- Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
The Electoral College has been the source of controversy
in American presidential elections for a long time,
especially over the last 24 years,
where twice a candidate won the popular vote
but lost the presidency due to the Electoral College process.
Tonight's film, One Person, One Vote
gives us a history of the Electoral College
and the influence slavery played in its origins.
To provide some history, One Person, One Vote
opens with an esteemed group of college professors
discussing the Constitution
and how the Electoral College came to be,
and what the country would look like if it was done away with.
The film literally explores the issue from all sides,
as after the recap, we meet four different electors
from four different parties.
Represented are the Democratic Party, the Republicans,
Green Party, and a Kanye West elector.
You heard that right.
One Person, One Vote was shot
during and around the 2020 election
and showed how the Electoral College was used
by political operatives
to attempt to overturn election results
and prevent certification of the election.
The story is bookended with footage
from the January 6 insurrection that has never been seen before.
If you're wondering
how such explicit January 6 footage was obtained,
it was because director Maximina Juson was right in the middle
of the protests.
How's that for authenticity?
Juson is a multifaceted artist
who brought all of her talents together to tell the story.
Aside from some gritty, guerrilla-style footage
and static interviews,
Juson's canvas included using animation to add color
and make the film more educative for younger viewers,
wanting it to be easier for them
to absorb important historical knowledge.
She also used Black voices
to share the views of the founding fathers.
There are also shots
of controversial public works of art that exemplify racism.
One Person, One Vote premiered at the Pan African Film Festival
in Los Angeles.
The director says her motivation for making the film
came from the fact that most people
don't truly understand the Electoral College,
and once they do, they disagree with it.
Juson she believes it's crucial
that Americans have a better understanding.
As hard as it can be for a documentary filmmaker
to gain trust of people and convince them to talk on camera,
Juson said 98% of the people she reached out to
were willing to voice their opinion and be recorded.
Aside from making an entertaining documentary,
Juson wants to inform.
She is the founder of HUMovies
and created the company to make films that teach,
spark dialogue, and bring communities together.
That sounds exactly like what's happening tonight.
One Person, One Vote starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.