Anne Macksoud

Anne Macksoud spent 17 years as a teacher (English, photography, and music) before transitioning to film and video production. Once she discovered the “eye-opening” power of the documentary medium, she brought rented documentaries into her classroom on a regular basis. Eventually, she began helping her students make their own films and slide shows on the issues of the day (civil rights, the Vietnam War, and global poverty, to name a few). She approaches filmmaking from the perspective of an artist as well as an educator.

Anne and her co-producer, John Ankele, supplied the following statement about their work:

We are two “old dogs” who are worried about  the state of our world and saddened by the suffering we see all around us. Since 1985, we have produced and  directed documentary films about the subtleties of individual human experience and the complexities of our collective challenges. Our work encourages thoughtful responses to the interconnectedness of all life. We hope it inspires viewers to become agents of change, determined to do what it takes to create a more just and peaceful world.

It is clear to us that our political leaders cannot solve the problems of our time. They themselves are too beholden to privileged, powerful constituencies to inspire us to think beyond our own self-interest. We believe that change, if it is to come at all, must start with ordinary people around the world who understand the relationships and responsibilities of a global community. We believe that ordinary people have the will, the resourcefulness, the compassion, and the decency to craft new solutions that serve the common good.

We offer our films as catalysts for this kind of awareness — as  tools for education and activism in the name of social  change. We are happy to answer questions, provide  additional resource materials, and suggest ways of using our films that will support your own efforts to nurture and protect this world that we share.