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Hey@Netflix,Rachel Dolezal doesn’t need a documentary streamed on your site.
She’s fraudulent and problematic.
Why don’t you take all that money and put it towards projects made by real black women?
Its VERY important that we DO NOT watch@netflix#RachelDolezaldoc.
We cant give validity to her plight.
She couldve been an ally w/o appropriating.
This documentary might backfire, just like everything else has backfired, he says dejectedly.
I hope people steer clear of this Rachel Dolezal thing.
Her kids are clear they DON’T want any of this.
The strong reaction that people have to Rachel is what drew me to the story in the first place.
I wanted to understand how one person can ignite and continue to fuel a national controversy.
And can race be added to that list?
And if not, why not?
Rachel didnt start this conversation but shes a vehicle to continue it.
But first, the filmmaker made her terms clear.
Rachel was interested in putting a different narrative out into the world.
But I was very clear that my film was not the place for that, Brownson says.
I let it be known that the film would not in any way be an apology piece for Rachel.
No one not Rachel or her family was paid.
To Rachels credit, she did not censor those kids, says Brownson.
She allowed them to speak their minds unfiltered, unedited, and at times critical of her.
Their inclusion in the movie was not self-aggrandizing at all.
She knew they were being impacted and she wanted that to be shown for their sake.
I was extraordinarily aware that as a white woman filmmaker I have a particular lens, she says.
And I worked really hard to check myself, my biases, and my privilege.
I did that by surrounding myself with a team who had different points of view.
There were a lot of black people involved in this film, Williams says.
The two producers are black women.
The DP is an African-American man.
But I came to this project not just because Im black.
Ive directed a bunch of films.
I could bring experience to the project and help Laura navigate both this story and as an emerging director.
It would bejustthe reactions to Rachel, Brownson says.
There was an intense desire on our parts to double-check the voices of anger were loud and clear.
Her fear was that in including Rachel, those voices might be dismissed.
And if shes white or black.
All she has to do is say shes white and everythings fine.
But according to Brownson, her subject hasnt exactly given the project a resounding thumbs up.
She did struggle at the end of it.
Without the criticism, the conversation is over.
Knowing that Im making a movie that is going to push buttons has personally been really challenging.
But I dont have an agenda.
I believe in the importance of documentary film to tackle tough subjects and make us think about challenging things.
I just hope people will take the time to watch and see that the skepticism is there.
Rachel is an imperfect way for people to talk about other issues, Williams adds.
Rachel is the most imperfect package there is.
But people have discussions after watching this film.
You will not walk out of this film and not talk about it.
And it will be a heated discussion.
Because everybody has an opinion about Rachel.
