documentary

The making of Mount de Sales documentary ‘A Mission Sustained’

The making of Mount de Sales documentary ‘A Mission Sustained’

17 Photos

I admit I didn’t know what I was getting into last May when I started working on a historical documentary of Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville. It started as a view from the cupola — the small dome atop the school — then it became a look at the architecture. Finally, it was decided that it should cover the full scope of the history of the Catholic all-girls school.

From there, several interviews were conducted, footage was shot, the school’s archivist was consulted, photos were repurposed and editing commenced. Read on below for some of the specifics of how the documentary was produced.

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The dream home of a man in solitary confinement: Darkroom catches up with ‘Herman’s House’ filmmaker Angad Singh Bhalla

The dream home of a man in solitary confinement: Darkroom catches up with ‘Herman’s House’ filmmaker Angad Singh Bhalla

5 Photos, 1 Video

What kind of house does a man who has lived in a 6′ x 9′ box for over 30 years dream of?

In 2002, after months of correspondence, artist Jackie Sumell posed that exact question to Herman Wallace, who may be the longest-serving prisoner in solitary confinement in the United States. The answer to that question inspired a decade-long friendship between the two and is the basis for the international art exhibition “The House that Herman Built” — a first step in making Wallace’s dream home a reality.

The friendship between Sumell and Wallace, the injustice of solitary confinement and the power of art is at the heart of “Herman’s House,” a documentary from filmmaker Angad Singh Bhalla. The Darkroom caught up with Bhalla ahead of the doc’s national debut on PBS’ POV July 8.
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HIV in the American South: Q&A with ‘deepsouth’ documentary filmmaker Lisa Biagiotti

HIV in the American South: Q&A with ‘deepsouth’ documentary filmmaker Lisa Biagiotti

8 photos, 1 video

The Darkroom interviews documentary filmmaker Lisa Biagiotti about “deepsouth,” a new documentary about HIV in the South premiering this week in Washington D.C. The premiere coincides with the week-long International AIDS Conference.
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