The belief system is democracy. - Gordon Quinn
Gordon Quinn is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Kartemquin Films, a collective that works towards creating “stories that foster a more engaged and just society.” Among their many works are Hoop Dreams and Home For Life.
This interview is also a companion piece to the recent interview I did with Professor Patricia Aufderheide, who wrote the book Kartemquin Films: Documentaries on the Frontlines of Democracy. You can listen to my interview with Professor Aufderheide, Episode 74, here.
In this conversation I ask Gordon:
How has the advent of digital filmmaking changed films?
What types of experimentation would you like to see with the form of documentary?
Your work has not just documented people’s lives, but also the power structures in which all of us exist. Can you speak to the importance of that?
What would John Dewey make of our country today?
When we talk about democracy today, and the challenges we face, what are some of the lessons you take from the sixties?
What is a fun memory of Roger Ebert?
The book Gordon mentioned is Original Sins: The (Mis)Education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing.
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