Palladium Pictures, in collaboration with The Wall Street Journal Opinion has launched a new series of short documentary films, WSJ Opinion Docs. Each film in the series will tell a dramatic true story from the recent past about important issues that deserve attention and examination.

Seattle 2020 (Working Title)

In Seattle, the protests and riots following the death of George Floyd in May 2020 led to the police abandoning the East Precinct station in the fashionable Capitol Hill area near downtown Seattle and permitting the protestors to run the six blocks around it as an autonomous zone, with barriers to entry and their own security force.  Police, fire, and EMS were not allowed into the area first called the CHAZ and then CHOP.  After three weeks, there were several shootings and two murders in the zone leading the city to clear it, though protests continued throughout the year.  We will examine this incredible story from all sides, giving all points of view, from protestors to police to city officials, a chance to speak.

Rediscovering Thomas Jefferson

This film will be the third in a series, following the successful Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton (2011), and Rediscovering George Washington (2002). These films seek to tell the unique story of the American founding, by investigating the legacy of these great figures found in modern America, rather than purely through the perspective of historians. Today Thomas Jefferson is under attack not only as a slave owner, but also for his Enlightenment ideas, as realized in the Declaration of Independence. We will present Jefferson and his legacy—warts and all. 

Fracking (Working Title)

Drilling for natural gas through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, commonly called “fracking,” has revolutionized energy production in the U.S. We have gone from net importer to a net exporter. But, not without controversy. Critics claim fracking is polluting drinking water and releasing large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas, into the environment. The upside of this technology is the vast amount of energy it supplies over wind or solar, the wealth it produces, and the energy independence. Rather than feature the argument or profile victims, as is often done, we will follow a few fracking entrepreneurs as they try to drill for natural gas, encountering opposition from regulators, environmentalists, and government at all levels. All sides will get a chance to make their case, specific to drilling efforts we are following.

Palladium Pictures, LLC is a new company, but the principals have also owned and operated Manifold Productions, Inc for many decades. Manifold Productions has produced over fifteen award winning feature length documentaries, all of which were broadcast nationally on PBS. To learn more about our history, we encourage you to look at the past work of Manifold Productions here.