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Joe Leto, owner of Hawkeye Film Works, compares making films to mountaineering. “That’s a sport where you have to plan absolutely everything, because it’s the unexpected things that are going to have the biggest impact.

“Good filmmaking relies on good planning. But only the best film companies allow for the unexpected. When you expect the unexpected, you'll be ready to deal with it and to welcome it as part of the process.

"I speak from experience. Whenever I start working on a film, I never know how it will end. That’s why our screenplays are always open-ended to allow for the ebb and flow that occurs during the creative process. Wrapping up all of the loose ends of the work, after 99% has been filmed, makes for the best ending.

"I always say to folks who work with me: 'Read all the books, have all the experiences, and meet all the people you can, because you never know what will end up in our films in the end.'

"I really believe a great film should, first and foremost, tell a great story. It should suggest a vision and a point of view, but should most definitely not impose a solution. It is up to us as filmmakers to ensure that, by the end of the film, the viewer is more informed and therefore more able to think about the subject as they let it all sink in when they get home.

"I want our films to leave the audience off balance. It should leave them saying, ‘Well, the issue hasn't been resolved, but I feel like I understand it better.’ Otherwise the film is nothing more than propaganda. It’s like so much of what people see on television these days—when the solution is spoon-fed to them before they even begin to understand the problem, it’s like they’re being told what to think. If you want to get people to think, you have to use a little imagination. After examining the question in depth from every possible angle, the filmmaker must allow audiences to judge the film and the subject for themselves.

"However, a film is much more than just a good idea. The filmmaker must also have a solid grasp of reality, of space and time, of power relations, and of the people involved. That's what makes a great film company stand out from the rest, and that's why I believe using ultra-professional people to create the best films possible makes us the best production company around.

"The two words that I feel best sum up a documentary are truth and controversy. The best films do not exist just to make us laugh or cry, but to help us understand—with just a hint of fiction thrown in. After all, this is cinema."