Video Extra: SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON

This is the companion piece to SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing this month on public television, which tells the story of an unexpected collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer that led to a unique work of art.

In this video extra, teenager Jesse Desrosier gives an intimate look into daily life on the Blackfeet reservation and attending the Nizipuhwahsin School. DesRosier captures the challenges he faces as a young American Indian living in two worlds: modern mid-America and that of his traditional heritage.

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON airs this November on public television (check local listings).

Learn more about SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON from filmmaker Hugo Perez >>

Tags: Blackfeet, Montana, Native American, Poetry, video extra

Filmmaker Hugo Perez Recounts Unlikely Collaboration

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November on public television, tells the story of the unlikely collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer, which resulted in a provocative symphony about the Lewis and Clark expedition from the perspective of American Indians today. Filmmaker Hugo Perez recounts the adventurous story of how the collaboration occurred and how he and composer Rob Kapilow were accidentally mistaken as federal agents.

Stanley and Livingston. Holmes and Watson. Calvin and Hobbes. Who can forget the first time they encountered these dynamic duos? As the director of SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, I had the fortune to be present for the first fateful meeting of Rob Kapilow and Darrell Kipp––the subjects of my documentary.

I had begun my film journey following the story of maverick (have we rehabilitated that term yet?) composer Rob Kapilow on his quest to compose a symphony inspired by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Where else could this lead us but to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission Convention in Great Falls, Montana where a certain Blackfeet writer and educator named Darrell Kipp was the keynote speaker? I have to admit that the groggy encounter between Darrell and Rob by the indoor pool at the Best Western––where we were all staying––lacked a certain electricity. However, it ended with an invitation from Darrell to come and visit him on the Blackfeet reservation. And we did come back to Montana and had a wonderful visit with Darrell at the Nizipuhwasin Blackfeet Language Immersion School.

› Continue reading

Tags: Blackfeet, Montana, Native American, Poetry

Native American Heritage Month: Upcoming ITVS Programs

POWER PATHS, airing November 3 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November 2009 on public television

As the nation observes Native American Heritage Month throughout November, PBS will air programs that examine and celebrate the many aspects of Native American life and history. Be sure to check out these two new compelling ITVS documentaries:

POWER PATHS, airing November 3 at 10:00 on Independent Lens (check local listings), looks at how Native American tribes are turning to solar and wind sources to provide clean sustainable energy for cities across the west. Their traditional values regarding conservation and the earth offer real solutions to America’s energy crisis. A co-production of NAPT.

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November 2009 on public television (check local listings), tells the story of an unexpected collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer that led to a unique work of art from the perspective of American Indians today.

Encore presentations of ITVS programs this month also include:  TRUE WHISPERS: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers, MISS NAVAJO and MARCH POINT.

Get broadcast listings and more information about upcoming ITVS programs >>

Tags: environmental, Native American, Poetry, women

Filmmaker Jamie Meltzer Discusses Digital Distribution Strategy

Filmmaker Jamie Meltzer’s OFF THE CHARTS: The Song-Poem Story is currently available to watch online. Learn about his online distribution strategy and how he embraced various social networking tools.

OFF THE CHARTS: The Song-Poem Story exposes the strange underworld of the song-poem industry. Like a warped fun-house mirror, the song-poem industry has run parallel to the mainstream music business for close to a century; it’s estimated that over 200,000 song-poems have been recorded since 1900.

Originally airing several years ago on Independent Lens, Jamie Meltzer sees multiple opportunities online by reaching a new digitally engaged audience. He also is excited by the idea of encouraging viewership through social networking sites and providing a space for debates and exchanges.

“I’m now looking at ways to change my approach to filmmaking and storytelling as people turn to the Internet,” he said. “There are so many possibilities. I recently started a website with a few friends that comes up with filmmaking challenges. Each month, we take a set of technical, formal or thematic limitations and then make a short film according to whatever rules are set.”

Meltzer explained it’s an effective tool to gauge how people approach different problems and interpret rules in their own way. Check out the site and submit a film >>

› Continue reading

Tags: film resources, music, online video, Poetry

Filmmaker Lisa Russell Wins Boston/New England Emmy Award for BI-RACIAL HAIR

Filmmaker Lisa Russell was recently honored at the Boston/New England Emmy Awards for her short film BI-RACIAL HAIR, which will have an encore presentation tonight at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens with THE ORDER OF MYTHS (check local listings). Read about her experience making the film, attending the ceremony and what she thought about getting bumped by President Obama for its debut broadcast.

WGBH Lab Director Chris Hastings and Filmmaker Lisa Russell.

A scene from BI-RACIAL HAIR.

When Lois Vossen, the series producer for Independent Lens, first informed me that the national broadcast of my short film, BI-RACIAL HAIR would be rescheduled because it conflicted with the President’s first State of the Union address, I joked that it would be an honor to be bumped by Obama. Little did I know at the time, the biggest honor I would receive for my film would come on May 30, when I would walk across the stage of the 32nd Annual Boston/New England Emmy Awards to accept my first Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Advanced Media Interactivity” category.

BI-RACIAL HAIR is a film of the WGBH Lab Open Call initiative. Produced for the “Eviction Notice” call with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), it explores how slavery and racism still reverberate in the 20th century. The film profiles 13-year old Zora Howard, a spoken word artist from Harlem, as she reenacts scenes from her poem of the same name. Along with four other films, my project was made with a $2,000 production fund, had an online pitch and review process and then had a rough cut dialogue with various members of the PBS community. The film is online on both the WGBH Lab site and the NPBC Black Public Media site and will be having an encore presentation tonight.

› Continue reading

Tags: African American, Poetry