ABOUT

BairStories is a micro-impact documentary studio based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

SMALL

BY

DESIGN

The word studio, in a film and TV context, evokes a team, a pipeline, more than one thing moving at once. At BairStories, it means intentionally small, making one to three films a year. BairStories is led by me, Maurice Champion.

As a multidisciplinary artist, I have an outlet for music, SaintChamp. BairStories is my visual outlet. Both serve the same purpose: to invite people into the depths through reflection.

That's the paradox, if you want to call it that. A studio that stays small because staying small is what lets the work stay slow.

KEYWORDS

Five Questions
Worth Asking Me

What inspires you the most?

I'm inspired by stories where two true things pull in opposite directions. I ask whether a character and their story hold a paradox worth sitting in.

What do you bring to the table?

The surface of the table isn't an option. I ask what's underneath in the people we film, the people we work with, and ourselves. I'm passionate about depth.

Who do you enjoy working with?

I enjoy working with people who are receptive. They are willing to listen, consider, and accept new ideas, suggestions, or changes.

What do you hope someone feels, watching?

I want people to feel wonder before they understand it, an awe before they analyze.

What action do you want after the credits roll?

I want people to reflect. Reflection is secondary starting point to change that comes after. While I lack direct control to change the world, I do have the power to “spark the brain that will change it” (2pac).