Homegrown – Director Michael Premo | Film School Radio hosted by Mike Kaspar

Homegrown is an unflinching chronicle of Americans at war with each other. Three right-wing activists—a newly politicized father-to-be in New Jersey, an Air Force veteran organizing conservatives in New York City, and a charismatic activist from Texas—crisscross the country in the summer of 2020, campaigning for Donald Trump and building a movement they hope will outlast him. When they become convinced that the election is stolen, they take their fight to the streets. A fascinating portrait emerges in Michael Premo’s look at three impassioned right-wing activists. Having won their trust in the lead-up to the 2020 election, the Brooklyn filmmaker follows them through election night, the January 6 riot, and beyond. Contradictions abound— Texas native Thad attends Trump rallies with Black Lives Matter activist Jacarri; New Jersey resident Chris participates in a “Back the Blue” march yet charges the line of police defending the Capitol—but their commitment to a particular red, white, and blue vision of America can’t be denied. Each is a combustible mix of delusional cosplayer, stalwart patriot, and potential threat, with the line between blood and bluster further blurred by cameos from Enrique Tarrio and Roger Stone. Director / Producer / Cinematographer Michael Premo joins us for a conversation on his on-going exploration of White Nationalism, working class anger around immigrants and immigration, economic hardship, the normalization of political violence, as well as working with his producing partner Rachel Falcone.

About the filmmaker – Michael Premo is a journalist, filmmaker, and artist. He directed the award-winning short film and photo exhibition WATER WARRIORS (POV), a story about a community’s successful resistance to the oil and gas industry. It has since been rebroadcasted hundreds of times by PBS stations across the country, including annually in November. He also co-directed the participatory documentary SANDY STORYLINE (Jury Award winner at the Tribeca Film Festival), the site-specific performance SANCTUARY (The Working Theater), and the PBS series VETERANS COMING HOME. Michael has directed, produced, and co-written original film, radio, and theater with numerous companies including The Foundry Theater, The Civilians, and the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps on NPR. Michael’s photography has appeared in publications like The Village Voice, The New York Times, and Het Parool. He has been an artist-in-residence with Camargo Foundation, The Laundromat Project, and the National Resource Defense Council. He is the recipient of an NBC News Studios Original Voices Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, A Blade of Grass Artist Files Fellowship, and a New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Award.

About the filmmaker – In addition to being the Executive Director of Storyline Media Rachel Falcone is a documentary filmmaker and multimedia artist. She produced the short film and exhibition Water Warriors (POV), which won more than 10 awards and has screened at hundreds of festivals, schools and communities around the globe. Rachel co-directed the participatory web documentary and exhibition Sandy Storyline (winner of the Jury Award at the Tribeca Film Festival), the site-specific performance Sanctuary and the multi-platform project Housing is a Human Right. She has directed and produced dozens of short films for clients like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Earth Island Institute. Previously, Rachel produced content with the award-winning national oral history project StoryCorps and EarSay, Inc., and was an associate producer on Incite Picture’s Young Lakota (Independent Lens). She has taught oral history and storytelling in collaboration with institutions like the Museum of the City of New York and Parsons The New School for Design. Rachel is also a sound recordist for film and radio, including most recently Knock Down The House (Netflix) and To the End (Hulu).

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Reviews:

“Premo’s documentary (Homegrown) refuses to sensationalize its timely material, which only makes the picture that much more troubling. (T)he disturbing ordinariness of these men is chilling.” – Tim Grierson, Screen Daily

“Nuanced and profound” – Tommaso Koch, El Pais

“What Premo discovered was a movement that was far more multicultural than ofter depicted.” – Jada Yuan, Washington Post

“Illuminating and gripping” – The Guardian

“…among the most powerful and unforgettable of the 81st Venice FIlm Festival” – Di Carlo Pisani, NPC Magazine

“Premo’s commitment and grit are palpable — especially when one notes how close to the action he gets during the Capitol insurrection, so that the camera shows every jostle and bump.” – Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter