Crafting the world we want to live in

Somewhere in the doldrums of November 2020 — what now feels like a lifetime ago — Steph and I had the incredible privilege of participating in a Guild of Future Architects visioning session. We were invited to imagine what a creative economy could look like in the year 2075, which seemed inconceivably distant, all the more so because of the way the pandemic had made the future feel especially hazy and unknowable. 

As part of the session, we were asked to boldly imagine what this new world could look like using ‘what if’ questions and then identify the inflection points, the decisions and actions that would shift our path toward this vision. It was a simple, but powerful reminder that we can have a hand in creating the world we wish to see, one I’ve held on to in the two years since. On our better days, it’s guided what we do, who we work with and how. 

This summer, Steph and I had the opportunity to produce a spot for Supermajority to inspire and engage women voters in the lead-up to the midterm elections. Given the spirit of the project, we wanted to hire a cast and crew that reflected our audience: women and especially women of color. Balancing this goal with all of the logistics involved — schedules, locations, budgets, COVID, and, frankly, the undeniable fact that film remains an extremely male-dominated field — proved harder than we care to admit.

For far too long, the industry has been notoriously hierarchical and inaccessible, particularly for women and people of color. As recently as 2019, only 18 women had been admitted into the American Society of Cinematographers, and according to a recent American University study, nearly 80 percent of the documentary films distributed across TV and streaming platforms between 2014 and 2020 featured a white director or directing team. This underscores why this goal was important to us: it was an opportunity, however small, to create the world we wanted to see.

It also underscores what a unique and rewarding experience bringing together an all-women crew turned out to be. It’s hard to be one of just a few at the table, or on set, and it’s a relief to be free of that feeling. But more than that, it’s empowering. I lost count of how many times I heard from our cast and crew how special being on set was, how it just felt different. How collaborative it was.

And the experience was just as special for us. As producer-directors and business owners, we hope to be in a position to keep making these decisions, to not only create an impact through what we make, but also how we work. For us, the process is just as important as the finished product.

If I were to boldly imagine a future for Xerophile and for our industry, it would be one where we can honor and lean on each other’s strengths, where we can admit not knowing things and push each other from a place of deep care and respect, one where people are compensated fairly for their creative work. It would be a future that makes space for the talents and voices of those who have been traditionally sidelined because we’re all enriched when our workplaces and communities are more inclusive. 

In the meantime, we’ll be looking out for those inflection points.

-Monica