Co-directors Anne Alvergue and Debra McClutchy unexpectedly moving and 
insightful 2023 Oscar nominated documentary short, THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT, is an archival-based portrait of one of the most unlikely whistleblowers in the history of Washington DC. During the course of the unfolding Watergate scandal, Mitchell was expected to keep quiet, she did not. As a 
consequence Mitchell was a Republican cabinet wife who was gaslighted by the Nixon Administration to keep her quiet. THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT offers a female gaze on the scandal through the voice of the woman herself and shows viewers why we need to believe women whistleblowers – something that 
sadly hasn’t improved much since Martha’s time. As President Richard 
Nixon himself once said, “If it hadn’t been for Martha, there’d have been no Watergate.” Co-directors Anne Alvergue and Debra McClutchy join us for a conversation on the life and times of Martha Mitchell in Washington DC, how the behavior of her husband and Attorney General John Mitchell dramatically impacted her life, and how the unlikely friendship between Martha Mitchell and respected journalist Helen Thomas changed the course of American political history.
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THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT (currently streaming on Netflix).
2023 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short
Also available on MUBI the-martha-mitchell-effect
About the filmmaker – Anne Alvergue is a documentary filmmaker and artist. Her short films have screened at film festivals and galleries internationally, including the Pacific Film Archive, and the San Francisco Art Institute. Her editing credits include Michael Apted’s Married in America, Tibet in Song, My Kid Could Paint That, and Africa Rising. Her work has aired on PBS, MTV, ESPN, Discovery, A&E, VH1 and Lifetime. She recently curated a show of experimental work at the Walter Maciel Gallery in LA. Anne received a Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley and a Master’s Degree in Documentary Film from Stanford University. Anne’s most recent project Love, Gilda has had theatrical and television distribution and premiered on opening night at the Tribeca Film Festival. For more go to: eyespyfilms.com
About the filmmaker – Debra McClutchy is a Brooklyn-based independent filmmaker and content creator. Her most recent film credits include co-director of THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT, an Academy Award nominated 40-minute archival documentary short distributed by Netflix that premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Previously, she co-produced THE BOOKSELLERS, a feature documentary about the New York rare book world that premiered at the 2019 New York Film Festival and is distributed by Greenwich Entertainment. For eleven and a half years, she was a senior creative member at Oscilloscope Laboratories, a film distribution company in New York City founded by Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys. There, she created special-edition home video releases, managed film restorations and print publications, and co-created an interactive documentary about the founding of the company. She was also a producer for The Criterion Collection in New York City, and an associate producer in documentary television in New York City and San Francisco. When she’s not making films or creating other cool stuff, she’s biking around the five boroughs and practicing her pizzaiola skills. For more go to: debramcclutchy.com
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“Calling all history buffs to watch this stirring documentary about a woman’s life during a notable bygone era.” – Sabrina McFarland, Common Sense Media
“Utterly compelling! Crammed with enlightening information about Martha Mitchell’s life, her role in the Watergate scandal, how she was maligned and mistreated by Nixon and his cronies.” – Jennifer Merin, AWFJ.org
“Though brief, The Martha Mitchell Effect is a powerful, at times illusory document of a woman who refused to abide by the status quo of her era.” – Johnny Loftus, Decider
“Essential viewing not just for those interested in politics, but for everyone interested in human behaviour.” – Abhishek Srivastava, The Times of India