- Welcome to POV.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
In the book On The Road,
author Jack Kerouac wrote that the road is life.
The main character of tonight's film, Driver,
would probably agree with that
and maybe even paraphrase by saying the road is a new life.
Desiree Wood is a Mexican-American woman,
grandmother to six,
and an accomplished long-haul truck driver.
She is a trucking consultant for TV and movies,
a sought-after public speaker, trucker safety advocate,
and is nationally recognized for her contributions
to the truck driving industry.
That is where she is now,
but it was a, pardon the pun, long haul to get there
from where she started.
Wood is a former exotic dancer and victim of sexual assault
who lost everything before she turned to the trucking biz,
which she learned quickly was male-dominated
and could be an unsafe environment for a female,
at times even more so than when she was a stripper.
When she first got behind the wheel,
she faced insecurity and uncertainty,
but like most situations in life,
wherever you go, you find your people.
Wood eventually built a community
of female truck drivers,
and founded Real Women in Trucking
and the Truckers Emergency Assistance Responders.
She became the subject
of Dan Rather's Investigative Reports show
after the legendary reporter became aware of a blog
Wood had written.
It was probably only a matter of time
before a film was made about this charismatic,
take-charge character.
Driver is directed by Nesa Azimi.
I'm always fascinated
how documentary film directors find their material.
For Nesa, she became inspired
when she discovered a class action lawsuit
involving hundreds of female truck drivers
against trucking companies,
a result of women drivers being harassed while being trained.
Nesa discovered that the trucking industry
has multiple subcultures,
including drivers who are trans, queer, and Black,
just to name a few.
Azimi came across Desiree's name
and could tell instantly she was not only a leader,
but also not afraid to put herself out there
while also making herself available
to support other female drivers.
As tough as Wood is, she is also welcoming and inclusive,
and invited Azimi on a vacation
that several women drivers were taking together.
The two felt a connection almost instantly.
Azimi felt so inspired to tell the story of her leading lady
that she quit her secure TV producing job
and spent the next five years making Driver.
By gaining the trust of Desiree,
that led to the director winning over other female drivers
to round out a fascinating cast.
Given the logistics of truck driving,
it was not an easy shoot.
The director used two different cinematographers,
which gave her tons of footage.
It was an adjustment for filmmakers and drivers,
given the director's vérité style.
Camera operators were forced into small truck cabs
occupied by drivers who were used to being alone.
But it all worked out.
The cinema vérité style
gives the viewer an intimate experience
as to what life on the road is like for these female drivers,
and what in their personal lives led them to this solitary life.
By the end of this movie,
you might feel like you've been in the cab of a semi,
which will make your couch seem that much more comfortable.
Hope you enjoy Driver.
It starts now on PBS Wisconsin, your home for independent film.