I think all great art and the good that's done in the world comes from people who are obsessed and driven by passion for what they love the most. 

Two such people are Bill Cunningham and Buck Brannaman – and no two men could be more different on the surface – Cunningham at age 82 zooming around Manhattan on his bike, taking pictures of fashion for the New York Times Sunday Style secton, and Buck Brannaman on a horse out west, teaching people how to transform their horses with compassion and respect.

Each man is driven by love and passion, and two recent documentaries beautifully illustrate this. Bill Cunningham's New York is both moving and hilarious; not only a tribute to Cunningham but also to Manhattan and a whole cast of eccentric souls he's connected to. He's wildly in love with fashion and leads us to see a deeper meaning in how people dress and present themselves to the world.

Buck, as the review in the L.A.Times said, "transports us to a better world." Following his abusive childhood, Brannaman connected to horses,identifying with them and learning to train them with great sensitivity and understanding. He's a real life horse-whisperer and coached Robert Redford for the movie. Inspite of his Hollywood connections and success, his life is simple in the best sense of the word; he loves horses, he loves his family – and that seems to be it. And he's also got a great sense of humor. 

Both Cunningham and Brannaman are pure souls. They not only have a single-minded passion, but they also have values and a moral compass. These guys are the real deal.

(I'm giving both DVDs out as Christmas presents this year.)