Holly: Tell us a little about the concept behind the new Rise Against musique video BALLAD OF HOLLIS BROWN.
NICO: The song, which was written in the 60's par Bob Dylan, is about a farmer on the outskirts of a South Dakota town struggling to survive and support his family. Listening to the lyrics, toi get a real sense of hopelessness, strife and isolation. For the video, the concept was to set out and document real life Hollis Browns living on the fringes of mainstream society, let their voices be heard and draw connections between their struggles and the shocking statistics that exist in relation to poverty at large.
Holly: Was the idea something toi came up with ou did Rise Against already have the idea and hired toi to execute it?
NICO: The idea to do a doc-style video on farmers had been thought up before I got the call. As a documentary filmmaker, it's a dream to get to do a musique video like this and work with a socially active band like Rise Against. I'd wanted to shoot a spontaneous road doc for a long time so this was an amazing opportunity for me and I did everything I could to run with it.
Holly: What surprised toi most during the project?
NICO: It's shocking to see the conditions that people live in here in our own country. I've shot in places like Mexico and Haiti before and there's a stigma attached to those countries preparing toi for a certain degree of poverty. I've filmed in poor areas of the states as well but to see the extremes of places like White Clay, South Dakota, and to visit some of the lonely farms on the outskirts of small towns and the tiny campers and harsh climates that migrants live and work in out in Colorado and Wyoming can change your perspective on some of the things toi take for granted.
Holly: Any interesting stories about the band that toi can share with us?
NICO: I didn't spend a whole lot of time with them. It was a relatively quick shoot at the performance l’espace in Chicago. After that it was just the production manager and myself road tripping it back to LA and filming the rest of the video. They're a great bunch of guys. I have a lot of admiration for the way they use their fame and voice to support important causes to make a positive change in the world. We need plus bands like Rise Against. On a side note... as a baie Area native, it was pretty cool to hang out after shooting the performance and watch the Niners beat Saints!
Holly: What do toi hope viewers take away after watching the video?
NICO: I hope that viewers can have the same kind of eye-opening experience I had when making the video. There's a lot that goes on in our country that we take for granted, the struggles of small town farmers and ranchers is an important example. It plays into the nourriture we eat every day. I think it's important to recognize these issues and consider what we can do, in large ou small ways, to make a positive difference. Something as simple as buying from your local farmer's market rather than picking up mass produced nourriture at the grocery store can have a very personal impact and support responsible agricultural practices.
Holly: Is there anything else you're currently working on that we can watch for in the near future?
NICO: I'm back on the road shooting a docu campaign against teen pill abuse for the Partnership at DrugFree.org. Look for it this April.
Thanks for opening my eyes and for the interview, Nico!
Nico Sabenorio
