Buck County, USA observes both adults and teenagers in the eponymous location, one of Pennsylvania’s pivotal counties for national and state elections. The series, directed and produced by Robert May and Barry Levinson, focuses on the political battles as seen through teens, looking at conflicts from the eyes of students across the political spectrum. Hannah Gabriel, Rubin Daniels Jr., Leslie Simmer and Elise Ahrens all served as editors on the series. Below, they discuss how the project showed them the common ground in viewpoints they would have otherwise dismissed and the challenges of telling a story that weaves together ten separate […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Bucks County, USA, directed and produced by Robert May (Kids for Cash) and Barry Levinson (Rain Man; Good Morning, Vietnam) follows a pair of teenage girls, best friends with opposing political views, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, one of the swingiest counties in a crucial swing state. The series, part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Episodics section, follows the political battles in the county through the perspective of its young protagonists. Below, Bucks County, USA DPs Antonio Rossi and Ben Bloodwell talk about what drew them to such a political project, matching two different cameras in post, and overcoming the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? When Jason Sosnoff, Barry Levinson, and I began the project and started filming in April 2022, our intention was to talk with and get to know adults on both sides of the political divide, to begin a journey—a respectful deep dive, if you will—to gain trust and present a sense of humanity by generously […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2025