00:00:00: Hi Barbara Koppel!

00:00:01: We're here at the Venice Film Festival to talk about your new film, Union Town.

00:00:04: How do you feel to be hear at Venice?

00:00:06: I'm loving every minute of it.

00:00:08: It's so beautiful You can look out see the ocean go for a swim.

00:00:13: The people are nice, zones showing all the time and i am very happy To Be Here And also Very very moved.

00:00:21: My film is getting world premiere.

00:00:23: Never been seen before in front So many peoples from all over the World.

00:00:29: Very exciting, very happy and nervous.

00:00:32: We are sitting here in a world-class hotel lounge but this is not the square where you usually move because you all about work as right which I really appreciate.

00:00:40: at somebody who's from under class myself i see so few authentic voices From working class and from the other class.

00:00:47: why do You think there it Is?

00:00:48: I grew up In middle class background But All of my adult lives were Working class And growing Up in that Background was Really important for me Because I had parents who really loved me, who just took a good care of me.

00:01:02: And if I had any problems or whatever they'd have my back no matter what it was.

00:01:08: It made want to do things for other people To be able take risks and help others.

00:01:14: That's why i got into filmmaking Because i was so loved that i wanted go out in the world and share them.

00:01:21: Your

00:01:21: films are often about social activism and defied equality for an open society where everybody has a chance, like one of your most well-known films is literally called American Dream.

00:01:34: What did attract you to those subjects which also inform your newest film Union Town?

00:01:39: When I heard about what was happening in Harlan County it's the first film i did by myself... I had done films with a collective called Winter Soldier Which was about Vietnam veterans giving testimony of war crimes that they committed and things Like That!

00:01:56: there was going to be an election in the coal fields that this guy, WA Tony Boyle is running against Arnold Miller.

00:02:04: And I went and I started filming because wanted see what would happen.

00:02:08: Tony Boyles found to be convicted of murder upsetting at the murder of Joseph Yablonsky and his wife.

00:02:15: Yabansky was running against him and Miller was just a coal miner out of the coal mines wanting to be their justice.

00:02:23: One of his promises was unorganized to see if he would keep his promise.

00:02:28: I went to Harlan County, which was on strike and to see what you will do.

00:02:32: that's sort of how it started.

00:02:34: Now your news film Union Town is about the strikes And protest movement Of the gig workers The delivery app workers Those guys who work for Fudora Uber Eats How all these ads are called And Amazon workers like notoriously underpaid.

00:02:50: How did get in contact with this unions?

00:02:55: that UPS was.

00:02:56: their contract was up.

00:02:58: There had been a union, or the Teamsters have been in a union for hundred years with UPF United Parcel Service.

00:03:05: I filmed what was happening there.

00:03:07: They didn't go on strike and people voted to have the right To Go With The Contract Higher wages But still some People weren't given What they should've Been.

00:03:17: Given This person who were Dexter...the guy Who sleeps In his car He just split ship Or part-time workers kind of thing.

00:03:25: They didn't get enough, and so there were people that fought against it but they still passed.

00:03:29: the teamsters then went to Amazon.

00:03:32: Amazon wanted the Teamsters to support them So they voted for them To be their representatives.

00:03:39: The words led me from one thing to another.

00:03:42: I filmed at Amazon what was happening There which is a lot.

00:03:47: My husband who Is professor had a woman in his last name Lethea And Lethea started a project called The Worker's Justice Project.

00:03:56: And she is the one who co-founded that with another woman named Adira, and they were for the Deliver Eastus... ...and through women who are immigrants many of them aren't citizens to help them out.

00:04:09: That's how it all starts.

00:04:11: How long did you shoot?

00:04:12: And how much material did you have?

00:04:14: I worked on this film editing and shooting.

00:04:18: we're three and half years almost four.

00:04:20: i had most incredible.

00:04:22: editors were really so much a part of the story.

00:04:26: Great producers and DPs who really cared about subjects, it was great!

00:04:32: It's a really wonderful experience.

00:04:34: Was is hard to condense this material too length-of our feature film?

00:04:38: Yes...it was very hard because I was dealing with three different stories.

00:04:43: Our biggest thing with The Editors was how do we weave these stories together To be able have an audience understand that?

00:04:51: okay now our UPS, now we're at Amazon.

00:04:55: Now are the deliveries and we came up with having pre-presents And will show it in the beginning each one of them what their hopes were What their dreams where when you saw what they were doing You would know who they work.

00:05:08: your film is coming out In a moment in US history when conservatism and right wing ideology seems stronger than ever?

00:05:16: What does this mean for you to bring this film right now?

00:05:19: people don't understand.

00:05:21: Union is in this all about.

00:05:23: I mean people go and deliver things to your house And you don't even know what they look like for the deliveries.

00:05:29: Does your number say two one or something?

00:05:32: Like that, and you can get fired.

00:05:34: it just shows on your phone You're gone.

00:05:36: You can't talk anybody.

00:05:38: Amazon there's union busting a paid twenty sixteen million dollars.

00:05:43: or Union busting There's some big turnover.

00:05:46: so even if you're in there and you're struggling together believe it's a hundred and fifty percent turnover.

00:05:54: I think that if people learn who these people are, how hard they work?

00:05:58: If they're not asking for much... They're asking to have safety in their asking-for respect.

00:06:06: That maybe will change somebody.

00:06:08: Maybe someone will go out on the picket line or march with them.

00:06:13: Give them a tip Talk about somethings

00:06:20: of the people around you.

00:06:21: No, I think when your in the midst doing something You're just so focused on what's happening.

00:06:27: i wasn't afraid.

00:06:28: In Harlan County it was a little different because People lived and died by their guns And Guns were legal!

