Dirt! The Movie Gene Rosow Interview

Soil Profiles © 2009 VOLUME XVII, NUMBER 2: June 2009 (in publication)

Questions submitted by Mark S. McClain to Gene Rosow on April 16, 2008 and the interview was completed on June 4, 2009.

"Gene Rosow, Ph.D., is a producer, writer and director with over 30 years experience in documentary and feature film, television, music, and internet media production. After graduating from University of California Berkeley in pre-med and history Rosow did a year of post-graduate work in Ecology, Biochemistry, Cellular Physiology and Photography. He returned to UC Berkeley to complete his Ph.D. in History. His 90-minute feature length documentary dissertation on the social history of American gangster films Born to Lose was the first dissertation accepted on film in the United States. Gene’s book on the same subject was Born to Lose, (Oxford, University Press). He joined the faculty of the U.C. Berkeley History Department where he taught courses in the history of film and popular culture, as well as courses at the Pacific Film Archives.

While teaching Rosow continued writing, shooting, and directing experimental and dramatic short films including L.A. Too Much, (which was about destructive over-development in Berkeley), Mountain Men and Country Women, and Metamorphosis, (an animated film based on the graphic work of Hans Escher). These films were shown at various festivals, including group shows at the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.

Other documentary films include Routes of Exile: A Moroccan Jewish Odyssey - a feature length theatrical release (First Run Features) that examined two thousand years of Jews and Muslims living together and the aftermath of that history, Doctora (Channel 4 in England) which tells the story of an amazing 78 year old woman doctor in Bolivia known as the “The Doctor Schweitzer of the Andes,” whose work has served as a model for public health workers in some of the most disadvantaged communities around the world, and Routes of Rhythm with Harry Belafonte - a three part series for national prime time PBS broadcast tracing Afro-Cuban music from its origins in Africa, Spain and Cuba, to its popularity and impact on culture in the U.S.

His feature film producing credits among others, include the family film Zeus and Roxanne for MGM, Silent Tongue and Britney Baby- One More Time – as well as Producing/Directing hats for DIRT! The Movie all of which had their world premieres at Sundance-- among others." ■

Gene, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer 10 questions about the documentary film Dirt! The Movie.

How would you describe the film?

DIRT! The Movie, tells the amazing and little known story of the relationship between dirt and humans.

Dirt feeds us and gives us shelter. Dirt holds and cleans our water. Dirt heals us and makes us beautiful. Dirt regulates the earth’s climate.

Why do we humans ignore, abuse, and destroy our most precious, living natural resource? Consider the results of such behavior: Mass starvation, drought, floods, and global warming.

Could Dirt find another use for humans as compost for future life forms?

The film offers a different possible ending through profiles of the global visionaries determined to repair the damage we’ve done before it’s too late. There are many ways we can preserve the living skin of the earth for future generations.

What was the motivation for doing a film on soils?

One day a ragged dog-eared paperback copy of “Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth” found its way into our office. Here was Dirt’s story crying out to be told. And if Dirt chose us; who are we to say no? It happened like this:

I was working with my fellow director Bill Benenson on developing another feature film, a period piece set in Italy (where we would have to live while shooting) when a friend of ours gave Bill this book, “Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth” by William Bryant Logan. Intrigued, he passed it to me and asked, “Do you think we can do something with this?” I read this amazing book— and the subject spoke to every part of me. As a former science student, (pre-med, biochemistry, cellular physiology, parasitology, and at the time the new field of ecology), history teacher at UC Berkeley (history of popular culture and American film), early organic gardener, whose favorite poet Gary Snyder was always going on about dirt—this book had a certain life history resonance. As a film maker who has made documentaries, fiction, short animated films, experimental shorts; this film seemed a natural. As a producer of theatrical feature films the subject of dirt definitely offered the challenge of finding the right way to get Dirt up there on the big screen…back to the cave walls where we smeared dirt to make art in the first place.

But more than that…after reading the book I realized how out of touch I myself had become from the ground beneath our feet; how I like most of us city people take dirt for granted. After reading the book I knew I would never again look at the ground beneath my feet in the same way. Why not make a film that could do the same thing. And thinking back, as a film historian, I hadn’t yet seen a movie in which Dirt is the main subject. Could we do something with this?! Absolutely! And so we did.

