An interview with Bestor Cram: filmmaker discusses ‘Tiananmen Tonight’ and the power of the press

On Thursday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Norfolk Library will host a free public screening of “Tiananmen Tonight,” a film by Bestor Cram and Michael Streissguth about the 1989 student uprising in China and the daring coverage by Dan Rather and CBS. Director Cram will introduce the film.

A documentary filmmaker whose life was forged in the fire of Vietnam, where he served as a Marine, Cram earned the Navy Commendation Medal. He returned home to become a conscientious objector and leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. After working in the MIT Film Studies Program, he founded Northern Light Productions in Boston, producing media for museums, and has made more than 30 feature documentary films.

His credits include the 1995 Academy Award-winning documentary “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision,” as well as “After Innocence and Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner.” His film “Unfinished Symphony,” premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

JA: When did you begin telling stories?

BC: I began my filmmaking adventure as an organizer for Vietnam Veterans Against the War. I arranged for a group of filmmakers to document our march, which followed the ride of Paul Revere in reverse, a warning to folks to become patriots and oppose the war.

JA: How does our current political and moral dilemma, with journalism under fire, inform this film?

BC: The film is about a momentous event that became a defining example of how television journalism lived up to its promise, providing in-depth, ongoing reporting that enabled an audience to understand the evolution of a news story. It provides insight into the decisions journalists face in dealing with management, restrictive budgets, governmental impediments, and the dilemmas that arise when reporters become part of the news.

JA: What drew you to the story of Dan Rather and CBS in China?

BC: Dan Rather and his team were in a ratings fight, but more importantly, they were fighting to reestablish their reputation as the gold standard in TV journalism.

JA: How can we protect our free press?

BC: The bottom line rules capitalism. When corporations become owners of the press, they no longer view news as a public service but as another commodity on the balance sheet. I believe the best way to protect the free press is to limit who owns it.

JA: What is the role of the press, and of film, in truth-telling?

BC: The role of the press is to inform. The role of film is also to inform, but its format is essentially an editorial perspective. Telling the truth is more a process of what is chosen to be presented and its sources.

JA: How do you define bravery?

BC: Bravery is the notion of expressing oneself physically and intellectually based on one’s conscience, kind of a Henry David Thoreau ideal. Following the law is part of citizenship, but ensuring the justness of the law is also part of citizenship.

JA: Do you think China is more or less repressive now than in 1989?

BC: Economically, people are better off. But the price paid for not contesting the Chinese totalitarian regime is one of accepting the repression of free speech and the rewriting of history.

JA: What do you want people to take away from this film?

BC: Appreciation for the quality and courage of the journalists who reported Tiananmen, and a consideration of what is being done in TV journalism today. And a reexamination of the stand the Chinese took then as an inspiration for how movements today can shape change, knowing that there are consequences to be considered when dealing with governments.

JA: What is your current project?

BC: A feature documentary called “Not Your Average Citizen,” the story of Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Russian opposition and critic of Vladimir Putin, who was gunned down outside the Kremlin in February 2015. As Nemtsov often said, “Freedom comes at a high price.”

More at notyouraveragecitizen.com.

Register at norfolklibrary.org