Fantastic Fest Interview: Falling Down the Conspiracy Rabbit Hole With Gimme Truth

According to documentarian Brad Abrahams, the key to any good conspiracy theory, whether it be anti-vaxxers or the idea that all mountains are vestiges of the lost civilization of Tartaria, is a core of truth, ‘ten to twenty percent,’ to which the believer can cling. However, as he demonstrates in his documentary, Gimme Truth, this anchor will not protect one from being swept into the more troubling elements of fringe beliefs. He states, ‘You’re running from Big Pharma to the arms of someone who wants to sell you cyanide to cure your cancer.’

Gimme Truth is the only documentary screening at this year’s Fantastic Fest. It is co-directed by Abrahams, a Canadian transplant to Austin, and fellow Canadian Simon Ennis, who directed the upcoming tabletop gaming documentary The Hobby for South by Southwest 2024. Although they both attended film school at Ryerson University in Toronto, this is their first co-direction collaboration. They realized early in the development of Gimme Truth that working together was the most effective approach.

Ennis remarked, ‘Almost all of our previous documentaries involve spending time with people in marginalized subcultures. We’re used to spending intimate time with individuals whose views diverge from mainstream perspectives. We’ve acclimatized ourselves to it and to telling their stories in a sensitive and nuanced way.’

Co-directing proved valuable during the delicate process of interacting with potential subjects. Ennis noted, ‘It really helped to have a buddy… for ease of getting access and making the connections without having to manage a crew.’ Abrahams added, ‘It also helped to share the psychological load… Being in those spaces… can be very uncomfortable.’

The research phase involved attending conferences and meeting various figures, including Mikki Willis, known for the Plandemic conspiracy, and Justin Kohn of anti-E.T. activists Allies of Humanity. Ennis explained, ‘That’s actually how we met him, and we found his story interesting, we got to know him and like him.’

The filmmakers emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable subjects. Abrahams stated, ‘We had a very strict filter for mental illness… if we got a whiff of it, we’d be like, alright, we’re obviously stepping back.’ Many subjects expressed non-mainstream views, yet the documentary intersects with more radical groups like QAnon and January 6 protestors. While the filmmakers did not face real danger, Abrahams mentioned they were ‘undoubtedly adjacent’ to it. There was significant pushback at conventions from individuals concerned about misinterpretation or ridicule, as many in these groups harbor deep mistrust of mainstream media. ‘Which we’re not,’ Ennis clarified. ‘We’re independent filmmakers.’

Both directors acknowledged their own ‘conspiracy theory journey’ during film school, noting that it became darker and more sinister over time, particularly around the COVID pandemic. Abrahams reflected, ‘Without any conspiracy theorizing or conspiracy culture, we’d be in the same broken world we’re in now… The more chaos and fragmentation you have triggers a lot of trauma… creates this dark, swirling vortex where they’re looking for meaning.’ Ennis added, ‘And mainstream political beliefs are getting darker, so why wouldn’t they in more fringe communities?’

Gimme Truth
U.S. Premiere
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 8:45pm