Last night, documentary filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal brought their Oscar-nominated film, "Trouble the Water," to Ithaca College for a screening. The film travels to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and shows viewers a new side of the struggle in a narrative documentary style. I was not able to attend the screening last night due to a conflict with my job in the Commons, but was able to attend a luncheon today, during which the filmmakers sat down with students and faculty to discuss the film and other issues relating to independent media and documentary filmmaking. One topic they discussed was how they really wanted the film to screen in theaters because audiences there tend to be more captive and engaged than those watching a film on television or the Internet. I thought this point was very interesting, especially when it's related to the current situation in the newspaper industry. A person picking up a paper tends to be more actively engaged than someone scanning the Net for the latest headlines. So, if newspapers decline and die out -- as many assume they will in the coming decade or so -- what will become of the readership? Will they actively seek out their news from other mediums? But, I digress. Lessin and Deal also talked about how they didn't take no for an answer when finding sources for "Trouble the Water" and other projects they worked on. I really admire this because, as someone who's a bit more shy, I don't know if I'd be able to easily assert my right to access certain information like they did. Since I wasn't able to see the film last night, I would love to see it very soon because it sounds like an interesting, important film that anyone would enjoy and benefit from seeing.
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