Classless

"American Winter" Documentary

More and more documentaries about the fallout of the "Great Recession" are now surfacing. "American Winter" is a HBO documentary that "follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."

The following synopsis comes directly from the film's website:

"Working together with the nonprofit organization 211info in Portland, the filmmakers were given full access to monitor and record calls from distressed families who were calling 211’s emergency hotline in search of help. They then began following the stories of some of these callers in more depth over several months. The film follows multiple families in their daily struggle to keep their heads above water, while facing overwhelming challenges and dwindling resources available to help them, creating a powerful firsthand view of Americans caught in today’s financial undertow."

"American Winter" is currently raising funds through Kickstarter. Consider checking out the film's campaign here.

 

Canadian Economic Crisis Doc Project

The National Film Board of Canada is a big player when it comes to social issue documentaries. They're also leading the way forward with interactive and web based documentary exhibition. Their recent documentary "GDP: The Human Side of the Canadian Economic Crisis" incorporates 100 photo essays and 150 short films into an in-depth look at the toll the economic downturn has had on Canadians. 

With films from Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, and many other large Canadian cities, "GDP" may well be the most ambitous cross-continent documentary ever made.

Check out "GDP: The Human Side of the Canadian Economic Crisis" and the National Film Board's other interactive documentaries at NFB Interactive.

 

99% (Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film)

The Sundance Film Festival is just around the corner and there's a lot of buzz surrounding the political documentaries that will be featured. One such documentary, 99% (The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film), is sure to garner some attention. The film is unique in that it is "crowdsourced," or created collaboratively, by 60+ independent filmmakers across the country. The film's synopsis follows:

"In 2011, seemingly overnight, Occupy captured the imagination of our nation—and the world. The sweeping story of the birth of a movement, 99%—The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film follows a disparate group of activists who converge on lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park to build a society organized by nonhierarchical decision-making structures. Inspired by the idea that wealth and political power are dangerously concentrated, grassroots groups from Minneapolis to Mississippi to Oakland soon follow suit, converging to focus on issues crucial to their own communities. After confrontations, expulsions, and mass arrests, the movement finds itself at a crossroad. What’s next?

Designed in part as an experiment modeled on Occupy’s process, the film employs multiple cameras around the country to capture the kinetic, immediate experience on the ground, peppered with a comprehensive range of viewpoints from activists, experts, and detractors. In an era of hopelessness and resignation, this film is a reminder that another world order is still possible."

Find out more at the http://www.99percentfilm.com

 

"56 Up" in Theaters!

Michael Apted's newest installment in the "Up" series-- "56 Up", is now hitting theaters across the country! The film is unique in that it offers a longitudinal look at the lives of multiple characters from the age of 7 to the age of 56. Apted's "Up" series showcases the impact social class has on life opportunities while exploring the twists and turns of each character's life. "56 Up" is not to be missed.

Please also check out this fundraising campaign to get one of the characters to the New York City premiere. 

 

"Inequality for All" at Sundance!

The Sundance Film Festival released a list of its competition lineup for the 2013 festival today. Amongst the documentaries is the film, "Inequality for All."

Inequality For All features former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich in an "Inconvenient Truth" style documentary on the problem of inequality. 

Inequality for All is "endeavoring to be a paradigm-shifting, eye-opening experience for the American public." The filmmakers claim that Inequality for All will show, in an accurate and non-partisan way, "why extreme income inequality is such an important topic for our citizens today and for the future of America."

The fact that a film on inequality has made it to Sundance seems to suggest that Americans want more than our current economic system can provide (well being, peace of mind, etc).

Check out Inequality for All on the web, follow the campaign on Kickstarter, and get ready for wide release of Inequality for All in 2013. 

 

Documentary & "Sactimonious Boredom"

Revered experimental filmmaker Chris Marker once claimed that he didn't like the term "documentary." He felt the term left a trail of "sanctimonious boredom" behind it. Unfortunately, I think Marker may have been right.

