Berlin's Co-Pro Series Welcomes Skateboarders, Drug Kingpins and Fernando Meirelles
'Anne of Green Gables' author Lucy Maud Montgomery will finally get the starry treatment worthy of her iconic characters in 'Lucy. Maud.' Produced by Girls Productions, it's created by Susan Coyne and presented at Berlinale's Co-Pro Series.
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'It's a compelling drama about a powerful woman whose life experience remains relatable to this day,' promises producer Edwina Follows.
Another female protagonist, a young chef dealing with psychosis, will look for 'Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown' in a Sophie White-created show, based on her own novel. Ireland's Deadpan Pictures produces.
'What sets 'Recipes' apart is the stark, raw authenticity of the piece. It ties Sophie's true story of managing – rather than ever fully healing from – a mental health collapse, through the glory and salvation of food. Sophie wants to bring the audience through the full descent into psychosis, sit with it and dig our way out of it, not just explore the aftermath,' notes producer Ailish McElmeel.
'It's visceral, it's dark and it's funny because in the face of total life collapse, you have to find the humor.'
In 'Shit Happens' from Austria, a single mum becomes a very successful hash dealer in Vienna at the turn of the millennium.
'It was a city on the brink of change – much like our heroine. It was a time of upheaval, rebellion and boundless possibilities in Europe. Deeply authentic and profoundly human, the story resonates today as much as it did then, because the hunger for freedom and control over one's destiny is universal,' says producer Katharina Posch.
Shady deals – and a complex father-son relationship – is also at the heart of crime drama 'Miami Wildlife,' created by Adam Penn and directed by Fernando Meirelles and Quico Meirelles. Which, as teased by the team, will introduce its viewers to 'the wild world of Mario Tabraue: a neon-soaked Miami underworld with gangsters, lovers, feds, and a Rolex-wearing chimp,' following Mario's journey from 'lonely Cuban kid to eccentric kingpin.
'Unlike typical gangster tales, Mario's story is about escaping childhood baggage and building his menagerie, making it a fresh take on the anti-hero archetype,' adds O2filmes' Rafael de Novaes.
Another thrilling story, 'The Guard,' will go deep into the secrets of the Vatican after a failed attempted attack on the Pope's life.
'It's a gripping exploration of power, corruption and redemption within the confines of the Vatican. 'The Guard' delves into the individual and institutional struggles of the Pope's new bodyguard, navigating a web of deceit and conspiracy to cover up the exploitation of women within the Church,' says producer Rajko Jazbec.
Some uncomfortable, yet necessary questions will be raised in 'The Best of Families.' Created by Maja Jul Larsen and based on real events around the Cheminova chemical factory in the early 1950s, it shows a family that believes their life is finally getting better – unfortunately, it comes at a price the environment will have to pay.
As noted by producer Dorthe Riis Lauridsen, the show is a 'universal story of industrial growth at the expense of human and environmental health. It explores one of the greatest pollution scandals through strong, character-driven plots, and serves as a starting point for discussions on how we have arrived at today's climate and ecological crises.'
Politics will be referenced in 'Ruth's Ghosts,' created by Jennifer Fox, and taking on abortion laws that threaten to rip a family apart in 2030 as 'secrets, specters and the fight for female bodily autonomy collide.'
Ruth, a devout Evangelical lawyer, clashes with her daughter Naomi, a liberal jazz musician, over her 13-year-old granddaughter Liv's dangerous pregnancy. As Ruth sues for custody and Naomi fights for Liv's abortion, Liv is paralyzed by the fear of damnation. Haunted by Madame Restell, a 19th-century abortionist, Ruth's iron convictions crack, forcing her to confront long buried truths.
'I could not be more excited to bring 'Ruth's Ghosts' to audiences worldwide: a high-stakes thriller that explores a deeply relevant global issue through the intimate lens of a family divided by opposing political and religious beliefs, layered with a ghost story that transcends time,' says Fox.
