American Freedoms

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

I am filming conversations with hundreds of people nationwide about the idea and experience of "freedom" in the United States. What privileges and opportunities do they feel that life here has enabled them to enjoy? How has the country helped or hindered others' ability to secure political, cultural, economic, and personal freedoms? Are there rights or opportunities that everyone in the U.S. should expect to have, and do Americans sometimes take freedoms for granted? Why is there constant 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 people often see their demands and aspirations as chapters in an "American" story, part of a 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 particular views or life stories, or pass judgement on freedom's multiple meanings and histories. The film will present a patchwork of conversations about peoples' experiences, understandings, and convictions, some that will be familiar to viewers and others that will no doubt surprise or confuse. How have demands for rights, privileges, and opportunity long been a source of conflict in the U.S. and why do they remain consequential? This project invites people to put competing ideas about freedoms in America—those imagined, aspired to, and realized—in conversation with their own.

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