b'From the Marginsto the MainstreamProducer/director Mertes finds a home in MaplewoodBY ADRIANNA DONATCara Mertes speaks at Impact Days, sponsored by FIFDH, about cinematic storytelling as a tool for social and cultural change.I n my experience, says Maple- to Vassar College, where she studied English, theaterThe industry had evolved a bit by the time Mertes wood producer/director Caraand film. This set her on a path toward an impactfulcame on the independent documentary scene in the Mertes,someofthemostcareer. Film is a world of escape and imagination,1980s. At this point, documentary films were begin-interestingpeoplehavebeenMertes says. It appealed to me. I was excited by thening to tell the stories of many of the 20th century marginalized in some way. Myidea of using this medium to lift people up.major movements for justice; civil rights, workers goal is to bring the perspec- Documentaryfilmhasbecomeanincreasinglyrights, womens rights, LGBTQ rights, the anti-war tives and experiences of thesepopulartoolforadvocacyandactivisminrecentmovement, the environmental movement, and the people and communities from the margins to main- years, as it allows filmmakers to present a clear, com- disability rights movement, to name a few. Mertes stream. Perhaps thats why she has made a career ofpelling narrative that can inspire change and mobi- wantedtoshowtherichnessofthedocumentary telling other peoples stories. lize public opinion. Documentary filmmakers whoform and widen the breadth of subject matter. Though she has won Emmy, Webby and PeabodyintimatelyunderstandthecommunitiestheyarePublic television gave her the opportunity to use awards, Mertes understands what its like to be mar- profiling are particularly important in this context,documentary film for telling peoples stories using ginalized. For much of her childhood in Lawrence,as they are able to bring the latters experiences to thetheir own voices. Mertes particularly loved the in-Kansas, her family lived below the poverty line afterforefront of public conversation. ventiveness and courage of independent documen-her mother went through a difficult divorce. SaysComing to the fore in the 1960s, documentarytary filmmakers, and was elated when she landed a Mertes, Being poor can make you invisible. Thisfilms frequently focused on nature. A few were cre- job in programming at WNET in New York City.helped me see that people with few resources are allated by college students who wanted to make a so- New York was the perfect place for me. I like to too frequently overlooked, their stories untold. cial difference, but there was nothing like the rangethink that New York is where alienated people go to Mertes left Kansas when she received a scholarshipand depth that exist in the field today.be together, she says with a laugh. Part of my job 30/ matters magazine / summer 2023'