A documentary about the life and work of Jack O'Dell, a 94-year old African-American civil rights activist.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Rami Katz

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

As a family friend, I have been inspired by Jack O'Dell's work and ideas over the years, and after many conversations I felt that we had a lot of shared political beliefs and critiques about the way society is structured, and I wanted to share his ideas with the world. Though he worked closely with Martin Luther King (MLK), O'Dell's story isn't nearly as known as it ought to be. I hope my film can serve as a vehicle for his wisdom and insight, and an exploration of his critiques of racism and capitalism in our world today.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

These issues are extremely relevant today with a resurgence of civil rights activism in America in the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and a renewed conversation about race. With Trump's election in America, voices of resistance such as O'Dell's are extremely important in the public discourse, and provide inspiration and a path forward - and a reminder that there are alternatives to the way our society is currently structured.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

A personal theme in the film is Jack O'Dell's overall contributions to the civil rights movement, while exploring his ongoing critiques of structural racism and inequality, even today. A universal theme in the film is that history is fluid, not fixed: how the civil rights era of Jack's time is ongoing as illustrated with the BLM movement today, that many of the systemic issues of structural racism and inequality are ever-present and ongoing issues.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The film in many ways is as much O'Dell's film as mine in the sense that if he didn’t want to really speak about or get into something, or I could tell he wasn’t enthusiastic about a certain question or topic, it wasn’t as engaging and didn’t make it into film. Over the course of filming and editing the movie, the Black Lives Matter movie was becoming more prominent nationally and internationally, so I wanted to find a way to include it in the film. I had some trouble deciding whether or not it would be a better fit to have it in the beginning or in the end, but I think I found that including it near the ending seemed more fitting chronologically, so there is a clear through line for the film as a direct link from the Civil Rights Era to the Black Lives Matter movement today.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback so far has been positive. It received an encore screening at its festival premiere, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, where it won the President's Award.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

All of the critical feedback I have received so far was during the making of the film, when I did lots of feedback and test screenings to friends, family and colleagues. Lots of responses challenged me, but they were healthy to my own growth as a filmmaker and to the film. Some of them were critical of the fact that I am a white person making a film about an African-American subject, or that there was too much interview footage versus archival material or other illustration. This was all helpful and useful feedback to me and made the film better in the end.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I am looking to get the film seen by a wider audience, whatever format that may be on, and to get more people acquainted with O'Dell's inspiring story.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Film Festivals, Journalists, Buyers

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope this film will be inspirational to current or aspiring activists seeking to change in their communities either through protests and marches or by community organizing. O'Dell's life as an activist and organizer gives hope to people that they can help to change the way society is structured. There is power in numbers, and by joining community groups and marches our voices can be heard.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Why is this film important today, and why is O'Dell's story relevant to what's happening?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

My next project will be a film about Yiddish jokes.

Interview: April 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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The Issue of Mr. O'Dell

A documentary about the life and work of Jack O'Dell, a 94-year old African-American civil rights activist.

Length: 35 mins

Director: Rami Katz

Producer: Rami Katz

Writer: Rami Katz

About the writer, director and producer: Rami Katz is a filmmaker who lives in Vancouver, BC. His film, The Issue of Mr. O’Dell, premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
Key cast: Jack O'Dell

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): buyers, film festival directors, journalists

Facebook (film page): www.facebook.com/theissueofmrodell

Twitter (personal): @ramihkatz

Instagram (personal): @katzigensky

Website (personal): www.ramihkatz.com

Made in association with: This film was Rami Katz' MFA thesis film at the University of British Columbia

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? It will be screening next at the Freep Film Festival in Detroit on April 15, and at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver on May 5 & May 8.