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Home , Alex Gibney, American Factory, America Undercover, Born into Brothels, Chasing Coral, Citizenfour

Beyond Story

Vol. 5 2021

Generous support provided by \ Volume 5 \ INTRODUCTION

It was a match made at Sundance. The day after and ’s much anticipated (2019) premiered at the Prospector Square Theater, members of their production team confidentially met with interested parties at the Washington School House Hotel to negotiate a three million dollar distribution deal. As other high-profile docu- mentaries had fetched multimillion dollar bids during their festival runs, it wasn’t simply the price tag that was significant. It was the fact that American Factory convened some of the most influential players in the field. Media, which has served as a philanthrop- ic investor and outreach vehicle for socially engaged features since its founding in 2004, financed and co-produced American Factory. PLATFORM POLITICS: , THE Netflix had partnered with Participant the pre- MEDIA INDUSTRIES, AND THE VALUE vious year on Alfonso Cuarón’s neo-neorealist OF REALITY \ Roma (2018) and was no stranger to Sundance acquisitions. For each festival, the Washington JOSHUA GLICK School House Hotel served as the company’s home base as they went hunting for projects that tapped into the zeitgeist and generated awards buzz. Barack and Michelle Obama’s re- cently created Higher Ground Productions had signed a multi-picture contract with Netflix and was looking for their first big . Also at the table, assisting with contract negotia- tions, was Submarine, which had helped broker distribution deals for six of the last twelve Oscar-winning documentaries.1 American Factory was an ideal documentary for these parties to collaborate on. It explores the initial production cycles of Glass America, a Chinese-owned glass manufactur- ing company which had recently arrived at the Rust Belt town of Moraine, Ohio, literally set- ting shop in a former General Motors auto plant. On a symbolic level, American Factory offered the opportunity to form the liberal analogue to the conservative media coali- tion of Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and Fox News, and to repudiate the kind of alt-right propaganda they generate. In practical terms, American Factory focused on a topical subject that was at once hyper-local and transnation- al in scope, and would thus appeal to viewers

Glick \ 59 domestically and abroad and potentially even project for Netflix and part of the studio’s across socioeconomic divides. larger effort to reboot liberal documentary for Reichert and Bognar, who have been making the streaming era. To be sure, nonfiction under incisive social documentaries and teaching the Netflix tent includes a vast array of genres, production in the region for over four decades, including sports chronicles, biopics, true-crime created a sweeping portrait of day-to-day serials, and social issue features. Nonetheless, factory life, capturing the perspective of as the company has built its slate of , it Chinese and American workers and managers. has also developed a house style defined by Moreover, the film managed to do this in a me- the character-focused charge and high pro- dia landscape that either completely effaces duction values of classical Hollywood and the the sight of manual labor from popular film and relentless exposition of legacy television jour- television or sensationalizes it within the trap- nalism. The popularity of these films naturally pings of reality TV (Ice Road Truckers, Deadliest benefits Netflix’s bottom line, and they serve Catch, Undercover Boss, etc.). Instead, an important role in garnering accolades and American Factory presents a dignified account demonstrating its social conscience. Certainly of what factory labor looks like and what it not every documentary that appears on the means to those who do it. The documentary’s platform conforms to this format, especially tight focus on compelling characters, however, those select projects made by auteurs such as tends to draw attention to interpersonal rela- Ava DuVernay, , and . tionships rather than contextualize the state These individuals come to the negotiating of US manufacturing or advocate for any kind table with an illustrious oeuvre and network, of transformative change to workplace con- thus commanding lucrative deals and a high ditions. As the film unfolds, it becomes more degree of creative flexibility. devoted to examining the “clash” of American Netflix’s investment in nonfiction has pro- versus Chinese cultures (depicting the former vided a venue for films that have struggled as “pro” and the latter as “anti” union), rath- to find a home in mainstream television and er than delving into how corporate capitalism the theatrical market, and has expanded the exploits workers around the globe. Looking to demographic for documentary. Additionally, it the future of industrial production in the US, has meant opportunities for filmmakers ea- the film concludes with the lofty call for all ger for an upfront paycheck as well as a way stakeholders, spanning those on floor to showcase their work to a large audience. to the C-suite office, to come together in civil However, these opportunities have come with dialogue to determine the “future of work,” in- significant constraints concerning film form, stead of acknowledging the ongoing need for the way projects are packaged for audiences, labor organizing—albeit, perhaps, in new and and the conditions under which they live on- creative ways. In the Netflix promo featuring a and offline. Netflix views distribution as not roundtable discussion with the filmmakers and simply the mechanisms that enable media to the Obamas, the former president amplifies reach viewers, but carefully guarded pipelines this sentiment that goodwill and an open heart of lucrative proprietary data. In turn, these can transcend any system, bringing people of restrictions can neutralize the films’ rhetori- differing perspectives together: “If you know cal charge, limit viewers’ understanding of or someone, if you talk to them face to face, if relationship to the film’s subject, and curb the you know what their story is, you can forge a possibilities for community engagement. connection. You may not agree with them on Netflix is ultimately helping to drive a broad- everything, but there is some common ground er shift of documentary into the mainstream to be found and you can move forward togeth- of the media industries and popularize its own er.” American Factory went on to receive rave form of edutainment storytelling. The larg- reviews and a slew of awards, most notably the er surge stems from the aggressive move of Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. “content”-hungry digital distributors into the American Factory was at once a prestige realm of production, the relatively low cost of

Glick \ 60 nonfiction, and a desire for “authentic” and CHANGING CHANNELS IN THE AGE OF “empathetic” storytelling in an era of clickbait MEDIA CONVERGENCE journalism, disinformation, and a reality TV presidency. Scholars have paid too little at- If you love documentaries, Blockbuster is tention to this flurry of nonfiction activity. One not for you . . . Instead, you’ll want to join reason is that research on documentary and Netflix the media industries is frequently siloed into —Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of separate endeavors. The former often focuses Wired5 on close readings of individual films, many of which stand against Hollywood’s tradition- Reed Hastings was never mean-spirited al genres of storytelling and industrial forms . . . it was simply as if everything, includ- of media making. The latter tends to focus ing human relationships, broke down to a on mainstream film and television and also mathematical equation. reaches beyond the screen itself, delving into —Gina Keating, journalist6 the policies and labor practices that shape media production, distribution, and exhibition. Documentary has been part of Netflix’s core As film historian Tom Schatz notes, there is offerings since its website launch in 1998. The too often a gap between a consideration of company made a name for itself by connect- “media ownership,” the “means and modes ing the cheap-to-mail format of the DVD to of production,” and close analysis of the the emerging e-commerce business and the “products” themselves.2 These divides play home rental market. Netflix attracted custom- out in examinations of Netflix. Much has been ers with its low-cost subscription plan, large written about the snail-mail-distributor turned inventory, and algorithmic recommendation mega-studio. Scholars have emphasized the system.7 As scholar and festival programmer company's innovative approach to production Sudeep Sharma argues, in its early years the and distribution (framing Netflix as an online distribution hub was more akin to a “digital global television network), its reshaping of newsstand” than a public library, archive, or viewing habits, and its creation of individual museum. Netflix differentiated itself within genre-bending series such as Orange is the a crowded marketplace through its support New Black (2013-19), House of Cards (2013-18), of harder-to-access documentary, art house and Stranger Things (2016-).3 Understanding cinema, Bollywood musicals, anime, and mar- the implications surrounding documentary’s tial arts films.8 These were films that behemoth close relationship to the media industries and rental chains neglected in their brick-and- the entrenched place it has come to occupy mortar stores. They were also easier to acquire within the “streaming wars,” requires great- than studio features, which frequently had ex- er attention to both macro issues of political pensive licensing fees.9 Blockbuster stressed economy and fine-grained issues concerning big budget new releases with documentaries narrative form. Analyzing Netflix’s documen- grouped into a small “special interest” section tary ventures not only reveals the increasing comprising everything from Jane Fonda work- interconnections between Hollywood, Silicon out to sports compilations. Hollywood Valley, and Washington D.C., but also exposes also primarily stocked popular fiction the contested value of documentary within our along with a stronger selection of foreign films contemporary political culture.4 and cult classics. Movie Gallery served rural areas and housed a tantalizing “adult section.” Suncoast Motion Picture Company specialized in the for-sale market of underground films and collector editions of studio features.10 Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, a veteran of the rental industry by the time he joined the company in 2000, saw documentary

