--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Making an independent documentary film is…" description: "\"Making an independent documentary film is so hard that usually, the usual model is that your film becomes a model for advocacy, so you can enlist that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/tim-hetherington-29558_advocacy_making-an-independent-documentary-film-i_1374878.jpg" --- # Making an independent documentary film is so hard that… ![“Making an independent documentary film is so hard that usually, the usual model is that your film becomes a model for advocacy, so you can enlist that support group and get as much juice out of your film as possible. That's just practically, financially, what you need to do.” quote by Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/tim-hetherington-29558_advocacy_making-an-independent-documentary-film-i_1374878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/tim-hetherington-29558_advocacy_making-an-independent-documentary-film-i_1374878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/tim-hetherington-29558_advocacy_making-an-independent-documentary-film-i_1374878.jpg) > “Making an independent documentary film is so hard that usually, the usual model is that your film becomes a model for advocacy, so you can enlist that support group and get as much juice out of your film as possible. That's just practically, financially, what you need to do.” [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Independent documentaries often must serve advocacy to secure funding and distribution, turning artistic work into a tool for social impact. **In simple terms:** Films need advocacy to get money and reach audiences. Key Takeaway Leverage advocacy for financial support. Themes filmmaking advocacy fundraising impact business model Mood pragmatic realistic strategic Type practical industry insight When to use this quote - film festivals - grant applications - partnering with NGOs - crowdfunding Key Concepts social impact sustainability audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can filmmakers maintain creative control while seeking support? - What ethical lines should be drawn? A Different Perspective Balancing artistic integrity with advocacy goals can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advocacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocacy/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Documentary Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-film-624293/) [Documentary films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-films/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-possible-1634065/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Independent Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent-documentary-1867043/) [Juice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juice/) [Making Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-independent-957642/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Support groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-groups/) [Usual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usual/) ## Related quotes > [With documentary-film projects, you hope you highlight an area of concern people haven't thought about before. A lot of times, I'm asking myself -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-allen/with-documentary-film-projects-you-hope-you-highlight-an-area-of/) [Paul Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-allen/) > [The power of the documentary film, when done well, I think is usually more impacting than a narrative, at least for me. Documentaries are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ray-perez/the-power-of-the-documentary-film-when-done-well-i-think-is-usually/) [Richard Ray Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ray-perez/) > [Like theatre, crafting a documentary film takes tremendous commitment, patience and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dori-berinstein/like-theatre-crafting-a-documentary-film-takes-tremendous-commitment/) [Dori Berinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dori-berinstein/) > [It's rare in a documentary film that you have a repetitive act. So when you do, you can shoot it in different ways so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-wiseman/it-s-rare-in-a-documentary-film-that-you-have-a-repetitive-act-so/) [Frederick Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-wiseman/) > [People outside the documentary world don't realize how time-consuming making a documentary film is there is a lot of responsibility, and in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-hammond/people-outside-the-documentary-world-don-t-realize-how-time-consuming/) [Alex Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-hammond/) > [There's a documentary film-maker called Werner Herzog, who's a German film-maker. I really dig his stuff, I'd love to chat with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-jones/there-s-a-documentary-film-maker-called-werner-herzog-who-s-a-german/) [Finn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-jones/) > [Documentary film without nuanced journalistic sourcing risks being sensational, tendentious or broad-brushed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/documentary-film-without-nuanced-journalistic-sourcing-risks-being/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [It's a funny thing with documentary films - you want them to feel as entertaining and as gripping as a fictional film. With a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-demme/it-s-a-funny-thing-with-documentary-films-you-want-them-to-feel-as/) [Jonathan Demme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-demme/) > [Michael Moore announced that his next documentary film will attack the health care industry in America. He's not out to get the pharmaceutical companies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/michael-moore-announced-that-his-next-documentary-film-will-attack/) [Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/) > [When you make a documentary film, after many years the only thing you remember is what you put into the film, not what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-yates/when-you-make-a-documentary-film-after-many-years-the-only-thing-you/) [Pamela Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-yates/) > [I am particularly pleased to see that there are so many women working in documentary film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hegedus/i-am-particularly-pleased-to-see-that-there-are-so-many-women-working/) [Chris Hegedus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hegedus/) > [Documentary film is the one place that our people can speak for themselves. I feel that the documentaries that I've been working on have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-obomsawin/documentary-film-is-the-one-place-that-our-people-can-speak-for/) [Alanis Obomsawin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-obomsawin/) > [I don't think the subject of a documentary film should be producers on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapaport/i-don-t-think-the-subject-of-a-documentary-film-should-be-producers/) [Michael Rapaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapaport/) > [Independent documentary isn't beholden to some of the interests that the mainstream media are influenced by. It's a pathway to renegade, independent reporting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/independent-documentary-isn-t-beholden-to-some-of-the-interests-that/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [With chemical film, it was possible to alter photographs, but you had to be an expert. That's not true any more. The LA Times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/with-chemical-film-it-was-possible-to-alter-photographs-but-you-had/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## More by Tim Hetherington > [The best way to get Americans to focus on what's happening in Afghanistan is by using the example of their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/the-best-way-to-get-americans-to-focus-on-what-s-happening-in/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [As journalists, because you don't carry a gun, you sort of become this observer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/as-journalists-because-you-don-t-carry-a-gun-you-sort-of-become-this/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [I'm