Campaigning with a camera

As an impact producer, Leeanne Torpey found the perfect marriage of her skills in campaigning with the creativity of film-making. She is this week’s Changemaker.

Leeanne Torpey is an impact producer of award-winning documentaries with a background as a human rights campaigner and a journalist.

She told Pro Bono News she was recently described as an “infallible optimist”.

“At first I was a bit offended by this statement but when I reflected on it I think it is true; I’ve always been the sort who dreams of a world that enables equal opportunities for all,” she says.

“The book character I related to growing up was Pollyanna, she was always so “glad glad glad” about everything, despite being an orphan and surely things cannot have been so rosey for her.

“I look back on her now and I think she’s a bit naive and saccharine. But Leeanne at 10 could really relate, and that ability to be positive and dream big has remained.”

Leeanne is currently producing Another Border and impact producer for Ithaka: A Fight For Julian Assange and Magda Subanzki’s Big Health Check.

How did you get into the job you’re in now?

I was that kid who took a handheld camera on holidays and then forced everyone to watch my boring recounts of uneventful family holidays. I continued to be obsessed with photography, fonts, storytelling and slowly I have learnt to make things that aren’t as boring.

My first job was in finance (terrible idea for me). Then journalism (I loved it, but felt like I was too far removed from the good fight). Then human rights campaigning (which I also loved, but felt like I was in an echo chamber).

Now as an impact producer, I bring the worlds of campaigning and journalism together (just right), tapping into the ability of films and TV to create change.

When the right story gets to the right audience, it’s where the magic happens.

What does a typical day look like for you?

The most effective impact producing starts when a film is in development. The research informs the strategy that you’ll run for release and the life of the film beyond. Impact producing really relies on relationships so most of my time is spent with people. Although there’s also a lot of spreadsheets and fundraising and budget stuff. Sometimes you’ll be on set. Sometimes in an edit suite. But you’ll always be in conversation with people doing amazing things and pushing for a brighter, better future together.

What are some of the challenges working in NFPs generally?

I really think NFPs pioneer some of the most resourceful and innovative answers to the real challenges in life. You’re often dealing with externalities – things that market forces can’t define.

What that means though is that you’re often testing things, and you’re working in content that is heavy and complicated and hard. Burnout is a real risk. The wages people get paid are often not equivalent to commercial positions. The ability to really upskill if your pilots are working can be hard too – the capital that is required to do that can be really hard to build, especially when the primary funding models are largely opaque, and drawn to shiny new things!

It’s meaningful, significant work. But it’s not for the faint hearted, that’s for sure.

 What is your proudest achievement?

When I worked as the head of the global campaign to end immigration detention of children, I once managed to reunite two cousins, who had been separated when they were little kids around the ages of 5 and 7.

I had been working with Najeeba Wazefadost with the Australia campaign, and Gholam Reza Hassanpour, with the Greek campaign for years as youth ambassadors who had lived experience of seeking asylum as children. One day I was preparing for both of them to present at the UN in Geneva, so I emailed them both to introduce them and organise a briefing call.

I’ll never forget the email response from Najeeba.  “Is this my cousin Gholam, who I haven’t seen since I was 6?!!!!”.

Gholam responded, with the fantastically understated reply, “yes, it’s me.”

That moment when they did actually see each other in Geneva, it was just incredible. All the Australian cohort were there and there wasn’t a tear-free eye in the house. Not one.

Both Najeeba and Gholam are amazing sector leaders today. It’s amazing how families can create a culture of encouraging young leaders who are not afraid to speak power to truth, and that this culture can span hundred of thousands of miles across the seas. I couldn’t be more amazed that I got to play a small part in putting them back in touch. Sometimes I still think this story has to be made up.

What do you think are some of the challenges being faced by the sector going forward?

Australia has some of the world’s leading impact producers, and we really are doing innovative work. However I think it’s a resource for change that is not being utilised enough. Collaborating across the NFP and entertainment sector can have incredible results – the NFPs bring well informed, useful materials to meet a genuine need, the film and TV bring their amazing ability to tell stories that really connect with audiences. The role of the impact producer is to work between these worlds and create a campaign around the film that ensures the work is able to make the change that the film envisions.

For instance, Backtrack Boys is a great film about a group of troubled boys on a perilous course towards jail until they meet up with the rough talking, free-wheeling jackaroo, Bernie Shakeshaft, and hit the road with his legendary dog jumping team. The impact campaign saw significant funds raised for this successful model to prevent juvenile detention, and it inspired similar programs in other states and territories. Honestly  amazing stuff, and getting that message out to big audiences has been incredibly powerful.

I encourage people in the NFP sector to visit the Doc Society Impact Field Guide for  a ton of inspiration, and to think big about the audiences they need to connect with to shift the dial on the issues they are working on.

What do you do when you’re not at work?

I still love reading and films – I promise my taste has improved since my Pollyanna days. I deeply appreciate investigative journalism. I’m also into yoga and rock climbing and sarcasm. I’m on the board of the End Child Detention Coalition and the management committee of Dame Changers. 

What do you want to achieve by the time you retire?

Look, I already connected a pair of long estranged cousins seeking asylum, my work here is done!

Jokes aside, I want to be part of a movement that sees the diversity of our communities reflected at all levels of our media. On our screens, behind the scenes: I want a society that is transparent and accountable thanks to a functioning media state, led and informed by the diverse, real knowledge that exists in our communities, with the capability to undertake deep, thoughtful investigative journalism. Right now our media is being run by those with privilege, and it’s doing us all a disservice.