By Tessa Moran
It seems as if my life is following the trajectory of my films. I’d heard before that films had the capacity to do that; to define and characterize your life like chapters. But this was never evident for me until now. Back in June 2007, when I wrote on this very blog about “charting one’s own course” and “creating one’s own opportunities”, I was leaving my full-time job as a reporter for the thrilling life as a documentary filmmaker. And now after two and a half years of producing, editing and re-editing Keeping the Kibbutz, the film is complete and packaged in mailers on its way to film festivals. This happened just I left another full-time reporting job. A full-circle really.
It wasn’t an easy decision two and a half years ago, and it was an even harder decision this time around. And that’s not just because of the crummy economy. I should know how bad things are as I covered economics for the last two years. But it’s more than that: I have that fear in the back of my mind that I won’t fully take advantage of this opportunity I’ve created for myself. I worry that I will be simply looking for ways to make a living (however noble that is) and not seeking ways I can use my work to inspire, engage and inform.
The last two months at Eidolon have been busy as ever, which I’m grateful for. But I’ve struggled with the lack of structure, the many moving pieces, the up-the-air deadlines, and having to be constantly in an entrepreneurial mode. In our choice of projects, it’s often a challenge to balance the three trajectories of our business: our need to make a living, our desire to make films that matter, and our thirst for full editorial control. We’ve developed a strong interest in the ways that documentary films can be used to promote change. Yet I’m still really trying to figure out how to measure our success by both the impact our films have and the money that they generate to help us continue to do what we do. Entrepreneur Ted Leonsis, whom we interviewed earlier this week for a project, calls this a “double bottom line.” The more commonly recognized buzz word is “social entrepreneurship,” a term first used during the civil rights era of the 60s and 70s but brought into widespread use in the 80s and 90s and particularly today.
There are many organizations that promote this type of work. One of them is Encore Careers, a non-profit think tank that works to encourage older individuals to use their skills towards social change. Every year, they give out what they call the “Purpose Prize”, a recognition of social entrepreneurs over 60. Their point is that you are never too old (and certainly never to young) to contribute something great. And these people are making a tremendous impact; they are bringing mentoring, substance abuse programs and mental health counseling to their communities. These people are truly inspiring.
Fortunately, I’ve been able to be inspired by the people I’ve documented. One person is Regina Holliday, a DC muralist and art teacher who lost her husband to kidney cancer after confronting what she found to be a difficult health care system. Now she is on a mission to paint every blank wall, every canvas and even every jacket with her message not just for better access to care, but for better, more considerate, safer health care for all. We have been documenting her over the last six months in collaboration with Jamie Crausman of ThinkTank Productions, who attended film school with Regina’s late husband Fred.
What inspired me most about Regina was her ability to move, empower and enact change through art. I hope I can do the same.
Wow, Tessa! Very inspiring post. Thanks for the lift!