Salem Film Fest Selection Committee Member Kereth Cowe-Spigai caught up with Co-Director of MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY Lisa Molomot prior to the film's Massachusetts Premiere at Salem Film Fest. The film explores Brooks County, Texas an inhospitable place stuck between the jurisdiction of border agents, law enforcement, and cartels where thousands of immigrants have gone missing or died over the past decade. When two families arrive looking for loved ones, they find a mystery that deepens at every turn. The film is a potent reminder that the deaths of undocumented immigrants are more than a statistic—each represents a living human being, loved by their family, now lost.
Kereth Cowe-Spigai: Filmmaking generally involves periods of travel and being away from home. When you're on the road shooting, what do you miss most about home? Conversely, when you are at home, what do you miss most about being on the road shooting?
Lisa Molomot: When Jeff Bemiss (Co-Director) and I were in Texas filming MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY, we were able to fully focus on the film without the distractions of our families and other work. We both teach filmmaking. I particularly credit our long drives in Texas from place to place with helping us generate ideas for the film. Texas is a big state! I miss this kind of focus when I am not filming. And when I’m filming, I miss the comforts of home and especially food. South Texas is a food desert with a few exceptions.
KC-S: Think back to when you embarked on your first film project. If you could give your past self one piece of advice about filmmaking, what would it be?
LM: The editing process can be rough, but hang in there! And finish the film. I of course did finish my first film, but only after a mentor encouraged me to after shelving it for a few years. I am really proud of that film (THE HILL) and learned so much making it.
KC-S: Related to MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY, one of the things I admired so much about your film is that your film maintained objectivity and never told the audience what to think. I imagine it can be difficult to walk that line when you're filming a situation that generates a lot of emotion and outrage. Was this something you struggled with at all, or did you find it easy to let the facts speak for themselves?
LM: I think this balance came into play more in the editing. During the editing, we were living in such a divisive world, and I was so tired of this; in some ways, this made it easier to stay more objective and focus on the humanity of the situation and not place blame. What is happening in Brooks County is complicated, and we learned this from the 15 filming trips we took there. And that complexity also stayed with me in the editing process.
KC-S: Optional and totally fluff question: A fun way to get to know a person is to eat their favorite food. What's yours? Share a recipe if you feel so inclined!
LM: I’m not sure what my favorite food is. I love it all. But I do have to share that one time when I was in South Texas filming, I tried the quail which is a local specialty. I do not recommend this to anyone!
MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY streams as part of Salem Film Fest from Friday, March 19 - Sunday, March 28. Tickets to view the film can be purchased here.
