Seeking Unity, One Signature at a Time

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MOVIE REVIEW
State of the Unity
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Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 28m
Director(s): Nathaniel Paul Hoff, Jillian Ann Speece
Where To Watch: premieres on September 8, 2023, at Laemmle Monica Film Center, September 11 at TCL Chinese Theatre, and on VOD on October 6

FILMMAKER ON FILM REVIEW: State of the Unity is a road picture following a husband and wife musical duo known as The Bergamot as they tour across the country playing music and acquiring messages of unity from anyone willing to write their messages in Sharpie on the band’s dying old car. The film is a music-infused time capsule of the months leading up to the 2016 Presidential election. The film isn’t about politics, though; it’s about people, about how we were and are divided, and about hope for a simple message to still have the power to bring us back together.

State of the Unity is one part indie band tour documentary, one part grassroots political commentary, and one part academic observation of division in the United States. Yes, it tries to juggle a lot, and when it works, it really works. The story begins by truly focusing on the divisiveness in the country in late 2015. Interestingly, the inference is that Trump isn’t the problem but the result of more complex problems of classism, racism, and economics. Trump is only used in the film as a contrast to the more inclusive message of the Unity Collective, the idea concocted by the duo to get people to write messages of unity on their old car as they trek across the country. Fortunately, Trump’s name and specifics about him only make minimal appearances in the film, and even then, it’s audio only.

With their peace and love vibes in full effect, it is no surprise that their pop Americana music recalls the classic sociopolitical musings of Bob Dylan and Neil Young and modern folky bands like The Jayhawks. That’s not meant as a negative; their music is quite good. It’s not surprising that this type of messaging comes from musicians who have roots in 1960s folk and alternative country. The quality of their music elevates the film, and of course, the lyrics bolster the unity message they are hoping people will scrawl on the hood of their old car. As some of the montage sequences roll along with the duo’s music in tow, I couldn’t help but think of classics like Monterey Pop or even Rolling Thunder.

Road pictures are a huge challenge for low-budget documentary filmmakers, and generally, the couple does a great job shooting from the car, on the side of the road, and in whatever place they can figure out to sleep on their journey. Seeing the country through their eyes offers nice transitional moments between shows and stories. They occasionally cut to some stock footage and higher quality drone footage that’s completely unnecessary and grinds against their man-on-the-street approach to the rest of the film.

The couple begins the film describing their “Unity Collective” project as a small thing they hope will take root and inspire people who encounter it. By the end of the film, they tout the project as a counter-narrative to the much louder segment of the country dominated by divisiveness and fear of our differences. The problem with making a film about yourself is that you can very quickly come off as disingenuous, and they sometimes do. By the halfway point, much of the “interview” segments feel plotted rather than of the moment and honest with warts and all. There’s a good story here; they just needed an independent filmmaker and editor to help them tell it. Some of the most powerful stories in the film are just imparted by the couple in talking head sequences and are extremely unsatisfying. The stories they do manage to record of people signing the car have a lot less weight than the ones they tell.

By the closing credits, State of the Unity is a good story that could have been great. The first half of the film features some wonderful ideas and time capsule moments from 2015-2016, as well as interesting commentary from academics. The music is also really good, and the “real” moments in the film are poignant and fascinating. It’s sad because throughout the second half, the couple just gets into themselves a bit too much, and they come off stagey, which somewhat discredits their message. Anytime you are in a film, and you have the complete power to turn the camera on and, more importantly, off, the narrative gets corrupted whether you want it to or not. Hoff and Speece are well-intentioned, thoughtful, talented artists with something real to say about the world. The artist and the message just come into conflict sometimes because they are both the painter and the subject. Flaws aside, the message is important, the music is good, and often, the images they record are quite lovely.

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[photo courtesy of MPRM COMMUNICATIONS]

MY SAG-AFTRA/WGA STRIKE STATEMENT:
As an advocate for creators, actors, and writers, I firmly stand with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA in their current strike. The entertainment industry is built on these individuals' extraordinary talents, and their contributions must be appropriately recognized and rewarded. They deserve fair compensation, sensible work hours, and respect for their creative rights. I believe in the power of unity and collective action, and I'm steadfast in my support for their fight for better working conditions and fair remuneration. Together, we can shape a more equitable future in the entertainment world.

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