Hannah Rosenzweig is a documentary film director and long-time producer. She is the founder and president of Intention Media Inc. Since serving as Hillary Clinton’s personal videographer for her 2008 presidential campaign, Rosenzweig has worked as a producer and advisor for women candidates and elected officials. She produced the award-winning film “Puppet,” which premiered at DOC NYC, and has produced and filmed documentaries for the History Channel, the Sundance Channel, and PBS, including the Peabody Award-winning “Voices of Civil Rights.”

Wendy Sachs is a documentary film director, Emmy-winning network news television producer, writer, and speaker. She is also a former Capitol Hill press secretary, media relations executive, and the author of two critically acclaimed books about women and careers: “Fearless and Free — How Smart Women Pivot and Relaunch their Careers” and “How She Really Does It: Secrets of Successful Stay-at Work Moms.”

“Surge” is now streaming on the Showtime Anytime app.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

WS: “Surge” is an inspiring and powerful film about the record number of first-time female candidates who ran, won, and upended politics in the historic, barrier breaking 2018 midterm elections.

Each of our candidates in Texas, Indiana, and Illinois were running in extraordinary uphill races to flip their red districts to blue. “Surge” reflects on the events that gave a collective sense of urgency to the 2018 election and looks at how that urgency continues to drive a surge of female candidates in 2020.

The film discusses why women may need to lose first before they win, reframing the idea of election loss not as a failure but as an important step forward to creating political parity.

The film also looks at how a pipeline of female candidates emerged from the extraordinary midterm elections — a pipeline that didn’t exist before. It examines the importance of not only the women who ran for office but the women who got behind the women running for office.

Our initial shoots evolved into a film that asks the question: Is this a moment or a movement? 

W&H: What drew you to this story?

WS: The idea for “Surge” came together weeks after the Women’s March in 2017. Like millions of others, we were horrified by the 2016 presidential election results and took to the streets in sisterly solidarity. Shortly after the march, our misery shifted into excitement when we saw reports of thousands of women declaring they were running for political office.

W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?

WS: I want people to feel inspired, empowered, and optimistic. I also want people to feel the urgency of the time that we’re in and activated to get involved at the grassroots. I want people to recognize that their vote matters and who we elect into office matters. I would also love for the film to motivate girls and women to see themselves as elected leaders and to consider running for office.

But I think it’s equally important to understand that not everyone needs to run themselves, but supporting women running for office, getting involved in your community at the local level – it all can make a critical difference. And most importantly right now, I want to make sure that everyone is registered and planning to vote!

HR: I want people to think about how many women across the country are doing extraordinary things in their communities. We don’t often get to see stories of women like “Surge’s” Jana Lynne Sanchez, Liz Watson, and Lauren Underwood in the press, but there are so many out there!

I want to expand our collective notion of what a leader looks and sounds like. The more we see people of color, women, and young people in positions of political leadership, the more we normalize it.

One of my favorite quotes from Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley is, “Those closest to the pain, should be closest to the power.” I hope the film shows how important it is to elect leaders with diverse life experiences and backgrounds, so our policies at every level of government better reflect the lived experience and needs of people across the country. Lauren Underwood says in the film, “Our country would be a different place if more nurses and teachers ran for office.”

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

WS: Making an independent film is its own kind of madness. Without studio backing or one’s own fat bank account, you are hustling for funding all of the time — hustling for pretty much everything.

As a first-time filmmaker, it’s not a stretch to say that “Surge” is the most audacious and challenging project I’ve ever done and that was before a global pandemic paralyzed the film industry and cratered the economy.

At one point, we were told from a well-known documentary funder and producer that there were at least 10 other similar films in production, many with award-winning directors attached. And these directors had already secured money from those funders known to support female filmmakers –there aren’t many, you can literally count them on one hand — so good luck with it all! We were also warned that it was unlikely we would get into any major film festival, may not get a sales agent and let alone a sale since “Knock Down the House” was already made.

And still we persisted! There were many moments when I wasn’t sure if we could afford to continue filming and I would lie awake at night sweating it out over how we would pay our editor. But we were scrappy and agile and kept forging ahead, passionate about the project, and determined to get it finished. To save money, instead of flying to Texas for some shoots, I directed remotely. One shoot, at the Texas Democratic Convention, I directed on FaceTime from a gas station in New Jersey. I pulled over when my DP in Dallas was ready to film.

And then, some amazing things happened for “Surge.” About a year into production, Katie Couric became an advisor and donated to the film. It took a few months of email stalking until we finally connected on the phone. I was sitting in a parking lot next to a Rite Aid when we spoke. “I think the trailer is really great, how can I help you?” Katie asked. I wanted to cry.

Katie’s money helped pay for the primary election day shoots.

A year later, and right before the coronavirus shut down the world, actress, activist, and producer Alyssa Milano came on board as an executive producer. I had been following Alyssa’s activism as she protested the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, was at the helm of #MeToo, and as she documented her visits to Congress on social media. I admired how she was using her platform for extraordinary good and for nearly 18 months, I looked for ways to get connected to her team.

And then at Sundance in January, back when the people could still gather and sip lattes indoors, I was squatting in a free coffee lounge, when the email came back from Alyssa’s CAA agent that she had watched the rough cut and wanted to talk. When I spoke to her a week later, she said, “I love the film, what can I do?” Again, I wanted to cry.

HR: A big challenge was the scope of the film. We had three stories in three different states — none of which we lived in or could drive to. We were passionate about these three women and their stories but raising the funds to follow them for key parts of their stories was very challenging.

We realized early on that we were in competition with the other films about women running already in production. Many film organizations and film funders we spoke to had already given to one of these other films and were not willing to consider giving to ours as well — despite the fact that we were telling a different part of the surge story with different characters. We were told that one film about women in politics was enough.

We felt that the surge of women running and winning is an incredible story and moment in the history of this country and we need many films from different female filmmakers to cover it. We were finally able to find a funder that felt the same way and supported our film at a critical time.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

WS: Getting the film funded was extraordinarily challenging — in fact, we are still raising money.

As a first-time director and producer, I think I was naïve about how difficult it was going to be and looking back, perhaps that was a good thing. We approached those who I was told were the usual funders, an assortment of foundations and individuals who donate to female-focused and political/civic-minded films that have a social impact.

We were rejected by every single organization and told that while they liked the film, it was “too similar to ‘Knock Down the House’” or “And She Could Be Next,” the films in the genre they had already supported. It felt like one and done.

We launched a campaign with an amazing platform called iFundWomen and that really got us going. But a game-changing moment came when we connected with Regina Scully at the Athena Film Festival in 2019. We had presented “Surge” as a “work-in-progress” and later that night, ironically at the New York premiere of “Knock Down the House,” Katie Couric introduced us to Regina.

Regina had heard about the film through a few people including Katie, who had already supported the film financially. A bunch of emails later, Regina wrote to me that she loved the trailer and she wanted to be an executive producer on the film. I got the email at midnight and again I cried. Yes, there’s a trend here. Raising money is deeply emotional, especially when it feels like the entire film hinges on getting that email.

We also received money from individual women from a group called Women Moving Millions and I spent time trying to make inroads with women who fund female tech founders. I didn’t find as much success with those women because they are really looking for [a return on investment]. And of course, documentary films don’t typically offer a great return on investment.

We also had limited success with women who write political checks and support candidates. I had imagined that women who are active in the Democratic Party would be natural donors to the film, but I was wrong. Connecting the dots for someone who isn’t used to funding films is challenging, even if you have a shared political mission.

Another game-changing moment came when I connected with Diane Robinson at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. Diane is deeply involved in politics and the Democratic Party and she’s a film producer. Diane became a key advisor to “Surge” and brought in our one and only investor.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

WS: I’ve always loved reporting, writing, and storytelling. My background is in journalism and long-form TV news. I also worked on Capitol Hill as a press secretary and for nearly 20 years, I’ve been writing about women’s issues: career, politics, and the work/life conundrum.

“Surge” is really the culmination of all of my many career pivots and personal passions. I’m obsessed with the documentary storytelling format and how you can authentically capture stories, inspire audiences, and create social change through this powerful genre. 

HR: Growing up, my mom’s best friend was a documentary filmmaker. Her films were about women and families. When I was in high school, she made an incredible vérité film about abortion where she interviewed women on both sides of the issue. She showed my family early rough cuts and I was so taken by the intimacy and power of the storytelling. Ever since then I’ve wanted to make my own documentaries.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

WS: The best advice I’ve received is to follow my instinct and ignore the naysayers.

The worst advice I received was to not keep moving forward with “Surge” until we raised the money. It’s very much a chicken and egg scenario. We had to keep shooting if we were going to make a documentary film about the election. There were key moments we needed to capture, and we couldn’t take a pause to wait for funding or the film would never have been made.

HR: The best advice I’ve received is to figure out what is deeply important to you and create your goals and actions around that. After the 2016 election, it was important to me to make a documentary that tells the story of ordinary women taking extraordinary steps to make change in their communities.

There were many challenges on the journey to achieve this goal, but I could keep going back to my original motivation and goal and gather energy from that to keep pushing it forward to the finish line.

I’ve received a lot of subtle discouragement over the years about filmmaking — that I shouldn’t make a film or produce a project because it’s not interesting, marketable, or it will take too long. None of these are reasons not to make a project you are passionate about!

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

WS: Surround yourself with people who can support you emotionally during the process. It’s a grind and there can be many dark moments where you wonder if it’s going to work out. The financial toll is tough, and the business model of independent filmmaking really isn’t sustainable. But if you’re passionate about sharing stories with the world and know that your film can make a critical difference, it’s what can keep you moving forward.

I was madly in love with “Surge” from Day 1 and my love of the film only grew as we continued filming and editing. Connecting with like-minded people — as I did with Hannah, who was also totally committed to finishing the film and sharing it with the world before the 2020 election — is what I believe made it all possible.

HR: Build a community of filmmakers. Join film organizations, attend events and screenings. Build your network. It’s impossible to make films alone, so you need a community to draw on for resources and collaboration. It’s very useful to know one or more of the parts of filmmaking yourself: build your skills as a shooter or editor so you can do that on your own films, especially your first few films, and then you don’t need to hire others. It saves money and helps you build your own storytelling style.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

WS: “Wonder Woman” because it’s freakin’ “Wonder Woman”! 

HR: I can’t pick only one! There’s “Antonia’s Line,” by Marleen Gorris. It’s TV, but I love Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You.” Also, “Laurel Canyon” and “The Kids Are All Right” by Lisa Cholodenko.

W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?

WS: COVID-19 blew up the film industry and all of our plans for in-person festival screenings, college campus screenings, and the in-real-life GOTV events we were creating to launch “Surge.” We had to creatively pivot all plans and take them virtual. I just did a “Morning Joe” segment today to promote “Surge” via Skype from a hotel room in Boston with some DIY lighting. Yes, the coronavirus has made us all become much more creative.

HR: My creative focus has been finishing “Surge” and getting it out into the world. When all our plans changed because of COVID, we had to find ways to finish the film remotely and release it so as many people could see it before the November election [as possible]. Besides “Surge,” I’ve continued to produce videos for Democratic and progressive candidates running in 2020, which included directing shoots all over the country via Zoom.

W&H: Recent protests in the U.S. and abroad have highlighted racism and anti-Black police brutality. The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make Hollywood and/or the doc world more inclusive?

WS: It starts with funding and supporting women and people of color financially. It also begins with broadening the idea of what audiences want to watch.

It can be infuriating and frankly sexist to hear that a “woman’s film” like “Surge” has already been made. When I think about how many bro movies there are in the world and how many political films about men have been made, my head wants to explode. That women are still marginalized and a women’s political film is dismissed somehow as “we’ve seen that once before” is truly maddening.

HR: I agree with Wendy that it starts with funding. What is extremely important is having people of color in positions of power and as decision-makers in the major film funding and programming organizations. It’s important for white filmmakers to think about hiring people of color and women on their projects. Or more specifically, each time you have the opportunity to hire in the industry think about hiring a diverse crew with different backgrounds.

Supporting the organizations and initiatives that already exist to support women of color filmmakers especially — such as the Brown Girls Doc Mafia, which has an online spreadsheet of women of color crew all over the country — is essential to make the industry more inclusive.