About The Film
The idea for the kindness project
In 2020, at a time when our personal and societal relationships were even more fractured than normal, Terri Bullock decided to launch a kindness movement. Frustrated by the divisiveness and polarization seemingly everywhere, Terri realized she was lucky, she knew many people who at their gut level were kind people. They could be the antidote to the spreading of bad behavior. She selected 50 individuals from all over the country and recruited them to be “Kindness Ambassadors.”
These 50 individuals were a mix of ages, backgrounds, interests, and abilities. All of them were given a simple mandate: to be their “best selves” and seek ways to do acts of kindness and inspire more kindness in the world. There were no restrictions given on the ways to do this and no reporting requirements. The kindness ambassadors did not disappoint. Their creative, kindness empowering acts were extended far beyond expectations and started ripple effects that continue to this day.
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Directors Statement
As a director, my goal is to tell stories that will educate, entertain, and inspire you to live a life of purpose.
“The Power of Small” is a different film for me. It is the first film I am both the director and a participant in the story. It is the first film that took me on a very personal journey. From being recruited as a “kindness ambassador,” to persuading Terri to let me make a film about the Kindness Movement, to going deep within to find my own path to extending kindness, to taking my film crew to film six of the kindness ambassadors, I kept stumbling into my own story.
Who among us has not needed kindness? Whether you needed a teacher who understood dyslexia, or wanted to feel valued for the work you did, or hungered for community, or were moved by the power of music, or treasured the unconditional love (and kindness) of your dog, we all need kindness. And the truth is - extending kindness benefits both the giver and the recipient, and even the smallest of actions can have immense power. That is the story in The Power of Small. My hope is that everyone who watches this film is persuaded to find a way to change the conversation.
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Meet the Cast
Terri, a graduate of the University of Pacific and UCLA Anderson, has spent decades in the finance world. Using her experience working in wholesale banking for Wells Fargo Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank and as the co-founder of Savant Investment Group (now part of Mariners Wealth Advisors), she ventured into the arts and became the Co-Founder of Windrider Film Festival, Bay Area. Terri was motivated to take the storytelling expertise of filmmakers to create real transformative change. In 2023, she founded the TDB Family Foundation, which uses film events to inspire action and connect filmmakers with organizations working on practical solutions to the issues shown in these films.
Susan spent much of her career in education as a teacher, speech therapist, and reading specialist in rural Northern California. Understanding the vital role teachers play and the challenges they face, she focused her kindness efforts on supporting them. She provided local teachers and tutors with training in the science of reading, hoping their enhanced skills would positively impact many more children and families than she could reach on her own.
Rick drew on his experience as a marketing manager and brand identity specialist, working with companies like Pepsi, Kraft, and Intel, to become a kindness ambassador. He used his skills strategically to create a project promoting kindness. Teaming up with his hairstylist, who became his marketing consultant, they launched a kindness project that supported a young musician's journey from a high school band member to a talented "Jazz Man."
Like many in his generation, Kim served in the military during the Vietnam War as a crew chief. Afterward, he returned to his bank job in Silicon Valley but soon realized office life wasn't for him. He moved to rural California, where he now manages a ranch, cares for livestock, and works in his woodshop. Believing "kindness is just what you do," Kim became a kindness ambassador by taking action—hopping on his tractor to provide fire mitigation for his neighbors.
Heidi is in middle school, enjoys playing soccer among other sports, playing with her dog, Piper, and hanging out with friends and family. When her grandpa’s partner gave her and her cousins each $500, she took her assignment to be kind very seriously. She identified the kindest person she knew, Marlon, her neighborhood UPS driver. She came up with one of the most simple, yet also creative, projects. She stocked him up on dog treats that he regularly distributes to the neighborhood dogs. There are no age restrictions on spreading kindness.
Adelya, a world-class concert violinist, has performed on renowned stages like Carnegie Hall and the Berliner Philharmonie. Originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, her life changed during the pandemic when live performances were put on hold. During this time, she used a generous donation to collaborate with fellow musician Yoonah Kim and launch "Chime for Children," a program bringing joy, inspiration, and music education to children in hospitals, family centers, and public schools.
Will has had a long career in the nonprofit, education, film, and community partnership sectors. As Co-Founder of the Windrider Film Forum, he served as Program Director for Windrider Bay Area for 14 years. In 2020, during the pandemic and a career transition, Will’s role as a kindness ambassador reshaped his approach to work and volunteering, connecting him with local nonprofits in new, meaningful ways. This experience ultimately led him to his current role as Executive Director of the TDB Family Foundation, with kindness at the core of his mission.
DIRECTOR T.C. Johnstone
PRODUCER Kristen Johnstone
CINEMATOGRAPHER Andrew Robinson
SECOND CAMERA Jack Zakrajsek
SOUND Kristen Johnstone
DRONE OPERATOR Jack Zakrajsek
EDITOR Tyler Boyd
POST COLOR Justin Arwood
SOUND MIX Cleod9 Music
ANIMATION Scope & Sequence
ORIGINAL SCORE Scott Stevens
PHOTOGRAPHY Ally Cole
STORY CONSULTANT Gregg Helvey
About the Director
T.C. Johnstone is a multi-award-winning documentary film director/producer. He has produced and directed multiple features and short documentaries including “Rising From Ashes,” executive produced by Oscar winning actor Forest Whitaker. This 2013 feature length documentary is about two worlds colliding when cycling legend Jock Boyer moves to Rwanda to help a group of struggling genocide survivors pursue their dream of a national team. The film won awards at 19 film festivals, received US and international distribution and was a catalyst for the creation of the Rising
From Ashes Foundation which continues to support the work of peace and reconciliation.
Additional film projects include numerous successful short documentary films. “Red Horizon” (2021) follows a group of young pilots dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen while pursuing their dream of becoming professional aviators and inspiring the black community to take to the skies to change the racial imbalance in the world of aviation. “Teen Press” (2015), winner of numerous festival audience awards, follows an innovative teacher and a group of aspiring teens participating in a unique immersive journalism program at Santa Barbara Middle School. TC’s newest film, “In the Dirt,” has successfully screened in over 50 communities since its release in September 2023. This film follows a group of passionate Native American cyclists, school social workers, and community elders attempting to bring the sport of mountain biking to the Navajo Nation, where no bike shops exist.
T.C. is also the founder of the Gratis 7 Media Group Foundation which produces films designed to create measurable change in 5 specific areas: reconciliation, equipping servant leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation. T.C. and his wife, Kristen, are partners in their company Gratis 7 Productions. They live in Boulder, CO. T.C. continues to produce and direct films as well as consult non-profits on media strategy.
