I got together with Emily Topper, the director of the upcoming documentary, "The American Village." We sat down at on the hill and somehow seamlessly jumped into one of the most fascinating discussions i have had in a long time. Our stories are slightly similar. The main difference is that she has complete artistic control over how her story is told on behalf of her family. We discussed the problems that can arise when one person tries to tell a story and keep everyone involved happy with the way in which it is told.
In my opinion, it is the job of a story teller to share their experience authentically and explore the issues at hand. That being said, there are always family members, friends and other people who experienced the crime who have a very different perspective. In the worst case scenario, people are re-victimized or offended by someone else's interpretation of the story. Best case- the artist creates an insightful piece of work that acknowledges everyone's 'needs' from the act of story telling, while remaining authentic to their own interpretation.
I think Emily is doing a brilliant job of this. I think her film will be phenomenal... but more than that I think it will be a beautiful, honest look at the way crimes affects family dynamics and subsequent generations. I have incredible respect for her drive to find answers and make sense of a senseless act.
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