Inspiring Rebel Voices
by Anthony Arnove
Working on The People Speak the past few years, there were a few moments when we weren't quite sure how we'd make it on television and into the world of commercial DVDs. We had the usual challenges facing independent films -- the budget, distribution, getting the word out. But once we started the first day of filming in front of a live audience at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, somehow we knew we'd find a way. All of us working on the film had a collective sense of purpose that we had an important story to tell and had landed on a way to tell it that was compelling and inspiring. One of Howard Zinn's many remarkable qualities was his determination, his confidence in the face of challenges. In his life of political activism, he had faced and overcome far greater ones than making a film. And Howard's joy in the process, his commitment to his vision, was infectious for everyone who came in contact with The People Speak.
The second day in Boston, Howard talked about the feeling of camaraderie among our performers being something he had not experienced so vividly since his time in the civil rights movement. All of our performers felt a deep personal connection to the project, to Howard, to the voices they were bringing to life -- and it showed.
When the television version of The People Speak aired in December on History, many of us who worked on the film shared e-mails and stories with each other from viewers who had called or written us with their reactions.
One of Howard's favorites came from a friend of mine who teaches in Massachusetts. She described how a friend watched The People Speak with her young grandchildren, who started watching the movie together, but then after a while, it was the kids' bedtime and she tried to send them upstairs to go to sleep. A few minutes later, the two came downstairs with hand-made posters protesting their early bedtime and announcing a strike unless they were allowed to stay up and watch the rest of the movie.
Howard dedicated our book Voices of a People's History of the United States to "the rebel voices of the coming generation." He had a special bond with young people, and his ideas have continued to reach and influence new generations. In setting out to make The People Speak, we had a goal of trying to reach even more people with that vision, creating a way to reach new audiences in our increasingly visual and aural culture, while also reminding them of the power of the written word and, we hope, inspiring them to read the people we feature in the film -- and read Howard's books. We also had, as Howard put it, another "modest goal" -- the goal he set for himself when he decided to become a teacher of history -- "to change the world." We hope this film will be a catalyst for people coming to understand that history matters, and is something we part of making everyday.
I hope you'll get a copy of The People Speak, share it with your community and be inspired.
blog comments powered by Disqus
