Street took a minute to sit down and speak with directors Justin Schein and Laura Gabbert to discuss their latest film, No Impact Man, and its impact on the environmental community.
Street: In the film, many people claim that radicals like Colin hurt the environmentalist movement. Did you ever wonder if Colin was really doing the right thing? LG: I always thought that it was a really interesting experiment that most people simply misunderstood. People misunderstood that it was not about radically changing a lifestyle but about having an experience. JS: I personally don’t see Colin as a radical. He was doing an experiment as a teaching tool for himself and others.
Street: As the project went on, did you ever decide to put an extra emphasis on filming Michelle’s struggles? Was Colin always supposed to be the main character of this story? LG: We understood from the “get go” that Michelle is the point of access for the movie. Audiences relate the most to her because she is the skeptic. JS: Michelle definitely brings a lot of heart and humor to the film.
Street: With a year’s worth of footage, is there something that ended up on the cutting room floor that you wish could have been included? LG: There’s actually a fair amount. This is a luxury problem for documentary filmmakers. We have a lot of footage for DVD extras that didn’t work into a streamlined story. JS: Specifically scenes of Michelle. I think our favorite moment is when Michelle reaches her limit. I think that people in her apartment were complaining that her bike was always parked in front of her building. And she reaches her limit and angrily goes outside and starts ranting about the ugly cars and her beautiful bike. It’s really interesting to watch. LG: So the short answer is yes.
Street: As screening begins around the nation, what has the environmentalist community’s reaction been? JS: I think there are a lot of great environmental films out right now... We really wanted to show a solution-based character that would be entertaining as well as informative... I think [the environmentalist community] really appreciates what Colin’s doing right now with the No Impact Project.
