Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums (2024)
SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE NOW!
OMAR SOSA’S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE
8 TRACKS ★ NEWLY REMASTERED
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“Full credit must go to director Soren Sorensen, who marshalled an extraordinary range of material in the most lucid and visually magnetic manner, including some strikingly effective passages of animation set off by eerie moments of abstracted yet mood-rich percussion.”
— Michael Tucker, Jazz Journal | 07 February 2024
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OMAR SOSA’S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
DOCUMENTARY STREAMING in U.S. SOON
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For media inquiries, please contact:
DL Media · (303) 522-4724
Leah Concialdi · don@dlmediamusic.com
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
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AWARDS
Best Art Documentary
2022 Ag & Art Film Festival
Best Feature Documentary
2022 Albuquerque Film+Music Experience
Honorable Mention
2022 Big Apple Film and Screenplay Competition
Art & Inspiration Award
2022 Hamptons Doc Fest
Best Feature Documentary
2022 Imaginarium Independent Film Festival
Best Feature Documentary
2022 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
Best Music Related Film
2022 ReelHeART International FIlm Festival
Best Musical Documentary
2022 Rhode Island International Film Festival
Honorable Mention
2022 Roxbury International Film Festival
Spotlight Gold Award
2022 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards
Special Jury Award
2022 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival
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OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
(2022 unless otherwise noted)
Ag and Art Film Festival
Albuquerque Film + Music Experience
Black Bear FIlm Festival
BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta
Doc'n Roll Film Festival UK
DTLA Film Festival
Flagler Film Festival (2023)
Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival
Golden Door International Film Festival
Hamptons Doc Fest
Imaginarium Independent Film Festival
Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay and Music Festival
Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
The Miami International Cinefest
Montreal Independent Film Festival
Mystic Film Festival
New York Lift-Off Film Festival
North London Documentary Festival
On Art Dance & Music Festival
Red Dirt Film Festival
ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival
Regina International Film Festival and Awards
Roxbury International Film Festival
Spotlight Documentary Film Awards
Tuscon Film & Music Festival
USA Film Festival
World Music & Independent Film Festival (2023)
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OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL TUNED DRUMS is a feature-length documentary film on the life and music of Cuba-born pianist and composer, Omar Sosa (b. 1965). Multiple Grammy-nominee Omar Sosa is one of the most versatile jazz artists on the scene today. He fuses a wide range of jazz, world music, and electronic elements with his native Afro-Cuban roots to create a fresh and original sound—with a Latin jazz heart.
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OFFICAL KICKSTARTER BACKERS:
LAUREN ADAMS, NATHAN ADAMS, SUSAN ALEXANDET, ANGELA ALLEN, ALMOND & OLIVE, ANTLEME, ROBERT ANDERSON, ALEXEY BERLIND, VINCENT BOHLINGER, TIM BRADY, TOM BREEN, TIM BROWN, ELLEN BULLER, AL BUNSHAFT, PASCAL BUSSY, BARBARA & RIK CARLSON, CLAIRE CHAMBRUN, JESSICA & NATHAN COLLINS, WHITNEY COLLINS, LUCY COLVIN, JO & LARKIN CONNOLLY, JOHN CONNOLLY, AMY COSTELLO, PHIL CUTTING, CHRISTIANA & JIM DALEY, KRISTEN DAVENPORT, DOROTHY DECKER, TOM DELLAIRA & JAMIE WELLES, ERIC DENEEN, JAROL DEVOGE, JENN DLUGOS, DEREK DUBOIS, TOM EHRLICH, TIM ERIKSEN, SAMANTHA FARINELLA, PETRA FELBER, SCOTT FERGUS, ANNE LUTZ FERNANDEZ, COZETTE ROONEY FERRON, BROOKE FOX & KURT GELLERSTED, THE FOX FAMILY, CAROLE D’INVERNO FRISELL, PATRICK GAFFEY, GENEVIEVE, MICHAEL