Variety & Rolling Stone Truth Seekers Summit presented by Paramount+, explores the art of documentary and investigative storytelling. Exclusive keynote conversations and panel discussions with leading documentary filmmakers, journalists, and cultural trendsetters making an impact and effecting change.
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00:00Alex, what was it like telling a story that you found in the telling was so kind of personal to you?
00:07You know, I think it's funny when even with journalism when everyone is like, you know
00:11You can't be subjective and I think everyone is subjective. I don't believe that you can't be because we're human beings
00:17We're not, you know AI robots yet
00:19So I think we all bring our lived experience into any type of storytelling that we do
00:25God Save Texas
00:28Was it was deeply personal, you know, I I was a Texan in exile
00:3417-18 I moved to New York City. You could not get me out of Houston, Texas fast enough and
00:40this was the first time that I actually went back home and
00:43You know after 20-something years and it was COVID and and I had a son and and I was going back to a neighborhood
00:50where my family grew up Fifth Ward and Pleasantville on the east side of town and I was
00:56Re-examining the roots of
00:57My family they were enslaved in Galveston came to Houston built the American dream and then the oil industry
01:04Just was like no, we're moving in and reached has wreaked havoc on, you know
01:09Might not only my family but everybody in that area for for you know now generations
01:14So for me, it kind of was like a it was really emotional and I do have to think you know again
01:21It's like sometimes when you're a documentarian because I've never been on camera and I never want to be again
01:26So but you're like you're you have to get people like your producers or your network executives
01:34Or you know in this case, it was Larry Wright to
01:37Rick Linklater was was also, you know do it had a story and so it was through the community that we put together
01:45That I was a part of that kind of encouraged me like you going back home and realizing what
01:52what you know this this this neighborhood and what this story means is actually pretty interesting and
01:58It was kind of like giving me permission to tell my story because I was very uncomfortable with that and then it turned into
02:04You know, I was on a journey and that's what the film became