Troubling history is referenced in Germany's 'The Experts,' with Berlinale Co-Pro Series Market marking its first public appearance. 'It's the starting point – the rockets are about to go off,' says producer Irene von Alberti.
Based on the novel by Merle Kröger, it will remind the viewers of an odd moment when scientists and engineers, previously working for Nazi Germany's rocket program, were asked to develop rockets for Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
She adds: 'Never before have we been so convinced of the audience potential of a story. Everyone we tell about it wants to know more, their eyes light up and they can hardly believe it has actually happened. 'The Experts' illuminates a little-noticed chapter of post-war history, told as a complex thriller with spectacular locations.'
Finally, 'Our People' will reference a tragic event that shook Slovakia in 2018: a murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová.
'Our aim is to produce a miniseries which will be immediate and relatable, allowing audiences into events which indeed destroyed the lives of two families. But, ironically, it revived the political energy and hopes of a nation,' said producer Jakub Viktorín.
'This is why the story of 'Our People' can resonate across our troubled world.'
Something else that can resonate with viewers? Anthology series 'Sk8 or Die – The Lee Ralph Story,' created by Tom Hern and Halaifonua Finau, with Tony Hawke and Steve-O involved as exec producers.
Keisha Castle Hughes and Vinnie Bennett will star, taking on the story of a man 'born into bright color and wildness, as the son of a drug-dealing, guitar-playing gangster in New Zealand,' says Tom Hern.
'Lee found his escape – and his calling – on a skateboard. Fuelled by the unshakable belief of his mother, he defied the odds to become a pro skater in the U.S. in the late 80's, captivating fans with his raw, 'caveman' skating style.'
But as 'visa troubles ripped him from the limelight, sending him back to obscurity,' the show will also detail a 'brave eccentric's return to his family and the healing that comes with that.'
'Despite the market challenges of the last couple of years, beacons of light – such as 'Baby Reindeer' – have proven that audiences still respond strongly to bold, authentic storytelling,' notes Hern.
'Powerful true stories, with high stakes, dark crime aspects but also multidimensional interesting character studies, like Ryan Murphy's 'Monsters' have shone and outperformed. 'Sk8 or Die – The Lee Ralph' story has these qualities, but it's also completely unique. Far from a traditional sports biopic, it delivers a complex, revealing but also fun, funny and highly memorable perspective into skate culture.'
As Hern points out, skateboarding is the sixth most popular sport in the world, with its industry valued at $3 billion – and growing.
'Even those who have never skated, have been influenced by its art, music, fashion or gaming. The series has the capacity to become a global, returnable franchise, with subsequent seasons focusing on different icons from around the skate world. This opens up big upside and numerous future co-production opportunities in the future.
German fest is spotlighting new shows also during Berlinale Series Market, which, according to Tanja Meissner, director at Berlinale Pro, 'is a great place to network and do significant business.'
'It's happening on the backdrop of one of the biggest A-festivals and a buzzing global trading platform. This combination is unique,' she tells Variety.
'Knowing that we are living in difficult times, with the industry very much affected by humanistic and economic challenges, our mission to foster connections within communities becomes even more vital.'
Berlinale Series Market's Jana Daedelow observes that 'comedy has moved from humorous escapism to witty irony, when you compare last year's selection with this year's. Faced with the challenges we have all faced since the pandemic, it seems that audiences are prepared to face them in a dryer way. With a funny twist sometimes, of course.'
Still, a shift from comedy to crime has been noticeable.
'We are back in the crime and thriller genres, which have always been strong, but we are seeing creators and producers taking more risks even within these genres, incorporating elements of post-apocalyptic, mystery and sci-fi narratives,' she says.