very open to any visual conceits and any possibilities at my disposal to be better explain to people the ideas I'm exploring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/i-m-very-open-to-any-visual-conceits-and-any-possibilities-at-my/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [The military has a very prickly relationship with the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/the-military-has-a-very-prickly-relationship-with-the-press/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [We're journalists, so our default position is we're not writing editorial. We're trying to bring information to readers, viewers, so that they can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/we-re-journalists-so-our-default-position-is-we-re-not-writing/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [It's funny, the old media idea is very segmented, like "this is my territory and this is yours." But media is changing. You're at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/it-s-funny-the-old-media-idea-is-very-segmented-like-this-is-my/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [With soldiers, their wives are so fundamental in their relationships, and yet there's this kind of other war happening back in the States, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/with-soldiers-their-wives-are-so-fundamental-in-their-relationships/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [You can construct whatever story you want to. Documentaries are constructions, as is all journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/you-can-construct-whatever-story-you-want-to-documentaries-are/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [I'm a documentary image maker, still and moving, because keeping the real world on the agenda is really important at a time when we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/i-m-a-documentary-image-maker-still-and-moving-because-keeping-the/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [I don't go to war for the adrenaline rush. I cover wars because that's what I've ended up doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/i-don-t-go-to-war-for-the-adrenaline-rush-i-cover-wars-because-that-s/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [I have a set of images that go around the world in an art gallery installation. Each of them have different audiences, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/i-have-a-set-of-images-that-go-around-the-world-in-an-art-gallery/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [I think it's really important that we understand that we share this world and we're connected to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/i-think-it-s-really-important-that-we-understand-that-we-share-this/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [The funny thing about war is that people feel you need to be morally outraged. I feel morally outraged about it, and I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/the-funny-thing-about-war-is-that-people-feel-you-need-to-be-morally/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [Brotherhood means laying down your life for somebody, really willing to sacrifice yourself for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/brotherhood-means-laying-down-your-life-for-somebody-really-willing/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) > [Going to Liberia really changed a lot for me. I didn't realize what was happening on the same planet. My understanding that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hetherington/going-to-liberia-really-changed-a-lot-for-me-i-didn-t-realize-what/) [Tim Hetherington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) [Explore all 18 Tim Hetherington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hetherington/) ## More Advocacy quotes > [“Good morning,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m Captain Joseph Walker and this is Sergeant James Vanetten. We are members of the One-Hundred-and-First Airborne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shafter-bailey/good-morning-one-of-the-soldiers-said-i-m-captain-joseph-walker-and/) [Shafter Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shafter-bailey/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Advocacy groups, politicians, and bureaucrats use the government to advance their private good instead of the common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-miller/advocacy-groups-politicians-and-bureaucrats-use-the-government-to/) [Joel Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-miller/) > [“There is an overflowing grace, for every great work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-an-overflowing-grace-for-every-great-work/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The enormity of problems like hunger and social injustice can certainly motivate us to act. We can be convinced logically of the need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-capecci-and-timothy-cage/the-enormity-of-problems-like-hunger-and-social-injustice-can/) [John Capecci and Timothy Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-capecci-and-timothy-cage/) > [Idea-Advocacy Matrix highlights a couple of things: that good ideas need to be "sold" if they are ever going to see the light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daly/idea-advocacy-matrix-highlights-a-couple-of-things-that-good-ideas/) [John Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daly/) > [“Advocacy groups in the USA, as in other countries, may not be able to silence this hateful, cowardly and deceitful attack upon people’s humanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/advocacy-groups-in-the-usa-as-in-other-countries-may-not-be-able-to/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“The best advocacy is always storytelling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/the-best-advocacy-is-always-storytelling/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“Joyfully we undertake our daily work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/joyfully-we-undertake-our-daily-work/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“We Lesbian Avengers have built this shrine. It stands for our fear. It stands for our grief. It stands for our rage. And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-j-cogswell/we-lesbian-avengers-have-built-this-shrine-it-stands-for-our-fear-it/) [Kelly J. Cogswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-j-cogswell/) > [“You can not protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-not-protect-the-environment-unless-you-empower-people-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If he could be hard on kings and cabinets, he was invariably kind to his colleagues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taliaferro/if-he-could-be-hard-on-kings-and-cabinets-he-was-invariably-kind-to/) [John Taliaferro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taliaferro/) > [“Justice is not simply argued — it is meticulously prepared, strategically presented, and fearlessly defended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millennium-chambers/justice-is-not-simply-argued-it-is-meticulously-prepared/) [Millennium Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millennium-chambers/) > [I have no idea what I want to do for a career. But in terms of my advocacy work, I'm definitely going to continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazz-jennings/i-have-no-idea-what-i-want-to-do-for-a-career-but-in-terms-of-my/) [Jazz Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazz-jennings/) > [“Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) does not work. Opiate addicts live in our communities and in our families & they work in our businesses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kassels/not-in-my-backyard-nimby-does-not-work-opiate-addicts-live-in-our/) [Steven Kassels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kassels/) [Browse all 196 Advocacy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocacy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Making an independent documentary film is so hard that usually, the usual model is that your film becomes a model for advocacy, so you can enlist that support group and get as much juice out of your film as possible. 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