This is the second part of my interview with Penny Little. The first part was published last week.
What was your role in making this movie?
I filmed, edited, produced, authored the film, made the website. And now I’m promoting the film.
Where has the movie been shown? What is the future for the movie – screenings? DVDs?
The world premier was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film has been shown numerous times by groups interested in the subject, recently featured at a conference in Phoenix. The DVD is available online on several sites, including my own.
I have heard from numerous activist groups that they’re doing salon showings. The preview is online at YouTube.com, and has gone out to various public television stations. I believe there is a special showing in Los Angeles in April or May. I offer the DVD at a discount or on consignment to activist groups and in bulk online to other sites selling the DVD. I have some pending offers of distribution, which would be great, since it’s a bit difficult to promote, fulfill orders, and get on to my next project. I love the promotional part, I am invited to do call-ins at showings, and enjoy being at showings to speak and answer questions.
The DVD includes several extras including the trailer, William Rodriguez’ story, and Rachel Hughes’ story, plus Nik Green’s piece from “Music for a New American Century.”
What was the hardest part to make?
There was no hardest part. I found that “living with” the victims’ stories was difficult. I cried a lot. Every time I watch the movie in its entirety - and I’ve watched it hundreds of times - I cry where Rachel Hughes says, “None of this is going to change unless the truth is told.” I really want these people to get the help they need.
Recently it appears that more attention is being paid to this issue, however this was not the case when I began making the film. I kept hearing the same thing over and over again: These are the heroes, the workers the volunteers, and ordinary folks who got New York City up and running again. I still get mad when I think about this. This is not a happy subject, and spending this much time with this material makes me want to do a film which has more of an upbeat feel. Perhaps this is the most difficult part – knowing there is so much wrong with the world.
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