The second episode of our Season 11 is Louder Than Guns, and digital producer Heather Nunerley connected with filmmaker Doug Pray to speak about filmmaking, his experience as a filmmaker, and what his favorite moments are. After a Nashville school shooting, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show and journalist David Greene travel the country fostering open conversations on gun rights and violence. In barbershops, gun stores, churches, and concerts, citizens with opposing views listen and speak across divides, revealing the fragile but powerful potential of community-led dialogue. If you haven't watched it yet, stream Louder Than Guns on PBS today here.
Heather: What drew you to the creation of your film?
Doug: Like most Americans, I am very frustrated by the statistics of school shootings and the fact that nothing seems to be changing in our response to the problem. I’ve made lots of documentary films, but none that were “political” or advocacy films; I like to hear both sides of any tough issue, despite my personal views. In 2023, I was approached by NPR’s David Greene, the host of “Left, Right, and Center,” who's a master at bringing divergent viewpoints together. His friend, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, has fans who are both gun-owners and non-gun-owners, urban and rural, conservatives and liberals, and everything in between. Ketch figured if they could all dance and sing together at his shows, maybe he could bring them together over this issue. Angered by the idea that nobody seems comfortable talking about gun violence, the three of us bonded over a simple idea: What if we followed the band on tour and had productive conversations around the country about firearms? No arguments or soundbites or polemics, just simple, respectful dialog where people are given the chance to truly listen to each other. That excited me and felt like a different kind of documentary, a way to show how meeting-in-the-middle really can happen. I also loved that, as a way in, I could frame this as a music film with excellent performances and lyrics from Old Crow Medicine Show, including the title song, “Louder Than Guns.”
Heather: What do you hope the Reel South audience takes away from your film?
Doug: This is a surprisingly positive film in the way that it begins to show a way forward. I want viewers to be inspired. There’s no government bill or law we’re backing, no organization we’re asking viewers to join, no specific call-to-action at the end of the program. Instead, we’re encouraging people to listen to those they may disagree with, to ask how they came to their viewpoint, to try to find common ground, and realize that we—as a nation—are a lot closer to each other on this seeming impasse than we think. People hear about a documentary about school shootings and immediately figure it’s super-depressing and preaching a particular viewpoint. The conversations in “Louder Than Guns” are honest, but ultimately they are uplifting. It’s not a violent film; I’m trying to convey a message of hope.
Heather: What was your favorite part of the film? Alongside that, what was your favorite memory through the creation of your film?
Doug: I like directing music documentaries because I love music. Filming Old Crow Medicine Show, whose performances are a joyful romp, was an absolute blast. But I think my favorite moments came from the conversations with seemingly very different people from very different places (for example, someone from Chicago’s inner-city and someone from a farm in rural Kentucky) who had the exact same thoughts and opinions—almost verbatim—as each other about guns. Yet we’re told by the media and social media that they wouldn’t and couldn’t. I like seeing stereotypes shattered right in front of the camera.
Heather: What advice would you give your younger self? And what advice would you give an upcoming filmmaker today?
Doug: "Say no to the good, so you can say yes to the great." That is, if job opportunities come along that are aspirational and exciting, grab them— even if they're challenging. We spend too much of our lives doing things that come more easily but aren’t inspiring.
Heather: What is next for you? Anything to brag about?
Doug: I’ve been involved in two as-yet unannounced projects that I can’t name or describe publicly, but both are exciting. One is a feature I directed for Imagine Documentaries that will come out later this year, the other is a 4-part series for Netflix that I’m Executive Producing.
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