Unconventional!
A Film By Brian Mock
Trailer
About
This feature-length documentary follows a public high school teacher in Tucson who has spent three decades helping students see beyond the spectacle of American politics. Against a backdrop of misinformation, polarization, and media saturation, the film invites viewers into a real classroom, where young people wrestle with what it means to participate in democracy today. In this ongoing project, Brian explores the similarities and differences between party delegates and political protesters and activists, in terms of party platforms and policies, and how nuanced versus absolutist perspectives on key social and economic issues between these two groups is evident in a divided political landscape. Furthermore, students either have a lack of confidence (or interest) in media and/or an understanding of how to navigate media propaganda. At the center of the story is a teacher who self-funded trips to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions over the past 30 years, beginning in college, interviewing politicians, delegates, protesters, and everyday attendees—capturing it all on tape. His goal? To bring that raw, unfiltered footage back to his students, giving them direct insight into the realities of our political system—beyond the narratives shaped by media, party spin, or even textbooks.
Meet Brian
Brian Mock is a 53-year old Social Studies teacher in Tucson, Arizona, where he has been a public educator for 25 years. In 1996, prior to his senior year at the University of Arizona, he attended and documented the Republican National Convention in San Diego, California. After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, with a minor in Political Science and Economics and then a Post-Baccalaureate degree in Secondary Education, he became a high school Social Studies teacher in 2000 and continued to attend and document visits to both major party conventions. In 2016, he presented his self-funded, shot, and edited short documentary "Unconventional!" at Exploded View Microcinema, which documented his time at the RNC and DNC. He also began using his footage from both conventions in his 12th Grade Government classes when teaching about political ideologies and nuanced beliefs. The reaction from both attendees of his presentation and his students motivated him to capture even more in-depth interviews and coverage. In 2024, he returned to each convention with an all-access media pass from a local newspaper and higher quality equipment to capture the perspectives of a politically divided country and the images mainstream media won't broadcast.