DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
​Baristas vs. Billionaires is a natural continuation of my lifelong commitment to investigative filmmaking that exposes injustice and inspires action. My work has always sought to amplify underrepresented voices, challenge power, and reveal the human stakes behind political and economic systems.
Before I became a filmmaker, I was a steelworker and union activist. That experience not only shaped my values—it gave me a deep understanding of workers’ struggles and a voice that speaks clearly and authentically to broad audiences. That voice is essential for this film, which tells a deeply American story: young people, many of them women and people of color, standing up to corporate power and fighting for dignity on the job.
This documentary is more than an exposé. It’s a call to action. It aims to empower viewers—especially workers—to realize the collective strength they hold and the change they can create when they organize and stand together.
My past work has had real-world impact.
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Building Bombs (Academy Award nominee) contributed to the cleanup of radioactive waste and launched a worker health study at the Savannah River Site.
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Kent State: The Day the War Came Home (Emmy Award) remains the definitive documentary on the1970 shootings of anti-war protesters.
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The Atlanta Child Murders uncovered a political cover-up surrounding the deaths of over two dozenBlack children.
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Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann (Academy Award nominee) examined censorship and the artist’s right to self-expression.
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The Fire This Time (Sundance Grand Jury Prize finalist, WGA Award) told the story of the LA riots through the eyes of South Central residents—voices the mainstream media ignored.
With Baristas vs. Billionaires, I continue to explore the intersection of power, resistance, and truth—this time through the eyes of a new generation rising up to demand a future rooted in fairness, solidarity, and justice.
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Mark Mori
Director/Writer/Producer/Executive Producer
Baristas vs. Billionaires
