What do a farmer in Kansas, a laid-off factory worker in Ohio, and an Uber driver in Florida have in common? All three are resourceful, positive thinkers who strive to adapt and thrive despite dehumanizing forces at play in the American economy. As the film’s heroes face these roadblocks with courage, certain ideals remain sacred: family, love, and staying strong in the face of adversity. Lush cinematography galvanizes a sense of place and, as the narrative unfolds, the intimacy with the characters results in an emotionally rich observational drama. Ultimately, “The Disrupted” reveals a collective American experience of financial challenge, family resilience, and the quest for the purpose and dignity of work.
THE SUBJECTS
DONN
Donn is a fifth-generation farmer, struggling to hold on to 900 acres of Kansas prairie. His father and uncle made a full-time living raising crops and livestock. But in the last decade, corporate consolidation and free-falling commodity prices have made it impossible for small farms to achieve a profit.
CHERYL
PETE
Lorain was once a boomtown whose boom could be heard all the way in Puerto Rico, inspiring a wave of immigrants in search of a better life, Pete’s parents among them. Today, Main Street is deserted, and an unprecedented drug epidemic drains the city’s resources. This doesn’t dent Pete’s confidence. He has grand visions of reinvention.
The Team
SARAH COLT
Sarah Colt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work brings to life the figures and forces that have shaped America. Since founding Sarah Colt Productions a decade ago, she has directed and produced numerous films for PBS, including the Emmy-nominated and Peabody finalist “Walt Disney.” Most recently, Sarah’s independent short documentary “True Believer” followed an evangelical pastor’s grassroots campaign for Congress. “True Believer” screened at several major film festivals across the country and had its online premiere on The Atlantic.
JOSH GLEASON
Josh Gleason is a director and producer of documentary film and television. In addition to “The Disrupted,” he directed “True Believer,” which played at festivals around the country and streamed on The Atlantic. Josh worked closely with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. while directing for the PBS series, “Finding Your Roots,” and produced several PBS films, including episodes of the Emmy award-winning series, “American Experience.” He was also a producer on the Showtime docuseries, “The Circus.” Before becoming a filmmaker, Josh reported and produced radio stories for “This American Life” and NPR’s flagship newsmagazines, “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition.”
LYNN TRUE
Lynn True is a documentary filmmaker and editor. Her films include “LUMO” (PBS/POV, 2007), about a young survivor of sexual violence in the DRC and “Summer Pasture” (PBS/Independent Lens, 2012), which follows a nomadic family in eastern Tibet. Called “enthralling” by The New York Times, “Summer Pasture” was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and an IFP Gotham Award, and won a Peabody Award. Her most recent film, “In Transit,” an observational portrait of America shot aboard the country’s busiest long-distance train route, won the Special Jury Prize at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. Lynn graduated from Brown University with a joint degree in urban studies and architecture.
EMILY SCHUMAN
Emily Schuman is an independent documentary producer and filmmaker. She was the co-producer on “True Believer,” which streamed on The Atlantic and played at film festivals across the country. Prior to working with Sarah Colt, Emily was an associate producer on the feature documentaries “The Witmans” and “Lift,” both directed by David Petersen. Emily is directing her first short documentary, “When I’m Her.” She is a member of Filmshop and the IATSE Local 600 Camera Assistants.
TROY HERION
Troy Herion is a NYC-based composer for film, theater, dance, and experimental arts. His orchestral and electronic music have been performed at Carnegie Hall, broadcast on MTV, and screened in major film festivals, including Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, Full Frame, Hot Docs, and SXSW. Recent scores include “306 Hollywood” and “The Hottest August.” His concert works, called “marvelous” by New Yorker music critic Alex Ross, have been performed by the Grammy-winning Crossing Choir, the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, So Percussion, the JACK Quartet, Contemporaneous, and the Nash Ensemble of London. He studied composition as a PhD fellow at Princeton University, with a dissertation on visual-music.
TOM BERGMANN
Tom Bergmann is a cinematographer for documentary, narrative, and experimental films. Three of his recent projects have been nominated for Academy Awards, including “Life, Animated” and “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail.” Tom studied cinematography at the University of Film in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany, before studying art history in New York City. Some of the leading directors and producers within the field rely on his ability to translate ideas and scripts into emotionally strong, meaningful, and artistic images.