Glick \ 61 as more than a line item of inventory or some- the Bush administration’s war abroad, repres- thing purely driven by audience data. An sive political culture at home, and tenuous admirer of liberal television producers such as relationship to factual discourse. In a special Norman Lear (especially for the wide viewer- documentary-themed Cinéaste dossier, crit- ship attracted by his network series), Sarandos ics discussed the proliferation of nonfiction in embraced a centrist liberal view of social doc- theaters, television, and DVD, noting how The umentary, promoting films that shine a light on Fog of War (Errol Morris, 2003), Fahrenheit 9/11 the experiences of marginalized groups, raise (, 2004), Control Room (Jehane awareness of human suffering and promote Noujaim, 2004), Uncovered: The Whole Truth civil dialogue. At the same time, such films About the (Robert Greenwald (2004), tend to shy away from strong critique or delv- and My Country, My Country (, ing deeply into the systemic forces that shape 2006) in different ways engaged with the individual lives.11 antiwar effort, which was receiving scant or Netflix was not the first organization to re- distorted treatment in the mainstream media.14 alize the multifold value of documentary.12 The Throughout its first decade in business, company capitalized on what had been grow- many of Netflix’s most widely discussed ing popular interest in nonfiction for over a projects were its documentaries. The studio decade. While 1989 is remembered as the year collaborated with filmmakers and organiza- ’s sex, lies, and videotape tions across the commercial and nonprofit and ’s Do The Right Thing stormed sectors. In 2003 Netflix partnered with distrib- the festival circuit, garnering big prizes and utor Docurama to launch Netflix First, where yielding high box office returns, it was also documentaries would be made available on the year Michael Moore’s Roger & Me enjoyed the platform for thirty to sixty days following a similar reception. In the immediate years their festival and theatrical run. Docurama’s that followed, aging studios such as Warner Steve Savage commented, “this is sort of the Bros., emerging players such as Miramax, and equivalent of opening a film in , Los specialty distributors such as Angeles and and getting the critics gravitated toward documentary, marketing it to create a buzz.” The initial slate included as another form of gritty, auteur-crafted indie a campaign documentary about gay write-in cinema. Of course, money was a motivating candidate Tom Ammiano, See How They Run factor. Nonfiction is frequently cheaper to (Emily Morse/Kelly Duane, 2002), a photo- produce, given the comparatively low costs of graphic exploration of the Mountain South, scripts, actors, and post-production effects, True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams’ as well as the chance to repurpose archival Appalachia (Jennifer Baichwal, 2002), and an footage from a company’s film libraries. There observational portrait of a homeless woman were some salient documentary initiatives in living in Central Park, Jupiter’s Wife (Michel the public media sphere that emerged during Negroponte, 1995). Similar deals followed with this period, including the establishment of POV KinoLorber, HBO Video, and Columbia Tristar in 1988 and ITVS in 1989. Nonetheless, the Home Entertainment. Netflix also joined forc- general decline of public subsidies for the arts es with public media’s (especially for formally experimental or politi- to create a ninety-day rental window for the cally charged projects) that accompanied the Sundance and Oscar-nominated Daughter neoliberal restructuring of government fund- from Danang (Gail Dolgin and Vincente Franco, ing opened the nonfiction field to commercial 2002), a documentary which followed Heide investment.13 Bu’s emotionally-wrenching journey to find her The post-9/11 “War on Terror” combined Vietnamese birth mother.15 Netflix made POV with the rise of DVDs, social media, and video titles available for one to four months immedi- streaming further heightened the visibility of ately after their television premiere. Executive documentary in public life. During this period director Cara Mertes told Video Business documentary provided an urgent challenge to that Netflix is “an ideal partner in our effort

Glick \ 62 to broaden the availability of POV titles.”16 A cinematic imagination. Just as elite vetting special “POV Collection” tab made available and the embrace of progressive topics would the Sundance-winning Farmingville (Carlos become common practice at Netflix so, too, Sandoval/Catherine Tambini, 2004), a film would the studio’s films increasingly oversim- about community reaction to the attempted plify complex social realities to make for more murder of Mexican day laborers on Long Island. gripping narratives as well as mask ethical On occasion, Netflix distributed noteworthy tensions regarding the power dynamics of projects rejected by bigger companies, such as production.18 Tim Robbins’ Embedded Live (2005), a filmed By the turn of the decade, Netflix had shift- performance of the actor’s satirical play about ed from DVD to streaming and would begin to the Iraq War that featured a “chorus of masked assert itself as a production outlet, much to caricatures.” When critics labeled the produc- the anxiety of legacy studios. As Netflix scaled tion “agitprop,” Sarandos, in similar fashion to up its operations, it would continue to keep its social media companies, tried to assume the sights on documentary.19 seemingly passive role of host. He claimed, “we are not providing a political position, but FROM RENTAL HUB TO STUDIO providing a platform.”17 Netflix began to take an active role in pro- Mario Calabresi (la Repubblica): ducing and distributing films when it launched “How Do You Choose Which Stories to Red Envelope Entertainment around 2005. Red Tell?” Envelope teamed up with IFC TV, Roadside Attractions, and Think Film to provide niche Lisa Nishimura (Netflix VP of Documentary projects with post-production resources and and Comedy): aid for distribution and festival promotion. It “Well, I think it’s the real cross section for produced the comedy special Zach Galifianakis us between art and science”20 Live at the Purple Onion (Michael Blieden, 2005) along with the documentary This Film The myriad connections between Netflix and Is Not Yet Rated (Kirby Dick, 2006) about the the Democratic Party bolstered the company’s history of the MPAA rating system. It host- liberal reputation and fashioned a progressive ed theatrical screenings for Super High Me lens through which viewers saw its films. The (Michael Blieden, 2007), and helped distribute Hollywood Reporter featured power couple HBO’s (Zana Briski and Ross Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant on the cover Kauffman, 2004), a loosely vérité documen- of their special “Hollywood & Politics” issue. tary about the children of sex workers in the Inside, articles catalogued how they bridged red light district of Calcutta. Netflix gravitated Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C., to the latter film’s heartfelt portrayal of inno- connecting the spheres of film, tech, and gov- cent children surviving deplorable conditions ernment. Sarandos and Avant had raised big and the ways it made for an empathic viewing money for both of ’s presidential experience, especially for Western audienc- campaigns and Avant served as ambassador es. Equally important to Netflix was how the to the Bahamas during his first term. Sarandos film’s pedigree was affirmed at each step of its was known to be a close confidant and infor- journey, from the point that it received initial mal consultant (film recommender-in-chief) to backing from the Fledgling Fund, an enthu- the former president.21 siastic Sundance premiere, praise from Al It was under the leadership of Lisa Gore, and eventually an Oscar prize. Born into Nishimura that documentary would come to Brothels presents a story of uplift, however, it play a crucial role in Netflix’s transition to a distorts the sociology of the red light district full-fledged studio. Before joining Netflix in and inscribes the onscreen characters into 2007, Nishimura had worked first for Island the familiar roles of “foreign other” and “white Records and then Palm Pictures, specializ- savior,” tropes that loom large in the Western ing in the distribution of independent music

