Back when I was a student in the New School’s M.A. in Media Studies program, I made sure to take every class possible taught by the brilliant and amazing documentary scholar Deirdre Boyle. The very first class I took with her, “New Directions of Documentary,” changed my thinking about the form, introducing me to such innovative greats as Chris Marker, Nathaniel Dorsky, and of course, my hero, Peter Forgacs. Near the end of the semester, Deirdre showed a film called Blue Vinyl, a documentary about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), America’s most popular plastic, which has led to countless cases of disease and environmental decay. Helfand is the film’s most powerful presence, as she, in a way that is much less confrontational and abrasive than that of Michael Moore, but with just as much humor, exposes plastic’s dark side and looks for healthier alternatives. Never has the feminist mantra of “the personal is political” been so nakedly powerful. Helfand has wild, curly hair, a round, open, face, and a husky voice. She is a loud woman who wears her strength, chutzpah, and humanity on her sleeve. After viewing Blue Vinyl, she stayed for a question and answer session, and was just as engaging as she had been on film. What is most remarkable about the filmmaker however, is that she is a true activist — an artist who does not stop fighting for a better world after her film has played Sundance, but who makes every effort to use it as an effective tool for social change. Which is why I was not surprised when I ran into Helfand at the Full Frame Festival this past May that she has created Working Films , an organization devoted to this sort of community outreach for filmmakers. According to the website,

Working Films brings the persuasive, provocative and personal narratives in independent documentary films and video – vividly illustrating the struggles and triumphs of our lives – to long-term community organizing and activism.
At Working Films, content + intent = change.

This is a much-needed organization in the documentary film world, and I would encourage filmmakers to use their resources.