere in this world, to not wait to do so in a need for recognition or reward, but rather because there is simply a need, and if/when we are in positions to be helpful, that is part of our calling. And just being a good steward or caretaker in this world. I have always liked that sentiment, and tried to follow that too. My parents are sincere, genuine people. I got lucky in a lot of ways to have my heroes be my parents. I always felt loved. Cared about. Cared for.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? I couldn’t pick just one. So I picked two.
“Finding Neverland” directed by Marc Forster. Best film Johnny Depp has ever done. Yes, it’s about Peter Pan, but really it’s about how we process the world and our experiences. And challenges us never to lose the child-like wonder we all had from the start.
“Band of Brothers”. Kind of a cheat since its a miniseries, but it plays like a movie. Best movie of all time and a crucial depiction of a time, people, events that shaped the world’s history. Private Blythe is a particularly fascinating character, and represents how I imagine most of us would respond when being put into a catastrophic and deadly situation.

What role play stories in my life and work? Facts and data form the base infrastructure for people’s understanding and movement. However, it is stories that get people activated to make it over the mountain. Stories and art are sustenance. They are a must-have, not a nice-to-have. It is through them that we are able to personalize, humanize, connect to situations, perspectives, experiences that we ourselves may not have ever been connected to on our own. Everybody has a story to tell, and most of the time, the powerful intentionally drown out the majority so that their stories are never amplified, or never even heard. Since I feel that people have never particularly taken interest in my own story, I like amplifying and spotlighting other people’s stories. That provides me with purpose.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? When we allow other people into our circle, and share the most intimate details of our lives, it can take two main roads. They can either earn their way in through a timely nurturing of trust; or they can bulldoze their way in if we let them and they extract our story and reshape it as they see fit. Of any story we will ever associate with, we should handle our own story both with great care, and with great respect. Because nobody will protect our own story better than we will. This connects back to the “you are the love of your life” sentiment as well. When we grow to love ourselves, and treat ourselves with respect, we will better be able to be the storyteller of our own life, and not let others tell those stories for us. Now, letting others do it with you, alongside you, together, is a different story.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My daughter Mai Mai is my whole world. I have always taken her everywhere with me, and have turned down doing certain things if she couldn’t join me. She inspires me, and roots for me too as I root for her. She and I have gotten good at teaming up to get into places that usually would be hard for a kid to get into. So I usually just act really bold and say “she’s with me. She’s coming”, or “she’s part of the team, she’s coming”. And they always let us in. I always wanted a daughter, that’s the only real ask I ever had, to God, to the universe. To get to be a father to a daughter and show her that being led by kindness is always worth it. And she is one of the most naturally kind people I have ever met. So I’m grateful for Mai Mai. In every possible way.

Which people or companies would I like to work with ? I have to start with someone I already have worked with, because I not only would work with them again in any scenario, but they are without a doubt the best boss I have ever had.

Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, was CCO of Sybo Games when I was on her team. Such a compassionate, personable, intelligent, and savvy human. I never felt like a cog in a machine. I always felt valued, appreciated as a nuanced human when on her team, even when deadlines come, or tough days present themselves.

United Nations. I have gotten to consult or team up with several UN divisions, including DESA, UNEP, UN Foundation, UNFCCC, and UN Live. But I have always wanted to work more directly within the UN. Especially on aiding their efforts to utilize arts and the creative landscape to better drive the mission they are on as a whole unit. Sam Barratt, Chief of Youth & Advocacy for UNEP is an example of a special human within the UN ecosystem, and who I appreciate very much.

Anzal Baig, a brilliant lawyer, game designer, UN consultant, all around fascinating and lovely human.

Danielle Turkov Wilson, CEO of Think Film. We have known each other for several years, aided each other in different ways, even helped each other while both delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Yet somehow we have never met in person, and the chance to formally work together has never come to fruition. I would love to explore that and team up together more directly.

Netflix. I have produced some climate driven campaigns for several Originals, but have not had the opportunity to work directly for Netflix, and I would love to. Particularly in driving social impact projects, engagement, and social movement activations around their titles and brand.

What project am I looking forward to work on? Currently in pre-production on a feature film with Filmistan, so am really looking forward to delivering that film. And have been consulting on the development of “Earth Elders”, a documentary with the world’s indigenous leaders. I am keen to chat with more folks about this, and spotlight the mission of protecting global sacred sites that are paramount to our world. And then I am working on reshaping an awards show into something more ambitious to showcase important works that are championing sustainability across many practices, sectors.

Where can you see me or my work?
https://linktr.ee/bennwiebe
https://bennwiebe.wixsite.com/bennwiebe/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2721463/

Webby nominated for producing the impact campaign for “Don’t Look Up”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqJq2gGo5Mg&t=43s
Produced the SXSW winning film “Beautiful Something Left Behind”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3GreXbXlCo&t=5s&pp=ygUnYmVhdXRpZnVsIHNvbWV0aGluZy

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Passion drives us beyond any job, any singular task or challenge or mission, because in the end any passions we have are what taps into our more prime motivations. From the things we geek out on, or the things that naturally activate our memories or skills, or the things that push us to bring our best, or the people we most love and cherish. You can’t force that. And sometimes we develop passion for things or people we didn’t consider at first. Passion as a part of our core as human beings never dies. There will always be something or someone that drives us to keep going, keep engaging, being present and active, and brings enjoyment and fulfillment to us.

Which creative professionals should Peter invite to tell their story?
Saba Seyri
Aasha Chauhun
Anzal Baig
Meosha Bean

How can you contact me?
benn.wiebe@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennwiebe