Jennifer Trainer is an award-winning journalist and author of 19 books that have been translated into ten languages. She wrote the first story about Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art for The New York Times and was one of a handful of co-founders of the museum. She is currently Director of Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock, Massachusetts.

“Museum Town” will premiere at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival on March 10.

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

JT: This is a story about risk—political, economic, and artistic — and the quest to build a contemporary art museum in a rural mill town in economic decline.

“Museum Town” is also a look into the making of art—not only how museums work but how artists create, as the film follows Nick Cave as he builds the monumental installation “Until,” a reflection on gun violence, race, and the American Dream. It’s a story about hope and creativity.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

JT: I lived this story. Even as I experienced the roller coaster ride— the twists and turns and perilous near-misses—I never lost sight of the fact that I was lucky to be a part of the development of a big idea.

The idea of MASS MoCA landing in a small town was a story that begged to be told and has a lot to say to the national conversation about the rural and urban divide, and I felt I was the one to tell it.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

JT: That ordinary people can do extraordinary things. That modern and contemporary art can impact lives outside of urban centers. That taking risks is really important.

The trustee of an Ivy League college once told me that the elite universities are making a terrible mistake these days because the only kids getting into Ivy League schools are those who have exceptional scores and perfect everything. They can’t afford to try something they might fail at; we’re raising an elite generation who fear risk.

If there’s one thing I’d like people to take away from this film, it’s that taking risks is critical to growth. And that anyone can make a difference—it takes many to row a boat.

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

JT: It was my first film. I’ve done a lot of things, but I hadn’t done this. People are too polite, of course, to say anything, but you can feel the skepticism in the intonation of the question, in the ever so slight arch of the brow. I’d tell myself, “Even Steven Spielberg had a first film.” Then I’d put my head down and plug away.

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

JT: We raised the money mostly through individual donations. We first went to people who knew the story and cared about it. Then, with an extraordinary team assembled, we approached potential donors whom we thought might care that it was an all-female team: Rachel Chanoff was producer, KJ Johnson was the first cinematographer, our editor was female, and I am female.

Meryl Streep offering to do the narration was an extraordinary gift that gave us additional credibility. And we stretched every nickel so we could spend our time mostly making the film.

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

JT: I started as a journalist 35 years ago, telling stories on paper. I’d never made a film, but it was a great story that begged to be told cinematically. I’ve been wanting to make this film for 11 years, and suddenly the time was right. I couldn’t wait.

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

JT: Cinematographer KJ Johnson gave me so much great advice it’s hard to pick one. Perhaps the best nugget was the fact that she told me to make a list of all the topics—people, stories, ideas—that I wanted in the film, and then to divide that list into two categories: essential and obligations. And then be prepared to leave the obligations on the cutting room floor.

The worst advice was someone who told me that I must follow a set format—to stick with vérité, for example. That struck me as untrue to the nature of the film. I wanted to mix it up. I really didn’t care about watching one of my characters standing for 20 minutes in front of a mirror brushing her hair.

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

JT: Don’t think of yourself as a female director. I’m not a huge fan of British royalty, but I was struck by a comment made by a friend of Meghan Markle’s about Meghan leaving her first husband and marrying Harry. She said, “Meghan took back her power.” I’d advise women to take their power.

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

JT: Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson.” Her work is brilliant in a number of documentaries, from “Citizenfour” to “The Oath,” but here, she’s made a vivid documentary that is utterly original, and which she owns completely. It’s as much about her family and life as it is about what it means to be a cinematographer in wrenching moments. It’s true, deeply touching, and truly unique territory. I can’t wait for her next film.

W&H: It’s been a little over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

JT: As our main character says when asked what she thinks about contemporary art: “Not much.” We’ve made tremendous strides. We talk about it. We’re aware of it. But subtle and not-so-subtle inequality runs rampant.

As the artist Rirkrit Tiravanija said, “March on until it rains glass.”