The Grand Generation | Folkstreams

The Grand Generation (1993)

About the Film

From Academy Award winners Paul Wagner and Marjorie Hunt and folklorist Steve Zeitlin comes this warm portrait of six elderly Americans whose vigor belies their age. Three are folk artists, one a baker, one a political activist, and one a bayman on the Chesapeake. Though they remember the past, they still relish the present and live it fully.

Rosina Tucker, a 102-year-old African American, was a union organizer and civil rights activist. Rosina is still engaged in these causes and her face lights up as she recites the poetry that inspired her. Alex Kellam knows how to navigate in fifty-mile gales and knows where to find the best crabs. He considers himself as professional as any doctor or lawyer, only his education came from the sea. Moishe Sacks recalls his pleasure as a baker with his hands an extension of the dough he kneaded.

Ballad singer Nimrod Workman, albedos singer Cleofes Vigil and embroiderer Ethel Mohamed demonstrate their artistry and trace its role in their lives. Throughout the film old photographs and folk music round out the portraits. Their lives of struggle, accomplishment and earned wisdom can teach and inspire all Americans.

Licensing

For licensing, film rights and permissions, contact Paul Wagner, Steven Zeitlin, Marjorie Hunt, the distributor Filmmakers Library, or Folkstreams.

Film Details

  • Film by: Paul Wagner, Steven Zeitlin, Marjorie Hunt
  • Produced by: Marjorie Hunt, Paul Wagner, and Steven Zeitlin
  • Cinematographer: Chris Li
  • Sound: Zack Krieger. Sound editing: Tom Hall. Sound mix: Rodel Sound.
  • Editor: Paul Wagner. Additional editing: Barr Weissman. Editing asst.: Shelley Kindred.
  • Other Credits: Research and interviews: Marjorie Hunt and Steven Zeitlin. Production manager: Barr Weissman. Production assistants: Cathy Chase, Rose Engelland, Rachel Freed, Alison Kahn.
  • Funding: National Endowment for the Arts Folk Arts Program, D.C. Community Humanities Council, New York State Council on the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council, Paine Webber Corporation, Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, NEA/AFI Mid Atlantic Media Arts Program.
  • Original Format: Film: 16mm
  • © Copyright 1993 by Marjorie Hunt, Paul Wagner, and Steven Zeitlin
  • 27mins, Color
  • Categories:
    Arts & Crafts, TraditionalMusicWomenAging
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