Filmmaking can serve multiple purposes. First and foremost, it entertains audiences. This could mean making them laugh, tugging at their heartstrings, or keeping them on the edge of their seats. For writer/director Randall Miller and writer/producer Jody Savin, filmmaking is also about making a difference in the world. That’s why they’ve trained their talents on impact filmmaking, which uses the medium of film to deliver impactful messages about critical themes to mass audiences.
After watching an impact film, viewers may think differently about an issue. They might even take action. For instance, when audiences saw “Super Size Me,” a documentary about the fast-food industry, they may have stopped eating McDonald’s and tried healthier food instead. When they watched “Schindler’s List,” they may have been motivated to learn more about the Holocaust and hear survivors’ stories.
Whether through fictional works or documentaries, impact films can change the way we function and make the world a better place.
Currently, Miller and Savin are focused on two new impact films: “SuperCrip” and a documentary about Holocaust survivor Trudie Strobel.
The former is about Toby, an Uber driver and quadriplegic who picks up a self-centered B-list action movie actor and, in the course of that meeting, the two men’s lives are forever changed. The movie stars Tobias Forrest, who is a quadriplegic actor. He is producing alongside Miller and Savin. Over the years, it has become common in Hollywood for able-bodied actors to play disabled characters. “SuperCrip” is different. Supporting roles will be played by disabled actors as well.
According to Miller, more than a quarter of the U.S. population has some form of disability. However, less than 1% of all roles in Hollywood show people with disabilities. Plus, 95% of those roles written for persons with disabilities are played by people who don’t have disabilities. By signing on a quad actor for “SuperCrip,” Miller and Savin are aiming to change that and give disabled actors more visibility in the film and TV industry.
The other project Savin and Miller are working on follows Strobel and tells the story of her life and work. Trudie owes her survival to the stitching skills of her mother who was enslaved to the Nazis. Stitching saved Trudie again later in life when the long-repressed trauma of her youth came surging back sending her into a deep depression.
Savin wrote the book, Stitched & Sewn: The Life-Saving Art of Holocaust Survivor Trudie Strobel, which includes masterful photographs of Strobel’s art.
At a time when Holocaust survivors are aging, it’s critical to Savin and Miller to tell this first-hand account of the perils of intolerance. Only 19 out of 50 states have some form of Holocaust education in public schools. The filmmaking team aims to correct this so we never forget the very real escalations of hatred in society.
With impact filmmaking, Miller and Savin hope to bring light to the biggest issues of today and ensure that people are well informed.
“Impact filmmaking is a crucial part of the movie-making industry,” said Miller. “Films have the power to open our eyes and make us aware of the big issues affecting us today.” Savin added, “A compelling story can teach people and repair the world one movie at a time.”
