Derek Knowles

Blushing with pride over Citizen Nation securing an award for best episodic series. It’s a testament to the vision of a director in that anyone should be so lucky to be with in the field, and a team at and that enable authentic storytelling. But above all it’s a recognition of the students and teachers at the center of the series and a refreshing acknowledgement that, in an age of celebrity adoration and commercial overdrive, the ebb and flow of “ordinary” lives is the heartbeat of nonfiction filmmaking. May it continue to be so.

Thrilled to have a doubleheader tonight.

First, the fourth and final episode of and then right after on an episode of American Voices which follows up on the same folks we shadowed four years ago, on the eve of another national election.

At heart, both pieces are for me potent people’s histories that reject the top-down storytelling always dredged up by these election cycles. And in the Zinn style, I’m so proud to have contributed to work that honors our “fugitive moments of compassion rather than solid centuries of warfare.” I hope a similar impression is found in the viewing.

Big hugs to the fellow soldiers of cinema who made these happen:

Coming back to with the birds. Oct. 7th and 8th at the Smith Rafael. Drop me a line if you’re local and looking for tickets.