The titles:
'The Best of Families'
Apple Tree Productions (Denmark)
Creator: Maja Jul Larsen
Director: Charlotte Sieling
Producers: Dorthe Riis Lauridsen, with executive producers Piv Bernth and Lars Herman
The establishment of the Cheminova chemical factory in the early 1950s allows Margrethe and Niels, a working-class family, to improve their lives. However, like many others, they ignore the growing environmental disaster that the factory causes. Inspired by true events, the Danish series explores 'the timeless dilemma of economic progress vs. environmental responsibility,' says its team.
'The Experts'
Filmgalerie 451 (Germany)
Head-writer: Julian Pörksen
Producers: Frieder Schlaich, Irene von Alberti
Based on Merle Kröger's novel, the show – created by Julian Pörksen – will be shot in Egypt, Germany and Israel, recalling the time in the 1960s when German experts – scientists, engineers and former Nazis – gathered in secret military facilities to develop rockets for Egypt's president Nasser, pushing the world to the brink of war while the daughter of one of them becomes entangled in a deadly web of espionage, betrayal and intrigue.
'The Guard'
Catpics (Switzerland)
Co-creator/writer: Stéphane Mitchell
Co-creator/director: Christian Johannes Koch
Producer: Rajko Jazbec
Now in development, 'The Guard' is a thriller dealing with an aftermath of a shocking surprise: after a trusted Swiss Guard makes an attempt on the life of the Pope, the pontiff's new bodyguard investigates, coming up against powerful and shadowy Vatican clerics, desperate to suppress the truth. 'It's a contemporary crime thriller highlighting the complex interplay between faith, duty and personal salvation,' says Jazbec.
'Lucy. Maud'
Story Girls Productions, Canada
Writers: Susan Coyne, Rosa Laborde
Director: Megan Follows
Producers: Edwina Follows, Mary Young Leckie, Megan Follows
With pilot script and second episode ready, this Canadian show is about to introduce a wider audience to writer Lucy Maud Montgomery, forgotten force behind such classics as 'Anne of Green Gables.' As well as her personal life, her passionate affairs, turbulent marriage, the pressures of fame, her ongoing struggle with mental illness and the solace she found in her writing. Supported by Canadian Media Fund.
'Miami Wildlife'
O2 Filmes (Brazil), Traveling Picture Show Company and Anonymous Content (U.S.)
Creator: Adam Penn
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Quico Meirelles
Producers: Fernando Meirelles, Quico Meirelles, Carissa Buffel, Luisa Iskin
In 1960s Cuba, young Mario's life is upended when his father, Guillermo, flees to Miami to escape Fidel Castro's regime. Mario follows him and starts to make a living by marijuana trafficking. By his twenties, he rises as a weed kingpin, smuggling drugs while using his earnings to build a private zoo – his sanctuary from chaos. Guillermo, now a CIA informant, continues to force his son to help him with covert missions, which complicates his life.
'Unlike typical gangster tales, Mario's story is about escaping childhood baggage and building his menagerie, making it a fresh take on the anti-hero archetype,' adds O2filmes' Rafael de Novaes.
Fernando Meirelles notes: 'Welcome to this '70s endorphin-packed series: 10 fast-paced, 30-minute episodes full of humor, energy, music, style… and animals
'Our People'
Nutprodukcia (Slovakia) Nutprodukce & Czech Television (Czech Republic)
Creator/Writer: Miro Šifra
Director: Tereza Nvotová
Producers: Jakub Viktorín, Tomáš Hrubý
Crime mini-series – selected in cooperation with French festival Series Mania – is in pre-production and will be shot in Slovakia. Referencing disturbing events, namely the real-life 2018 murder of a journalist and his fiancée, the show will follow people who 'uncover a web of corruption and moral decay, exposing the dark underbelly of Slovak society,' promise the makers. Made in collaboration with ZDF's Network Movie Film-und Fernsehproduktion.
'Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown'
Deadpan Pictures (Ireland)
Creator: Sophie White
Producer: Ailish McElmeel
Described as a 'darkly comic drama,' with scripts for first two episodes available, it's based on a best-selling memoir and cookbook by Sophie White: novelist, journalist and podcaster. It follows Claire, a hedonistic young chef whose life veers off-course after some routine recreational drug use sends her spiralling into psychosis. The series charts the far-reaching impacts of Claire's nervous breakdown on her career, personal relationships and identity.
'Ruth's Ghosts'
A Luminous Mind Production, Temair Pictures (USA), Oma Inge Film (Germany)
Creator/writer/director: Jennifer Fox
Producers: Jennifer Fox, Tara Grace, Jana Lotze, Oren Moverman, Simone Piro, Beverly Rogers
In her 'supernatural legal thriller,' Jennifer Fox jumps to 2030 New Orleans, where a national abortion ban ignites a family war between three generations of women. As her granddaughter gets pregnant, devout lawyer Ruth, 'torn by love, faith and betrayal,' will 'face a choice that will define them all.' 'It's a truly unique, suspenseful and multidimensional series with universal resonance,' she says. Zas Films and Andromeda Film are also on board.
'Shit Happens'
Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion (Austria)
Creators/head-writer: Magda Woitzuck
Writer: Calle Fuhr
Directors: Arman T. Riahi, David Wagner
Producers: Katharina Posch, with Michael Kitzberger, Wolfgang Widerhofer, Markus Glaser, Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Inspired by true events, and a podcast, this six-part miniseries from Austria spotlights a young woman – and a single mom – who, against all odds, becomes the most successful hash dealer in the late 90s Vienna. It was granted development funding by the Vienna Film Fund. 'At the core of the show is a woman breaking free from the limits society places on her,' observes producer Katharina Posch.
'Sk8 or Die: The Lee Ralph Story'
Tavake (New Zealand)
Creators: Tom Hern, Halaifonua Finau
Directors: Travon Free, Martin Desmond Roe, Tom Hern
Producers: Tom Hern, Nua Finau, Julian Arahanga, Tony Hawk, Steve–O
Boasting skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and 'Jackass' survivor Steve-O among its exec producers, this new scripted anthology series – now in final stages of financing, with scripts for first two episodes locked – is based on 'powerful true stories from within the culture.' Season 1 follows Lee Ralph: 'an eccentric, vert-pro, turned folk hero. Lee's story is proof that real life can be as mad and magical as the best fiction,' says producer Tom Hern.
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Everything 'Anne' continues to draw Montgomery-loving fans from Japan to P.E.I.
CBC's Island Morning is presenting a weekly summer feature, speaking to different tour guides around Prince Edward Island about the tours they give and why you should take them. Nearly 75 years after Anne of Green Gables was introduced to Japan, 2025 is proving to be "a really good year" for P.E.I. Select Tours, which has an Anne-themed tour tailor-made for tourists from that country. Katsue Masuda, who grew up in Japan reading Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels set on Prince Edward Island, is the firm's operations manager, giving Japanese tourists the deep dive into all things Anne. Masuda said the story of red-haired orphan Anne Shirley has been popular in Japan ever since Montgomery's first novel about her was translated into Japanese in 1952. "Hanako Muraoka did a great, wonderful translation; that was right after the World War Two," she said. "Japanese people wanted new books and needed hope, resilience and so on, so that story resonated with the Japanese people back then." Personally, Masuda received her first Anne book when she was in elementary school. "When I was [in] Grade 3, first book I got was Anne of Green Gables, and every year my mother gave me on my birthday an Anne sequel." There used to be an animated series based on the novel, and this past spring a new anime series called Anne Shirley was released. Those adaptations, in addition to the books themselves, have made the franchise perennially popular in Japan. A 7-hour tour Masuda said the Anne of Green Gables tour with commentary in Japanese takes place over seven hours, including sites from Charlottetown all the way to Cavendish, the inspiration for Montgomery's fictional Avonlea. "Starting from Charlottetown, we take them to Cavendish, show them Cavendish Beach, and of course… Green Gables Heritage Place, and [the] grave site of Lucy Maud Montgomery," she said. "Also [the] Cavendish post office, and that is whole morning. And then lunch is in North Rustico, usually Fishermen's Wharf [for] a whole lobster lunch." She said the lobster lunch is a big hit with the people who take her tours: "Japanese people love seafood. Anne and lobster is a big thing." In the afternoon, the tour continues to New London to see Montgomery's birthplace, followed by the French River lookout; the Anne of Green Gables Museum at Park Corner, including what Montgomery considered her "Lake of Shining Waters"; and the old Kensington train station. Other locations include the Bideford Parsonage Museum, the Sir Andrew MacPhail Homestead in Orwell, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and finally the Robertson Library and the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island. Tours for Japanese tourists can be booked on the Select Tours website, and the office can be found on the first floor of the Delta Hotel in downtown Charlottetown. Masuda said tours can handle just two people or 10 or 15 people at once. Select Tours also offers advice and services for those who wish to stay longer or even move to P.E.I.