As I move forward on my documentary "Classless: On Being Middle Class in America," I fear that my film will be received as sanctimonious. I'm deep in the edit, sifting through footage, and teasing out themes that I hope others can relate to. 

To keep things entertaining I'm toying with the idea of including a few "Middle Class Montages" like the one featured above. The idea is simple: start folks off with a statement and have them fill in the blank. 

Here, my friends, acquaintances, and a few people I'd never met before, complete the statement: "you know you've achieved middle class status when __________."

The answers— whether snarky, serious, or critical, are all quite telling. 

Indeed, how DO you know when you've achieved middle class status? Or, for that matter, the "American Dream"?

 

Representing Social Class on Film

I've been working for quite a few months on my new documentary "Classless." I've talked to people from across the country and have tried to figure out how best to present issues of social class on film. In reading about social stratification and film I came across the 1983 classic "Educating Rita." The film stars Julie Walters and Michael Caine in what is, perhaps, the most thorough exploration of social class a narrative film can offer.

Julie Walters plays "Rita," an education hungry hairdresser studying at Britain's Open University. Michael Caine plays her reluctant, and alcoholic professor, "Frank". As the film progresses we see the separate and very different worlds these two characters inhabit. Rita's world is marked by routine, Saturday night sing-alongs at the local pub, and a yearning for more. Frank's world offers him autonomy, leisure time, and some intellectual fulfillment (even if Frank is disenchanted with the academy). As these characters' worlds collide the idea that social class is not just economic, but cultural, surfaces. 

Perhaps it's funny that a 30 year old film can still seem so relevant, but when one considers the slowness with which ideas about economic class have progressed it's no wonder we're not much further along than we were in the 1980s. Indeed, most Americans still think the U.S. is the "Land of Opportunity," and that our society is, for the most part, "classless." Americans also think that issues of social class are merely economic; they miss the larger cultural component of class. "Educating Rita" shows us that class is tied to other issues of cultural and civil rights. Climbing up the social ladder grants one autonomy on the job, the ability to make important decisions about the course of ones own life, and security. 

I'm not making a narrative film that deals with issues of social class, but if I was, I can't imagine I could make one better than "Educating Rita."

O.k., now it's back to the documentary. More clips, musings, and the like soon...

 

Rhetoric at the Debate!

Rhetoric, "zingers," and other nonsense permeated speech at the first Presidential Debate. Barak Obama used the term "middle class" at least 15 times. Mitt Romney uttered the term 3 times. Romney made sure to differentiate himself from President Obama by twisting the term around a bit; he said "middle income Americans" close to 10 times. The candidates seem to be experts on the middle class, but no one else attending the debate is quiet as clear as the candidates are. Check out this short video survey from outside the first Presidential Debate to see exactly how Americans feel about the "middle class."

 

Participate in "Classless" the Documentary!

"Classless," the documentary on "being middle class in America," is seeking audience created content for inclusion in the film! That's right, I'm "crowdsourcing" part of this documentary. I don't want to hear from experts, PhDs in sociology, or political pundits, I just want to hear from regular people! Regular people who can help me shed light on the highly ambiguous term: "middle class"!

If you’re interested in politics, social class, and issues of wealth inequality in the United States record a YouTube Video response to the question:

“What does it mean to be middle class in the USA” and submit it to me, “Classless” director, Joe Brown.

All submitted videos will be considered for inclusion in the final documentary and will receive a FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OF THE FILM upon its release!

Watch a "How to Participate Video" and follow a "Step-by-Step Guide" by visiting the "Participate" link.

 

"Classless" Documentary In Production!

Over the last year I've posted a variety of video clips, personal writings, and articles about issues of economic class in America. My goal has been twofold: to start a discussion about economic class (an issue that is normally considered taboo), and to start edging, ever so slowly, towards a documentary on "being middle class in America".

Today, I'm happy to announce that "Classless" the documentary is in full production, and that I intend to share my progress here, on this blog, as I produce, shoot, and edit!

Please watch the above trailer, let your friends know about the film, and check back often. I promise to share all the trials and tribulations that come with the making of a documentary film, and I'm sure I'll need some encouragement!