In 2012, in the revolutionary town of Concord, a little old lady started a ripple that would spread across the world. Standing up to the Goliath that is the water bottle industry, 82-year-old Jean Hill tried to ban single serve water bottles in her home town. Some called her batty, some saw her as a prophet, producer Dave Regos saw her as inspiration and followed her battle against the bottle in his documentary Divide in Concord.
The location of the documentary plays an important role in Divide in Concord, would you have been as attracted to the story if it was set elsewhere, perhaps a big city setting?
I would still have been attracted to the story as I think the idea of banning a safe, legal and convenient product purely on environmental/sustainability grounds is interesting. However the quirky charm and warmth of small town America adds an element to the film that would have been lost in a big city setting. The people of Concord are part of a legacy of progressive thinkers, philosophers and environmentalists, and so the backdrop of the setting is almost just as much a part of the story as those involved in the debate to ban bottled water. There is an energy to Concord that we tried to capture, and its (revolutionary) history is central to that spirit. The town itself is almost a character in and of itself and that definitely added to its appeal.
In the documentary one of Jean’s friends refers to her as a prophet, what are your thoughts?
On the one hand Jean’s response to that statement is perfect – she denies that she is a prophet claiming that “she is the right person, and this is the right time.” But on the other hand I believe that people who are able to open our eyes up to critical issues are prophets. Prophets are advocates for the divine. Henry David Thoreau said that the world is comprised of a universal soul and that nature is the expression of that soul. As humans, we are undoubtedly destroying this planet and people do need to realise that. Many religions believe that as humans we are stewards for this world we live in. The means by which we can attempt to save it can be debated, but there are those that walk amongst us that have the foresight and the vision to take actions for what they believe to be right, to improve our lives and the future of Earth. So maybe she is a prophet by passionately bringing awareness to issues of water, waste and plastic pollution.
People usually equate this kind of legislation and movement with young people, would you have been as attracted to documenting Jean’s battle if she was a University student / optimistic 20-something year old?
Probably not. From a story telling perspective I’ve always been a fan of the underdog. The elderly are underrepresented in the media. So having a central character who is a frail, 84 year old lady who fumbles over her words and who sometimes struggles to get her point across makes for a more interesting protagonist (in this instance), as opposed to an articulate energetic youngster. She is the kind of figure that is not often seen on the big screen, and it is compelling to watch her fight.
Did the water-bottling companies ever show an interest in the fact that you and Kris Kaczor were making a film documentary of Jean’s bid to ban water bottles in Concord?
We contacted them during production and told them about what we were doing and they made it pretty clear that they wanted nothing to do with the film.
Do you think Jean’s bid to ban the water bottles was helped by the fact that a documentary was being made on it, making more people actually listen and take note of what Jean was trying to do?
Possibly. I think that Jean and some of her supporters thought that by us following them around it legitimized what they were doing. The fact that we were dedicating so much of our time, energy and resources into documenting their activities may have inspired them to work that extra bit harder. You never know how making a documentary affects the outcome of your subjects but inevitably it does in some way. By the camera’s very presence actions change. So even though we attempted to make a fair, balanced documentary in essence there is no such thing as a truly objective window into a world. But we went in with the intention to present an accurate and honest depiction of what was happening in Concord. The majority of the town still had no idea what we were doing, and we certainly weren’t getting hounded by people keen to be a part of the project or Jean’s campaign.
In the documentary, newspaper cuttings and radio shows very heavily take the viewpoint that Jean’s bid was ridiculous, how did the general public & media react to the fact that you were making a documentary on Jean’s bid, did they show you the same ridicule?
In general people took what we were doing seriously. The year before we started filming, Jean lost by seven votes, so it was clear that it was going to be close again in 2012. I think Jean gets ridiculed because sometimes she can come across as a batty old lady, and most people have not given any thought to the issues around the production of bottled water. But when people’s freedoms are genuinely at stake, the public pays attention. There may have been a few instances when people questioned why “we were making a film about something as ludicrous as banning bottled water when there are so many other bigger issues going on in the world”. You pick your battles.
How is Jean now, does she have any more projects in the pipeline?
Jean is recovering from a fall she took at the beginning of the year. She was in hospital and rehab for a broken hip, but she made it to the screening in Martha’s Vineyard and is building up her strength again. Last time I spoke to her she was in good spirits, and talking about taking on plastic bags next…
Divide in Concord is screening at the Possible Worlds Film Festival with special guest David Regos in a Q & A after the movie | Wednesday 13 August
