by MICHAEL ALBERT
Years ago, contemplating writing choices, I decided a visionary novel might inspire a large audience. After unsuccessfully trying to interest various talented writers in such a project, I realized that though I didn’t know novelistic narrative, I did know interviews. In a risky leap, I channeled imagined future interviews into a book titled RPS/2044, An Oral History of the Next American Revolution.
Even while writing, I felt the project was better suited to film and learned that both for vetting before they are even considered, and also for eventual effective use by directors and actors, screenplays have strict formatting, structure, and content guidelines. More, producers, directors, actors, and not screenwriters determine if movies are made, and, if so, flesh them out. Screenplays contain only so much.
With modest preparatory study and perhaps delusional ambition, I figured that even a technically flawed screenplay might induce sufficient interest from one or two established Hollywood progressive producers, directors, or actors for subsequent improvements to produce a film able to reach Bernie Sanders supporters, BLM, MeToo, workplace, peace, immigration, climate and ecological activists, and as many of Trump’s working class supporters as possible. I adapted RPS/2044 into a screenplay called Next American Revolution despite knowing it wouldn’t be easy to get informed reactions much less powerful support.
Next American Revolution is not a technical extravaganza, not a thriller, not a mystery, not an exploration of murder and mayhem, not a celebration of psychosis, not a requited or unrequited love story, not a cartoon, not a comedy – not a sequel or prequel. It isn’t horror, dystopian, or utopian. It isn’t about aliens, or outer space. It isn’t a coming of age or a dying off story. It has no super heroes, no pathological villains, no trial, no crime. Even worse for attracting film industry interest, it doesn’t revolve around a star overcoming personal trauma and deadly danger. It features winning a new society against systemic power and prejudiced habits from the past. The process is protagonist. The star is future history. Imagine giving best actor Oscar to future history.
Next American Revolution has plenty of dramatic exchange, it’s actors would fulfill serious, demanding roles, and its director would visually and emotive,y weave together a complex mosaic of events. On the other hand, Next American Revolution doesn’t have three acts that follow a personal arc of narrative development, which I am told every film simply must have. Next American Revolution would feel something like Selma or Reds but about the future and not resting on the shoulders of one or two stars’ personal struggles against personal demons, harsh occurrences, or violent opponents.
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