Longtime activist and journalist Amy Goodman and a host of her colleagues tell her story in this intimate profile that doubles as a snapshot of the intertwining of politics and the US news media, along with the antagonism that has grown between the two. This involving documentary traces Goodman’s formative experiences and frontline confrontations worldwide, from the harrowing (including her early career covering militarized genocide in East Timor and Chevron’s brutal oil exploitation in Nigeria) to the celebratory (the release of a wrongfully incarcerated Black American prisoner). Described variously as principled, provocative, combative, and radical, Goodman cuts a commanding figure, inspiring countless others to pursue social justice. As Steal this Story, Please!demonstrates, she has become a cultural icon whose work provides an alternative to mainstream media with its blackouts, censorship, and market-driven coverage. The film’s astute observation of a consummate shaper of public information provides a rare and valuable perspective in our era of fast-changing news cycles. —Brian Karl
Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
No bio available.
Carl Deal
Carl Deal began his career in journalism during the US wars in Central America and went on to work as a breaking news producer for global news agencies and broadcasters. He produced content throughout the US, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East before joining forces with Lessin. He earned a master’s degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism. He and Lessin produced the Michael Moore documentaries Bowling for Columbine(2002), Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), Where to Invade Next (2015), and Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018).
Tia Lessin
With Carl Deal, Tia Lessin founded Elsewhere Films in 2007 to create documentary films of cultural relevance, social purpose, and artistic integrity. Together, they directed Trouble the Water(2008), an Oscar® Best Documentary Feature nominee and the winner of Sundance Film Festival and Full Frame Documentary Grand Jury Prizes. The duo also directed the Oscar short-listed Citizen Koch (2013), winning the Traverse City Film Festival’s Founders Prize. Lessin won three Emmy Awards for her work on The Janes (2022). Among her other honors is the Sidney Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism for her directorial debut Behind the Labels (2001).
TIA LESSIN: Director, CARL DEAL: Director, AMY GOODMAN: Film Subject
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