Glick \ 63 and film from around the world. Hired by filtering the events of the Arab Spring through Sarandos to acquire international fiction and the experiences of four individuals, each with television series, she moved on to nonfiction a different relationship to the uprising: a stu- where she was promoted to Vice President of dent, a folk singer, a member of the Muslim Documentary and Comedy. In early 2019 she Brotherhood, and an actor. The film’s framing, became Vice President of however, ultimately portrays the uprising as and Documentary Features. Nishimura tout- an epic clash of good versus evil, while mostly ed the power of media to educate audiences avoiding in-depth examination of the tensions about pressing social issues but remained within the movement or the challenges of adamant about the need to make it enjoyable shifting beyond the occupation of the Square to watch. In a KCRW interview with journal- itself.26 ist Matt Holzman, she discussed how a good Nishimura acquired films that had already documentary should be a gripping story with received festival prizes. Contemporaneously, compelling characters rather than a dry narra- she worked with directors to create films tive that people need to endure like a kind of or miniseries from the ground up. With a civic medicine. This outlook guided Netflix’s fast-expanding inventory of commissions and approach to production and dovetailed with acquisitions, it became harder, in some sense, how the studio began to see itself as an enter- to decipher what made for a “Netflix docu- tainment company.22 mentary.” Major categories came to include At the same time that was true crime, science and technology, nature creating Netflix’s hit series House of Cards, and environment, history, sports, , Nishimura was busy acquiring The Square and music. Each one of these developed its (, 2013), the Sundance-winning own common themes, modes of address, and exploration of the 2011 democratic uprisings formal tropes. The constant rotation of films in and their aftermath. Netflix’s on the platform and the highly “personalized” acquisition and promotion of the film as a way they appeared for each individual further rebranded “original” allowed the company to created the impression of infinite variety. stake a greater claim to world-historical rel- Nonetheless, this period marked a transition evance and prove that theatrical release was for Netflix from distributor carrying a rotating not essential for recognition and widespread array of old and new documentaries produced interest. The Square’s celebration of social me- elsewhere to a studio with a more clearly de- dia as a tool for democratic action against the fined brand that created and curated its own regime of Hosni Mubarak had particular ap- fare. Netflix’s house style was less an air-tight peal. It resonated with the way Netflix wanted checklist of attributes than a guiding logic. viewers to view the studio. As media scholar Films tended to address a social issue relevant James Gilmore argues, The Square’s dissemi- to our contemporary moment; for example, nation through Netflix “highlights the political mass incarceration, the climate crisis, the hu- potential of media spreadability.”23 The film manist power of art, corporate corruption, the drew on over 1600 hours of footage from benefits of cultural exchange, and the legacy protesters, spending ample time showing how of historical trauma. The subject was then em- they used their phones and mini DV cameras plotted in a narrative that involved elements to document the series of events. Washington of classical Hollywood storytelling as well as Post critic Ann Hornaday wrote that watch- television journalism. From the former, the ing the film feels like being connected to the films drew on charismatic characters or small “nervous system” of a movement.24 Also ap- groups of individuals confronting some kind of pealing to Netflix was The Square’s tight focus central challenge or set of extraordinary cir- on freedom-fighting protestors taking on an cumstances. From the latter, they borrowed a oppressive system. Noujaim described her steady flow of expository devices (voice-over, filmmaking approach as “[telling] the story onscreen monologues, title cards, interviews) through the eyes of characters.”25 This meant to guide the viewer through a subject. These

Glick \ 64 techniques aim to clearly orient spectators representational schema where characters towards a readily understood world as well take center stage and their social world often as create a viewing experience akin to how remains at a distance or is left as textured scholar Kevin Glynn describes 1980s “hyper backdrop. In turn, this house style discourages visible” telejournalism as intensely vivid, im- viewers’ ability to draw connections between mediate, and dynamic.27 individual conditions and broader systemic The approach may include a beginning- forces. For example, true crime series such to-end score, elaborate graphics, fast-paced as (, 2015), editing, vérité flourishes, drone photography, Drug Lords (Mike Welsh, 2018), and Wild and 4K image resolution. While not costing big Wild Country (Maclain Way, 2018) place figures compared to fiction, Netflix nonfiction more emphasis on the suspected killer’s production values are high compared to personality or the tantalizing details of social other models of commercial and nonprofit transgression than the failings or inequities documentary. The average budgets for Netflix of the US legal system. Nature films such as originals circa 2019 ranged from about (Jeff Orlowski, 2017) and Down $500,000 to 5 million. Acquisitions began to Earth with Zac Effron (Darin Olien, 2020) at around $25,000 and went as high as 10 treat the climate crisis as less a subject to million. For commercial broadcast and cable, be critically understood than a constellation documentaries would rarely exceed 1 million of spectacular images of the non-human dollars and for public media, the costs are environment to behold. Even usually between about 2-300,000.28 Netflix (Alastair Fothergill, 2019), a series that directly took cues from HBO, whose famous tagline, addresses the human-made consequences “it’s not TV, its HBO,” helped to distance its of climate change, tends to disassociate programming from network broadcast and human society from environmental impact. cable outlets. Under the guidance of doc Music documentaries such as Keith Richards: maven , HBO gave provocative, Under the Influence (Morgan Neville, socially engaged topics a “cinematic” 2015) and Quincy (Rashida Jones, 2018) treatment. HBO broadcast long-form features highlight the genius of an individual artist and multi-part series with no commercials or ensemble (foregrounding rare bootleg and without the same censorship restrictions recordings, stage performances, and home as network fare. The company poured big footage), but deemphasize ways that music money into projects and courted well- both shapes and is shaped by cultural known filmmakers to direct. What began to geography or is part of a social movement. differentiate Netflix from HBO was not only its Netflix’s packaging of a documentary for system of delivery (first DVD rental and then advertising and outreach can also neutralize streaming) and the sheer scale of output, but its rhetoric or theme. To return to American its programming strategy. HBO simultaneously Factory, it was the theme of “culture clash” pursued two different tracks: the “high” one rather than that of class conflict or the shared of auteur features (some of which took a more experiences of factory work that was tak- experimental approach) and the “low” one of en up and amplified in the film’s paratextual salacious, tabloid-style series. While Netflix materials. The film marked a departure from trafficked in each of these areas, it also found Reichert’s past work, which offered in-depth new ways of bringing them together within explorations of the American feminist and a single film or miniseries.29 This storytelling labor movements throughout the twentieth strategy has led to a substantial viewership century from an intersectional perspective.30 for films that otherwise could have been Netflix promoted the film as a humanist por- pigeonholed as “niche.” But it has limited trait, and tried to contain what might have the breadth of film styles and the diversity been its more political dimensions. One of of filmmakers who are able to flourish on the common thumbnail images of American the platform. Specifically, it has resulted in a Factory on the platform foregrounds the US