GOLDBERG, BRANDON GRAVING, DOUGLAS HALL, SALLY HANING, PETER HANSEN, PETER HARROLD, EDWARD HEARN, ELIZABETH & CHRIS HENNING, NANCY HUTSON, CARRIE INGOGLIA, JOSH JOHNSTON, ADAM KAHAN, MEG KANE, ASHLEY & JESSE KENNER, KNIGHT OF WORDS, TARA KOENIG, LORENZO KRISTOV, DENNIS KUTZEN, SYLVIA KYCKLING, ADAM LACASSE, GREG LANDAU, NIKKI LAWRENCE, JON LEE, ENEIDA LIKES, FRIEDRICH LÜNING, HUGH MANON, SHIRLEY MANZI, MARJ, ALITA L. MARSHALL, PATRICIA MCINTYRE, MONAY MCNEIL, FREYDA & BRIAN MECHLOWICZ, DAVID MECHLOWICZ, MICHELE MEEK, DANIEL MILLER, JIM MITCHELL, MICHAEL & VINCENT MORCH-FALCI, MEL MINTER, ANGELA & VLADIMIR MINUTY, YAM MONTAÑA, MAURICE MONTOYA, SHAWN MORIN, FAREED MOSAVAT & LIZ FOX, KEVIN MICHAEL MURPHY, ERIK MYGRANT, DANIEL NACHIMSON, LISA NAGID, KATE & TOM NAVIN, VAN NGUYEN, TRACY ATKINSON-NOTZOLD & PAUL NOTZOLD, SALLY & MICAH O’MALLEY, OKWUI OKPOKWASILI, NORIKO OTA, TOM PALLESCHI, SUZANNE & LAURENT ET LES FILLES PASQUON, MAGGIE PELLEYA, NANCY & BOB PHILLIPS, KAREN CARR-POTTER & RUSSELL POTTER, JEREMY POWELL, BEVERLY PRATT, LYNDSEY PYRKE-FAIRCHILD, MATTHEW RAGUSA, BETSY HART ROSOFF, JASON ROSSI, ANDY ROTH, NSK SAAD, CHRISTOPHER SADLER, AMY SALISBURY, MIKE SAN JUAN, ROBERTO SANTANA, CATHERINE SCHLUP, BRANDON SCHOTT, YATRIKA MARIAM SHAH-RAIS, ERIN SHEEHAN, ELI SILVRANTS, JEFF SISKIND, TAYLOR SMITH, SARAH SPENCER, BESS SORENSEN, PETER & ELIZABETH SORENSEN, MICHAEL STONE, TREVOR STRICKER, JOSE TALLAJ, PETER TASKER, HERB TAYLOR, KYLE THOMPSON-WESTRA, MICHAEL WADDELL, ROBERT TRAINER, MARUSHKA VIDOVIC, JAMES WEEKS, ERIN WENDT, ALEX WILSON, JOHN W. WILSON, KITTY WILLIAMS, MAGGIE & PETER WORKS-LEARY, BILL WOODCOCK, MANDY & JEFF WORNHOFF, LINDA WOSSKOW, JAMES YOO, ZOGAROS
GRACIAS A TODOS!
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OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS trailer
"We find Sosa in solo and duo formats but also with larger ensembles. Yet, what is most affecting about this remains the way Sosa’s well-tuned ‘drums’ serve as spiritual guidepost, as direction. That is what the drums were for. It is what this music is for." — Josh Meyers, DownBeat
"Sosa’s instantly identifiable piano and keyboard and bold compositional approaches have become hallmarks of his artistry since the mid-’80s, as have his visual identifiers — flowing outfits, distinct eyewear and facial hair. What’s lesser known is his backstory, including a stint in the military serving in Angola in 1986 during its deadly civil war, which is explored in this feature-length documentary." — Yoshi Kato, DownBeat
“Sosa’s story is made all the more compelling by his captivating music, brilliantly captured on the film’s accompanying soundtrack. A collection of eight songs culled from eight discs in an oeuvre that spans 30 albums, the soundtrack is testament to Sosa’s global eclecticism and insatiable desire to push the limits of jazz.” — Lissette Corsa, Jazziz
The soundtrack of the multi-award-winning documentary by filmmaker Soren Sorensen, Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums further supports the director's premise — that the Cuban pianist approaches the 88 keys of the piano with a percussive flair which, while bold and soulful is never at the expense of dynamics, sensitivity or indeed, the artist’s palpable humanity. A 'Best Of' compilation, then — and a testament to a wildly impressive creative mind. — Jane Cromwell, Jazzwise
RECORD STORE DAY 4/20/24
Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums, the soundtrack to the documentary film of the same name, is the first solo vinyl release for multiple-GRAMMY-nominated pianist and composer Omar Sosa. Presented on limited edition transparent red vinyl, these newly-remastered tracks highlight Sosa's spectacular range, from soloist to big band leader and everything in between. A must-have for fans and a perfect introduction for the uninitiated, this career-spanning LP captures a Cuban music icon in some of his best and brightest recordings. While Sosa's globetrotting sound defies easy genre categorization, fans of ambient, fusion, Latin jazz, salsa and world music will discover both freshness and familiarity in Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums.
“Above all, we witness the emergence of a most soulful musician, open to creative dialogue across the world, as documented in a compelling range of clips from performances with, e.g., Sosa’s Quarteto AfroCubano (with Leandro Saint-Hill, Childo Tomas and Ernesto Simpson), Peter Apfelbaum, Paolo Fresu, Seckou Keita, Gustavo Ovalles and Yilian Cañizares. Totally recommended. A special vinyl release of the superb soundtrack is scheduled for April.” — Michael Tucker, Jazz Journal
Chucho Valdés and Soren Sorensen in Florida March 9, 2022
“OMAR SOSA’S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS highlights the sheer range and quality of the sound Sosa has been responsible for over the years. Not to mention his unshakable energy and thirst for evolution. Using interviews and archival footage to build a picture of a charismatic genius, OMAR SOSA’S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS is a vibrant and fresh portrait of a veritable maestro.” — Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia
“Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums is as non-linear as Sosa's music, a narrative tapestry of musical storytelling and emotional resonance. Weaving together a fierce amount of music alongside engaging interviews and informative archival footage, Sorensen magnificently documents the vast musical range of an iconic musical artist whose 30+ albums indicate an insatiable quest for truth in musical storytelling and a charismatic performer whose mere presence absolutely captivates.” — Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums: A Film by Soren Sorensen
“Anyone approaching this film about the iconic Cuban composer and pianist Omar Sosa, by the award-winning filmmaker Soren Sorensen will be almost immediately struck by its [the film’s] Joycean [Ulysses-like] ‘stream-of-consciousness’ narrative style.” — Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Net
THE 24TH ROXBURY FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES FILMS BY, FOR AND ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR
NEW DOCUMENTARY BRINGS LIGHT TO THE MUSICAL GENIUS OMAR SOSA
Tashara Parker of WFAA-TV in Dallas interviews director Soren Sorensen ahead of the film’s world premiere at the 52nd Annual USA FIlm Festival.
Omar Sosa and Soren Sorensen in Hudson, NY November 10, 2016
2022 Golden Door International Film Festival
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Peter Apfelbaum (R) joined director Soren Sorensen for a screening at the 2022 Golden Door International Film Festival on May 14, 2022.
With Dad (2021)
WITH DAD is a short nonfiction film that chronicles the work of American photographer Stephen DiRado, specifically during the painful 20-year period of his father’s decline and eventual death from Alzheimer’s disease. DiRado, known for long-term projects, used his antique large-format box camera to meticulously document the end of his artistic mentor's life in a way that celebrates a legacy without concealing the trauma inherent in the premature loss of a loved one. Based on DiRado's book of the same name, WITH DAD includes interviews with Stephen DiRado, new high-resolution scans of his work and contemporaneous digital video footage shot by his brother, Chris.
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AWARDS
Best Short Documentary
2021 NYC Independent Film Festival
Best Short Documentary
Best Editing
2021 Red Dirt Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize -- Documentary Short
2020 Mystic Film Festival
Best Documentary
2020 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
Youth Jury First Prize -- Best Short Documentary
2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival
Gold Remi Award -- Documentary Short Subject
2020 Houston International Film Festival
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OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
2021 New York City Independent Film Festival
2021 Red Dirt Film Festival
2020 St. Louis International Film Festival
2020 Black Bear Film Festival
2020 Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
2020 GlobeDocs
2020 Mystic Film Festival
2020 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival
2020 Houston International Film Festival
2020 FilmFest52
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PRESS + REVIEWS
”In WITH DAD, A Son Documents His Father’s 20-Year Fight With Alzheimer’s”
WGBH — September 21, 2021”
”Documentary Chronicles Father’s Battle With Alzheimer’s”
Alzheimer’s News Today — September 21, 2021
WITH DAD Chronicles A Father’s Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease”
Steven Wesley Photography — September 21, 2021
“The Long Goodbye of a Good Man”
ClarkNow — September 20, 2021
“WITH DAD is a moving exercise in less-is-more filmmaking.”
