Royal Spirit Alive! How to be a Beacon in a 40-watt World

Trailblazing has its risks, and its rewards. Just ask Nancy Buirski, CEO and Artistic Director of Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and a member of North Carolina’s Film Council, which comprises twenty-five members appointed by the Governor (each selected for a three-year term).

Nancy Buirski

Nine years ago, at a time when documentary film was viewed by the industry as a stepchild to fiction filmmaking, Nancy chose to charter a new course. She declined the security of a job offer from Raleigh’s News & Observer to pursue a quest—to blaze a new trail and carve out a home place for documentary cinema.

Her vision was to build a platform that celebrates the artistry and power of documentary film as a vehicle to bring forth truth and raise social consciousness. As a result of Nancy’s boldness, willingness to step into the unknown, and dogged determination, thousands of people from around the world will be in Durham from April 6-9 to experience the ninth annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

A Transcontinental Path from New York to Durham

New York City is Nancy’s birthplace. She grew up with her parents, a twin sister, and a younger sister in New Rochelle, just 45 minutes away from Broadway. At the age of 18, the Big Apple lured her back into the City.

NC First Lady Mary Easley with Full Frame Founder Nancy Buirski at the 2005 festival. (Photo by Sherri Wood)

She began her professional career as a painter. Her vibrant, expressive, and outgoing personality grew restless in the isolation of her artist’s studio. With a desire to be more interactive with the world, she transferred her skill set to still photography. Her work as a documentary photographer for Magnum Photos, a premier photo agency with offices in New York and Paris, brought assignments throughout Europe, Mongolia, and Africa. Her passion for documentary was being fueled.

Continuous opportunities to build a solid foundation of documentary and photo journalism skills grew from a 15-year career at the New York Times. As foreign photo editor at the Times, she honed her ability to package information, raise social issues, and engage social activism.

Earth Angels by Nancy Buirski

In 1994, her book of photographs called Earth Angels: Migrant Children in America was published. The book’s introduction, written by former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Henry G. Cisneros, earned accolades from former U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. “Nancy Buirski has provided us with a moving account of the plight of Mexican American migrant workers and their children. A compelling story captured with brilliant photography.” To extend the reach of her message, she worked with the Smithsonian to design and implement a traveling photography exhibit. Framing issues, creating a platform, raising social awareness—Nancy’s skill set was in place.

In 1997, romance beckoned. Nancy left her native New York to marry Chapel Hill architect Ken Friedlein, whom she met when she was a Dewitt Wallace Fellow in Media and Journalism at Duke University in 1996. Durham became her new home and documentary film found its home place, too.

Full Frame: Intellectually Rigorous

What debuted as the DoubleTake Documentary Film Festival in 1998 has become the largest documentary film festival in the United States. Inclusivity is a cornerstone of Full Frame’s branding. When asked about the festival’s name, Nancy says,

“In photography, if you print the original frame, you’ve left everything in. It’s the surest representation of the truth. Full Frame is a metaphor for the truth. We’re bringing the issues, as complete as possible.”

Buirski goes on to say the festival performs a very important service by creating a forum for people of all ages to come together and experience the films, engage in meaningful conversation about the issues raised in the films, and begin to think about how they can make a difference.

“I did not create a film festival in order to change society,” says Buirski, “but just raise consciousness.”

When asked to share her call to action, Nancy is emphatic. “Open your eyes and open your ears. See the way other people live and think about the way other people live.”

Her suggestion for how to do that? It’s no surprise that her suggestion is to support the film festival, in a way that works best for you (e.g., through financial contributions to sustain its long-term economic viability, to volunteer, to buy tickets and attend the festival). “One’s ability to connect with other people has to do with learning about it and educating yourself. I think the film festival is a great way to do that!”

During this year’s four-day festival, 100 documentaries will be shown and a plethora of workshops and panel discussions are scheduled for attendees to engage in provocative discussion of the issues raised in the films. This year’s curated program, Class in America, exposes what Nancy refers to as “the hidden agenda of class in America.” For further program and ticket information, go to www.fullframefest.org.

You can contact Nancy through her publicist, Sally Ann McCartin, 860-435-6464, or e-mail samccartin@aol.com.