Change in Detroit Public Schools: A Day of Alternative Education

I was at Central High School today, Detroit’s oldest high school, to participate in “A Day of Alternative Education.” Hundreds of students gathered in the auditorium for a screening of the feature documentary film Our School, an exploration of Detroit’s diverse education and institutions, the crisis they face, and the students and staff who suffer and thrive. The film interweaves the experience of one day in Detroit Public Schools, capturing the students’ frustration and anger with the present, and their hope for the future.

After the screening, students discussed the film in small groups tackling the core issues of the film, their own frustration at school, and possible solutions for positive change.

Following the discussions, students participated in one of several diverse workshops, including leadership training, entrepreneurial skills, sustainable gardening, music production, poetry, and more, all lead by volunteers from the community.  It was great to be surrounded by so many people concerned for their community and and see their passion and actions towards creating positive change.

My friend James and I we’re teaching a workshop on stop-motion animation.  We saw the students' enthusiasm grow as their animation progressed.  By the end of the day, several students we're voicing their desire for more educational opportunities like this, a need that must be met by the school systems and community. 

The event was organized by Oren Goldenberg, Director/Cinematographer/Producer of Our School. You can learn more about the film, organizing a screening, see the trailer, and get tickets to the premiere at: www.ourschoolproductions.com

The film premieres at the Burton Theatre
at 3240 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48201 on

May 5th, 2010 at 8:30pm

Additional Screenings:

May 7th: 8:00 pm

Ma7 8th: 5:00 + 8:00pm

May 9th: 2:00pm

Change at the Party: Move a Car with Your Bare Hands!

Wow! Look at this guy! Someone take a photo, quick! Okay World’s Strongest Man, say, “Cheese!” That was a Kodak moment for sure. Okay, you can put the car down…

Whew! As unlikely as it may seem, this guy and I share a few affinities: We both like acts that are ridiculous in nature and we both like moving cars by hand.

I’m going to discuss the latter…

It’s possible that this guy has wanted to move cars by hand ever since he was a little boy the size of his current bicep… It’s possible that he’s been training his whole life, devoting the majority of his time to the over development of his muscles so that one day, his dream of moving a car with his hands would come true…

When I was a little boy, I played soccer. There are two things I remember my coaches saying:

1. You’re white trash.

I was about 12 years old when I was playing on a premiere league in another, more “affluent,” suburban community. One day at practice, the trainer called me “white trash.” When my mom and I brought this up to the head coach, the trainer said he was only kidding. He may have been an okay trainer but he was a poor comedian. I quit the team a week later to spare myself the poor humor.

2. There is no “I” in “Team.”

I heard this from several coaches throughout my soccer years. Cliché as it is, the possibilities of teamwork are incredible. An individual has the potential to accomplish great things… like change the position of a car with their bare hands… But a good team can accomplish the same task much more efficiently.

This point was proven last weekend when I was at a house party. A friend was trying to leave but his car was blocked in by a large Taurus. We asked around the party to find the owner but no luck…

Now most people may have accepted defeat at this point…

I, however, have been fortunate enough to see the potential of a Group of People Vs. a Car. In the past, a friend backed over a curb during winter and the middle of the car body was hanging over a small ledge. She gathered 6-8 dudes, including myself, and together, we were able to pick one end of the car up and swing it back onto the parking lot. The moment the car lifted off the ground we were all surprised and thrilled with self and group empowerment!

Now I’m back at the party and I’m trying to gather 6-8 people asking everyone, “Who wants to move a car?! Okay, put that beer down and let’s go!” It was difficult to rally people up at first… There were several people who were doubtful… But, “One…Two…Three,” we lifted and the car started moving. Together, it took about 7 people 3 attempts to shift a Taurus out of the drive way far enough for my friend to get out. Every participant was thrilled- especially, those doubtful at first. Immediately after, I heard people on their phone, “Dude, WE JUST MOVED A FUCKING CAR! WITH OUR HANDS!”

Let’s summarize:

1. Both the World’s Strongest Man and Myself like to move cars by hand.

2. Both the World’s Strongest Man and a Group of People can move a car. I prefer the latter approach.

3. The World’s Strongest Man must train for years to prepare and accomplish this task. A Group of People can be ready in about 5 minutes.

4. The World’s Strongest Man uses drugs like steroids to help him achieve the task. A Group of People can be intoxicated with alcohol and other drugs and still move a car.

5. When the World’s Strongest Man moves a car, the accomplishment is only shared with himself and his muscles. When a Group of People move a car, everyone high-fives and shares the joy of their accomplishment.

It’s unfortunate how the media and our society focus so much on individual feats and accomplishments. Professional athletes get paid a ridiculous salary for their exceptional physical skills. In politics, it seems we expect one President to change the world for the better. As we watch abnormally strong individuals pick up cars, refrigerators, boulders, and other tasks lacking utility, we feel more powerless and forget that we too have great potential, especially if we work together.

Nearly anything is possible. Everyone has potential. Individuals can combine their energy to do amazing things. The power of teamwork is incredible!

If you’re feeling down and depressed, it is often from the result of feeling powerless. A great way to empower yourself is to simply pick up a car and move it with a bunch of your friends. It may be a little stupid... But trust me, you will feel empowered by the possibilities of what teamwork can do. Then, take that energy towards a more useful goal in the future!

Make Change. Just Do It!

-Lazer

Change in Environmental Film: Art + Poetry = Effective Message

[If you don’t read this blog post, I won’t mind. But please watch the short film Plastic Bag narrated by Werner Herzog. I’ve included it at the bottom of this post. It is incredible. Period.]

“Hey you! You wasteful consumer! Watch this film I made! I’m gonna show you a bunch of heightened or ambiguous facts about your unsustainable lifestyle! You are blowing it for the future of our planet! Change your lifestyle now!”

This is the imagined voice I hear when I watch several poorly made environmental films. You’ve all seen them: The PSA that you forget 30 seconds later or the awful post-apocalyptic feature film that you wish was only 30 seconds.

Or, it may not even be an environmental film. It may be Avatar in 3-D IMAX where you have a bunch of humans in robot suits destroying beautiful landscapes and its native people for a precious resource: UNOBTAINIUM!

Come on James Cameron! These generic scenarios lack effectiveness of an environmental message. But I guess that wasn’t the point. The point of the film was to spend $280,000,000 to make a bunch of cool looking 3-D stuff.

Anywho, as a filmmaker with a concern for the environment, I ask, “How do you make a good environmental film?” Several people, including myself, make environmental films but I see very few that are truly exceptional.

First, let’s start with a simple definition:

Environmental Film – A film/video whose primary subject is the natural environment, or an issue concerning the environment.

(For this discussion, an environmental film includes PSAs, films, videos, television, and online media of any length.)

In most cases, if you figure out what is bad first, it is much easier to figure out what is good.

So what makes an environmental film bad?

1. The presentation. The subject (content) may be important, and may be interesting too, but the material’s presentation (form) is poor. A lot of filmmaker’s engage with their subject but fail to engage creatively with the filmic medium itself. The result: A film lacking originality or interest.

2. The tone. Environmental films can have an overbearing tone. Instead of presenting a subject to the audience, the film turns the audience into the subject, attacking our guilt for the issue at hand. Even if our actions are at fault, this is an ineffective way to promote change. A film can try to tell us what to do, but it cannot hear our response. So instead of responding, we quickly dismiss it.

3. The audience. Both presentation and tone influences the audience of an environmental film. If the presentation is too dry, scientists may be the only ones who will bore themselves. If the tone is too strong, environmentalists may be the only ones who can tolerate it.

4. The message. I believe the purpose of environmental films is to raise awareness and promote positive change for the issue at hand. But if the film has already failed in its presentation and tone, and failed to find an audience, then the message, no matter how important, has failed to make an impact.

Okay, so it seems that environmental films have at least four components: presentation, tone, an audience, and a message.

And a good environmental film should successfully convey its message to an audience. It should promote awareness and encourage change.  Now how do you do that? Well, that’s tricky. If there was a formulaic answer, I’d be off making excellent environmental films and not thinking of it.

Instead of an answer, let’s look at 2 case studies of successful and exceptional environmental films…

1. Planet Earth.

This 11 episode television series premiered in 2006. It was the most expensive environmental documentary to be commissioned by the BBC and took 4 years to complete.

The presentation of Planet Earth is incredible. It’s subject: 11 different habitats from all over the globe. The photography (form) may be more fascinating at times then the habitats themselves (content). High-speed photography and complex camera moves provide unique views of landscapes and wildlife.

The tone of Planet Earth is casual and objective. The narration is merely descriptive. There is no address to the viewer, or guilt tripping of any sort.

The message of Planet Earth is also subtle. After watching 11 breathtaking episodes, the viewer has a greater awareness and perhaps appreciation for the global environment. At the very least, it is an entertaining and unforgettable document of nature.

You may not volunteer to protect marine life after watching Planet Earth… However, I believe that if one wants to get stoned and watch a great white shark eat a seal in super slow-motion… that is still one step forward. Appreciation must come first.

2. Plastic Bag. A short film.

This film is the reason for this post. I saw it a month ago when it made its online premiere and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head.

Plastic Bag by writer/director Ramin Bahrani is a poetic triumph. The film personifies a plastic bag that wanders a long existential journey in search of its maker. It starts with its “first breath” at the grocery store and ventures all the way to the “Vortex,” a plastic utopia in the middle of the ocean. The plastic bag’s voice is narrated by none other than Werner Herzog. Bahrani’s regular collaborator, cinematographer Michael Simmonds, creates powerful images that strike an emotional cord with their raw simplicity. An elegant score from Sigur Ros’ Kjartan Sveinsson accompanies the visual beauty. Moments of light humor ground the film from any pretension. 

First and foremost, Plastic Bag succeeds as a short film and a work of art. Furthermore, it succeeds as an environmental film. Its message is clear and direct: We live in a disposable society that is creating a serious problem of plastic pollution. But Bahrani never attempts to address this issue directly. Instead, he turns the issue into a character, a plastic bag, and seeks to tell a great story of that character with every element of the filmic medium. He creates a great film first, that happens to appeal to a broad audience, and coincidentally carries a strong environmental message.

I believe making art and poetry is one of the most effective means for change and that this film creates a new direction for environmental film. Enjoy!

Plastic Bag is one of eleven short environmental films that make up the online series Futurestates presented by PBS’ ITVS (The Independent Television Service). I’ve only started watching a few of the other shorts. After Plastic Bag, my expectations were high and could not be met. One of the other shorts fell into the cliché post-apocalyptic scenario and I stopped watching.