Narrative 4
Directed by Gary McKendry
Written by Gary McKendry and Kris Kaczor
Probably the shortest film I will ever make, this is certainly one of the most important. The author Colum McCann asked me to make a film for his non-profit Narrative 4. At the time they were a small charity who had their roots in the trauma of the Sandy Hook shooting. They believed in the concept of radical empathy made real through the process of story exchange. People taking part in the program are paired off to share their stories. Each participant then tells their partner’s story in the first person. It is all about sharing and trusting.
My job was to make a film that showcased Narrative 4’s core methodology, the story exchange. The film had to be a documentary, fundraiser and PR piece all rolled into one. It also had to play for President Obama at a White House event. I used the idea of a split screen to visualize the concept. My editor Kris Kaczor did a fantastic job of making sense of a potentially chaotic mix of imagery: location footage, remote clips, on-camera interviews and found i-phone material. The film was key to the launch of what is now an organization that’s changing lives all across the world.
