Behind the Project with Producer Léo Hamelin and DP Jamie Francis
On June 17, 2015, nine African Americans were killed by a white supremacist while worshipping at the historically black Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. One of those victims was Mrs. Ethel Lance, mother of the Reverend Sharon Risher. Though many in her church community were soon able to forgive the killer, Sharon was not. In our documentary, “Quiet No More,” we follow Sharon as she tries to extract meaning and understanding from this tragedy while dedicating herself to using every available forum to advocate for equality and gun reforms.
In this interview, the film’s director/producer Léo Hamelin and director of photography Jamie Francis chat about what it was like to work with an inspiring subject like Sharon and what lessons they learned.
1. Léo, how did you first come across Sharon’s story?
Léo: I was working on an educational series about World Religions, and I wanted to tell a story around the concept of forgiveness. I remembered the tragedy at Mother Emanuel and the public forgiveness that followed. In my research, I read about Sharon and about her struggle to forgive, despite being a pastor. I was so intrigued, and I wanted to find out more. When we first spoke on the phone, I immediately liked her and the way she shared her story so authentically.
2. Jamie, you work on so many different types of projects for Blue Chalk. How was “Quiet No More” different from what you’ve done before?
Jamie: In many ways, “Quiet No More” is my favorite way to work: in a small team, with a dear friend (Léo) and building a relationship of trust and understanding (with Sharon) as we work. The biggest difference was the luxury of time and being allowed to let the relationship with Sharon grow through several meetings with her.
3. Léo, in the film, Sharon bravely opens up about a number of personal topics. As the director/producer, how did you approach interviewing her about these sensitive issues?
Léo: Sitting down for Sharon’s interview was one of the most memorable moments in my life. We spoke for over two hours, and the emotion filled the room. I thought I was prepared. I had pre-interviewed Sharon a couple of times. I’d seen videos of her speeches and read her articles. Sharon is a very charismatic speaker, and she’s shared her story all around the country. And yet, during that interview, Sharon shared some very personal moments she’s never disclosed before. Jamie and I both sensed that day that it was the beginning of something bigger. I feel honored that she allowed us to be at her side, far from the spotlight, when she was going through more private or challenging times.
4. Jamie, production required you to spend a lot of time in Charleston. As somebody originally from the south, what was it like to work there on a project that deals with issues such as race and gun violence?
Jamie: I am saddened to say that race relations and gun violence across our country have not surprised me and did not while working with Sharon. The events surrounding each turn my belly upside down. I have spent a lifetime hoping for a harder stand through legislation and more compassion between our citizens, and most hopes have been dashed in disappointment. My hope now is that Sharon’s story is coming into view again when it seems, for the first time in my life, that our country is actually facing our true selves. We are facing our past and pushing our future. I do feel like Sharon has the natural strength to help us all understand how gun violence and race are so devastating to our country and how they conflict with what we often say we stand for as a nation. There remain hurdles, and one is at the head of our government, but I have faith that the work being done now may take us to a new understanding of ourselves and of each other. One of my favorite phrases is, “people are people.” The folks I have met across the world have often said this phrase to me at times of racial or generational conflict — in Jerusalem, in Kosovo, in Gaza, in Saudi, and in South Carolina. To me, this phrase means we are all human, we love our kids, our parents, our dinners, our fun, our history, our coffee, and our future, and there should be space to let that love take root and grow no matter who we are or where we are from.
5. Sharon is clearly an incredibly inspiring woman. What have you both learned from spending so much time with her?
Léo: This project and the opportunity to shadow Sharon was an incredible learning experience. I have lived in America for a few years now, but I’m not American. The more I learned about Charleston and South Carolina’s history through Sharon and her family, the more her commitment to change inspired me. Throughout the creative process, the whole team at Blue Chalk has tried the best we can to let Sharon’s voice lead the way.
Jamie: A great gift of my career is being invited into homes of people who are not like me, and being with Sharon was a gift. We have similarities, but we have great differences, mostly rooted in race. I was brought up in a tiny, remote town in the Appalachian mountains with almost no people of color. Sharon was brought up in the city in a culture rich in African American history but also rooted in the slave trade. Both of us were brought up in the church; neither of us were brought up wealthy. There is no way two people of a similar age, who grow up in those circumstances, don’t bring along their history, at least some of it. So, I value greatly the history and the perspective Sharon gave us. A film is edited and crafted to present a point of view, and no matter how it succeeds or fails there is never a way to convey some of the message or textures of feeling that a person offers. I think we did an excellent job of remaining true to Sharon and her message throughout this film, but there is no way to reflect all the nuance. I cherish the nuance. Through these moments that are not filmed or talked about, there is growth and questions and answers and a reason to ask the next question, have the next discussion.
6: Do you both have a favorite memory from your time working on “Quiet No More”?
Léo: This might sound anecdotal, but there was a really funny and cute moment last year when Sharon was invited to a town hall in Charleston. It was a conversation about gun violence prevention organized by Road to Change, an organization created by the Parkland High School survivors. At a lunch event, Sharon met some of the members for the first time and got emotional as she started speaking. One of the young men stood up and spontaneously gave her a hug, followed shortly after by Emma Gonzalez, who crawled under the table to get to Sharon and hug her. This was one example, out of so many, of the strong bonds that survivors share, no matter their walk of life or generation. They’re one big family of “accidental activists,” as Sharon puts it.
Jamie: For me, it’s the opening scene of the film. We didn’t get access to the church for Sharon’s sermon, but she invited us into her motel room as she prepared for the day. When she began to read her sermon, I began to cry as she began to cry until I could hardly see to work. It’s really difficult to operate a camera while crying. The rawness of her emotion that morning in that air-conditioned motel room right across from the church where her momma was murdered was as close as I got to Sharon’s true grief and the power behind gun violence and a life that I have not lived.
7: What do you guys hope viewers take away from the film?
Léo: This is a film about showing courage — the courage to speak up, to disagree, to be hurt, and the courage to change the world.
Jamie: Understanding. An appreciation of Sharon’s journey and perhaps an encouragement to opening ourselves up to more than empathy.
You can watch “Quiet No More” in full on The New Yorker.