REINVENT THE LENS — June 5, 2021
“WITH DAD earns top honors at Red Dirt Film Festival”
ClarkNow — April 26, 2021
Episode 144: Soren Sorensen
ZEBRAS IN AMERICA Podcast — November 5, 2020
DiRado and Sorensen Interviewed by Travis Condon on
The K-Zone WPKZ 105.3FM/AM1280 — August 28, 2020
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Director Statement
The idea to make WITH DAD came directly from two films I saw in 2018 while attending graduate school at Vermont College of Fine Arts: Yance Ford’s Oscar®-nominated 2017 feature, STRONG ISLAND and Michael Almereyda’s 2013 short, SKINNINGROVE, two films that share very little in common, besides the too-broad “documentary” classification. I was surprised by Yance Ford’s self-described formalist approach to STRONG ISLAND and the way he developed a set of “rules” for making the film. Aesthetically, I was drawn to the way he included his own hands presenting family photographs in overhead shots. With SKINNINGROVE, I was particularly interested in the straightforward slideshow of black and white images, narrated by the photographer Chris Killip, that Almereyda edited from a 90-minute lecture into a 15-minute short. After that particular screening, I immediately thought of Stephen DiRado, who is a colleague of mine at Clark University. And while WITH DAD is less formally-restrained than I originally intended it to be, it was helpful to the production for me to keep Ford's and Almereyda's work in mind. Ford broke his rules so I figured I could break mine.
—soren
WITH DAD Trailer (30s)
Director Soren Sorensen (L) and subject Stephen DiRado (R) talk to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, February 2020 | Photo: Ashley Green
WITH DAD Trailer (1m)
Yance Ford’s 2017 feature Strong Island (top) and Michael Almereyda’s 2013 short Skinningrove (bottom) inspired With Dad.
My Father's Vietnam (2016)
WATCH NOW:
Amazon
Google Play
iTunes
Microsoft
Vudu
NEWS & REVIEWS:
August 27, 2016
Examining the 'Ripple Effects' of War Through "My Father's Vietnam"
The Independent
May 28, 2016
RI Filmmaker Sorensen to Honor Vietnam Memorial Founder at Gala in D.C.
GoLocalProv.com
May 27, 2016
Review: MY FATHER'S VIETNAM
Crome Yellow
May 23, 2016
Review: MY FATHER'S VIETNAM
Age of the Nerd
May 26, 2016
Review: MY FATHER'S VIETNAM
Cut Print Film
May 25, 2016
Review: MY FATHER'S VIETNAM
Movie Nation
May 24, 2016
Review: MY FATHER'S VIETNAM
AsianCineFest
May 24, 2016
Interview: Soren Sorensen Provides Deeply Moving Exploration of ‘My Father’s Vietnam’
Cinephiled
May 24, 2016
Review: MY FATHER'S VIETNAM
Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist
May 23, 2016
Behind the Lens Radio Show
May 23, 2016
EXCLUSIVE: ‘MY FATHER’S VIETNAM’ INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR SOREN SORENSEN
Deepest Dream
May 23, 2016
‘My Father’s Vietnam’ A Labor of Love For Dedicated Filmmaker
Hollywood Outbreak
May 20, 2016
Honoring Father and Country
The Boston Globe
May 20, 2016
Get the Funk Out Radio Show
May 15, 2016
My Father's Vietnam, Director Soren Sorensen
Film School Radio with Mike Kaspar
March 30, 2016
Gravitas Ventures to Distribute Award-Winning Documentary ‘My Father’s Vietnam’
Veterans News Now
March 21, 2016
Gravitas Ventures to Distribute 'My Father’s Vietnam'
VideoAge
March 21, 2016
Gravitas Ventures Picks Up Personal Documentary 'My Father's Vietnam'
Indiewire
January 20, 2016
Movie buffs find plenty to like during 3-day fest
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
January 7, 2016
Flagler Film Festival to Host Florida Premiere of Award-Winning Vietnam Documentary
LocalFlagler.com
November 11, 2015
International Film Fest runs through Saturday in New Haven
New Haven Register
November 10, 2015
New film explores the stories of three soldiers in the Vietnam War
Fox 61 - Hartford, CT (VIDEO)
November 5, 2015
Welcome to the Jungle
The Charlotte News
November 4, 2015
Meet Connecticut filmmaker behind award-winner, 'My Father's Vietnam,' at Veterans Day screening in Bethel
CTPost
November 2, 2015
Avon Native's 'My Father's Vietnam' Plays On Vets Day
Hartford Courant
October 28, 2015
Two screenings for ‘My Father’s Vietnam’
The Day
August 12, 2015
Award Winners Announced for 2015 Flickers: RI International Film Festival
GoLocalProv.com
August 5, 2015
In a new documentary, a son explores ‘My Father’s Vietnam’
The Day
August 4, 2015
Vietnam revisited in documentary at R.I. Film Festival
Providence Journal
July 31, 2015
‘My Father’s Vietnam' to Premiere at RI Film Fest
GoLocalProv.com
July 30, 2015
MY FATHER’S VIETNAM: AN INTERVIEW
NewEnglandFilm.com
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"I give this film my highest praise. I want people to see it to understand the deep thinking that went into the tough decision made by most veterans to serve in that lengthy and controversial military engagement—now remembered as the Vietnam War.
