Documentary Australia Foundation

Blue Vinyl

Synopsis

Blue Vinyl follows filmmaker Judith Helfland as she sets off on a quest uncovering the toxic ramifications of the use of blue vinyl siding on suburban houses, including her own childhood home. Her parents eventually join her to search for a viable alternative to cover their home. The film is described as a 'toxic comedy'.

Impact

Many organisations were invovled in financing this production. The Dorot Foundation, Karma Foundation, and the Park Foundation made grants to the Center for Independent Documentary Inc. In 2000, $65,000 was given to support general production costs for Blue Vinyl; in 2001, $25,000 for the completion of the documentary. In addition, a grant of $40,000 was made to Working Films in 2001 for outreach and education efforts. The Shefa Fund provided a grant in 2003 of $2,674 from the Social and Economic Justice arm of the Fund. The grant was via the Center for Independent Documentary. In 2000 the Education Foundation of America gave $70,000 in two payments as part of the Foundation's environmental funding. The Ford Foundation gave a grant from the Community and Resource Development unit of $150,000 for initial production costs. This was the first time that the Community and Resource Development Unit had funded a film.

From the outset, the filmmakers focussed on the outreach program for the film. The aim of Working Films, their production company, is to build outreach into every stage of production. This enables a film to be used as a flexible activist's tool.

They formed alliances with community and environmental organisations. She also approached funders of community development and efforts to resist environmental toxins, such as Coming Clean. Coming Clean is also funded by the Ford Foundation's Community and Resource Development Unit and this sparked the Foundation's contribution to the film.

When the film was ready for broadcast, the filmmakers set up a website with details about the film and ways in which audience members could take action to influence companies using PVC.

At the debut screening of the film at the Sundance Film Festival, blue chips containing the website details were given out to audience members. As a result of audience letters sent after this campaign, a well-known bath supplies company agreed to stop using vinyl to package its mail-order products.

The film was cablecast on HBO, with a contract to screen it over a four year period. The 'comedy' aspect of the film meant that it was also commercially successful. HBO included website details at the end of the broadcast to allow viewers access to further information.

The film has also been screened and utilised by other environmental groups. For example, anti-dioxin organisers used screenings and cablecasts to organise for the congressional hearings on dioxin.