“I believe documentary storytelling is at it’s best when we define people by their humanity rather than their circumstances. This is where we uncover deeper truths about the world and about ourselves.”
Scott Michael Barker
Scott Michael Barker is a documentary filmmaker with an observant eye and a deep passion for storytelling. For as long as he can remember, he’s been watching, filming, and sharing the stories unfolding around him every day. From street-corner sign spinners to Honduran migrants, Scott believes in standing squarely in the shoes of his subjects.
Immersive travel, insightful interviewing, and honest, artistic editing are the tools he relies on to capture the essence of others. Over the past 15 years, these tools have taken him from the streets of New York to the fishing villages of Ghana, giving him the opportunity to share the stories of rich and diverse communities around the world.
He has received numerous awards for his work, with his films screening at respected festivals including Sundance and the One World Human Rights Film Festival in Prague. His commercial work has also aired internationally to millions of viewers. Scott isn’t afraid to explore the unknown, challenge convention, and dig until he finds something new, engaging, and true.
The Living Word Fellowship
What do you do when you realize that the church you grew up in was actually toxic?
“It’s an opportunity to research the history that they didn’t want to share, the stuff that they didn’t want exposed, the stories that they were actively trying to hide.”
-Scott Michael Barker, Co-Host, Oops! I’m In a Cult
Scott Michael Barker and Charity Navalesi recording an episode of Oops! I’m In a Cult
I was born and raised in a christian cult called the Living Word Fellowship. For years I worked to investigate the history of the cult and document the stories of members and survivors of the religion that was started by the disgraced charismatic christian pastor John Robert Stevens in the 1950s. For 70 years the Fellowship survived until a single former member posted letters that exposed a ring of sexual abuse and coverup by the organization’s dynasty in 2018.
Today, I actively investigate the organization on my YouTube channel and the podcast that I co-host, Oops! I’m In a Cult. The research and story telling has lead to a greater understanding of the previously unknown cult for members and non-members alike. Additionally, the podcast has been featured in a recurring series by Little Village Magazine.
The Sea
Keeping the Music Alive | Guitars4Kids and the Nora Rose-Hines Story
Keeping the Music Alive follows Will Rose-Hines’ mission to honor his late sister’s memory by expanding music education in schools across the U.S. Will’s twin sister, Nora, was passionate about music and had just begun teaching him guitar when she tragically died in a car accident at age 19. In the wake of her loss, Will dedicated himself to mastering the guitar. He is now an accomplished musician.
Four years later, determined to share the healing power of music, Will and his mother Pat Hines founded Guitars4Kids, a nonprofit that provides children in need with acoustic guitars, along with a full year of lessons and mentorship. Each guitar is theirs to keep and use as a tool of creativity, self-expression, and connection.
Barker Films and the team at AltTimelines have been tasked with producing a documentary chronicling the program’s inaugural year. The film centers on a group of children in California who received their guitars during a ceremony at William Wallace Elementary School. This video captures the first chapter of that journey and documents how a single gift can spark emotional growth, resilience, and a lifelong love of music.
Human Stories. Human Rights.
Happening here.
For 10 years I traveled the world, hungry for stories of people overcoming the most challenging physical and mental odds. The more I learned of the world the more I looked back to my home and recognized many of the same troubles. I am inspired, every day, by the heroes in my home town and home country - how their personal struggles empower them to make their world little better.
Ricardo lost his voice on Skid Row. Listen carefully.
Locked down and locked out. A different type of Inauguration Day in DC.
Musa
He was alone. He lost everyone. He risked his life for a new beginning.
I met this remarkable young man on the southern tip of an Italian island. His story is like so many, yet uniquely his.
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I walked through the gates of an apartment building that was being used as a facility for young boys who had migrated from all over Africa. Just 3 or 4 blocks from the water in Portoscuso, on the island of Sardinia, the late afternoon sun was reflecting on the water and a light breeze was starting up. It really was a picturesque little Italian town.
On the third floor I could hear the sounds of African voices shouting and laughing with one another. We had come to interview some of the boys about their journeys from West Africa and find out how they ended up in Italy. There were about 10 boys in this particular home, but I was specifically here for Musa.
Musa grew up in the West African country of…(more)
VR Stories
Skid Row, Los Angeles, CA and the US/Mexico Boarder.
This is a prologue for People of Skid Row VR experience. View a sample 360 VR video on my Youtube Channel
A Prologue to Crossings - US/Mexico Boarder featuring Scott Barker and Zaydee. View the full 360 VR video on my Youtube Channel
Francis
In 2016 I brought VR technology to Ghana to capture the story of Francis. This man had overcome years of inhumane treatment due to his mental health condition. Now he is using his story to help educate his country and the world of the importance of mental healthcare and resources. The film played at the World Bank Conference in D.C., the One Human Rights Film Festival in Prague, and Sundance VR Theater in Park City.
This is a prologue. To view the full 360 VR Video, check out my YouTube Channel.
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FRANCIS is a highly impactful virtual reality film about the effects and breadth of the need for global mental health care. The main story featured in the film is based on the true story and words of Francis Pii Kugbila, a husband, father and teacher in northern Ghana. The viewers are guided through his story by a voice over narration of Francis' first hand account of his own illness narrative who he was prior to his mental illness onset, what happened to him during his illness, and his experience when he recovered. The film shows that Francis, like so many who suffer from mental illness around the world, are valuable members of society who can lead full, productive lives and contribute to their families and communities if they receive science based mental health treatment.
The virtual reality film premiered to five hundred health and finance ministers from around the world and other top international leaders in health, finance and development in conjunction with the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. This high level convening "Out of the Shadows", hosted by the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization, is the focus of an effort to make mental health a global development priority. It also played at the Sundance Film Festival as a part of the AMD presented VR Bar showings. 'Francis' was also featured at the One World Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague.
Spinners
This rag tag team of street corner sign twirlers band together to create an international sign spinning competition. Through personal challenges and struggles they use this surprising sport to create a global business and brotherhood.
This is just the trailer. View the full film on my YouTube Channel.