"Many veterans paid a high price. The tribute to the fallen is breathtaking."
Jan Scruggs
Founder, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
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"My Father's Vietnam" is a powerful and gripping story—a worthy testament to complex lives and impossible choices made by young people coming of age while the world was in flames. These accidental heroes—soldiers, resisters, the women who waited and worried—emerge as fully human beings thrust into situations not of their making, struggling to make sense and create meaning out of chaos. This is a dazzling documentary and a necessary addition to the chronicle of the Viet Nam years."
Bill Ayers
Author, Fugitive Days
My Father's Vietnam TRAILER
Peter Sorensen snapped this photograph of a heavily damaged church from the back of a truck traveling north on QL1 (Highway 1) to a forward fire support base in the fall of 1969 in South Vietnam. "I remember being struck," Sorensen recalls, "by the irony of a church being caught in the crossfire of two warring armies." Peter and his wife Elizabeth Sorensen, mother of filmmaker Soren Sorensen, later used an image of this church a Christmas card in 1971 with the caption, "Peace on Earth."
Having begun his tour as a combat engineer in the fall of 1969, Peter Sorensen was reassigned to the U.S. Army's 31st Public Information Office in the spring of 1970. "I was taking pictures on and around forward fire support base Bronco where I was stationed when I encountered this infantryman, or 'grunt,'" Sorensen says. "You can see that he has two or three other envelopes in his pocket, so he had clearly been at it a while, catching up on letter-writing to family and friends." He adds, "I was moved by his intensity, and the solemnity and serenity of the scene."
Peter Sorensen, one of the film's subjects and father of filmmaker Soren Sorensen, leaning against a five-ton dump truck and smiling after the safe conclusion of a two-mile mine sweep during the fall of 1969 in South Vietnam. Sorensen remembers, "You can tell it's early in my tour because my uniform hasn't faded, I'm not sunburned, and my mustache hasn't grown in yet."
Peter Sorensen took this photograph at the end of his tour in October of 1970 while standing in line with a group of Americal soldiers awaiting processing for return to the United States. "I was on my way home," Sorensen remembers. "The guys leaning on the railing in the background are leaving either later that day or the next day, and looking on enviously. I don't remember much of anything about this other than the fact that I was going home."
Calm Frenzy: One Man's Vietnam War, a collection of Loring Bailey's Vietnam-era letters, AVAILABLE NOW at CalmFrenzy.com.
Specialty Foods of Rhode Island
A four-part documentary series featuring Charcuterie Artisans, Gotham Greens, Narragansett Creamery, and Seven Stars Bakery, SPECIALTY FOODS OF RHODE ISLAND aired on Rhode Island PBS in 2021.
WATCH FULL EPISODES ON YOUTUBE
HOST: Alex Caserta
DIRECTOR: Soren Sorensen
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Jason Rossi
EDITOR: Soren Sorensen
MUSIC: Alex Krepkikh
COLOR GRADING: Jason Miller
Harvesting Connecticut
A five-part documentary series featuring Elm Farm, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Holmberg Orchards, Lapsley Orchard, and Stonington Vineyards, HARVESTING CONNECTICUT aired on Connecticut Public Television in 2021.
