"Considering Democracy: 8 Things to Ask Your Representative"

First-time filmmaker Keya Lea Horiuchi took the stage to introduce her film, “Considering Democracy: 8 Things to Ask Your Representative” to an audience of less than a dozen people gathered in Theater One of the Gene Siskel Film Center on Tuesday, October 7 at 8p.m. The Chicago premiere was not only met with heavy rain, but also conflicted with the second presidential debate which drew 66 million viewers nationwide. “I’m so glad you can make it tonight,” Horiuchi said. “I am hoping that my film initiate conversation and refresh the dialogue about democracy at such a crucial time.”

Attendees were convinced that the debate kept people from traveling downtown to see the documentary that seeks to show how the United States compares to other industrial democratic nations (not third world countries) and thereby exposing our nation’s shortcomings.

“I’m really surprised that there aren’t more people here,” said Rogers Park resident, Emily Westerburg, 25. “I guess it’s hard to compete with McCain and Obama, but I’m sure that I can always catch the debates online. I just didn’t think this film is something that I should miss and I jumped at the opportunity to watch it tonight.”

Associate Director of Programming for the Gene Siskel Film Center, Martin Rubin, was hoping more people would feel the same way as Westerburg when he decided to hold the screening for “Considering Democracy,” “We don’t normally show political films. There usually isn’t much draw for them,” Rubin said, “But I thought that because of its timeliness, it would be an interesting selection that would attract people.” Rubin added that he was drawn to the documentary because of Horiuchi’s (who narrates the film) engaging style and ability to make the subject matter comprehensible.

Without a major film distributor (“Political films are a tough sell, said Rubin. “Unless you’re Michael Moore.”), Horiuchi depends on these screenings and question and answer sessions to publicize the documentary. Although commercial venues such as the Gene Siskel Film Center have shown her films, the screenings are mostly shown in homes of volunteer hosts and Horiuchi attends as many of these screenings as she possibly can. She funded the documentary on her own, first emptying her retirement account, then spending her savings, and finally using credit cards to make the film. On her screening tour, she depends on the hospitality of others to let her sleep in their houses or sleeps in her car in towns where invitations weren’t extended.

The name of Horiuchi’s production company, Girl With A Camera Productions, accurately describes how the film was made. “I wanted to learn what other people thought of the United States. For years, I had heard a lot of people repeating the same things like, “They hate us for what we have.” Or, “They hate us for our freedoms.”I wanted to see where these ideas came from,” Horiuchi explains. “So, I decided to quit my job, travel and find out for myself.”A former teacher, she bought a camera and went to 10 different countries (Greece, Egypt, Canada, Australia among others) asking its citizens, “What do you think about America?” She then took the answers and framed them into eight different questions on eight issues, (questions include, Why can’t we have national health care?” “Why can’t Americans have four weeks of vacation like workers in other countries?” “Why don’t we get more international news in the media?”) hoping that Americans would view them as catalyst to discuss issues and initiate action. After traveling and filming, she spent time researching the issues. The movie took four years to make.

Horiuchi has yet to ask her representatives the questions she posed in the film but, “A few politicians have shown up to the screenings,” she said. “Of course, the screenings were in Vermont and they reacted positively to the film.” Horiuchi hopes that the film evolves to a project where people would go and ask their politicians the questions, record them and post them on her website. Asked whether she considers herself an activist or a filmmaker, Horiuchi responded, “I think political activism is important. But I really love films. So, I think I am a filmmaker more.”