| Greenwald discusses activist filmmaking at SOC conference BY MATT GETTY
Photo by Hilary Schwab |
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald, whose unconventional distribution methods vaulted films like Outfoxed and Iraq for Sale into the national spotlight, shared some of his secrets with filmmakers on campus last week. To create movies that create change, he said during the School of Communication’s (SOC’s) “Making Your Documentary Matter” conference, activist filmmakers should seek partnerships with nonprofits early and often. “People often ask me, ‘How can I get Moveon.org to help distribute my film [as Greenwald did with Uncovered: The War on Iraq]?’ And I say, ‘Well, did you talk to them before you started filming? Did you look at what issues they’re working on?’” he said. The key to successfully teaming with any nonprofit, Greenwald stressed, is simple—don’t ask what the nonprofits can do for you; ask what you can do for the nonprofits. “They are not distributors; that is not their job,” he said. “They are there to work for change, and it’s our responsibility . . . to make a film that will be useful to them.” Documentarians can accomplish that goal by working with nonprofits before they even start shooting. From that contact forward, he said, the partnership should guide every step in the process. As an example, Greenwald pointed to his 2005 film Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, for which he teamed with groups like Walmart Watch and Wake-Up Walmart. “Our mission was not to win an Oscar and not to get a studio deal, but to create change,” he explained. “And all of our choices were consistent with that.” The approach paid off, he reported. It helped build a community of activists eager to host screenings and sell DVDs, and the discussion groups gave viewers a way to take action immediately after seeing the movie. In response to the film, as well as the letter-writing campaigns and petitions it inspired, Greenwald said, several states have already enacted new minimum wage and healthcare legislation. “If we’d taken the film a different way—say maybe festivals or theatrical—I don’t think that would have happened,” he said. The conference, which was organized by SOC’s Center for Social Media, brought together dozens of filmmakers and nonprofit leaders to discuss how to extend a documentary’s impact beyond the theatre. Subjects ranged from viral video to participatory media, but always returned to one central issue: no matter how many awards a documentary might win, it’s success can only be measured by its impact. As Greenwald put it, “We fail if people don’t want to take action after seeing the film.” |
