JESSICA SOLCE

“a creative filmmaker with a Cypherpunk soul”

A native Texan, a graduate of SMU Film Program, Jessica is an ambitious director who is not afraid of challenges. Her first film, NO CONTROL, a feature documentary released in 2015, that questions the utility of gun controls in the United States, led her to another thought-provoking film –  the feature documentary DEATH ATHLETIC. Nearly eight years of filming that goes well beyond just 3D-printing guns: a story of power, control and the importance of freedom.

🎙️ BFF: What or who inspired you to choose film-making as a career?

💬 Jessica: As a kid, I was deeply attracted to the medium of storytelling through film. This passion just kept growing as I did.

🎙️  BFF: What drove you personally to embark on the journey of making DEATH ATHLETIC: A Dissident Architecture and delve into the complexities of Cody Wilson’s legal battles?

💬 Jessica: Against the backdrop of important things like Wikileaks, Ross Ulbricht, Aaron Schwartz, I foresaw tragic possibilities and enduring permanence of Cody Wilson’s story and work & found it necessary to capture this slice of history without narrative manipulation or bias. I was drawn to the promise of a David vs Goliath story, of capturing a piece of cypherpunk history and a tale of creation, rebellion, decentralization, open source ethos versus the will of the government.

🎙️ BFF: Filming a documentary spanning eight years on such a controversial subject must have presented numerous challenges. Could you share some of the significant hurdles you encountered during the making of the film?

💬 Jessica: Self-funding DEATH ATHLETIC was a challenge of endurance and resolve yet this isolated way of making a documentary did allow me complete freedom, despite encountering resistance from buyers and media outlets. Anything that counters the woke media narrative is stymied immediately in today’s environment.

🎙️ BFF: In the context of making politically incorrect or controversial films, do you see Bitcoin playing a role in disrupting the traditional financing and distribution models for filmmaking?

💬 Jessica: Not a disruption but a new way. Perhaps down the road, when more systems of distribution, streaming and payments are created that support streaming coupled with Bitcoin payments, Bitcoin will take a larger part within the distribution model. A strong parallel system seems more likely.

🎙️ BFF: Documentaries of this nature often provide unique insights. What are some key lessons you personally took away from the experience of making DEATH ATHLETIC?

💬 Jessica: Don’t let anyone stop you from your impulse and instincts. Everyone will have an opinion and most will share it and few will support you. Make sure you follow your heart and sink into obsession and passion.

🎙️ BFF: What’s next for you after DEATH ATHLETIC? Are there other projects in the pipeline?

💬 Jessica: There are other ideas brewing but I can no longer venture with the dexterity and wildness of self-funding. I am in the market for an Executive producer or Patron (Saint) willing to fund independent and meaningful art. Find me. 🙂

🎙️ BFF: Let’s make it easier for others to find you by adding at least your profile on X: Jessica Solce – @jessicasolce. Thank you for the engaging conversation. We hope that even this tiny snippet of it will pique others’ interest in what you do. Congratulations from our entire team!

💬 Jessica: Thank you guys! The pleasure is mine! Since we will be in touch anyway… your readers are going to see in a bit. Bye for now!

🧡 To get deeper into this topic read an article written after (and inspired by) this interview be found in this article: “The Perils of Centralized Control“.

Be sure to follow Jessica and her latest project (coming up in Aug 2024): www.encodeproductions.com.

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