00:06:36: I Was beaten up and stuff like that.

00:06:37: You can see me.

00:06:39: So The gun sights Were coming across the bridge...and I saw.

00:06:42: Okay..I've brought these people here....And also did sound and I walked forward and I was down and kicking me didn't hurt because I had an inaugural from here to hear, and it didn't her.

00:06:52: And I was swinging my mic in camera.

00:06:54: man they knocked his lens out.

00:06:56: so we have together take the back together again and woman who is doing lights.

00:07:01: They shot a light sound that was much more scary as they came after us.

00:07:06: there's So many more news crews.

00:07:09: i wasn not afraid.

00:07:10: what?

00:07:10: Was The biggest challenge when shooting the film?

00:07:12: To be

00:07:13: able to keep going to raise money to Have somebody believe in Us also to make sure people would understand.

00:07:20: What do you think what have to happen for US society, turn things around and find maybe a more democratic social way of politics?

00:07:47: days, if they were going to be fired and they could appeal.

00:07:50: And to see this organization that had so little do-so much gave me the sense of change in that kind.

00:08:16: tell their story.

00:08:17: I mean, if we live like hidden and hello over our head or the covers over our heads you never say anything You never get anywhere.

00:08:25: that kind of silence destroys shoes.

00:08:28: Like a guy from UPS Tony Rosario in teaching his kids he got all this kindling wood tried to break off All the pieces And then one piece He put out was wonderful That they wanted To speak about it.

00:08:46: world would know what was happening.

00:08:48: I mean, here i am in Venice.

00:08:49: people from all over the world are going to be able to see this film and that's pretty wonderful.

00:08:55: so

00:08:56: if you could wish for one thing for this film What Would It Be?

00:08:59: That People Would Never Be Silent About The Things They See Are Wrong And Will Not Be Afraid To Speak Up And To Do Something And To Be In Solidarity With Other People.

00:09:11: Work As Hard As They Can To Change Like.

00:09:13: You

00:09:14: Made Some Of Your Most well-known and prominent films in the eighties, in the nineties.

00:09:19: There was an age of a lot of activist documentary cinema.

00:09:23: This seems now more rare.

00:09:25: Do you see a new wave of activist cinema?

00:09:28: Yes I think a lot people even hear Laura Poitras and Rachel have done A film about ICE A short film but very compelling.

00:09:38: We're all doing And Julia has done a film And

00:09:45: it's a lot of female directors.

00:09:47: Of course!

00:09:47: Wait, of course

00:09:48: because we're dedicated We want to do it and we are not afraid of getting hurt or people who just wanna learn what is happening.

00:09:59: You have been making documentary films A lot other projects like for YouTube and all kinds of projects Not just documentary films For more than forty years.

00:10:08: I think now.

00:10:08: Are you ever tired?

00:10:10: No Do i look higher?

00:10:11: NO YOU HAVE A LOT OF ANSWERS.

00:10:14: When,

00:10:14: where do you

00:10:15: get it from?

00:10:15: Because I love what i'm doing and I want to continue And work as long as I can keep doing the work that I care about.

00:10:23: The people in the film are still in contact with them.

00:10:27: Do your general keeping contact With the subjects of your films

00:10:30: As much is possible?

00:10:31: Yes In Harlan County a lot Of them have passed away But their granddaughters Have called me and at the end of October Im going To be showing Harlan county.

00:10:43: Yes, and American Dream in Harlan County showed in twenty-two cities.

00:10:48: In New York and May lots of relatives And families.

00:10:52: So the people who were in a film came really excited

00:10:55: so that you screened to film with them?

00:10:57: How do they feel about what I see?

00:11:00: They loved it.

00:11:00: there was their grandfather Their father doing something and make could understand What is all About if he had this in your family.

00:11:09: when we have Something good in your Family did someone stand for what they believe in?

00:11:13: that gives you the confidence to do something wonderful on your own.

00:11:17: This

00:11:18: is something I ask a lot of documentary filmmakers, so we live at this age of AI.

00:11:23: Are you worried about the ability of AI to manipulate truths or about people's abilities?

00:11:32: There

00:11:33: isn't much I can do about it except continue doing what i'm doing and making films as truthful.

00:11:41: I think that has happened, and it will happen.

00:11:44: Just like many people are gonna lose their jobs because of robots have to keep exposing things That is

00:11:51: actually what this was leading up to in the video film shows This topic.

00:11:55: some people would say It's you too big but i think its dystopic.

00:11:58: ending where Robots Are doing The work.

00:12:01: What could possibly go wrong?

00:12:04: How real Is that a scenario?

00:12:07: And then also the fact that politics seem to endorse

00:12:11: It's real.

00:12:11: A lot of factories have closed and they're using robots.

00:12:15: I think it's very real.

00:12:16: And do you think that little robots will be like a new industrialization?

00:12:20: It could be.

00:12:21: all i know is That, I want to keep doing films about people who are really working hard and showing what They're Doing.

00:12:29: I can't get into my life.

00:12:31: Do

00:12:31: You ever at the moment Have a New Project your Working

00:12:34: on?

00:12:34: I have a Lot Of Ideas of What I Want To do but I just finished this film two weeks ago so So I'm gonna see what people think about it, maybe go to a few festivals like this one and hope that people will like.

00:12:46: Do

00:12:46: you have a theatrical release

00:12:48: lineup?

00:12:49: Oh no!

00:12:49: It's just random...I didn't show it

00:12:51: yet.

00:12:51: You hoped that Dr.

00:12:52: Mendry comes back to the

00:12:53: cinema?!

00:12:54: I think he will.

00:12:55: Then fingers crossed then.

00:12:56: thankyou so much for this interview Barbara Koppel.

00:12:58: Thank you!