|
 HE
ADMITS now that her artistic temperament did mean she was
not entirely happy at B-school. It was not so much the MBA’s
course content, but some of her fellow students who were focused
on finance or consulting, and had at that point been ignorant of
the difficulties of the third world. Certainly the author’s own
experience of the environment gels with Siebel’s. One must bear
in mind, too, that this was northern California in the 1990s, a
period during which the business models being held up as darlings
by mass media included many whose philanthropic ventures were little
more than window-dressing.
It is this money-focused business environment
that is at odds with the way Siebel thinks. In third-world communities,
she saw people who focused more on short-term survival and putting
food on the table, rather than a financial, political or social
benefit to conserving their ecosystems. Yet richer nations have
the means to narrow the income gap, a concern that The Economist’s
former deputy chief editor Norman Macrae believed to be mankind’s
most pressing come 2005. True social responsibility, rather than
mere window-dressing, is a solution. Siebel’s solution is to support
institutions that are working on this as well as tackle what she
can do alone.
On this note, she invited Lucire to a banquet
for Conservation International. This was a long-standing arrangement
that she had and demonstrated her commitment to environmental causes.
Other CI supporters were there, including
Michael Keaton, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Wayne Gretzky
and his wife Janet Jones. Speakers included Michel Cousteau.
While Siebel’s involvement was prominent and official,
she still found time to talk to Lucire, her friends from
Los Angeles and past ci acquaintances. Her efforts to say hello
to everyone she knew were genuine.
Presentations at the Conservation International
banquet focused on the beauty of the oceans and the dangers they
face. Rather than being overly militant or too "touchy-feely",
CI focuses on preserving nature because
it is financially beneficial for all parties in the long run, and
because it is simply the right thing to do. Siebel’s principles
fit here perfectly: she understands the need for businesses to be
involved, but in the right way, so that they make right and significant
changes for the planet and the communities. Part of how she makes
a change will come from acting and the profile that her work could
bring her causes.
 OWEVER,
is this not dichotomous? The stereotypical Hollywood image held
by the outsider is one of shallowness; Siebel’s interests show her
to be a deep thinker. Hollywood is to the arts what Enron, Tyco
or Parmalat were to business. But if that is the case, then perhaps
Siebel is the right woman to enter this world and lead by example.
She sees the conflict, calling herself ‘a living
dichotomy’: ‘I was raised with a lot of comforts and luxuries around
me, and yet I have lived with the poorest of the poor in Africa
and Latin America when I worked for Conservation International and
when I did other development work and studies … and I don’t really
feel like I belong anywhere. …
‘I detest the modern-day stresses that accompany
our lives and yet I am probably one of the busiest girls I know,
running around like a chicken with my head cut off. So, I just kind
of go with it and hop, skip and jump between worlds. Currently living
in Hollywood, I long for the serenity and purity of the African
bush existence. I miss it tremendously and hope to produce or act
in a film out there soon.’
She has the ability. Not only has she been acting,
after she graduated from Stanford with her MBA
she formed her own production company. Hollywood-based Girls Club
Entertainment has an aim of producing ‘international stories of
cultural and political significance with a strong focus on women’s
stories.’ She realizes, however, that acting would support the company.
‘You have to make a living in this business, so the ideal career
would be one like Nicole Kidman’s, Julianne Moore’s, or Naomi Watts’.’
Her arrival in Los Angeles was a culture shock.
Californians divide themselves between north and south, with the
line somewhere near Monterey, and there is a noticeable cultural
difference. Some have called San Francisco the most European of
American cities. Los Angeles, by comparison, is one of the most
American of American cities. There need not be an oceanic divide
to separate cultures.
In the first six months, ‘it felt like a lot of
tarmac and … you just drove around all day in traffic and then went
to parties with a lot of fake people—people trying to be something
at night.’ Fortunately, as with any of the places she has visited
or worked in, she has surrounded herself with a group of genuine
people, distancing herself from what she called ‘the ugliness of
LA.’
She has also discovered numerous gems among the
tarmac-sealed jungles: ‘my sister and I got wonderful Thai massages
the other month for c. $40 in Thai Town and I spent part
of New Year’s Eve in Korea Town’—small enclaves that aren’t noticeably
Thai or Korean when driving by and focusing on the street, but are
in fact populated by diasporas with subtle signage that distinguish
these places from the majority.
Her dining haunts are Indian, Japanese, French
and Chinese; her friends similarly reflect an international community,
either having originated from outside the US
or have lived outside.
But further exploration may have to wait until
she is not as hectic building two careers, in acting and production.
Ojai Valley, Santa Barbara and some hiking trails have been recent
discoveries, while the beach is particularly special: ‘I was dancing
ballet all winter for this film about the ballet world that was
supposed to shoot in China this spring and I started getting tendonitis
in my achilles and ankle. I would go to the beach early in the morning
and walk in the sand to soothe the pain. I felt so lucky to be out
there, connected to the fresh air and nature. Talk about serenity.’
CONTINUED
|
‘I would go to the
beach early in the morning and walk in the sand … I felt so
lucky to be out there, connected to the fresh air and nature. Talk
about serenity’
|
@