The power of movies has proven itself time and time again throughout history. Cinema often mirrors the plights of society or recounts life-changing events. Such is the case with Peter Miller's new documentary film, Projections of America.
My first encounter with Miller happened in 2006 when I reviewed his beautiful documentary, Sacco and Vanzetti, the heartbreaking story of two Italian immigrants executed for a crime they unlikely committed. Since then, I have remained in contact with Miller on social media. I saw that he was promoting his most recent film, so I had an idea to help him out with a follow-up piece to "Sacco and Vanzetti". Having no idea there was an Italian connection, I soon discovered there was one indeed.
Projections of America recounts a period in American history immediately following World War II when Hollywood was called upon by the U.S. government to assist in a PR campaign that would put America in a positive light throughout the world. Robert Riskin, the screenwriter of many of Frank Capra’s blockbusters, was put in charge of writing a series of these propaganda films that would be shown to newly liberated countries. After the fall of Mussolini, Italians were presented with a film from this series featuring the famous ex-patriot, conductor Arturo Toscanini.
I really enjoyed this film, so much so that I ended up watching it three times. The first time, I was so impressed by the production quality and blown away by the editing, I missed some of the story. The second time, I just listened and learned about these historic films, which I never knew existed and the third time, I zeroed in on the film shown in Italy. I talked with the director Peter Miller about "Projections of America". He told about his very talented editor, Amy Linton, and the process that goes into making such a beautiful, compelling film.
First, just a curiosity about the
production process because I really enjoyed the overall creativity of the
film, especially the editing with the soft dissolves.. and the audio mixing
with the music, narration and letter-reading. It was really a joy to watch. What
is your process of putting a documentary like this together? Where is your
starting point? Then, where do you go from there? Do you use storyboards? I’m
curious because the structure of this film is very organized and the story
smoothly flows both visually and editorially from one scene to the next.
Documentaries
find their poetry in the editing room. I’ve been fortunate to have a long,
fantastic relationship with the brilliant film editor Amy Linton, who has
collaborated with me on five films, including The Internationale, Sacco
and Vanzetti, Jews and Baseball, AKA Doc Pomus and now Projections of
America. When I’m shooting a film, I’m always thinking about how it will be
woven together when we edit. My films are a process of discovery and I don’t
map them out ahead of time on storyboards, but I’m always thinking about how
the stories I discover will fit together as a dramatic narrative. A documentary
may be about an important historical event — like the WWII propaganda film
project that’s at the heart of Projections of America — but at the core
of any effective non-fiction film a story of human beings, with all of the
emotion and drama that makes real life — and the movies — so compelling. I
found the Projections of America films fascinating as a subject, but what
really grabbed my imagination were the story’s protagonists, the filmmakers who
created the films, the audiences who were moved by them, and especially our
central character, Robert Riskin, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter who
poured his heart and soul into these amazing movies that still effect us deeply
seventy years later.
Tell me about the Toscanini film. Do you know
anything specific regarding the reaction in Italy to the film?
Among the
most dazzling of the twenty-six Projections of America documentaries was a
short film that paid tribute to the great conductor Arturo Toscanini. The
maestro had fled fascist Italy for the United States and Riskin and his
filmmaking team recognized that a filmed portrait of Toscanini could be a
powerful resource to show to newly liberated audiences in Italy. Millions of
Italian filmgoers crowded cinemas to watch the Toscanini film, in which the
brilliant conductor led a performance of Verdi’s Hymn of the Nations, updated
to include the national anthems of the Soviet Union and the United States. It
didn’t surprise me that Italian audiences responded enthusiastically to the
film, but what was especially moving to me was meeting a German Jewish woman
who survived the war and remembered the powerful emotions she felt watching the
film of Toscanini performing Verdi in a bombed out cinema in Berlin.
Would you
say that the American propaganda films were similar to what Italy was doing
with the Telefoni Bianchi films?
The
Projections of America films were made by liberal American filmmakers who
envisioned a pluralistic, democratic, multi-ethnic America — one that presented
their nation as it could be if were to live up to its ideals. The filmmakers
came from Hollywood — Robert Riskin was the screenwriter of many of Frank
Capra’s greatest films — and they came from the progressive documentary
tradition of the New Deal era, but they shared a profoundly democratic vision
that was expressed in these short films. I’m sure the Projections of America
films were a contrast to the kinds of conservative cinema that Italian
audiences were accustomed to from the fascist era, and they stood in great
contrast to the Nazi propaganda films that were forced upon occupied European
audiences. Cinema has the power to change lives and shape minds, both for
better and for worse. What draws me to this story is that during the darkest
days of global war, the power of the movies was harnessed for such positive
messages. The messages in these 70-year-old films still resonate today and can
help us think about what kind of country we can be in 2016. Are we a welcoming
nation of immigrants or we a belligerent bully? Should we celebrate our diverse
culture or should we thump our chest?
Are these
American propaganda films available for people to watch today? Is your film available outside of screenings?
We’re
working with PBS to arrange for a broadcast and for video distribution of our
documentary — stay tuned for more information. Some of the short films in the
Projections of America series are available on scratchy videos on YouTube, but
for the most part these films are unavailable, and the series itself has been
forgotten. When we release our documentary on television and video we hope to
release our new transfers of the short films as well. They’re wonderful films
and should be seen.
I’d like to revisit the topic of Sacco and Vanzetti for a moment. With the refugee crisis in full-swing right now and the Republican presidential nominees saying they’re going to send immigrants back, and then in the next breath, saying with pride that their own parents were immigrants… can you talk to me about the prejudices and struggles that Italians faced upon arriving in America? In your opinion, how did their struggle compare to what is happening today?
I’d like to revisit the topic of Sacco and Vanzetti for a moment. With the refugee crisis in full-swing right now and the Republican presidential nominees saying they’re going to send immigrants back, and then in the next breath, saying with pride that their own parents were immigrants… can you talk to me about the prejudices and struggles that Italians faced upon arriving in America? In your opinion, how did their struggle compare to what is happening today?
America is
thought of as a nation of immigrants but too often we don’t live up to that
ideal. The story of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti is a powerful
cautionary tale of a time when we were at our very worst. Sacco and Vanzetti
were Italian immigrant radicals and the prejudice that they experienced — both
because of their ethnicity and their political beliefs — is sadly parallel to
what immigrants and those outside of the political mainstream experience today.
It breaks my heart to see many Americans, including the children and
grandchildren of immigrants, responding to the current refugee crisis by
wanting to shut our doors rather than opening our arms and hearts. We are a
better nation when we embrace diversity and welcome people who will enrich our
nation, when we celebrate dissent, when we respect democracy. I make films
about history because I believe knowing history can help us better understand
America today. Introducing movie audiences to Sacco and Vanzetti, or Robert
Riskin, or Arturo Toscanini, can be a powerful way to remind ourselves about
the kind of nation we could be if we were to embrace our best ideals.
If you're in the New York City area, a screening of the film will take place on Tuesday, March 29 at the Jewish Community Center. Click here for ticket information.
For more information about the film and upcoming screenings, visit http://projectionsofamerica.com.
Watch the trailer..
For more information about the film and upcoming screenings, visit http://projectionsofamerica.com.
Watch the trailer..
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