Rachel Dretzin has been honored with numerous awards for her documentaries, including the Emmy Award, the Peabody, the Du-Pont Columbia, and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. For many years she has directed and produced documentaries for PBS’ “Frontline,” with credits including “The Lost Children of Rockdale County,” “A Hidden Life,” and “Failure to Protect.” Dretzin is co-founder of Ark Media, a Brooklyn-based production company and a leading producer of nonfiction content.
“Far From the Tree” will premiere at the 2017 DOC NYC film festival on November 10.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
RD: “Far From the Tree” is a film about how we respond to the stranger among us — especially when that stranger is our own child. How do you bridge a connection to someone profoundly different when they are in your own family? To me, this film is about the beauty of difference at a time when we are watching a daily, jarring assault on the “other,” an experience which, in my opinion, has coarsened our country and unsettled all of us.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
RD: Andrew Solomon’s book “Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity,” which is passionately humanistic and full of stories that seize the heart. When I read it, all I could think was “this has to be a movie!” It turned out I wasn’t the only filmmaker who was entertaining that idea — but ultimately, I was lucky enough to obtain the rights to make the film.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
RD: I want people to feel their hearts open a little bit. After I first read Solomon’s book, I walked out on the street and realized no one looked the same to me. My assumptions about people who look and act “different” had been shaken to their roots. People tell me they have a similar experience after seeing the film and I take that as a profound compliment.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
RD: It’s a multiple character film with stories that don’t connect narratively, which made it really tough to cut. Plus we had to integrate the writer of the book, whose personal narrative and perspective is woven throughout. So the edit was a little bit of a beast. Finding a way to make the whole thing feel organic took a ton of time and a lot of trial and error.
W&H: How did you get your film funded?
RD: Participant Media came in early. Diane Weyermann, who runs docs at Participant, had read the book and had a similar reaction to mine — she was totally moved by it. Participant offered me a development deal that allowed me to cast and develop the movie. From there it was a pretty straight path to funding: Participant came in for half and a private funder for the other half. I consider myself very lucky.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at DOC NYC?
RD: I’ve long been a fan of the festival and I go every year. New York City is where I was born and where I’ve always lived, and playing the film here allows me to celebrate with my friends, family, and colleagues. Being chosen as the centerpiece film and playing in a big theatre like the School of Visual Arts Theatre is a dream come true.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
RD: The worst advice I’ve received is to play it safe. The best advice is not to.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
RD: Don’t try to ape anyone else. Embrace what makes you unique. Don’t be afraid of being “soft,” and god knows don’t be afraid of bringing emotion into your filmmaking. No film is objective, and the more you can infuse your work with your particular perspective on the world, the stronger it will be.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
RD: I thought Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson” was a masterpiece. She exposes her own aching heart, embraces her own subjectivity as a filmmaker, and ultimately makes a film that is a love poem to the documentary as an art form. It’s hard to imagine that film having been made by a man.
W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.
RD: There’s clearly going to be a tipping point and we’re not there yet, but I have a lot of faith that we will be. Change takes longer than it should. The revelations about sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood are part of a growing movement of women finding their voices and speaking up. The outcome will be more women directors, more women cinematographers, more women editors, more women everything.
