Broken Chains was a winner of the Los Angeles Film Awards. The LAFA team interviewed Broken Chains' directors Aaron Stewart and Michael Lints. Congratulations on a very successful directorial debut! Before we dive into the making of Broken Chains, please tell us a bit about yourselves: what sparked your interest in filmmaking? The events in 2020 inspired Aaron and me to think of a way to address the racial wealth gap on screen. Although Aaron has experience in making videos, for me, it was driven by social impact. Film was the best way for me to express my concerns about the racial wealth gap and allowed us to share our story with a wide audience.
Michael Lints is a thought leader with Robbreport. On paper, Michael Lints is a stereotypical venture capitalist with a story we’ve all heard before. Formerly a technology entrepreneur in the Netherlands, he built a successful business – a data centre service – that got acquired in 2007, became seriously minted in the process (our words, not his) and decided that the funds would be put to good use helping other up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Today, he is a partner at Golden Gate Ventures, a Singapore-based venture capital firm that focuses on investing in start-ups across Southeast Asia.
Michael Lints was interviewed by the Financial Times about his research with INSEAD University about the exit landscape and venture capital liquidity dynamics in Southeast Asia. Quoted from the Financial Times: