[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: Should cinema be an escape?
Jesse Harris, Filmmaker: Hopefully, it can be both because there’s certain times when you just want to watch something to zone out and forget everything and have that escape but I also think films have this incredible power to transform lives and change the world in so many ways. If films were all just kind of fluff and escapism I don’t think films would be doing that change. It’s always going to be important to have films that have a deeper meaning or an important message whether that’s a documentary or narrative.
The best case scenario is that Hollywood keeps producing all kinds of movies because we all need to see everything depending on what our mood is. My personal worry is that some people will start to only want to watch that escapism. They’ll only want to watch the stuff that’ll feel safe and makes them feel good and won’t ever venture outside of that to see new fresh things that might actually challenge and surprise them.
The good and bad of things like streaming is that you could access anything. I just worry that sometimes people will take the easy route and just watch the things they know that they’ll like and enjoy. I hope that there’ll be more ways to curate and get people excited about some of the new stuff because I have the same problem sometimes. I just want to watch a safe, fun movie when I’m feeling down or whatever but I know that whenever I do watch that movie that I’ve never seen and it totally shocks me and grabs me that I always feel so thrilled afterwards.
Hopefully films can do…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
BIO:
Jesse Harris started his filmmaking career early, writing and directing his first feature when he was 17. He opted against college and used the money to fund his feature that he wrote and directed, which was eventually picked up for US theatrical distribution and by HBO Europe. In 2007, to support other young filmmakers, Jesse founded NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth), which has grown into the largest and most prestigious youth film festival in the world. Jesse put his filmmaking career on hold for several years to support other young directors and build a premier showcase for aspiring directors. Variety named Jesse one of 25 talents who transformed youth entertainment and was named one of City Arts Magazine’s Top 50 Culture Makers. His feature was shortlisted for the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards ‘Someone to Watch’ Award and was one of 20 features invited to the 2004 IFP New York Film Market. Jesse’s recently been named a Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, built around young entrepreneurs and do-gooders. Jesse returned to filmmaking in the commercial world, now bringing years of experience crafting beautiful stories for brands. His commercial work has been seen on TV around the world, working with clients such as Volvo, Microsoft, Disney and more. His 2018 short film, Wind in the Night was one of seven films selected for the 2019 Prix SNCF du Polar in France and picked up for distribution in France, Asia, UK and USA. The film was a proof of concept for his next feature, Borrego (available January 14, 2022).
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