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With 5 Words, My Marriage Ended. Then A Chance Encounter Across The World Gave Me New Life.
Her undulating tongue moved wet and slippery against my hand as her trunk pressed the unpeeled bananas into her mouth. I wore a blue canvas bag, laden with sugarcane and bananas, and I was surrounded by elephants. It was my last day in Thailand after making the painful decision to abort my trip 10 days early. I was homesick and missing my 15-year-old daughter, Sophie, who was in Bangladesh with my soon-to-be ex-husband. It was our first summer holiday apart since the January night six months prior when he'd informed me that our 20-year marriage was over. 'My soul is deeply unhappy.' He'd told me over a dinner of Costco salad. 'I want a divorce.' Losing my marriage was difficult, his admitted infidelity was worse, and the summer away from my daughter was the hardest of all. My husband and I had been fighting with an explosive vengeance as we unraveled our marriage, screaming things that couldn't be taken back during late-night phone calls and hastily-typed texts featuring f-bombs and accusations. After every fight, I'd felt ashamed of the horrible things I'd said in response to the horrible things he'd said — loop after loop after loop. Six months earlier, he'd been my best friend, and I couldn't reconcile how quickly we'd become enemies. That morning, before visiting the elephants, my face had looked older than its 49 years. In makeup consisting of shadows and tear trails, I wore a mask of crepey, dehydrated skin. My hangover had nothing to do with beer and everything to do with a desolate night of crying myself dry in a cheap hotel room. Emotional pain this deep was corporeal. The fight had been a doozy that left me literally bruised, as I'd pounded my thighs with my fists at 2 a.m. after hanging up the phone for the last time. I needed help. I shouldn't be hitting myself, nor starving myself, though it was difficult to eat with the phantom golf ball that had lodged in my throat for the past six months. I'd lost 30 lbs. When I returned to New Jersey, I'd look for a therapist, I promised myself. Today, though — my last in Chiang Mai — elephants. I'd chosen Elephant Nature Park because of its mission as a sanctuary and rehabilitation center. There was no riding, no circus tricks, no prodding with hooks. Elephants were brought to ENP to live their best pachyderm lives, tromping through the verdant jungle and rolling in thick mud by the river. I'd done my research and felt confident these rescued elephants were well-cared-for and that I would not be contributing to the problem. I hoped I could put last night's fight behind me and be present. A minivan pulled up to the meeting place where I stood alone. Its door opened wide enough for me to feel the air conditioning drift out into the humid Southeast Asian summer air. 'VanderVeen?' The middle-aged man at the wheel asked, looking down his bifocals at the folded scrap of paper in his hand. He wore a white polo shirt with the ENP logo on his left breast. 'Yep,' I said, my voice sounding as scratchy as it felt. A fierce, purple bruise, my souvenir from the previous night, seeped across my thigh as it scraped the fabric of the loose-fitting pants I'd bought for $1.50 at the Chiang Mai Night Market. I limped and winced as I made my way up the van's stairs to an empty seat. A head popped up from the row in front of me, and a friendly voice said, 'Hi! We're Kate!' Her companion laughed and said, 'She's Kate. I'm Carol.' I smiled without meaning it and returned the greeting. Behind me, a blisteringly adorable young couple held hands adorned with shiny new wedding rings. Outside the window, Northern Thailand was lush mountains, dirt roads lined with villages, children, dogs and chickens. The bus lurched as it ascended the steep mountain on what, though only one lane, was a two-way road. When cars approached us, the van pulled over into yards and gullies, making the bumpy ride bumpier. Arriving at camp, we washed our hands to protect the elephants and set off to find them. The sandy path was flanked on both sides by jungle. My heavy bag of fruit banged against my bruised thigh, and I was angry — at myself, at him, at this unwanted divorce. I felt the prickle of emerging tears when suddenly, the elephants appeared with their mahouts. They knew why we'd come and ambled jauntily toward us like horses returning to the stable at the end of the day. 