MEMBER PROFILES
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Name:
Liz Miller
Your title:
Assistant Professor, Independent
Filmmaker
Organisation/Company/Institution:
Communication Studies Department,
Concordia University
Location:
Montreal, Canada
What does your current position entail?
I have 2 professional lives and they
complement each other well. On the one hand,
I teach film/video production at the
University level. This job pays the bills.
In addition to year long advanced production
classes and I teach seminars including,
“Alternative Media”, “Latin American Film
and Video”, “Documentary and Democracy”,
“Community Media”, “History of Video Art”. I
also make independent documentary films,
which does not pay the bills. Usually I work
with small budgets and I produce, shoot,
direct, write, and edit my work. The
consequence of juggling these two careers is
that it takes a while to make a film.
What kind of work have you
been doing in the last three years?
For the last few years I have been working
on an hour long documentary film called
Water Warriors. The film portrays a
post-industrial African American city
struggling against the seemingly inevitable
path to the privatization of public
infrastructures, including a water plant
connected to the Great Lakes. The city,
Highland Park, was once the center of a
thriving car industry, but today is on the
verge of financial collapse. As a result the
state has appointed a team of corporate
financial advisors to solve the crisis but
their solutions are at odds with the needs
of the residents.
The film features strong African American
female protagonists making difficult
decisions and working to solve complex
problems. A parting message of Water
Warriors is that civic engagement is a vital
part of solving community problems and that
we must defend both our resources and our
right to voice opinions on the issues that
impact our lives.
In addition to making the film I have been
exploring newly emerging forms of
distribution and I look forward to getting
the film finished and into the hands of
educators, activists, and city planners.
What education/training do you have?
For the last few years I have been planning
more trainings than receiving training but
my education goals over the next few years
include:
1. improving my French,
2. Developing my skills in script writing
for documentary
3. Developing my skills in professional
facilitation.
What is the most rewarding aspect of the
work you do?
The most rewarding aspect of my work is
creative collaboration and education. While
I work with very low budgets, I enjoy
working with professional editors, sound
designers, videographers because I learn so
much and I find collaboration rewarding and
creative. The other rewarding aspect of my
work is sharing skills and sharing films
with students, with community groups, and
individuals. I believe that behind every
film is a meaningful conversation, a chance
to challenge ourselves, our assumptions, to
learn something new, to share something new.
You didn’t ask, but my least favorite part
of my work is raising money for independent
productions.
What are your future plans?
I plan to continue teaching, training,
and making documentary work. Because I
really love to teach, I would like to do
more training with community groups outside
of the University and internationally. I
have just begun working on a project to
train refugee youth in Montreal how to
produce and tell their own stories. I see
myself doing less of my own production and
more training over the next five years. I
would love to collaborate with other IAWRT
members to do this.
How does the IAWRT benefit your work?
IAWRT benefits my work in many, many ways.
Last year as a juror for the television and
independent documentary film awards, I was
able to see a large body of work produced,
written, and directed by women
internationally. It was fascinating to see
thematic trends in the work including aging
and memory, international refugees, women
and art. In addition to looking at a body of
exceptional work and analyzing shifting
trends in the representation of women’s
issues, I had the opportunity to collaborate
with the exceptional women who were also on
the jury. The IAWRT retreat is a terrific
way to meet passionate women, to strengthen
networks and to recharge my batteries!
Two years ago, “Novela, Novela” a
documentary that I made with a non-profit in
Nicaragua, won an honorable mention through
the IAWRT awards. The award was a tremendous
honor to us, and helped in our efforts to
share this story with women internationally.
Additionally, IAWRT is an incredible
resource to share with students who are just
starting their careers and may want to do an
internship in another country or study
abroad.
What would be your ideal job/work?
My ideal job would be to continue doing
what I do now but to have more resources and
more opportunities for collaboration. As an
independent filmmaker I am often working on
my own with a shoestring budget. I would
like to have money to hire a producer, a
videographer, and an editor. I would also
like to do more work as a video trainer and
consultant. I am frequently asked to consult
on documentaries in process, books, or
trainings and I enjoy doing this work.
For example I have worked for many years
with the International Human Rights
organization WITNESS, developing resources,
trainings, and workshops. Last year I helped
out with their book, “Video For Change” (a
great resource which is available free on
the Internet - http://www.witness.org - just
go to the site and look around for
resources, and the book). I would like to
make more time to do this kind of work.
Where/what was the last holiday you took?
I took my very first vacation this
summer. With my partner, we planned a 10-day
low budget cycling trip in France. Eager to
improve my French, I combined learning
language with long rides. And if any of you
are interested contact me, because we
organized a great trip that I would love to
share others. My favorite past times are
cycling, walking by the ocean, talking and
cooking with close friends, reading,
watching films. My next dream is to travel
to India, but maybe not on a bike! |
Liz Miller
On location
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