True Crime and Hollywood: A Personal Tale16 Syys

Michelle's Personal Tale

In this episode—the very first recorded conversation of Season III—Celene Beth sits down with Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Mental Health Coordinator Michelle Backe for a discussion that serves as a genuine love letter to the indie documentary community.

While on-set support is fundamentally shifting media production, this conversation explores what happens when psychological safety is built directly into non-fiction storytelling. Michelle’s entry into true crime was deeply shaped through her close personal friendships with participant advocates Margie Ratliff and Jessie Buttafuoco—bringing critical real-world insights into long-term care, accountability, and ethical support for individuals at the center of public narratives.

Together, they also uplift key works championing human-centered practices across the industry, including Subject (Lady & Bird Films), alongside Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey and Trust Me: The False Prophet (Ark Media).

Episode Links & Resources

Calm on Set: Follow Michelle's work on Instagram @calmonset
Association of Mental Health Coordinators: Explore industry standards and training at mentalhealthcoordinators.org
Screen Trust (Formerly known as Documentary Participants Empowerment Alliance / DPEA): Learn about participant advocacy led by Margie Ratliff at dpealliance.org
Jessie Buttafuoco: Learn more about Jessie’s work and resources at jessiebuttafuoco.com

Show Credits: True Crime & Hollywood: A Personal Tale is a La Activista Production, hosted and executive produced by Celene Beth Olsen, with music by Mickey O’Brien.

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Jaksot(49)

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