'Feed them the bananas first, then sugarcane,' the mahouts instructed protectively. 'They think the sugarcane is dessert.' A leathery, muscular trunk ventured toward me, startling me with its languid athleticism. The elephant regarded me kindly through a curtain of long gray lashes as if asking permission, then came closer, in a nonthreatening way that put me at ease. Stout, whisker-like hairs anchored the dirt crown atop her head. She nudged my bag, and I gave her a banana. I offered one at a time, but she collected them until she was holding six in the crook of her trunk, then used its pointy tip to guide them into her triangular mouth. Her huge, wet tongue didn't protrude but, rather, swirled like a washing machine within her mouth, masticating the fruit. I cautiously reached out my hand, touching a jowl. It felt like it looked: loose yet muscular, creviced flesh soft and mighty. The two elephants I was feeding were mother and daughter. Mama's leg had been broken while dragging logs through the jungle. It was misshapen, and she walked with a limp. The logging industry, irresponsible breeding practices, landmines and reckless tourism had decimated the elephant population in Thailand. Lek, the founder of Elephant Nature Park, had made admirable strides in saving these gentle creatures. I wondered how I would walk through the world with my own daughter, now that I, too, had a limp. Kate stepped up beside me. Her face, with striking light blue eyes framed by a mass of tawny ringlets, was open and warm. 'This is my second time this week,' she confessed. 'I turned 50 this year, and my birthday wish was to come to Thailand and spend as much time as possible with the elephants.' 'I'm turning 50 this year, too,' I told her with a grimace. 'I love 50!' She said enthusiastically, then asked, 'Where are you from?' 'New Jersey,' I said. 'No way! Me too!' I was shocked. I'd been in Southeast Asia for four and a half weeks and had barely met any Americans, let alone one from my home state. Last winter, days after my husband left, I'd wept beside Gail and Andi, two of my best friends. 'What do you want your future to look like?' they'd asked. 'No idea. I don't even know what kind of music I like,' I'd said. I'd lost myself in being a wife and a mother, and now that he was gone and Sophie was in high school and needed me less, I didn't recognize my life. 'The only thing I know I want to do is travel,' I'd said, resolutely. So here I was, alone in Thailand. 'How long are you here?' Kate asked, reaching out to caress the flank of the elephant who had joined our conversation. I exhaled. 'That's a complicated story. I was supposed to go to Laos from here, but I'm going home tomorrow,' I told her, sharing the bones of the past few months. 'Oof, that's a lot,' she replied. 'I'm a therapist. I specialize in helping women transition through divorce, and in my 'professional opinion,' that sounds like a lot,' she said, forming air quotes with her fingers. 'I don't know if you know this, but elephants hold a lot of symbolism,' she said. 'They're so big, they clear obstacles, creating a path for those behind them to follow. Some cultures believe they represent new beginnings. Maybe you're here to start your new thing.' We arrived at the end of the jungle path, and the elephants continued to the river while we had lunch on a wooden platform overlooking the water. Spring rolls, vegetable stir fry, fruit and coconut mousse filled our table. After lunch, we mixed mango, banana and rice into balls for the elephants' dinner. My hands were soothed by the familiar, tactile exercise, which reminded me of making meatballs at home. They were Sophie's comfort food, and I'd made them for her since she was a little girl. I wondered with a clenched stomach how she was doing in Bangladesh. Dinner made, we walked to the river. The elephants liked to have a bath, then roll in mud to cool down and give themselves comfort from the sun. I'd looked forward to getting in the river with them, but I was scared by the potential for muck. I don't like muck, nor the leeches it harbors. Kate looked over at me, seemingly sensing my apprehension. 