Glick \ 65 versus China as the dominant trope. The de- as part of educational programming concern- scription makes this juxtaposition explicit, ing the crisis of mass incarceration. noting that “a culture clash threatens to shat- A filmmaker’s standard “worldwide rights” ter the American dream,” as if the threat was contract gives Netflix firm control over how singularly China rather than the transnational the film circulates and in what capacity; for process of capitalist accumulation. The poster example, documentaries as varied as Heidi advertisement and the Netflix promo film fea- Ewing and Rachel Grady’s vérité-style look at turing Barack and Michelle Obama echo these the difficult experiences of three Jews who sentiments. For the former, the “conflict/cour- try to leave their Hassidic community (One of age” motif is distilled in the alliterative tagline, Us, 2017) and a multi-filmmaker series about “cultures collide, hope survives.” Paratextual how companies deceive consumers about materials further reinforce this perspective. the health risks of everyday products (Broken, Participant Media’s “Discussion Guide” states 2019), are all largely confined to the individual- that the film’s purpose is to “spark discus- ized onscreen space of the platform. Moreover, sion around the future of work and how that the long-term status of a film on the plat- future affects us all.” The guide also promi- form is also precarious. A documentary might nently claims that American Factory “does not be prominently featured for a month before promote an ideology or political agenda, but getting buried deep in the digital backlog. It instead tells a powerful, personal story about might be removed from the selection options how globalization and the loss of industrial entirely if, for some reason, it is deemed con- jobs affects workers, communities, and the troversial, with the filmmaker left no recourse future of work.”31 or alternative distribution options. In regard to While Netflix’s storytelling paradigm con- this point, Netflix is quick to foreground that stitutes one kind of restrictive framework, the its main purpose is to “entertain.” For exam- protocols that guide how films exist on-and ple, in response to removing with off-line constitute another. This is of course Hasan Minhaj (Richard A. Preuss, 2018) from not the way that Netflix likes to see itself, nor the platform in Saudi Arabia because it was the way it is usually depicted in the popular highly critical of Crown Prince Mohammed press. In a New York Times article profiling the bin Salman, Hastings told a packed New York company’s headquarters, journal- Times DealBook Conference, “we’re not in the ist Brooks Barnes describes the plush lobby as news business. We’re not trying to do ‘truth to the “New Town Hall of Hollywood.”32 The gi- power,’ we’re trying to entertain.”33 Because gantic Sunset Boulevard headquarters appears filmmakers usually sign over all their rights to open and transparent, a place that seems ideal their projects they have no chance to show for the happy intersection of creative, civ- their film in other settings.34 Offline viewing ic, and financial goals. Even as Netflix prides has to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. itself on the accessibility of its media and the Exhibition on the platform itself does not freedom that artists have to create under its necessarily ensure meaningful engagement. banner, the company is like a tightly run, verti- One film seamlessly playing into another cally integrated studio as opposed to a “town at the point of its conclusion facilitates a hall.” Flexible forms of exhibition beyond the “binge-like” viewing experience rather than platform are rare. These deals are reserved encouraging the viewer to pause and reflect for a very small group of well-known directors, on the film that just concluded or take a deep whose work is deemed “award-worthy” or dive into supplementary materials. As media whose name commands power and urgency. studies scholar Mareike Jenner argues, binging For example, Netflix allowed Ava DuVernay to was marketed by Netflix as central to the plat- create an elaborate tour for 13th (2016) that form’s appeal, a structured viewing practice ran parallel to its online exhibition. The docu- where the “skip intro” and rotating “post-play” mentary was shown in schools, libraries, and features create an “insulated flow” of mov- community centers across the country, often ing-image content.35 Additionally, information

Glick \ 66 concerning viewership is deemed proprietary advocacy campaign . Its absence creates what data and kept hidden from both the filmmak- Liesl Copland calls “analytic black holes” that er and viewers. The exception is when these hurt filmmakers, audiences, and researchers companies aim, as media scholar J.D. Connor alike.41 This is not to say that knowing the has observed, to “flex in public” and trumpet quantitative metrics of who viewed the film the popularity of a particular film or television where and for how much time should be seen series. From the perspective of the streamers, as a kind of positivist proof of a film’s value. the data is their most valuable asset.36 Any film As scholars such as Meg McLagan and Brian crew would find this information highly desir- Winston have argued, a fixation on connecting able. For the creators of advocacy-oriented measurable, quantifiable “data” with proof of documentaries and the broader communities “impact,” discounts the qualitative ways that involved in their production it is absolutely media makes meaning in the world, privileges crucial. It is imperative to think of contem- short-term outcomes over long-term change, porary forms of , following and devalues the process of filmmaking it- the line of interpretation advanced by Michael self.42 Nonetheless, being able to not simply Curtin, Jennifer Holt, and Kevin Sanson, as not reach, but mobilize viewers is directly con- simply a technological delivery system, but a nected to being able to better understand shift in “our ways of using media and our ways how people engage with films. Making any of socializing through media.”37 kind of social change—whether it is a matter This is why the stakes surrounding dis- of raising awareness about a pressing issue, tribution are not just about the aesthetic electing a candidate, advocating for a piece preference for a large-screen theatrical expe- of legislation, or reorienting a community’s rience.38 Rather, what is important, as scholar understanding of itself—is contingent upon Angela J. Aguayo writes, is the social experi- the context in which viewers interact with the ence that different forms of exhibition afford.39 projects. Hosting a screening at a library, community center, or faith-based institution makes it ENTER THE STREAMING WARS possible for the film to address individuals en masse and to generate live interaction among Story is King those present. Thus, even as film and media —Ed Catmull, former president of Pixar theorist Jane Gaines claims that the potential and Walt Disney Animation Studios43 for “political mimesis” might be produced by way of the film itself, it is the context of exhi- Brands will matter more than ever. bition that remains critical for the corporeal —Richard Plepler, CEO of HBO44 “body back” phenomenon by which docu- mentaries might render “activists more active, Netflix competes in a crowded arena of making them more like the moving bodies on newly created platforms, each trying to claim screen.”40 Foreclosing the possibility of doc- cultural relevance and grow their subscriber umentaries screening openly in such venues base.45 The studio’s venture into nonfiction curbs their political potential. has served as a model for Disney+, Apple TV+, Knowledge of how a project is circulat- HBO Max, and others to follow. Certainly, the ing and who is watching it also has very real comparatively low cost of documentary is implications for documentarians; for exam- helping to propel companies in this direction. ple, not knowing where or how many people Still, during this period of institution build- are actually seeing a film limits their ability to ing, the more salient value of documentary negotiate future contracts and to supply this concerns its social and symbolic meaning. information in grant and funding applications. Documentaries help form the architecture of This information is significant for understand- the studios’ brand, signaling that they care ing the ways in which a film can be used as about the climate justice, Me Too, and Black part of movement organizing or a particular Lives Matter movements as well as projecting

