Big questions. Reported clearly.

Politics may dominate the headlines, but it is never the whole story.

Behind every institution, product, tradition, cultural moment or industry are people, systems, history, economics, design choices and decisions most of us rarely get to see.

That is where Simply Put. is going next.

We’re producing a series of reported mini-documentaries built around one clear question at a time — questions that sound simple, but open the door to something much bigger.

We’ll go places. Talk to the people who actually know. Look at the history, numbers, economics and human stories behind things we recognize but rarely stop to understand.

Each film will combine original reporting, on-the-ground footage, interviews, research and explanation — followed by shorter videos, behind-the-scenes reporting and extended conversations with some of the people we meet.

The first documentary is already in production.

October: What did America’s 250th anniversary look like aboard an American aircraft carrier?

Earlier this year, I spent the day aboard the USS Nimitz during celebrations marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The film combines original footage, interviews, history and the human side of life aboard the ship — while looking at what this milestone meant from the deck of one of America’s most recognizable aircraft carriers as Nimitz approaches the end of its service.

We’re also speaking with people whose connection to the ship stretches back to its earliest years, bringing together its past, present and final chapter.

Your support helps fund research, archives, filming, travel and production across the Simply Put. documentary slate.

November: What Does Thanksgiving Taste Like?

What we now think of as a traditional Thanksgiving table was shaped over generations.

We’ll look at the history behind the holiday, the origins of its iconic dishes and the communities that helped shape the foods people now look forward to every November.

We’ll also follow the economics behind the table: how many turkeys are sold, which ingredients spike in demand, what supermarkets prepare for, how much Americans spend, and how one holiday moves through farms, supply chains, stores and kitchens across the country.

From historic recipes to modern chefs — and, inevitably, some very serious disagreements about what actually belongs on a Thanksgiving table.

December: Christmas Without the Plaza?

The Plaza Hotel is woven into New York’s idea of Christmas.

As one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks prepares for a years-long restoration, we want to understand what it takes to preserve a building like this, what the Plaza has represented culturally and economically, and what happens when an institution so closely associated with New York prepares to disappear from everyday life for several years.

January: How Did K-Culture Become So Big in America?

From beauty and food to entertainment and consumer culture, Korean influence is now everywhere.

But why?

We’ll explore what makes Korean products and culture stand out, how companies built international audiences, what is genuinely distinctive, what is brilliant marketing, and why American consumers embraced it so enthusiastically.

February: What Happens When a Community Builds Wealth — and Loses It?

For Black History Month, we want to look at Black wealth, ownership and community: what was built, what was destroyed, and what was rebuilt.

From Seneca Village in New York to Greenwood — often called Black Wall Street — in Tulsa, the film will examine communities that created extraordinary economic and cultural power, the forces that displaced or destroyed them, and what their legacy means today.

Historians, community voices, institutions and the economics of memory and preservation will all be part of the reporting.

March: Who Holds Economic Power?

March brings Women’s History Month and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations’ major annual gathering focused on women’s rights and equality.

Rather than another broad story about empowerment, we want to look underneath it.

Who gets paid?
Who owns?
Who leads?
Who benefits from women’s labor?

And how do access to capital, supply chains, institutions and opportunity determine who ultimately holds economic power?

April: What Does “Made in Italy” Actually Mean?

Why can a few words add so much value to a product?

We’ll look at craftsmanship and manufacturing, but also at the business behind the label: how Italian companies enter the U.S. market, how products are priced and distributed, how tariffs and trade affect them, and why Italy invests so heavily in protecting and promoting the value of its national brand.

In development

The Economics of the Birkin Bag

Scarcity, craftsmanship, resale, psychology and branding — and how one handbag became an economic phenomenon.

What Is Fashion Week Actually For?

Runway shows generate enormous attention. But who are they actually for? How do designers make money? What role do buyers, media and influencers play? And what is Fashion Week meant to accomplish today?

And more

If there is a question, place, tradition, institution or industry you think deserves this kind of reporting, supporters are always welcome to suggest future films.

Help us make them

We’re raising the first $5,000 in production support for the Simply Put. documentary slate.

That funding helps cover transportation and travel, research, filming, production equipment, archive and licensing costs where needed, and eventually additional editing and production support.

The goal is not simply to make more content.

It is to make reporting worth watching, remembering, discussing and returning to.

If you believe the world could use more curiosity, more context and more reporting that takes complicated subjects seriously without making them impossible to understand, I hope you’ll help us build it.

Thank you for helping make this possible,
Olga

Topics, order and release timing may evolve as reporting, access and production develop. Support helps fund the overall Simply Put. documentary slate.