Documentary
Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War
It is 1635, and the English Puritan settlements at Plimouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies have begun expanding into the rich Connecticut River. This expansion precipitated the first war between Native Americans and English settlers in northeastern America and set the stage for political and cultural domination of the region by Europeans. In 1637, English Puritan troops, with the help of Indian allies, burned the Pequot village in Mystic, killing 400-700 Pequots and breaking the tribe's resistance. After the War, the colonists attempted to eradicate tribal identity by enslaving survivors and outlawing the name Pequot.
Documentary | On DVD/Internet/VOD |
An American Nurse at War
This 36-minute documentary, shot on Beta SP, tells the story of a WWI Red Cross nurse who spent four years in France caring for sick and wounded soldiers. The film is based on 650 original photos and 50 letters in the collection of nurse Marion McCune Rice of Brattleboro, Vermont. Life within the hospitals is documented showing the horrors nurses went through in treating soldiers torn apart by battle in the trenches. Behind-the Scenes: The film has attracted the attention of the History Channel. The Rice story (Rice was the subject of the film) will be included in their documentary- 'Letters Home-Letters From WW I.'
Rod Price, A Passion for the Blues
Breaking from the 'MTV / VH1' exploitation format, this production is a personalized study of, and by Rod Price, former lead guitarist for the power blues band 'Foghat' and his work to record a roots based album with a pre-'Foghat' former band mate and blues vocalist/harp player Graham 'Shaky Vic' Vicory. Extensive interviews with the performers and use of Rod's personal collection of pictures and clippings from the 60s and 70s will place the viewer in a better position to understand Rod's attraction and commitment to Chicago blues. Plus, it investigates Rod's personal experience with some of its masters both in the USA and UK, and explores how and why a major musical idiom had to migrate to England to gain wide spread acceptance. Included will be live peformance and in-studio footage shot at various locations around New England and New York State.
One More Dead Fish?
n this gripping tale of of environmental activism, six handline fishermen in rural Nova Scotia seize a Federal building and barricade themselves inside it for 26 days. Men like Alfred Brannen and his son Boss say government regulations threaten hundreds of environmentally-friendly handline communities on the Atlantic coast. Yet the US and Canada allow big draggers to tow 500-pound iron doors across the fragile ocean bottom, destroying valuable ecosystems and killing spawning fish. These boats crush and damage much of their catch in nets the size of several football fields, and discard 30 million tons of fish each year. Based on the most current scientific knowledge, and containing interviews with high-ranking government officials, DFO scientists and corporate CEOs, this film is both an intimate portrait of one small Nova Scotian community's struggle for survival, and a cautionary tale for countries who may be destroying their own ocean ecosystems and traditional fishing communities.
Documentary | On DVD/Internet/VOD |
Park Forest: Planning for the American Dream
The suburban myth has largely been defined by Levittown, but before there was a Levittown, there was Park Forest, Illininos-- a planned community that emphasized the utopian elements of the American dream and created a unique breed of suburban activist. Park Forest was the subject of Willam H. Whyte's seminal study of America in the 1950's and 1960's entitled 'The Organization Man.' On the occasion of Park Forest's 50th anniversary, we profile this landmark American village.
Documentary | Production | Massachusetts
Southie 74
In 1974, Federal Judge Arthur Garrity made a decision to desegregate the Boston Public School system. In an attempt to racially integrate schools that rested in Boston's segregated neighborhoods, black and white students were bused across the city, meeting protests - and sometimes violence - outside of their schools. Due to their angry and rowdy demonstrations as Roxbury students entered South Boston High School, the Irish community of South Boston gained media attention that painted its residents as racist, uneducated thugs. Fast forward nearly 35 years later as local filmmaker and Southie Boy, Padriac Farma embarks on a journey to discover South Boston's true voice following this dark point in their history. For some, the issues resulting from forced busing have never been closed. There is still anger that permeates through the parents of the students forced to leave their neighborhood and a stigma that continues to follow all residents of South Boston. The purpose of this film is not to prove who was right or wrong, but rather to give a voice to the residents that lived and fought through this period in Boston's history. It is an opportunity for South Boston residents to finally share their story.
Documentary | Post-production |
Five Minute Fame
5 Minute Fame is the story of 3 karaoke performers who have been chosen as subjects of a documentary by a UMass/Amherst graduate student. In the process of documentation, the film's subjects are altered by the cinematic investigation.
Documentary | Pre-production |
Boys Home
The story of Fernald State School, the first institution in North American created for developmentally disabled individuals, and the people who built, who lived and who died behind the walls of the institution. Behind-the Scenes: The film, formerly titled IDIOTS, SIMPLETONS & FOOLS is anticipated to complete shooting in Summer 2001, with an edit by 2/02.