Glick \ 67 an image of the organization as transparent, of the event was a promo video featuring authentic, and truthful. Documentaries dove- fiction filmmakers , M. Night tail with companies’ efforts to strategically Shyamalan, Sofia Coppola, and J.J. Abrams recalibrate aspects of their filmmaking oper- waxing poetic about the artisanal craft of ations—for example, by speaking out against moving-image storytelling. Nonetheless, the Georgia’s anti-abortion legislation, reducing event closed with Oprah Winfrey enthusias- their carbon footprint for shoots, or adopting tically announcing her partnership to create inclusivity training for their employees. The documentaries with the tech giant. Discussing exact form and subject of a nonfiction offering her desire “to build awareness through com- varies from streamer to streamer. Still, Netflix’s pelling conversation,” she outlined projects paradigm of educational yet entertaining currently in the pipeline, including Toxic Labor, long-form storytelling resonates across pro- which would look at sexual harassment in the gramming lineups. workplace and a yet-to-be named documenta- Documentary affinities were on full display ry which explores the complexities of mental during the highly publicized platform launch illness across cultures.48 events of 2019. Corporate leaders teamed up The Burbank convening and publicity sur- with creative talent to announce major col- rounding HBO Max generated a lot of buzz laborations and projects in the pipeline.46 about the platform’s deep IP library. In ad- The unveiling of Disney+ at the D23 Expo in dition to tapping the parent conglomerate’s Anaheim was the culminating achievement of Warner Bros. film catalog and fan-favorite CEO Bob Iger’s three-decade plan to steer the television shows (all 236 episodes of Friends), entertainment empire toward quality branded the platform also boasts a strong nonfiction content, technological innovation, and global agenda. The provocative documentaries of expansion. As was the case with Disney’s “sci- HBO, along with the docu-journalism of one of ence factuals” and Disneyland television series WarnerMedia’s key assets, CNN, will be vital (Walt Disney, 1954–58) in the 1950s, Disney+ going forward. Some initial offerings include documentaries serve multiple transmedia Expecting Amy (Alexander Hammer, 2020), functions; for example, they draw people to which focuses on Amy Schumer’s pregnan- the company’s family friendly parks, animat- cy and prep for her latest comedy special; ed and live action films, and vast retail lines. Generation Hustle (, 2020), about Disney Insider (Isaac Webster, 2020), Disney young people’s pursuit of fame and power; Prop Culture (Jason Henry/Daniel Lanigan, Bourdain (Morgan Neville, 2020), a profile 2020), and One Day at Disney (Fritz Mitchell, of the late chef-turned-culinary evangelist, 2020) celebrate Disney labor, implying that ; and The Scoop (Amy Entelis, “imagineering” extends across all sectors of 2020) which tracks female political reporters employment. Behind-the-scenes vignettes covering the presidential election.49 and day-in-the-life portraits spotlight the life As the streaming wars play out, studios stories of animators, producers, construction continue to preach that the pursuit of profit- workers, radio DJs, voice actors, and veteri- able entertainment and the public good are narians. The Hero Project (Maura Mandt, 2020) complementary rather than mutually exclusive takes as its premise “inspiring kids” who goals. What these platforms have done is make perform selfless, humanitarian acts in their a cross section of nonfiction more accessible everyday lives. The series showcases how to a wider demographic than was previously real-world citizens, just like the superheroes of the case with legacy forms of theatrical distri- the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are capable of bution and broadcast. They have also created extraordinary civic acts. 47 new venues for filmmakers (including those Apple TV+’s Cupertino launch provided from marginalized and underrepresented the opportunity for the company to align its groups) to showcase work that had a hard time long-standing image as a design maverick finding traction in mainstream distribution. with that of a reinvigorated auteur. A highlight Much of the discourse surrounding corporate

Glick \ 68 responsibility or “woke capitalism,” however, Documentary Association’s “Getting Real” masks the ideological and stylistic pres- conference, and the online D-Word forum have sures placed on documentaries that bear the provided spaces for documentarians to share streamers’ brand and how tightly controlled experiences and create knowledge about how the flow of media is on their platforms. Despite big streamers operate. Groups such as Brown access to vast back catalogs, these platforms’ Girls Doc Mafia, Asian American Documentary pursuit of maximum eyeballs leads them to Network, and Distribution Advocates have, in fetishize the contemporary and focus on a pointed ways, been fighting for an equitable rotating array of recently created films. This production and distribution ecology, one that climate of cultural amnesia discourages audi- grants more rights to filmmakers and places ences from thinking about documentary as an more women and people of color in positions art form that has developed over time and how of power. These groups are challenging the past filmmaking practices and strategies could ways that companies make infrequent to- still be relevant today. In addition, the stream- ken hires and empty public statements about ers are not only leading to a narrowing of film "beginning the conversation."52 At stake is form, but also to a storytelling paradigm that the empowerment of creative labor, especially distorts the complexity of our social world and marginalized filmmakers, and the possibilities forecloses what documentary’s relationship to for their work to reorient our relationship to it might be. the world.53 A dispersed and localized media ecology PLATFORMS FOR THE PEOPLE nevertheless offers an alternative to the com- mercial streamers, both for its support of a Documentary activism takes shape when diverse range of documentaries and greater the filmmaker and the subjects, the flexibility concerning IP. These funders, pro- screen and the audience, and event orga- duction units, and distribution hubs are also nizers and collaborators come together. more amendable to participatory and co-cre- —Svetla Turnin and Ezra Winton, ative production models that embrace, as co-founders of Cinema Politica, 2014 50 Patricia Zimmermann describes, a "polyphonic" practice where creative authority and input We must create a more generous and in- is distributed across multiple participants. clusive distribution landscape. That starts They provide filmmakers with more freedom by growing a movement, creating ongoing regarding exhibition, although their audiences dialogue, and shifting the culture behind are limited. For example, the left-leaning Field how filmmakers engage in distribution. of Vision is a production house and exhibi- —Amy Hobby et al., “The Decency in tion venue for short-form documentaries that Distribution Manifesto,” 201951 brings together investigative journalists, activ- ists, and artists. They acquire and commission Filmmakers as well as the broader public would original projects that seek to experiment with benefit from streamers adopting a more inclu- the language of nonfiction representation in sive approach to the media they support and their engagement with social justice strug- a more lenient position regarding how media gles around the globe. Importantly, as Field circulates on and off their platforms. Sarandos of Vision considers itself a “filmmaker-driven and Hastings have stated on numerous occa- documentary unit,” filmmakers retain copy- sions that they support making data available, right and the raw footage associated with their but their promises so often translate to little projects.54 more than advertisements for a particular As stated on their website, OVID.tv aims film’s appeal. Exactly who is watching which to provide a “spark that you feel is missing films and for how long remains hard, if not on the big corporate platforms—for all of us impossible, to ascertain. Panels and informal who . . . want to be transformed, and to trans- conversations at festivals, at the International form the world.” Its network of contributing

Glick \ 69 independent distributors shapes the inventory, I would like to thank Alexandra Juhasz, Alisa which climbed from around 300 to 800 titles Lebow, Jason Fox, and the anonymous World during its first year of operation in 2019. Initial Records reader for their valuable feedback. participants included such organizations as The ideas for this article first emerged during Women Make Movies (feminist media), Bullfrog the 2019 Society for Cinema and Media Studies Films (social justice films, ecocinema), Icarus conference. I am fortunate to have benefited Films (North American documentary, library of from the sharp insights of Patricia Zimmermann, historical films), KimStim (international fea- Chris Cagle, Brian Winston, and Gail Vanstone. tures, documentary), and dGenerate Films The Open Documentary Lab at MIT provided a (independent films from mainland China). The vibrant and welcoming environment to work- particular contractual arrangements for films shop this article over the past year. Special involve OVID and the rights holder, but OVID thanks to lab leaders William Uricchio and Sarah doesn’t retain legal control over the films and Wolozin for their constructive comments. Deep encourages their wide exhibition.55 gratitude goes to Masha Shpolberg, Patrick PBS was initially slow to innovate online Reagan, Raisa Sidenova, Katerina Cizek, and due to underfunding, its orientation to an Lance Kramer for their help positioning Netflix aging viewership, and the fragmentation of its within a broader media ecology. system, which resulted in individual stations operating with their own protocols and pref- erences. However, some stations have been making significant strides, doubling down on their civic mandate while trying to engage new (and younger) audiences through digital platforms. Promising initiatives include the expansion of content available on the PBS streaming app, interactive and short-form social media projects (POV Digital and Spark, Frontline’s Transparency Project), archival programming (American Archive of Public Broadcasting), and community media that con- joins local stations with a wider constellation of artists and filmmakers (Localore). Notably, PBS programming is underwritten through public-private partnerships and does not re- quire the same kind of paid subscription plan as commercial platforms.56 Creating a more inclusive and democratic media infrastructure requires working on mul- tiple fronts. This means grassroots pressure to help renegotiate the power dynamics between commercial studios, the creative labor on which they rely, and the viewers who engage with their films. At the same time, it is imper- ative to continue supporting and developing alternative modes of production and distri- bution. New kinds of collaborations between filmmakers and their communities will be cru- cial in order to expand documentary practice and initiate the kinds of social transformations that it aims to bring about.

Glick \ 70 ENDNOTES that explores issues of localization, co-pro- duction, and transnational circulation; for 1—Tatiana Siegel, “Sundance: Netflix example, Courtney Brannon Donoghue, Nabs ‘American Factory’ Doc for $3 mil- Localising Hollywood (London: BFI, 2017). lion,” Hollywood Reporter, February 1, 2019; Tatiana Siegel, “Obamas Settling 4—While major connections across the Intro New Role as Netflix Producers,” media cultures of San Francisco and Hollywood Reporter, August 7, 2019. Los Angeles can be traced back to New Email correspondence between journalist Hollywood if not before, there is a growing Tatiana Siegel and Joshua Glick, August body of scholarship that looks at the con- 6-10, 2020. Mike Fleming, Jr., “Knock temporary nexus. Stuart Cunningham and Down the House Sold for Record $10 David Craig, Social Media Entertainment: Million,” Deadline, February 6, 2019; Will The New Intersection of Hollywood and Thorne, “Obamas Discuss Higher Ground Silicon Valley (New York: NYU Press, 2019). Productions,” Variety, August 21, 2019; 5—Chris Anderson, “The Long Tail,” Wired, Guy Lodge, “Netflix and the Obamas Raise October 1, 2004. the Stakes,” , August 17, 2019; Josh Rottenberg, “Q&A: Why the 6—Gina Keating, Netflixed: The Epic Battle Obamas Became Producers of the Netflix For America’s Eyeballs (New York: Penguin, Documentary, American Factory,” Los 2013), 45. Angeles Times, August 16, 2019. 7—, Convergence Culture: 2—Thomas Schatz, “Film Studies, Cultural Where Old and Collide (New Studies, and Media Industries Studies,” York: NYU, 2006), 1–24. For Netflix’s early in Media Industries: Perspectives on an history, see, Keating, Netflixed along with Evolving Field, eds. Amelia Arsenault and Netflix vs the World (Shawn Cauthen and Alisa Perren (CreateSpace Independent Gina Keating, 2020); Marc Randolph, That Publishing, New York: 2016), 178; John Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the T. Caldwell, “Para-Industry: Researching Amazing Life of an Idea (New York: Little, Hollywood’s Backwaters,” Cinema Journal Brown and Company, 2019). 52, no. 3 (Spring 2013): 157-65. 8—For a survey of Netflix’s initial doc- 3—Cory Barker and Myc Wiatrowski, umentary offerings, see the Internet eds., The Age of Netflix: Critical Essays Archive’s “Wayback Machine” tool. on , Digital Delivery, and 9—Eric Hoyt, Hollywood Vault: Film Libraries Instant Access (Jefferson, NC: McFarland Before Home Video (Berkeley: University of & Company, 2017); Kevin McDonald and Press, 2014), 198–202. Daniel Smith-Rowsey, eds., The Netflix Effect: Technology and Entertainment in 10—Daniel Herbert, Videoland: Movie the 21st Century (New York: Bloomsbury, Culture at the American Video Store 2016). Mareike Jenner, Netflix and the (Berkeley: University of California Press, Re-invention of Television (New York: 2014) 28–48; Joshua M. Greenberg, From Palgrave Macmillan, 2018); Derek Johnson, Betamax to Blockbuster: Video Stores ed., From Networks to Netflix: A Guide to and the Invention of Movies on Video Changing Channels (New York: Routledge, (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2010), 122–9. 2018). For an account of Netflix’s global 11—Ted Sarandos interviewed by Matthew reach, see Ramon Lobato, Netflix Nations: Carey, “How Ted Sarandos Transformed The Geography of Digital Distribution (New Netflix into a Global Doc Streamer,” IDA’s York: New York University Press, 2019). Documentary Magazine, November 25, Netflix Nations intersects with recent lit- 2015; Norman Lear interviewed by Ted erature on contemporary global Hollywood Sarandos, “TV’s New Golden Age,” 2014

Glick \ 71 Paley IC Summit, posted January 29, 2015. The Changing Face of Documentary” in “Special Focus on American Documentary 12—Documentaries played in commercial Today,” Cineaste 30, no. 3 (Summer, theaters since the early twentieth century, 2005): 18–36. however, they struggled to turn big profits. They also had difficulty on television in the 15—Daniel Frankel, Video Business 23, age of the three networks. Michael Curtin, no. 24 (July 2003): 12; “Netflix Launches Redeeming the Wasteland: Television Netflix First and Unveils Docurama Documentary and Cold War Politics (New Partnership,” PR Newswire, June 16, Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2003, 1. Holly J Wagner, “Netflix Exclusive 1995). For early ratings data, see for ex- Just First Step in Boosting Category at ample, Appendix A in Robert Lee Bailey, Docurama,” Videostore Magazine, July An Examination of Prime Time Network 29, 2003, 15; Steve Savage, quoted in Television Special Programs, 1948 to 1966 Jill Kipnis, “DVD Video Rental Takes (New York: Arno Press, 1979). Off,” Billboard, August 2, 2003, 1; Ted Loos, “Dynamic DVDs: We’re Hooked,” 13—John Pierson, Spike, Mike, Slackers Town & Country, June 2004, 99–100; & Dykes: A Guided Tour Across a Decade Nicholas Thompson, “Netflix Uses Speed of American Independent Cinema (Austin: to Fend-Off Wal-Mart Challenge: Disks University of Texas Press, 2014), 103– for Rent,” New York Times, September 29, 22, 133–76; Yannis Tzioumakis, “Indie 2003, C1; Holly J Wagner, “TV Airing a Doc’: and American Big Plus for Documentaries,” Video Store ‘Independent’, ‘Indie’ and ‘Indiewood’ Magazine, September 14–20, 2003, 25. Filmmaking,” Studies in Documentary Patricia Troy, “One-Stop Shops: From Film 10, no. 1 (2016): 1–21; Nora Stone, Acquisition to Distribution, Docurama, “Marketing the Reel: The Creation of a Criterion and Facets Multi-Media Manage Multilayered Market for Documentary to Do It All,” IDA’s Documentary Magazine, Cinema,” Dissertation, University of November 1, 2003; Sarah Jo Marks, “All Wisconsin, 2018. For more on the broad- Docs, All the Time: DVD Label Docurama er commercialization of nonfiction during Deals Exclusively in Nonfiction,” IDA’s the 1990s–2000s (nature, travel, science Documentary Magazine, July 31, 2005; PR programming, etc.), see David Hogarth, Newswire, “Netflix Offers Exclusive Rental Realer Than Reel: Global Directions in of Daughter From Danang,” New York, Documentary (Austin: University of Texas November 10, 2003, 1. Press, 2006), 19–40; Elfriede Fürsich, “Between Credibility and Commodification: 16—Cara Mertes, quoted in Jennifer Nonfiction Entertainment as a Global Netherby, “Netflix to Debut PBS Series Media Genre,” International Journal of Exclusively,” Video Business 24, no. 24 Cultural Studies 6, no. 2 (2003): 131–53. (June 2004): 8. Holly J Wagner, “Netflix For shifts in public media, see Laurie in New Deal to Boost Docs,” Video Store Ouellette, Viewers Like You? How Public Magazine, June 27, 2004, 24. TV Failed the People (New York: Columbia 17—Marcy Margiera, “Netflix Aims for University Press, 2002); James Ledbetter, Pinpoint Accuracy,” Video Business 23, no. Made Possible By…: The Death of Public 45 (November 2003): 8; Marcy Margiera, Broadcasting in the (London: “What’s Up, Docs?” Video Business 23, Verso, 1998). no. 41 (October 2003): 6; Ted Sarandos, 14—Patricia Aufderheide, “The Changing quoted in Elaine Dutka, “Tim Robbins is Marketplace for Documentary,” Michael Showing His Independent Streak,” Los Renov, “The Political Documentary Angeles Times, May 24, 2005, E4. Today,” Paul Arthur, “Extreme Makeover: 18—Ted Sarandos, “Read the Speech

