When director Brandon Dickerson, whose commercialmaking home is kaboom productions, San Francisco and Los Angeles, first heard singer/songwriter Justin Dillon’s desire to draw attention to the truth about the human slave trade problem today, he knew he had to strongly commit to the cause in some fashion.
So what began as a grassroots effort two years ago has since grown into a full-length feature documentary CALL+RESPONSE, which launched nationally in select theaters earlier this month. Dillon is the voice and director of the project and Brandon Dickerson is the director of the music performance segments that help to move the film along.
“I am honored to support what Justin has accomplished with this film,” said Dickerson. “What began as a unique idea of artistic filmed performances has exploded into Justin dedicating years of passion to the cause of CALL+RESPONSE. He has shaped a powerful film that is certain to have a profound impact on all who view it.”
The feature documentary discloses the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets–that’s the estimated number of slaves today, meaning that there are more slaves presently than ever before in history.
CALL+RESPONSE goes deep undercover to different part of the globe where slavery is thriving–from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave-run brick kilns of rural India–to reveal that in 2007, slave traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined. This is a hugely profitable industry based on human misery.
Dickerson, who directs commercials, documentaries and music-driven projects through kaboom productions and sister shop BOOM music videos, captured performances featured in CALL+RESPONSE by Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Moby, Cold War Kids, Imogen Heap, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek with Benmont Tench and Glen Phillips, as well as Rocco Deluca.
As filming of the bands wrapped up in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, Dillon found interest in his project growing and soon found himself sitting down with a camera interviewing such notables as Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures who offer first hand accounts of this 21st century trade.
Dillon soon realized that this was much more than just a concert to end slavery–but a compelling music-driven documentary that clearly articulates the issue of modern day slavery.
“Working with so many talented artists was inspiring,” said Dickerson. “I decided to shoot black and white grainy Super16mm and designed the artistic look of the performances to connect with the film’s prevailing message. So many people donated time and talent to support Justin as a modern day Abolitionist on a journey. And now you have a film in theaters where the profits are given to victims of slavery.”
Radium, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Dallas, handled editing and design for the film.
(For a list of theaters and to buy tickets, log on to http://callandresponse.com/tickets.)
Visionary Filmmaker David Lynch Dies At 78
David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" and the TV series "Twin Peaks," has died just days before his 79th birthday. His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not immediately available, but Lynch had been public about his emphysema. "We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,'" the post read. "It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way." Last summer, Lynch had revealed to Sight and Sound that he was diagnosed with emphysema and would not be leaving his home because of fears of contracting the coronavirus or "even a cold." "I've gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I'm homebound whether I like it or not," Lynch said, adding he didn't expect to make another film. "I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it," Lynch said. "I wouldn't like that so much." Lynch was a onetime painter who broke through in the 1970s with the surreal "Eraserhead" and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences, peers and critics in the following decades. His notable releases ranged from the neo-noir "Mulholland Drive" to the skewed Gothic of "Blue Velvet" to the eclectic and eccentric "Twin Peaks," which won three Golden Globes, two Emmys and even a Grammy for its theme music. "'Blue Velvet,' 'Mulholland Drive' and 'Elephant Man' defined him as a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade," Steven Spielberg said in a statement. Spielberg noted that he had cast Lynch as director John Ford in the 2022 film "The... Read More