The year that I went to The Flaherty Seminar, it was programmed by John Gianvito. The theme was “Witnessing the World” and Gianvito was described to me as a programmer interested in social documentary and political action. Indeed, with filmmaker guests like Avi Mograbi (Israel), Franny Armstrong (UK), Paul Chan (USA), Peter Wintonick (Canada) and Tsuchimoto Noriaki (Japan), the line-up was heavy on human rights, politics and the environment. What I remember most about the experience was at some point through the week of intense screenings and discussions, seriously reconsidering if film could make any change in the world. After all Tsuchimoto was documenting the Minimata mercury disaster in the 60s and to watch Armstrong’s Drowned Out about dam construction in India, it was clear that governments still hold economic and corporate interests over the lives and health of citizens. If those images of suffering children in Japan couldn’t make change, what could? It was depressing.

But, good programming means taking your flock on a journey. So, as difficult as the issues we were confronting were and are, Gianvito had some hope to share with us. We watched some WITNESS films that included the work of Joey R.B. Lozano. He was a journalist and WITNESS partner (and board member) in the Philippines, where he covered indigenous rights and the environment, which nearly cost him his life on many occasions. In the film we watched, we see Joey training villagers how to use their video cameras to document when the overlords came to brutalize them to silence their land rights claims. While training them, an attack happens and while Joey survived, a villager was not so lucky. He died right in front of the camera. It was a profoundly sad story.

The screen goes dark and we are all depressed, and from the back of the room walks in Joey Lozano and Sam Gregory from WITNESS. I don’t know if we actually leapt to our feet (I think so) but seeing him alive and at a film screening in upstate New York was one of the best moments I’ve ever had in a screening. It meant that it was possible to survive against all odds and to use media to share the story around the globe. The world continues to have many problems, and while it can be totally unforgiving, it can also bring those moments of happiness, love and understanding. I think that every time I see a film or hear about the work of the great folks at WITNESS, I’m reminded of these ideas and feelings.

So, all of this leads up to the reason I’m posting, which is that the executive director of WITNESS, Gillian Caldwell, will be leaving the organization as she notified community members via email yesterday. She writes, “I feel deeply called to try and make a difference on the impending collapse of the climate. I have accepted an offer to become the Campaign Director for a new initiative called 1Sky.”

I guess that like anything else, a vision once executed can then become a job, and without a new vision for the future, it’s best to let someone else with fresh eyes and energy come aboard. I understand this, but somehow, Caldwell’s departure strikes me as particularly sad, though of course, I wish her well. Let’s hope that whoever comes aboard brings new vitality and that WITNESS continues to grow and share their good work in creative new ways.

By way of postscript, Joey Lozano passed away of cancer in 2005. WITNESS created a human rights award to present at SILVERDOCS. This was the first year and it went to the sterling The Devil Came on Horseback by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern. The film is profoundly disturbing on the human rights level to me and I’ve been unable to come to terms with it, so I haven’t written about it much here, but suffice it to say that it is an excellent film to carry the first WITNESS Award in Honor of Joey R.B. Lozano.