While I was watching the Oscars I prepared my acceptance speech, although I know I will never win one, or even be nominated for that matter. "Thank you all, for voting for a whole new genre of film, one that actually offers possible solutions to the problems we face today. I know our Studio, that specializes in this kind of film, has been ridiculed, but we have continued to build our audience over the years. At first, we only offered possible solutions in our films, and now we actually implement those solutions while in production. I want to thank you for recognizing a film that is more than a movie, but a movement for positive change, and I want to challenge you, each and every one of you, to join this movement to lead the way to a better world."
Taking away platforms for "hate speech" is certainly not a way to a better place. That awful phrase 'hate speech' is already a sign of the revenge of the zombies. If I say that The Slap came not from negative elements but from black people who campaigned that "oscars (are) so white", only to nearly repeat The Source awards melee in hip hop years ago- would that be hate speech? Black producer, black host, black superstar- and none of that is mentioned? What future has this new ecosystem?
And I won't even start on women. Oh, boy, I'm on thin ice now. Most men in any industry have a wife, a daughter and nieces who keep them in line- not to mention mothers. How does that fit into the ecosystem? China also will have something to say about everything. And it'll get worse as long as people vote Donkey.
Right now, the marketers have tipped the scales. They are an army spouting that famous line of Kirk Douglas in The Bad & The Beautiful. "Without me, it would've stayed an idea." As long as they hold that over our heads, they'll win.
I can see the urgency increase with each post you write and it is motivating. I LOVED the question, "Did you move the world closer to the one you want?" Going to keep that one to continuously ask myself. Thank you. After reading this I wrote a page full of questions this post prompted in me and thought I'd share them with you. I also love your idea for a "Best Practices manual." That is such a good suggestion which prompted my first questions, How do you shift an industry's "values"(from solely market-based and more towards the "gift" of creating art) to make way for a more wholesome, inclusive future? How do we all more or less tell the same "story" (a common narrative for a collective vision?), what words (we use when speaking of the future) need to be more carefully and wholely defined- expansive and understood definitions so we're all on the same page. Whose minds do we need to shift or widen the perspective of first? What is the most effective "campaign" strategy to achieve broadening their perspective? How do you get execs to want to do more than keep their jobs? If we create our own "ecosystem" in independent film to "prove" that the future we're envisioning works, how do we collect all the fragments that are currently working to gain momentum for a larger narrative, while simultaneously building upon this narrative? What does this new ecosystem's framework look like? How do we get people excited about film as an artform on a more broad-based level to maximize and expedite effective change? How do we give the necessary context to film's present, past, and collectively imagined future? And if we are giving context to the shadier parts of the industry, how do we necessarily "rip the band-aid off" to understand what needs to change while simultaneously offering/putting in place spaces for a kinder present and hope-filled future so as not to further wound that which has yet healed? Where can we find and illuminate the "small victories" to get more people motivated for the larger ones? In order to create MOMENTUM.
Hope these make sense. Apologies for the unedited stream of consciousness. Have a beautiful week.
I’m here to agree.
While I was watching the Oscars I prepared my acceptance speech, although I know I will never win one, or even be nominated for that matter. "Thank you all, for voting for a whole new genre of film, one that actually offers possible solutions to the problems we face today. I know our Studio, that specializes in this kind of film, has been ridiculed, but we have continued to build our audience over the years. At first, we only offered possible solutions in our films, and now we actually implement those solutions while in production. I want to thank you for recognizing a film that is more than a movie, but a movement for positive change, and I want to challenge you, each and every one of you, to join this movement to lead the way to a better world."
Taking away platforms for "hate speech" is certainly not a way to a better place. That awful phrase 'hate speech' is already a sign of the revenge of the zombies. If I say that The Slap came not from negative elements but from black people who campaigned that "oscars (are) so white", only to nearly repeat The Source awards melee in hip hop years ago- would that be hate speech? Black producer, black host, black superstar- and none of that is mentioned? What future has this new ecosystem?
And I won't even start on women. Oh, boy, I'm on thin ice now. Most men in any industry have a wife, a daughter and nieces who keep them in line- not to mention mothers. How does that fit into the ecosystem? China also will have something to say about everything. And it'll get worse as long as people vote Donkey.
Right now, the marketers have tipped the scales. They are an army spouting that famous line of Kirk Douglas in The Bad & The Beautiful. "Without me, it would've stayed an idea." As long as they hold that over our heads, they'll win.
I can see the urgency increase with each post you write and it is motivating. I LOVED the question, "Did you move the world closer to the one you want?" Going to keep that one to continuously ask myself. Thank you. After reading this I wrote a page full of questions this post prompted in me and thought I'd share them with you. I also love your idea for a "Best Practices manual." That is such a good suggestion which prompted my first questions, How do you shift an industry's "values"(from solely market-based and more towards the "gift" of creating art) to make way for a more wholesome, inclusive future? How do we all more or less tell the same "story" (a common narrative for a collective vision?), what words (we use when speaking of the future) need to be more carefully and wholely defined- expansive and understood definitions so we're all on the same page. Whose minds do we need to shift or widen the perspective of first? What is the most effective "campaign" strategy to achieve broadening their perspective? How do you get execs to want to do more than keep their jobs? If we create our own "ecosystem" in independent film to "prove" that the future we're envisioning works, how do we collect all the fragments that are currently working to gain momentum for a larger narrative, while simultaneously building upon this narrative? What does this new ecosystem's framework look like? How do we get people excited about film as an artform on a more broad-based level to maximize and expedite effective change? How do we give the necessary context to film's present, past, and collectively imagined future? And if we are giving context to the shadier parts of the industry, how do we necessarily "rip the band-aid off" to understand what needs to change while simultaneously offering/putting in place spaces for a kinder present and hope-filled future so as not to further wound that which has yet healed? Where can we find and illuminate the "small victories" to get more people motivated for the larger ones? In order to create MOMENTUM.
Hope these make sense. Apologies for the unedited stream of consciousness. Have a beautiful week.