American Freedoms

The United States has long been portrayed as a place that rewards people who work hard, seek out new opportunities, and fight to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms. How do people living in the U.S. see themselves fitting into this popular narrative? And what "freedoms" do they see as defining of their life here?

I am recording conversations nationwide, asking hundreds of people to weigh in on a familiar story about freedom and opportunity in the United States. What opportunities or privileges has living here helped them to enjoy, and what has still been denied? What have they learned from their efforts and those of others in the U.S. to secure particular political, cultural, economic, and personal freedoms? Are there rights or privileges that should be available to everyone here, and do some Americans take their freedoms for granted? Why has there always been conflict in the United States over the definition of rights and what it takes to guarantee them? And why, despite this long history of conflict, do people often describe their aspirations or defense of freedoms as a chapter in an "American" story, part of a tradition with shared goals and a unified purpose?

The narrative in American Freedoms will be drawn exclusively from these interviews and so will be presented, literally, by those who choose to participate. They will do the talking, without "experts" offering commentary or passing judgement on freedom's meanings and histories. And because so many people are involved, no one will get extensive screen time or have their views or life stories highlighted. Instead the film will present a patchwork of conversations about a very wide range of ideas, experiences, and convictions, many that viewers will find familiar and others that might surprise or confuse. The project invites participants and the audience to put competing ideas about "American" freedoms—freedoms imagined, aspired to, and realized—in conversation with their own.

To learn more or inquire about participating, click the links above.