'They'll clear the obstacles,' she winked, nodding at the elephants who'd already walked into the river. The brown water eddied around them, but the bottom wasn't muck. It was sandy, and it invited me in. We tossed water on the elephants with plastic buckets, bathing them and ourselves in the river. Our final activity of the day was rafting back downriver to basecamp. Kate's friend Carol was not a fan of rafting, so she chose to return by van. This left Kate and me alone on a raft, with a boatsman rowing and steering us back. The prior night's fight and my lack of sleep had caught up to me. It was 4 p.m. and I was spent. As we made our way downriver, the tears came. I'd restrained them all day, but they were out now, and there was no stuffing them back in. For a moment, I was embarrassed to share my grief so openly with a stranger, even one who happened to be a therapist. But in that moment, my heart was stripped naked. I apologized, wiping my eyes. Kate looked at me with compassion and empathy. 'Don't apologize. I'm glad we met today and I could be here for you,' she said. Six months passed, and I was back in New Jersey. My divorce was final, and the bruise on my leg had healed. It had evolved through a kaleidoscope of colors from indigo to green to jaundice, painting my thigh for months. My despair over our divorce was beginning to subside, too, though I had a long way to go. Eventually, I felt ready to print photos from my trip and put them in an album. I found a photo on my phone that had been taken by Carol. It was my favorite photo of the whole month-long trip. In the dichotomous hell and magic of the day, she'd captured my joyful smile as the elephant behind me in the river sprayed a halo of water from its trunk. Looking back, it feels like a baptism — the beginning of a new life. Two years later, I googled Kate. She's been my therapist for five years now. It took me that long to recognize the gift I wasn't ready to receive back then. I could have skipped Elephant Nature Park and stayed back in my hotel, sleeping off the fight and marinating in my pain. Instead, I summoned the energy to get out the door, fulfilling my long-held dream of meeting elephants up close. More importantly, the day handed me a roadmap to healing, kicking me in the pants to seek therapy. I've created a new life for myself — one more rewarding than I had in my marriage. I've become a solo traveler and writer, made new friends and forged a successful career as a school administrator. Try as we might, we can't control life's twists and turns. But, if you get out there and keep going, the universe might hand you just what you need. Lisa VanderVeen is an award-winning travel writer whose recent work has been published in The Saturday Evening Post, Business Insider, New Jersey Monthly, and River Teeth Journal, among others. You can find her at Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@ Related... We Retired And Sold Everything To Travel The U.S. In An RV. There's 1 Thing We Never Expected. I Moved Abroad For A Better Life. Here's What I Found Disturbing During My First Trip Back To America. My Husband Died Abroad. As I Boarded The Plane Home, A Flight Attendant's Innocent Comment Broke Me. Solve the daily Crossword
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All About Dylan Dreyer's Estranged Husband, Brian Fichera (and Their July 2025 Split Announcement)
