American Freedoms

The United States has long been portrayed as a place that, at the best of times, rewards hard-working people who are seeking safety, opportunity, and protection of their right to enjoy basic freedoms. How do people who live in the U.S. see themselves fitting into this story about the "American" experience?

To explore this, I am filming conversations with hundreds of people nationwide about the idea and experience of "freedom" in the United States. Has living here allowed them to enjoy particular freedoms, privileges, and opportunities? How has it helped or hindered others who are seeking political, cultural, economic, personal, and intellectual freedoms? Are there rights or opportunities that all people in the U.S. should expect to enjoy, and do Americans sometimes take their freedoms for granted? Why is there so much disagreement about freedom's boundaries, about the specific freedoms that deserve protection, and about what it takes to secure them? And given this history of conflict, why do so many people understand their own efforts and demands as evidence of their commitment to a national, "American" tradition with a common purpose? 

The story in American Freedoms will be told, literally, by the hundreds of individuals who agree to an interview. Their voices will narrate; no "experts" (or filmmaker) will chime in to offer commentary. And no individual will get extensive screen time. I won't "profile" speakers, highlight individual views or life stories, or pass judgement on freedom's many meanings and histories. The film will present a patchwork of conversations in which people discuss their experiences, their understandings, and their convictions, some that will be familiar to viewers and others that will no doubt surprise or confuse. Why does the concept of "freedom" defy easy characterization, why has it long been a source of disagreement and conflict, and why do demands for freedom in the U.S. continue to be consequential? The project invites people to put competing ideas about freedoms in America—freedoms imagined, aspired to, and realized—in conversation with their own.

                To learn more about the project and filmmaker or to inquire about participating, click the links above.