On October 26th, Chaz Ebert presented a 45-minute cut of her directorial debut at the Chicago International Film Festival. Entitled "The Wellness Warrior," the movie celebrates the life of 102-year-old Deborah Szekely, founder of Mexico's revered destination spa, Rancho La Puerta, who was in attendance for the screening. Deborah participated afterward in a Q&A with Chaz, and spoke about some of the high-profile people who attended her spa over the past several decades, including Oprah Winfrey, Laura Dern, Shelley Duvall and Charlton Heston.
Chaz was moved to tears when recounting the bond her late husband Roger had with Deborah, and how she nurtured him during his illness. When Deborah was asked about what she believes the world is most in need of today, she replied, "Everybody needs at least two friends who if you call them in the middle of the night, and you said, ‘I need help,' you know they'll be in the car on the way to help right away." Chaz asked her if she had a message for the crowd in attendance, and Deborah's response was, "When you see a thing is needed, and you know that you can help, go and do it. It's waiting for you. Necessity is the mother of invention."
"Wellness Warrior Weekend" is yet another example of the ways in which Chaz has used her platform to help make the world a better place. That is what she has done through her role as publisher of the Ebert site; her many philanthropic efforts; her work as a producer; her book, It's Time to Give a FECK: Elevating Humanity Through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion and Kindness; and now, her first time in the director's chair. And in the midst of our suffocatingly toxic national discourse, stories of people like Deborah are what we need elevated more than ever.