Dylan Dreyer announced her separation from Brian Fichera on July 18NEED TO KNOW Dylan Dreyer and Brian Fichera announced their split on July 18 They were married for 12 years and share three children Fichera is a producer and freelance cameraman for NBC NewsDylan Dreyer and Brian Fichera are calling it quits. On July 18, the Today meteorologist announced her separation from Fichera on Instagram. "For many years, I have shared my family with you all — the highs and lows, the ups and downs, and all of the blessings and beautiful memories in between," Dreyer wrote. "I am incredibly grateful for the support and love you've given me through it all. For that reason, I want to share with you that a few months ago, Brian and I made the decision to separate." She continued, "We began as friends, and we will remain the closest of friends. Most importantly, we will continue to co-parent our three wonderful boys together with nothing but love and respect for one another." The pair began dating while working at the same Boston news station and married in 2012, the same year Dreyer began working as a co-anchor for Weekend Today. After making a move from Boston to New York together, they became parents to three boys: Calvin Bradley, Oliver George and Russell James. Dreyer now serves as the co-anchor of Today's third hour, while Fichera is a producer and freelance cameraman for NBC News. So, who is Dylan Dreyer's estranged husband? Here's everything to know about Brian Fichera and his split from the Today meteorologist. He is a producer Fichera grew up in Easton, Mass., about an hour outside of Boston. He works for NBC News as a producer and freelance cameraman. Dreyer and Fichera met at work The pair met during the morning shift at NBC's Boston affiliate station, WHDH. At the time, Dreyer was working there as a meteorologist, and Fichera was an in-studio technician. He proposed to Dreyer in 2011 In July 2011, Fichera popped the question on the front porch of his parents' house in Easton. 'When I saw there were roses and two glasses of champagne, I knew,'' she told After he proposed, the pair walked through the house, where their friends and family were waiting in the backyard to celebrate their engagement. Dreyer and Fichera married in 2012 Dreyer and Fichera married at The Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on Oct. 6, 2012, one month after she began working as a co-anchor on Weekend Today. While the couple enjoyed their entire special day, their first dance stood out as a particularly special memory. 'At the end of our wedding the DJ asked Brian what song to play last. Brian just randomly said 'Viva La Vida' by Coldplay," she recalled to PEOPLE. Dreyer added, 'We have no connection to the song but it was absolutely perfect. I tied up my long dress and he just spun me around the dance floor." He shares three children with Dreyer On Dec. 17, 2016, Fichera and Dreyer welcomed their first son, Calvin Bradley. After experiencing a miscarriage and secondary infertility, the couple announced in July 2019 they were expanding their family once again. Dreyer revealed the news exclusively to PEOPLE while in her second trimester and 'past the point of worrying much about miscarriage' since their genetic testing 'went well.' '[The baby] continues to grow healthy and strong each day,' the star said of her little one on the way. 'I'm so excited for Calvin to have a little [sibling]; he sort of understands what's going on but when you ask him about the baby, he says he wants to pet it. So we'll see!' Oliver George arrived on Jan. 2, 2020. "All I do is stare at him," the new mother of two said during her Today call-in after his arrival. "I just want to kiss him every second. And he's got a ton of hair." In May 2021, she shared on an episode of Today that baby number three would be arriving that fall. Her trio of boys was complete when baby Russell James was born six weeks early on Sept. 29, 2021. During a virtual appearance on Today after his birth, she shared that the newborn's nickname would be Rusty and shared the special meaning behind his name — Russell is Fichera's dad's name, and James is her own father's name. "We finally worked in a family connection. Both our dads started crying when we told them," she shared. "It's just been really special. I can't believe I was going to have to wait until November to meet him, and he's here and healthy." Dreyer announced her split from Fichera in July 2025 After 12 years of marriage, Dreyer announced her separation from Fichera in a July 18 post on Instagram. "Dylan and Brian remain best friends, and they are committed to coparenting and putting their three children first," a source later told PEOPLE. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