Glick \ 72 That Sent a Wake Up Call to TV and Film NC: McFarland & Company, 2017), 29-37. Studios,” IndieWire, October 31, 2013. 24—Ann Hornaday, “The Square Movie Partha Banerjee, “Documentary Born Into Review,” Washington Post, January 16, Brothels and the Oscars: An Insider’s Point 2014. Facebook and are used of View,” Letter to the Executive Director, to coordinate protests. One of the pro- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and tagonists, Khalil, becomes a leader in a Sciences, February 1, 2005; Pooja Rangan, counter- movement, docu- “Immaterial Child Labor: Media Advocacy, menting instances of state violence and Autoethnography, and the Case of Born uploading the films to YouTube. When Into Brothels,” Camera Obscura 75, no. Egyptian censors barred The Square from 25/3 (December 2011): 143–77. being shown domestically, it was streamed 19—Patrick Sauer, “How I Did It,” Inc., on YouTube as well as pirated and dissemi- December 2005, 27; Larry Williams, “At nated underground. City, Truth Can be Stronger Than Fiction,” 25—Jehane Noujaim, quoted in Max Fisher, Hartford Courant, January 15, 2004, “The Square is a Beautiful Documentary. D1; Alex Pham and Jon Healey, “Telling But Its Politics Are Dangerous,” You What You Like,” , Washington Post, January 17, 2014. September 20, 2005, A1. David Pogue, “A Stream of Movies, Sort of Free,” New York 26—Karim Amer, quoted in Thomas L. Times, January 25, 2007, C1. It is easy to Friedman, “From the Pyramid to the forget just how crowded and contingent Square,” March 2, 2014, New York the online video and rental landscape was Times, SR11; Steve Dollar, “The Square in the early 2000s. Blockbuster turned Filmmakers Capture a Revolution – and down an offer to purchase Netflix for $50 then an Oscar Nomination,” Washington million in 2000. Post, January 2014, C1; Nick Vivarelli, “The Square Circumvents Egyptian Censors 20—Lisa Nishimura, interviewed by Mario With YouTube Version,” Variety, February Calabresi at the International Journalism 25, 2014; Gregory Stephens, “Recording Festival, Perugia, Italy, April 12, 2017. the Rhythm of Change: A Rhetoric of 21—Tina Daunt, “Hollywood & Politics,” Revolution in the Square,” Bright Lights Hollywood Reporter, May 4, 2012. Film Journal, May 7, 2014; Evan Hill, “The Egypt Outside The Square,” Aljazeera 22—Joy Press, “This is the Netflix Exec to America, January 16, 2014. Thank for Your Wild, Wild, Country Binge,” Vanity Fair, June 15, 2018; Joe Flint, “Meet 27—Kevin Glynn, Tabloid Culture: the Woman Who Made Netflix’s Tiger King Trash Taste, Popular Power, and the Must-See Quarantine TV,” Wall Street Transformation of American Television Journal, May 10, 2020; Lisa Nishimura (Durham: Duke University Press, 2000), interviewed by Matt Holzman, part of The 20-45. Business with Kim Masters, KCRW podcast, 28—Peter Hamilton, Netflix: What You December 10, 2018. Need to Know Now! 2019-2020 (Peter 23—Greg Gilman, “Netflix Acquires Hamilton Consultants Inc., New York), Egyptian Protest Documentary,” The Wrap, DocumentaryBusiness.com. November 4, 2013; James N. Gilmore, 29—Thomas Mascaro, "Overview: Form “Circulating The Square: Digital Distribution and Function," in The Essential HBO Reader, as (Potential) Activism,” in Cory Barker and ed. Gary R. Edgerton and Jeffrey P. Jones Myc Wiatrowski, eds. The Age of Netflix: (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, Critical Essays on Streaming Media, Digital 2008), 239-261. Delivery, and Internet Access (Jefferson,

Glick \ 73 30—For an overview of the extraordi- The Guardian, March 4, 2019; Addie nary career of Julia Reichert, see Patricia Morfoot, “Streamers Give Documentary Aufderheide, “Julia Reichert and the World Field a Boost,” Variety, November 5, 2019. of Telling Working Class Stories,” Film 39—Angela J. Aguayo, Documentary Quarterly 73, no. 2 (December 9, 2019). Resistance: Social Change and Participatory 31—American Factory Discussion Guide, Media (Oxford: Oxford University Press, Participant Media and Higher Ground, 2019), 1-23. 2019; Talib Visram, “Obama’s Netflix Doc 40—Jane Gaines, “Political Mimesis,” American Factory to Launch Impact Tour,” in Collecting Visible Evidence, eds. Jane Fast Company, August 29, 2019. Gaines and Michael Renov (Minneapolis: 32—“The Town Hall of Hollywood: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 100. Welcome to the Netflix Lobby,” New York 41—Liesl Copland, “Digital on Demand: Times, July 14, 2019. Show Us the Numbers,” IndieWire, 33—Reed Hastings, interviewed by Andrew September 10, 2013; Lene Bech Silesen, Ross Sorkin, New York Times DealBook “Do Documentary Filmmakers Need Conference, November 6, 2019; Tyler Data About Their Audiences?” Columbia Hersko, “Netflix’s Latest Claim That It Journalism Review, August 8, 2014. Wants Data Transparency Rings Hollow,” 42—Meg McLagan, “Imagining Impact IndieWire, September 27, 2019; Ben Documentary Film and the Production of Travers, “Netflix Claims ‘When They See Political Effects,” in Sensible Politics: The Us’ Is Its Most-Watched Series… Just in Visual Culture of Nongovernmental Activism, Time for Emmy Voting,” IndieWire, June 12, Meg McLagan and Yates McKee, eds. (New 2019. York: Zone Books, 2012), 305-19; Winston 34—See the D-Word discussion, et. al., The Act of Documenting, 191-220. “Dealing With Netflix,” October 26, 2019. 43—Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace, Peter Hamilton, Netflix 2020. Creativity, Inc: Overcoming the Unseen 35—Jenner, Netflix, 125-37; Brooks Forces that Stand in the Way of True Barnes, “In Bid to Conquer Oscars, Netflix Inspiration (New York: Random House, Mobilizes Savvy Campaigner and Huge 2014), 66. Budget,” New York Times, February 17, 44—Richard Plepler, interviewed by CNN’s 2019. Dylan Byers, December 18, 2017, CNN 36—J.D. Connor, “What’s Contemporary Business, excerpt on CNN.com. About the ?” Post45, 45—Jonah Weiner, “The Great Race to Rule February 24, 2019. Streaming TV,” New York Times Magazine, 37—Michael Curtin, Jennifer Holt, and July 10, 2019; Ben Fritz, The Big Picture: Kevin Sanson, “Introduction: Making a The Fight for the Future of Movies (New Revolution,” in Curtin et. al., Distribution York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018); Revolution: Conversations about the Digital Tanya Zuk, ed., “Streaming Wars,” In Future of Film and Television (Berkeley: Medias Res, May 4, 2020, MediaCommons University of California Press, 2014), 5. Project. 38—Anne Thompson, “The Spielberg 46—As scholars Derek Johnson, Derek vs Netflix Battle Could Mean Collateral Kompare, and Avi Santo describe, these Damage for Indies at the Oscars,” managerial performances should be IndieWire, February 28, 2019; Andrew understood as sites of “cultural intermedi- Pulver, “Netflix Responds to Steven ation” in which companies communicate Spielberg’s Attach On Movie Streaming,” their values to their employees, peer

