ADC

After spending way too much time on this issue, I have come to this conclusion - the filmmaker community which I am a part of (confession: I am a nerd and like to tinker with cameras and spend too much time drooling over the next camera or lens or light or toy) - is this:

We aren’t the most graceful bunch.  Go on reddit and look at the talk of Philip Bloom after the Kessler dropping its sponsorship of him or just search twitter.  A lot of ugliness has arisen.

We have all mostly reacted with victim blaming - calling the two women crazy, liars, and more, and of course rushed to the defense of Philip Bloom, because, well, we think we know him.

I owe a lot to Philip - he, along with Shane Hurlbut, help democratize the world of filmmaking.  He rose to fame with the 5d mark II - showing the masses how you could make a film look as good as hollywood with this cheapish dslr camera that at the time could only shoot 30p.  It improved on the 35mm depth of field adapter, in that there were less erorrs and it was a smaller camera.  

And I bought a kessler crane because of him, and a redrock matte box because of him.  He influenced me, like Ken Rockwell or Art Adams or Geoff Boyle or Shane Hurlbut. He was a hero to me - showing the world how anyone with a good idea can make beautiful films.

I learned from his coloring.  I started using filmconvert. So I really owe a lot to him. He got me into coloring - to not give up on my footage - to see what was more possible.  He help me progress as an artist and camera nerd.

But with a sad heart, I have to draw my distance, after reading and speaking with Sara who came forward, reading the other girlfriend’s thoughts, reading Eric Kessler’s thoughts, and reading Philip Bloom’s statement.

His statement was the final straw.  His accusation attitude struck me the wrong way.   I wish he had written something more like, “I am deeply sorry about this and embarrassed - none of it is true, I am pursuing legal actions.  I am sorry for everyone to have witnessed this. Please I am ask for some privacy in this trying time, for me and my ex-girlfriends”

But anyway we camera nerds reacted like gamersgate - where people innocently came to Philip’s defense, which in essence is not so innocent.  By defending Philip, you then take a side that indicates that you think two women may be lying.  They maybe telling the truth, but they may also be liars. This isn’t so cut and dry.  Its puts all of us in an uncomfortable space - especially me because I owe a lot to Philip with his sharing of information.

When Bill Cosby happened, comedians took the high road.  They distanced themselves, they evaluated, and they still called out Bill Cosby.  16 women’s word against one.  They all took the side of the women.  Because, that’s the side of standing up against abuse.  Or should you take the side of Bill Cosby?  Is this all a great witch hunt?  These women just want to ruin this great man, who help pioneer comedy - America’s dad? Before a trial. But they did it, so more women would feel okay with coming out about abuse - for the bettering of the world.

Same with Philip, to a smaller degree.  Do you side with one person, or two women who gave similar stories.  Who are we to decide? Or do you need to wait till 14 women come forward?  Do you make a stand now or allow abuse to continue unchecked forever.  Why do we have to care?  Shouldn’t this be private?

We are the people.  We are the jury of peers.  There are no lawyers, there is no courtroom, it’s just us - and many times this is all we get.  

It’s all up to us to make a decision.  To either support a man who has two women who dated him combined for over two years saying that he was emotionally and physically abusive, or siding with a person who calls two women who dated him for over two years, both “delusional” and “crazy.” in his statement.

This is two against one.  Yes we could wait for more evidence, but this isn’t Charles Lindbergh’s baby - there probably won’t be a OJ Simpson trial about this.  And the women have not put out a lawsuit - so I doubt there will be a trial unless Bloom pushes for legal action based on defamation of character.  But looking at his statement, he doesn’t indicate this at all.  So this is all we get.

Does Philiip have a right to privacy?  Does anyone accused of abusing anyone have a right to privacy? I don’t think so.  

Listen here’s my deal.  My production company is kitty guerrilla films - named after Kitty Genovese - it’s about 28 people doing nothing as a woman was raped and killed in Queens because they all thought someone else was going to call the cops. Two weeks ago I saw a woman hit her kid on the train.  In a car of 14 people I was the only to do something.  This is no different to me.  I feel abuse, I react.  

I am not going to spend my whole life being quiet when I see something I feel, in my gut, like abuse.  What gives me this right?  It is in everyone.  The world would be a lot better place if more people spoke up.

And what if I am wrong?  Well that’s the thing about life - it happens in real time.  There is a chance I’m wrong though I doubt it, and if I am wrong, I will apologize to Philip Bloom immensely both publicly and privately.  I will.  

And for those who think what I am writing is grounds for legal action by the issue of slander - it’s not - I have said nothing false.  I am merely compiling evidence that I have read and from the internet.  That’s what all filmmakers should do - interact with the world around them, analyze it, and present their findings.  We shouldn’t be scared of being sued.  We are truth to power. to ourselves, to the world around us.  We are storytellers.  We help change society, for the better, sometimes for the worse.  But we are part of the changing force of culture. This is a great privilege we have.  This is unique to our society at this time.  And this was a right fought over for a very long time.  We need to cherish this ability we have.

That’s what a nurse said to me who we interviewed in New Orleans last week, for  a doc on Katrina 10 years later.  She said we filmmakers are the agents of change, that help change the world.  When an issue happens inside our community, let’s not all bury our heads in the sand until it is safe to come out and react.  

 

 

from  http://eddavid.tumblr.com/post/116204421574/the-camera-nerd-community-reaction-to-philip-bloom