Steven Bognar is an executive producer. How did he join you on the film?
We’ve all been huge fans of his work since forever. There aren’t that many filmmakers out there who are interested in these types of stories, so we feel strongly that we need to support each other. He’s worked closely with our co-producer and DP Erick Stoll – Erick was a cinematographer on American Factory. We’d been friendly for years, and asked them for advice and notes a couple times during the process. He was able to attend our premiere at True/False Film Fest. We got to talking there about our hopes and dreams for the film, and he was eager to support. It’s truly a dream come true.
Who Moves America uses footage from the 1997 UPS strike, intercut with the newly shot material. Did you always know you were going to have access to that archival footage? Or was it a later date when the opportunity arose to highlight how things have stagnated for workers?
We didn’t know we were going to weave in ’97 at all. I’ve worked with archives in every feature I’ve worked on, so in hindsight, it’s not a surprise. But we were in the edit, trying to figure out another element for the film. And Jeremy, a producer on the project, had just made a short on the ’97 strike, so he suggested it as an idea, and then it just clicked.
“I’m always surprised by how people think these topics are controversial.”
You take politics and hot-button social issues head-on. Through your entire body of work, what are the most shocking or surprising things you have uncovered? And have any of those discoveries led to projects?
I’m always surprised by how people think these topics are controversial. We actually live in quite a progressive country; we just don’t have a government that is responsive to the people’s politics. And we have a media landscape that is responsive to moneyed interests, so it obscures that truth. But unions are incredibly popular. 50% of people under 45 prefer socialism to capitalism. So what I’m shocked by is how often people say to me that these are fringe or radical positions, when the data consistently shows they’re actually majority or near-majority views.
The reception to Who Moves America has been phenomenal, to say the least. Audiences are chanting and giving minutes-long standing ovations. So it is safe to say the subject matter is resonating with everyday citizens. However, what do you hope the CEOs and executive suits take away from watching the movie?
You know, our audience isn’t really CEOs or C-Suite execs. I’d love for them to see it, but they are really a very small minority of people in this country. I’m hopeful that the other 99.9% of people see this film and realize how powerful we are. There are certain things that we can only achieve when we do them together, and as soon as people realize that is when we’ll be able to see forward momentum.
Finally, what, if any, advice do you have for emerging or hopeful filmmakers out there?
Can I quote Fred Wiseman and say “marry rich?”
