Parrhesia: A Series of Conversations' objective is to merge different worlds of thought toward a complex topic. The idea for the show was born out of an old curiosity about what observable linkages between divergent worlds might exist.

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After listening to a conversation that addressed manic depression with a neuroscientist, a Buddhist monk and comedian Ruby Wax, the idea behind the show solidified. P:SOC intends to approach areas of interest with less considered frames of mind and to see what neural cohesion can arise by pondering on the topic together. We want to blur the boundaries between different perspectives and blend viewpoints to inform opinion. What could emerge if two different disciplines, or cultural backgrounds, were asked to discuss a topic they could both relate to? The results might be messy, inconclusive, random, but a perfect fit for experimental film nonetheless.

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Ethereal in nature and definitely done before (most of us have seen clickbait shows like: A Billionaire and a Poor Person Put Aside Their Differences!), but what separates this show from other shows of a similar format is the reluctance to produce a cage fight of people on either side of the podium. We want to exempt ourselves from the low hanging fruit that is pairing up those who possess fundamentally opposite beliefs and ask them to mentally duke it out for our viewing pleasure. We are meant to "oooh" and "ahhh" at the controversial head butting while secretly wishing that the racist breaks down and wails about how rotten they feel inside.

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Our show will never exist to platform dangerous ideologies or any various form of bigotry no matter what the counter argument is. The misconception that there is some middle ground between the oppressor and the oppressed is in itself destructive. Our team objects to all forms of bigotry, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, classism, fascism, and white supremacy. While these topics are certainly up for discussion on the show, the individuals who promote them will not be holding the discussion.

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What we asked for from the original participants, aside from what is stated above, was to set aside a short duration of time and date that they could both be available on Skype for a text only chat. Once we facilitated that, we created a group chat for the team and the participants with questions, keywords, and guidelines and let them be for the agreed duration. The resulting conversation was ours to transcribe, format and edit into scripts. Afterward the participants were kept up to date with most things like script changes and representation.

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The purpose of the pilot (see below) was purely functional: to engage and look more credible when reaching out to potential participants and create a visual guide for the formula. The concept has since changed from its original intention of pairing up individuals, transcribe their conversation into a script, and have actors recite the conversation in a very simple and banal story. The goal here was to emphasize the spontaneity of effective conversation in everyday life. After initial attempts, we had a long meditative look at the strengths and weaknesses in this concept and we re-imagined the premise to instead have multiple actors bring to life the same roles on a simple set, emphasizing diverse interpretation of actors and eliminating ambitious location shoots.

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We are hoping the formula of the premise will allow us to continually pursue meaningful conversations with an indispensable amount of participants and topics to shuffle through! Please get in touch if you would like to get involved with the show in any way by clicking the "PARTICIPATE" tab above.

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The episodes themselves can tell the rest of the story. Thanks for reading and watching the show :D

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