Film About Democracy Now! Journalist Amy Goodman To Open Third Annual DC/DOX Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
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Carl Deal and Tia Lessin's documentary 'Steal This Story, Please!' about journalist and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman will open the third edition of DC/DOX on June 12.
In the film, Deal and Lessin, who produced 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' chronicle Goodman's personal story along with the monumental events she has covered as a reporter. The film, which will make its world premiere at DC/DOX, highlights the crucial role of journalism in shaping our understanding of truth at a time when independent journalism is under threat.
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Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman's 'The Alabama Solution,' about incarcerated men who expose a cover-up in one of America's deadliest prison systems, will serve as the DC/DOX Centerpiece film. The HBO documentary premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Chase Joynt's 'State of Firsts,' about Sarah McBride's historic run to become the first trans member of Congress, will screen as the fest's Spotlight film, while Dan Krauss' 'Bodyguard of Lies' will serve as the festival's closing night film. Produced by Alex Gibney, 'Bodyguard of Lies' exposes the tangled web of deception fed to the American public by the U.S. government during its 20-year war in Afghanistan. The Paramount+ doc will also screen at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.
'As we kick off our third year, DC/DOX's mission feels more vital than ever,' says DC/DOX co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. 'Art can offer escape, but it also has the power to confront us with what's worth fighting for. The subjects of our Signature Screenings embody that spirit — challenging, inspiring, and reminding us of the stakes in our world today.'
DC/DOX co-founder Jamie Shor adds, 'In the face of a changed Washington, DC/DOX is committed now more than ever to bringing these important stories to the nation's capital, our backyard, and these four films all have something to say about the moment we find ourselves in.'
DC/DOX was founded in 2022 with the goal of bringing together innovative visions, bold voices, and timely stories in Washington, D.C. Last year's edition featured over 90 films from 17 countries, including the D.C. premieres of Oscar-nominated docs 'Black Box Diaries,' 'Porcelain War,' 'Soundtrack to a Coup D'Etat,' and 'Sugarcane.' This year's Oscar-winning documentary short film, 'The Only Girl In the Orchestra,' was also part of the 2024 DC/DOX lineup.
The third annual DC/DOX will take place in Washington, D.C, from June 12-15. The full line-up will be announced in May.
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Goodman could have used the occasion of the film premiere to laud herself, but instead she directed the focus onto her colleagues at Democracy Now!, her family, and the filmmaking team on stage with her for a Q&A – directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, and producer Karen Ranucci. 'Carl and Tia,' she said, 'your dedication to this and your artistry in doing this, we thank you so much.' That's just how she rolls. Deal observed, 'Amy's concerned about the other person.' She's been manifesting that throughout her career in journalism, beginning with her earliest days on, literally, an 'in-house' publication – a newsletter created by her brother Dave when they were children, with a modest circulation encompassing only family members. In the film she shares the story of seeking a job on Phil Donohue's talk show after graduating from college, only to be offered what amounted to a cameo – appearing on his program as a guest to represent unemployed young people. 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Today, she has become not just admired and respected but beloved by an audience that gravitates to her moral compass, which points toward truth to be uncovered where many news outlets fail to look – in the streets, with the people. 'It's that global audience hungry for authentic voices, not your typical pundits who know so little about so much, explaining the world to us and getting it so wrong,' Goodman noted. 'That's how the corporate media covers issues. They go right away to the politicians. But what pushes them [politicians]? What changes their minds? What is the reason that they pass bills? It is that engine of grassroots activism that is the true story of history that is so often untold, and it is our job in the media to put that on the record.' In the film, Democracy Now!'s Nermeen Shaikh says it's about widening the frame of new coverage to center those kept at the margins or ignored by traditional media. Referring to groups often cropped out by the largest and most lucrative media entities, Goodman commented, 'I do think that those who care about war and peace, those who care about human rights, about inequality, those who care about the environment, about LGBTQ issues, about racial justice, economic justice are not a fringe minority, not even a silent majority, but the silenced majority — silenced by the corporate media — which is why we have to [report] the facts.' As the moderator of the panel, I asked Goodman if she considered herself an unlikely rock star of journalism. She wouldn't bite on that inquiry, but producer Karen Ranucci spoke to the Goodman effect. 'When I walk down the street with Amy, people are stopping her all the time, thanking her,' Ranucci shared. 'At all the protests or whatever she's filming, people are coming up and thanking. And that's such an odd thing to thank a journalist and it's for showing up and it's love. 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