October Artist Spotlight: Documentary Filmmaker Deacon Warner

Hi Deacon, thanks so much for taking a break from your everyday life to tell us a little about yourself. Can you tell us about what your background and what your art form is?

I am a documentary filmmaker and songwriter. I originally put my creative talents to use as a social studies teacher for twelve years in the Minneapolis Public Schools before pursuing my interest in filmmaking full time. I was born and grew up in a big old house in Wayzata, MN, amidst trees and nature (and privilege). I spent much of my youth exploring the woods near our home—developing a life-long passion for the outdoors and travel. I attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire for my undergraduate degree. Formative experiences from my young adulthood include summers spent in the White Mountains of New Hampshire building trails for the Appalachian Mountain Club and two years in Asia, teaching English in Taiwan and backpacking through SE Asia, India and Nepal.

When did you first become interested in filmmaking? How did it happen? Who were some of your influences?

I grew up the youngest of a large family who all shared a passion for film and art. My grandmother was a painter, my mother was an art museum tour guide, my oldest sister is an actress and painter and my brother-in-law a professor of American Studies with a focus on film. Watching and intensely discussing films was a family tradition. When I was eight, a family friend with access to a video camera led an impromptu project with a handful of other kids. We created a series of short documentaries—interviewing people in various local businesses, including a frozen yogurt shop, and a Dunkin’ Donuts. I remember it being thrilling and empowering. Little did I know the lasting impact that experience would have. In college I took classes on film and TV—and was influenced by friends studying film production. But I was also greatly inspired by education classes, especially reading about progressive educators like John Dewey. I decided to get a teaching license and put my creative talents to use in a way I felt would serve others.

What was the transition like from social studies teacher to filmmaker/artist?

I’m not entirely comfortable with the title of “artist”, at least as that term differentiates artists from everyone else. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to practice art as a part of being human. But I also realize that not everyone has the opportunity or time to explore their creativity. As a social studies teacher, I constantly incorporated the arts into my curriculum as a way to engage my students. While teaching sixth grade at Franklin Middle School, I had the opportunity to work with media artist Usry Alleyne. He brought along a set of video cameras and we created short Public Service Announcements. The students were hooked and so was I. From that point forward I began incorporating filmmaking into many of my classes and later in my career, while at North High School, I formed an after-school documentary team, the Polar Producers. But I had also become more and more frustrated with the pendulum swing of education through my years teaching. Teachers were more and more expected to follow a scripted curriculum and hands-on, engaging projects were harder to incorporate into classes. North High School, at that time, was also facing closure and funding for the Polar Producers was cut. I felt a personal need to shake things up as well. Independent Filmmaker Project MN (now FilmNorth) had been a partner in the forming of Polar Producers and I chose to leave my role as a classroom teacher to build out their youth program and commit myself fully to filmmaking and youth media.

What do you get out of teaching versus creating your own work? What do you enjoy the most about teaching?

At North High I realized that I needed to create my own films—to satisfy the compulsion that had long been dormant in me but also to free me from being overly involved in my student’s projects. I take as much enjoyment from watching my students find their voice and create meaningful and powerful films as I do in seeing my own films reach an audience. Filmmaking is perhaps the most collaborative of all art forms and lends itself to project-based learning, an approach to education that I find engages a wide range of students. I’m thrilled to be a part of student’s individual growth, seeing them develop the skills of teamwork and collaboration, witnessing their creativity blossom. But more than that, I get to help them use their creativity to play a role in the world we live in. I also take great pride in making my own films—and love the experience of capturing the world around me through my camera and sharing other’s stories through my lens.

In this time of virtual programming how are you adjusting? What do you find challenging? Any unexpected benefits?

This past summer I taught a summer filmmaking institute with a cohort of college age filmmakers, FilmNorth Academy - Home Edition. Unlike past years, this year’s program was done remotely online. Teaching filmmaking involves a combination of technical production and post-production skills along with storytelling and creative skills. In past years, we would work with each student to develop a film idea, pitch it and write the script. Then we would select one or two films to produce as a group. This year, as doing production together wasn’t possible, we focused much more on story development (the part I love most). Instead of producing one or two films, each student shot and edited their own film remotely, sharing cuts and troubleshooting each other’s projects along the way. It put much more attention on the individual student, but I believe in the end it was even more rewarding.

In my own work, both in film and in songwriting, I’ve found this unusual year to be highly motivating. It’s been an emotional year—which feeds my creativity—and the shutting down of much of my in-person work has left me with additional free time. I’ve written more music than ever—and have had more time to dedicate to my current documentary project in post-production and offer my filmmaking services to organizations in need of support.

Have you been working on any new projects lately?

I am finishing work on The Co-op Wars, my first feature documentary. It tells the story of the grocery store co-op movement of the 1970s—which originated in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis. It’s a dramatic story of conflict among people working towards a common goal. The movement was nearly derailed over violent conflicts between those that wanted community control of their food system and more healthy food options, and those that saw the co-ops as merely the first step in a more fundamental revolution in society. The story tells valuable lessons about the challenges of working towards a common goal with others that may not share the exact same ideology. It’s an especially timely tale in today’s divided environment.

During this time of great change in Minnesota and around the world, how do you see the arts as fitting into that story? How do you combine your activism work into your art?

As a documentary storyteller, I’ve been seeking out ways I can help out during this time of crisis. While most of the youth media work I’ve been doing has been put on hold (in-person school residencies as well as working with long-term pediatric patients at Hennepin County Medical Center), I’ve found ways to remotely help. Now more than ever film and video have offered a way for us to communicate even if we can’t meet in-person. Some of my pro bono projects include a series of 60 videos for expectant mothers made with nursing students from the University of Minnesota, videos for Nonviolent Peaceforce, an organization offering alternatives to armed interventions in conflict zones, and school videos celebrating graduates.

You’ve been on the COMPAS roster for three months! What’s it like for you to be a part of COMPAS so far? What are you looking forward to or hoping to experience?

While I look forward to getting back to teaching in-person residencies and being able to more fully take advantage of the support COMPAS provides, it has been a great asset to be part of this year’s new cohort of teaching artists. Our online trainings and orientation meetings have made me feel a part of a community of artists similarly dedicated to helping each child engage in their learning and creativity. I have also been encouraged by the sharing of videos being created by other COMPAS artists. I’ve made my own camera obscurae (thanks Kelley Meister!), had the opportunity to explore Haitian Ibo dance (thanks Djenane Saint Juste!) and learned theater games and storytelling exercises (thanks Aimee K. Bryant & Epiphany!) —all while confined to working at home. And there’s plenty more for me to explore!

And my final question, how do you practice creativity in your everyday life?

Meditation and writing in a personal journal have become central practices in sustaining my creative spirit—particularly this year. Both activities help to center my mind and open me up for new ideas. I’m also a ritual list maker—another start-of-the-day activity. The list obviously includes each day's obligator work items or commitments but it’s also a daily exercise to explore what extra things I want to accomplish. My list usually includes time for music, some other artistic activity beyond film or music (colored pencil drawing has been a recent passion) and some activity that gets me outdoors. In recent years, I’ve found Instagram to be an excellent motivator for taking pictures and sharing them as a part of my sort-of-daily routine as well. But I also forgive myself if I don’t get to everything on the list—or even if I skip making a list altogether. “Balance over time” is an idea that helps me. Some days I just don’t have the capacity for creativity and other days I might just want to focus on one thing. Being forgiving of myself and trying to see each day in the context of a long-view buoys my creative spirit.