We Began to Sing film
The award-winning documentary film "We Began to Sing"will be shown for free on YouTube over Thanksgiving weekend (12:01am Thursday Nov. 26 thru 11:50pm Sunday Nov 29).
Here is the link: https://www.songkeepers.ca/thanksgivingfreestream
This film received the award for Best New England film at the 2020 Newburyport Film Festival!
There will also be a free discussion with the film-makers along with Annie Patterson & Peter Blood on Saturday Nov 28 (time to be determined).
We will be joined by several other musician activists.
Watch for details on both events here soon!
The film makers continue working on distribution arrangements both for online viewing and (when it is possible from a public health standpoint) in-person showings. Direct inquiries to the film-makers at the email address below.
This 25 minute documentary film entitled "We Began to Sing" was released in December 2019. It shines a light on the power of group singing as a means of building community and empowering struggles for social justice. The film focuses primarily on the work of Annie Patterson and Peter Blood in creating the songbooks Rise Up Singing and Rise Again, which have in turn spurred a quiet revolution of group singing around North America. It includes footage of Pete Seeger in his home and at a singalong Beacon NY about a year before his death.
The film is available for use by schools, faith communities, social change groups, songleaders, retreat leaders - anyone who is interested in promoting an understanding of the power of group singing to ignite change.
Film trailer: https://youtu.be/BEimkooaa-8
A special online showing of the film was broadcast on Pete Seeger's 101st birthday. Following the film the director Polly Wells hosted a discussion with 6 musician activists on the ways we all are carrrying on Pete Seeger's work. Annie Patterson & Peter Blood were joined by Billy Bragg, Reggie Harris, and Sandy O and Pat Humphries of Emma's Revolution in a lively hour of shared discussion and singing. It is posted on the Songkeeepers YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/Yt6UUElmPmYInfo on film is at: www.songkeepers.ca
Songkeepers YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMQR-DbAIPHkb6_rNn1aog
Contact the film-makers, Polly Wells and Candida Paltiel, to book a virtual or physical screening at info@songkeepers.ca
