Over on the Fledgling Fund blog, we came across these great videos by POV filmmaker Jesse Epstein that show the power of documentary film to change people’s minds and inspire them.
The first video takes place at Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s Fade to Famous barbershop, the location of Jesse’s short film Wet Dreams and False Images. She recently returned to find the barbershop walls decorated very differently from when she shot her film there several years ago. The screening prompted a great discussion about body image and the power of media.
FILMS IN ACTION #2: Media Literacy in the Barbershop from Jesse Epstein on Vimeo.
The second video, entitled Watch. Write. Read. documents a poetry workshop held at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in which New York City teenagers watch the video above and other short films from Epstein’s body image series, including 34x25x36, which aired on POV in 2009. You can watch the film on our website and see an interview with Epstein talking about the series, as well.
FILMS IN ACTION #1: Watch. Write. Read. from Jesse Epstein on Vimeo.