WATCH FULL EPISODES ON CONNECTICUT PUBLIC TELEVISION
HOST: Alex Caserta
DIRECTOR: Soren Sorensen
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Jason Rossi
EDITOR: Soren Sorensen
MUSIC: Kurt Gellersted
COLOR GRADING: Jason Miller
Harvesting Connecticut Trailer
Harvesting Rhode Island
HARVESTING RHODE ISLAND is a television series that raises public awareness of local farming and the farm-to-table cycle through folk life studies, and by interpreting how this significant way of life on the farm will manage to survive.
The series explores how traditional systems can be creatively maintained and become more of a dynamic marketplace. Introducing the public to the farmers of Rhode Island will provide insights into the complex but easily taken-for-granted process behind the edibles we consume.
Growers have had to balance the traditional approaches that were handed down to them with the variable realities of today’s business climate. In the latter part of the twentieth century local wholesale markets began to shrink due to large retailers and national distribution systems.
As a result, growers increased their direct marketing through on-site retail stands, pick-your-own programs, farmers markets, and selling through local retailers. This direct approach has, in turn, stimulated diversification to satisfy the eclectic tastes of increasingly sophisticated consumers. A large number of consumers in Rhode Island are unaware of the locations and variety of crops that are grown in the state and where to purchase them.
HARVESTING RHODE ISLAND seeks to change that by bringing viewers on location to see the farms, meet the farmers and listen to the farmers' stories.
Harvesting Rhode Island: Season 1 PROMO
Harvesting Rhode Island: Season 2 PROMO
Harvesting Rhode Island: Season 3 PROMO
Raise the Curtain: Moving Through Darkness
One in seven new mothers will experience postpartum depression within a year of giving birth. Raise the Curtain: Moving Through Darkness is a documentary film that seeks to demystify the most common complication of childbirth.
“Raise the Curtain sheds light in a moving and creative way on a problem that afflicts a staggering number of women who suffer in silence with this misunderstood disorder,” said David W. Piccerelli, president of WSBE Rhode Island PBS. “We’re pleased to air this film. This is an example of our commitment to air more local programming that is relevant to our audience, and to work with the community to spark conversations and bring attention to important issues such as mental health and wellness.”
Raise the Curtain: Moving Through Darkness features compelling stories of Rhode Island families who have experienced postpartum depression firsthand.
“The symptoms and stigma related to postpartum depression are, I think, largely unknown to most of us,” said filmmaker Soren Sorensen. “Like many devastating life experiences, postpartum depression is essentially ignored until families are ambushed by it. Postpartum depression, while very treatable, carries with it shame and isolation capable of rendering new mothers unwilling or unable to ask for help, and during a time they expected to be filled only with rapturous joy.”
Families First Rhode Island works to end that shame and isolation by promoting the secure and nurturing parent-child relationships that are the foundation of every child’s overall well-being and future success. Families First conducts Moms For Moms, a program to help mothers who are pregnant or recently had a baby. Jamie Puleo, executive director of Families First Rhode Island, observed that some of these mothers could be at risk for or may be suffering from postpartum depression.
“Our Moms for Moms program offers peer mentoring, support, and friendship through weekly visits from well-trained volunteers or ‘Mentor Moms,’” she said. Ms. Puleo explained that volunteers are given extensive training and supervision in supporting women dealing with pregnancy and postpartum adjustment issues, including maternal depression.
“As you will see, Raise the Curtain: Moving Through Darkness follows the story of four mothers in our program. We hope that hearing their stories will encourage women to feel comfortable seeking help, whether they are depressed or feeling isolated or anxious with the changes that can occur when a new child is brought into the family,” Ms. Puleo said.
“The fact that Families First RI can offer mentorship and support to these mothers and so many more, at no cost, is astonishing,” said Mr. Sorensen.
Raise the Curtain: 30s PROMO
Raise the Curtain: 48m FULL FILM
Behind the Ribbon
Behind the Ribbon is the title of an original nonfiction television series made possible by the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation. Each episode features stories of patients, survivors, and those who have lost their lives to breast cancer, an illness that will affect one in six Rhode Island women.
The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation's mission is to raise breast cancer awareness, increase breast health education, enhance the quality of life for breast cancer patients, as well as their families and friends, and generate funding for local breast health programs.
Behind the Ribbon takes viewers "behind the scenes" for a chance to see a small, locally-focused non-profit at work and the crucial support it provides to Rhode Islanders all over the state. Behind the Ribbon is an opportunity for a new audience to get to know the Foundation. The program will also feature information about Foundation-sponsored programming and events and encourage volunteerism and community service.
The Hope Bus: "Maribeth"
