economic empowerment - PBS

From the FilmmakerAs a filmmaker, the centerpiece ofthe project for me was the documentaryseries. Filmed in ten countries, theseries is inspired by Nick and Sheryl’swork — but also goes beyond the page tofilm new and immediate stories that lendthemselves to the drama that televisiondemands. Our approach was to orchestrate2-week trips to six different countries,following Nick as he reported on an agentof change working to better her own lifeor the lives of women in her community.Joining Nick on each leg of the journeywas a different actress who had experienceadvocating for social issues, butwho was not an expert in the specificissue we were following in that location.Rather, she was there to act as the eyesand ears of the audience, allowing an intimateand honest way into some of thesetough and demanding stories. We had thegood fortune to be joined by Eva Mendesin Sierra Leone, Meg Ryan in Cambodia,Gabrielle Union in Vietnam, Diane Lane inSomaliland, America Ferrera in India, andOlivia Wilde in Kenya.The experience of the shooting was someof the most difficult I have ever experiencedin over twenty years of producingand directing large and complicatedseries. Having directed a ten-hour seriesaboard the USS Nimitz on a six-monthdeployment to Iraq (PBS, Carrier), runaway with a traveling circus (PBS, Circus),and made a film about toxic waste beingdumped on a Native American community(HBO, Mann v. Ford), I was prepared forand yet still stunned by the conditions inwhich most people in the world live. I wasespecially affected by the experiencesof women living under these conditions.From rough terrain to blistering poverty,the situations were incredibly challengingand the issues were often heartbreaking.For example, children being raped as earlyas two and three years old in post-conflictSierra Leone or the staggering reality oftrafficking and sexual slavery of younggirls in Cambodia. But the women weworked with were some of the most amazing,courageous, and admirable women Ihave ever known. The tears often flowed.Two of the more emotional experiencesoccurred while trying to help the fourteenyear-oldFulamatu seek justice againstthe uncle who raped her and two of herfriends, only to watch the case crumble,and during the harrowing brothel raid inCambodia with the fiery Somaly Mam thatfreed several under-age girls being heldin slave-like conditions where they wereforced to work as prostitutes with 10-30clients per day.Working with Nick and Sheryl was aninvaluable and amazing opportunity as adirector. I was so impressed by Nick inthe field as he tenaciously sought out thestory and by Sheryl’s incredible ability tosee the big picture and address the largeglobal issues. I knew I wanted to honortheir work. We all felt from the start thatit should be an epic production, visuallystunning and visceral, showing the amazingplaces we visited and people we metin all their beauty. We wanted the realityof their world to be accessible and yet,at times, shocking — an edge-of-your-seatadventure with global significance. Wewanted to tell true stories, yet also deepenpeople’s experience and understandingof the issues women and girls face inthe developing world. We also believed,and Nick and Sheryl were deeply committedto showing, that the stories couldand should be uplifting and empowering.Even in the darkest of circumstances, wefound the most startling humanity andconfirmation of the human spirit’s resilience.People who engage with all of ourcontent — on the multiple platforms available— will be angry, motivated, inspired,and most important, feel connected to thesubjects and themes. We wanted to createa unique experience that goes beyond“issue” filmmaking to simply tell incrediblestories about the capacity of humanbeings to persevere against all odds andthe restorative power of opportunity inparts of the world that are not “over-there,”but a small leap from our own backyard.Discussion guide // economic empowerment3