Hoping to share the excitement, I tell friends and family that I am going to devote myself to making a movie about dirt. After the initial reactions: Dirt?! Huh? Why? Are you out of your mind? Came some cautious support: Could be cool. Might work. How are you going to do it? How indeed. Dirt’s story needed to fun, scary, serious, emotional, spiritual, dramatic and visually compelling with a cast of billions. Meaning no disrespect: we wanted to make something different from the Nova version of soil science.

So we set out to tell the story of Dirt and humans from Dirt’s point of view. We experimented with this approach which worked on a short film basis but not in terms of sustaining a feature length doc. Too cheesy. For a subject that went from macro to micro and around the world we decided that we should do a previsualiization cut for both creative and logistical reasons: To both narrow down the subjects and work out a narrative line: a love story gone bad with a shot at working things out. Set up our long standing love and understanding of dirt: Show how we lost touch and grew abusive; reveal the people around the planet that might heal dirt and put us back in touch with dirt and ourselves. The previous showed us the way and we answered dirt’s call and set out filming early organic gardener, who’s favorite poet Gary Snyder was always going on about dirt—this book had a certain life history resonance. As a film maker who has made documentaries, fiction, short animated films, experimental shorts; this film seemed a natural. As a producer of theatrical feature films the subject offered the challenge of finding the right way to get Dirt up there on the big screen… back to the cave walls where we smeared dirt to make art in the first place.

But more than that… After reading the book I realized how out of touch I myself had become from the ground beneath our feet; how I like most of us city people take dirt for granted. After reading the book I will never again look at dirt in the same way. Why not make a film that could do the same thing. And thinking back, as a film historian, I’ve never seen a movie in which Dirt is the main subject. Could we do something with this?! Absolutely!

Soil is a precious and essential natural resource. Why do you call it dirt?

In Bill Logan's book there is a whole chapter on the origin of the word dirt and why he used it instead of soil. In our interview with him he said that for him the word "dirt" is about relationships that we have with soil, whereas soil is more specifically about the substance itself. He goes on to say that when we speak of "soil" we talk about a problem. When we speak of "dirt" we talk about a mystery. For us as film makers we use the word "dirt" to help shift our POV from something we don't like or think about to something we better start thinking about in a different way.

What is the availability of promotional materials for the film?

There will be downloadable materials from the website: www.dirtthemovie.org which we are in the midst of upgrading now. There will be posters, post cards, hats, press kits, and clips of the film. There will be more available when the PR is timed to the theatrical release and the PBS broadcast

When and where can Dirt! The Movie be seen?

I wanted to make a film with a fresh look at the environment: Dramatic, funny, scary, and practically hopeful. To show that another world is possible from the ground up, we had always conceived of the story as one that should be told using various media in different versions (for educational, and community outreach). So now the story has the potential to blast past traditional feature film length or television formats. We will start with educational DVD's, then aiming for a theatrical release in the Fall and PBS nationwide broadcast Earth Day 2010 and then home video DVD's and downloads after that.

Are there plans for a sequel or another documentary on the environment?

The focus is on launching an educational and outreach campaign utilizing all project assets and deploying new tools that are being built into our new website (www.dirtthemovie.org). That means a 3 minute piece on the Land Institute which is in the current cut will be available as a 20 minute stand alone film. The same is true with other subjects in the film who merit longer pieces. I can show a 10 minute piece we have on Alice Waters and the Edible Schoolyard as part of our screening is desired. Or a one minute animated film suitable for younger kids about one day in the life of a dirt patch/tree pit in the middle of a city.

Will a DVD be available?

We will roll out different versions of the DVD, which we are scheduling now. Hopefully we will have the educational version by the end of summer.

How was your experience at showing the film at the Sundance Festival 2009?

Amazing in that we didn't really know how audiences would react. We got the Sundance cut up there within hours of the World Premiere. The audience reactions even to that cut were incredible. And everyone wanted to know what they could do to save soils and where could they get the DVD's. The best screenings were the ones down in Salt Lake, rather than rarified film fest screenings, where more general public and especially one screening for junior high and high school kids took place. They loved it and we had the best Q&A ever.

The cast of characters in Dirt: The Movie does not include a soil scientist. Why?

Dr. Jerry Glover at the Land Institute is most certainly a soil scientist. Beyond that we wanted to emphasize that in dealing with soil sustainability, it's an all hands on deck challenge.

What needs to be done to promote an awareness of the importance of soils?

Everything we can think of or imagine. The stakes are too high not to. For us that means, the film and all related versions, the outreach and educational campaign working with partner organizations to make this happen.