From living in a Syrian refugee camp to surviving on a dollar a day as a radish farmer in Guatemala, Chris and his co-founder Zach are pioneering a new style of documentary filmmaking. The vision for their non-profit “Living on One” is to use immersive storytelling to raise awareness and inspire action around pressing global issues. Having worked for three different micro-finance organizations, Chris brings a unique perspective to the films he produces. His first film “Living on One Dollar,” was #1 on iTunes for documentaries and has been called “a must watch film” by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. His current film “Salam Neighbor” shines light on displaced refugees.
In this episode we discuss:
- 1:13 – How did you get into filmmaking?
- 3:37 – I am just one person. How do I make a difference?
- 8:21 – How will I know where to direct my energies to create change?
- 10:55 – Dead ends. What didn’t work.
- 13:24 – Making the work accessible.
- 17:31 – Entertainment vs Insight.
- 19:22 – Principles in making an audience care.
- 20:58 – Should we consider the audience while making the film?
- 24:28 – Why film, and not another medium?
- 26:28 – Knowing your Impact.
- 28:44 – Engagement without the power of cinema.
- 31:51 – Is there a danger in making impactful films?
- 34:46 – Propaganda.
- 37:57 – Insight on the process.