Glick \ 74 organizations. Derek Johnson, Derek distributionadvocates.substack.com/ Kompare, and Avi Santo, “Introduction: 52—Reports from such institutions as Discourses, Dispositions, Tactics,” UCLA and USC show the severe lack of in Making Media Work: Cultures of women and people of color in the me- Management in the Entertainment dia industries (including the commercial Industries, eds., Johnson et. al. (New York: streamers). As these reports tend to fo- NYU Press, 2014), 1–24. cus on fiction film and television, more 47—Leslie Goldberg, “Disney+ Unveils research is needed with regards to doc- Robust Slate Featuring Pair of umentary. The Center for Media and Marvel Docuseries,” Hollywood Reporter, Social Impact at American University has April 10, 2019; Christopher Anderson, conducted some valuable studies on Hollywood TV: The Studio System in nonfiction film festivals, awards, and labor. the Fifties (Austin: University of Texas, See, for example, Caty Borum Chattoo and 1994), 133–55; Robert Iger, The Ride of William Harder’s State of the Documentary a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years Field: 2018 Study of Documentary as CEO of the Walt Disney Company (New Professionals. York: Random House, 2019), 189–202; 53—Legislation and the courts could also J.P. Telotte, The Mouse Machine: Disney have a role to play in checking the rapid and Technology (Champaign: University of growth of major media conglomerates and Illinois Press, 2008), 96–116. holding them accountable to the creative 48—Oprah Winfrey, quoted in Chaim talent they employ and viewers who con- Gartenberg, “Oprah Will Release Two sume their products. Debates surrounding Documentaries on Apple TV Plus Along the legal frameworks for regulating big With A New Book Club,” The Verge, March tech need to be placed in dialogue with 25, 2019; Sandra Gonzalez, “Oprah other sectors of the film, television, and Unveils Documentary Projects and Book information industries. The FTC has an Club for Apple,” CNN Entertainment, March important responsibility in this regard as 25, 2019; “Lesley Goldberg and Natalie does anti-trust policy. David Sims, “Trump’s Jarvey, “Inside Apple’s Long, Bumpy Justice Department Wants to Change the Road to Hollywood,” Hollywood Reporter, Movie Industry,” The Atlantic, November October 15, 2019. 20, 2019; Edmund Lee and Cecilia Kang, “US Loses Appeal Seeking to Block AT&T- 49—Cynthia Littleton and Daniel Holloway, Time Warner Merger,” February 26, 2019; “To The Max,” Variety, May 13, 2020, 28– Larry Downes, “On Internet Regulation, 33; Daniele Alcinii, “HBO’s Nancy Abraham, The FCC Goes Back to the Future,” Forbes, Lisa Heller to Replace Sheila Nevins,” March 12, 2018; Rohit Chopra, “Dissenting Realscreen, December 19, 2017; Jillian Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra Morgan, “HBO Max Greenlights Unscripted re: Facebook Inc., Commission File No. Series, Docs from CNN,” Realscreen, 1823109.” Lina M Khan, “Amazon’s October 24, 2019. Antitrust Paradox,” Yale Law Journal 126, 50—Svetla Turnin and Ezra Winton, no. 3 (January 2017): 710–805. “Introduction: Encounters With 54—Patricia Zimmermann, Documentary Documentary Activism,” in Screening Across Platforms: Reverse Engineering Truth to Power: A Reader on Documentary Media, Place, and Politics (Bloomington: Activism, eds. Turnin and Winton (Montreal: Indiana University Press, 2019); William KataSoho, 2014), 21. Uricchio and Katerina Cizek, Collective 51—Amy Hobby et. al. Distribution Wisdom Field Study: Co-Creating Media Advocates website: https:// Within Communities, Across Disciplines and

Glick \ 75 With Algorithms (MIT Co-Creation Studio, Practices of Interactive Documentary (New Open Documentary Lab, Cambridge, 2019); York: Columbia University Press, 2017). Eric Hynes, “Field of Vision: an Interview 56—PBS CEO Paula Kerger, interviewed by with Co-Creators,” September 9, 2015, Eric Johnson, Vox, April 15, 2019. Nieman Field of Vision website; Steven Zeitchik, Lab (connected to ’s “For director Laura Poitras, a Nieman Foundation), and Current (con- bold new platform for documentary film,” nected to American University’s School Los Angeles Times, September 27, 2015. of Communication) have provided exten- Third World Newsreel has begun part- sive coverage of PBS’s funding battles, nering with Anthology Film Archives and infrastructural shifts, and investment in Lightbox Film Center to host online screen- tech in recent years. Viewer data for PBS ings of both seminal works of radical streaming and broadcast programming can cinema and new projects by underrepre- be found in the Audience Insight Annual sented filmmakers. Films For Action is a Report (available online), created in collab- nonprofit open-access video archive that oration with PBS Business Intelligence. offers over 40,000 documentaries curat- ed by theme such as “Systemic ,” “Globalization,” and “Indigenous Issues.” Some media platforms have targeted edu- cational institutions such as libraries and universities. Chris Cagle, “Kanopy: Not Just Like Netflix, and Not Free,” Quorum, Film Quarterly, May 23, 2019. Other platforms such as FilmStruck have already come and gone in the 2010s. David Sims, “The Demise of FilmStruck is Part of a Bigger Pattern,” The Atlantic, October 31, 2018. 55—Cynthia Close, “OVID.tv, a New Online Distribution Collaborative, Is Set to Launch,” Documentary Magazine, March 15, 2019. Some independent filmmakers and collectives have chosen to pursue open-access video sharing platforms and homemade websites for distribution. This often affords groups the opportuni- ty to work on more expansive, multi-part projects; for example, Chris Johnson’s installation and interactive website, Question Bridge: Black Males; UnionDocs’ and Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s respec- tive I-Doc projects, Living Los Sures and Hollow, or Helen De Michiel and Sophie Constantinou’s web series, Lunch Love Community. Patricia R. Zimmermann and Helen De Michiel, Open Space New Media Documentary: A Toolkit for Theory and Practice (New York: Routledge, 2018), 44–48; Judith Aston, Sandra Gaudenzi, Mandy Rose, eds., I-Docs: The Evolving

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