Derek Knowles

Fresh off a beautiful screening and proud to have Borrowed Time publish with .magazine

Solitude, reclaiming our time, reconnecting with the birds—the themes that first attracted and I to this lighthouse story five years ago remain as vibrant in our imaginations today.

Blushing with pride over Citizen Nation securing an award for best episodic series. It’s a testament to the vision of a director in that anyone should be so lucky to be with in the field, and a team at and that enable authentic storytelling. But above all it’s a recognition of the students and teachers at the center of the series and a refreshing acknowledgement that, in an age of celebrity adoration and commercial overdrive, the ebb and flow of “ordinary” lives is the heartbeat of nonfiction filmmaking. May it continue to be so.

Some fun ones recently.

A full house (tent) for the birds at and then a sit down at with Tony G, the man responsible for Michael Clayton, the DVD I wore out the most in high school, discussing the (alleged) revolutionary content of with

Tony also promised me my money back if Andor did not live up to my lofty expectations of his work. I do intend to collect if so.

Jazzed to have two films - The Bird Rescue Center and - playing at my local fest, this Saturday along some other stellar nonfiction work. Come say hi and support the birds and trees!

Thrilled to have a doubleheader tonight.

First, the fourth and final episode of and then right after on an episode of American Voices which follows up on the same folks we shadowed four years ago, on the eve of another national election.

At heart, both pieces are for me potent people’s histories that reject the top-down storytelling always dredged up by these election cycles. And in the Zinn style, I’m so proud to have contributed to work that honors our “fugitive moments of compassion rather than solid centuries of warfare.” I hope a similar impression is found in the viewing.

Big hugs to the fellow soldiers of cinema who made these happen:

I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last year with what I have to imagine are some of the finest students and teachers in this country. Ostensibly this has been to follow their pursuit of a national high school civics competition, and while no doubt some good old fashioned American trophy hunting ensued, my favorite moments, and those I’ll clutch closest, are those that took place outside the arena—the shared meals, late-night study sessions, wrestlings with leaving or staying home after graduating, engagements with the larger world, and small gestures of friendship that all seem to burn brightest in adolescence.

It’s hard not to reconsider your blunted faith in a better, more compassionate and thoughtful world when you spend time with young people like this. Whether it was Wyoming, Las Vegas, Portland, or California, I found that we don’t lack for the honest, wise, creative, or empathetic. They don’t deserve the weight of the world on their shoulders, and we could all stand to listen and learn by their example, much of which I hope is on full display across the four-part series — Citizen Nation — that came out of all of this and which begins tonight, nationally on PBS.

I couldn’t imagine a better, more considerate team to co-author the look of this series with, starting right at the top with and , who know how to empower their collaborators, create the opportunities for intimacy that make nonfiction film worth making, and aren’t afraid to pick up a boom pole. And special shoutout to Singeli for enduring many hours in cars with me and reconnecting me to my love of the field, for making everything purr, and and for logistical gymnastics.

Enough from me. Go spend time with these kids. Tonight 9/8c on

Coming back to with the birds. Oct. 7th and 8th at the Smith Rafael. Drop me a line if you’re local and looking for tickets.