Filmmaker Nancy Schiesari discusses Hansel Mieth’s groundbreaking yet unsung contributions to photography and social justice.

Why do you think Hansel Mieth wasn’t as recognized for her work as she should have been?

When I asked her if it was “partly circumstances or partly choice” why most people had never heard of her, Mieth said, “A little of both.” She and [her husband] Otto were blacklisted for refusing to appear in court and sign a loyalty oath, or rat on friends in the labor movement for the House Unamerican Activities Committee. Hansel and Otto were never members of any political party. Hansel often joked she wasn’t disciplined enough to be in a party and couldn’t bear to take orders from some party officer to carry out duties like standing on street corners to hand out leaflets. Another factor was that she did little to promote her work.

As a female visual artist, do you think that women bring a unique perspective as social documentarians?

I think Hansel affected her subjects to trust her by her receptivity and sense of presence as an empathetic witness to their reality. She had a small, non-threatening body and a receptive personality, which allowed her to move comfortably in someone else’s space. Her perspective came from observing people and their relationships to each other, especially to their children. She has the only picture I've ever seen of cowboys holding babies! And I suspect she has more photographs of children, and specifically of fathers holding children, than she has of anything else, when not on a professional assignment.

Do you think Hansel Mieth brought a fresh perspective to America because she was a foreigner?

Yes, her legacy is a tribute to all "foreigners" who come to this country and see our culture with fresh eyes while making a contribution to its economic growth. Her eyes were more critical because she had already experienced growing up with the rise of fascism in Germany. She saw parallels in this country at the time — attacks on labor and the exploitation of the poor in the migrant fields, including child labor. Actually labor conditions in America were worse than anything she had experienced in Germany. As an indignant witness to a racist society when she arrived, she saw laws against minorities involving marriage rights, owning property and voting privileges all denied on the basis of race.

Why did you make this film?

Because it includes a lot of issues I care about and because Hansel reminds me of my mother, who experienced similar hardships.

What do you hope to achieve with this film?

An awareness of the practice of being conscious and present to others who may be our subjects as photographers, cinematographers and film directors. Hansel was a pioneer in her attempt to non-objectify people, and to photograph as a moment of interaction rather than an end result of "shooting" the subject.

The independent film business is a difficult one. What keeps you motivated?

Great ideas.

If you could have dinner with one famous person, living or dead, who would you choose?

Carson McCullers.

What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

Learn Final Cut Pro, and find money.

If you could have one motto, what would it be?

If at first you don’t succeed try, try again, and then move on.

What sparks your creativity?

Sleep, art museums, walks in nature, other people.

What are your three favorite films?

Blood of the Condor, Sanjines
Family Life, Loach
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Scorsese