Category Archives: Film

Attenborough Salutes Seven Songs Sung in Nature on PBS

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”– Maya Angelou.   I’ve always loved the bird songs that herald the first signs of Spring in my garden.  I even return the calls … Continue reading

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How Saba Kept Singing and Survived the Holocaust Debuts on PBS

“I always sang.  When I got into the camp, that’s what saved my life.”—David Wisnia. In the touching new, hour-long documentary, How Saba Kept Singing, David “Saba” Wisnia recalls the day he found his parents and younger brother murdered by … Continue reading

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Monopoly Has a Secret History and It’s Ruthless on PBS

“It was supposed to be a critique of capitalism.  It turned out to be a celebration of it.” Ever play Monopoly as a kid?   Ever actually win the game?  Or did every sit-down with America’s “favorite board game” begin with … Continue reading

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The Hole Truth about Woodpeckers on PBS Nature

“They are architects, engineers, and consummate woodworkers.” Woodpeckers don’t sing, but they have an unmistakable voice. They live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia and are surprisingly adaptive to extreme temperatures and climate change. Their lineage is ancient, their … Continue reading

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A Tree of Life Revisits the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting on HBO

“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must–at that moment–become the center of the universe.”—Eli Wiesel. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel (1928-2016) would no doubt applaud filmmaker … Continue reading

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The U.S. and the Holocaust Reexamined on PBS

“I feel a sense of urgency. We’re not trying to equate anything with The Holocaust. That would be a horrible, horrible thing to do.  We’re just saying: ‘Let’s not get there again as human beings, please, let’s not get there … Continue reading

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Uvalde Massacre Tragically Mirrors Newtown School Shooting

“When an assault weapon is used in a mass shooting, it can lead to six times as many people shot than with other guns.”—Everytownresearch.org “Of the 26 dead, most are children,” reported NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt to a … Continue reading

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Ken Burns Celebrates Patriot Benjamin Franklin on PBS

Writer, printer, newspaper publisher, humorist, pundit, educator, scientist, inventor, postmaster, politician, diplomat, abolitionist, patriot. The list of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments and aphorisms is long, storied and impossible to condense effectively in one short film, book or review. But Award-winning filmmaker … Continue reading

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Zelenskyy: The Man Who Took on Putin Debuts on PBS

“They will not break us.”–Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If, like me, you’ve been anxious to find out more about the courageous Ukrainian president who, in just a few short weeks, has touched the hearts and minds of freedom lovers the … Continue reading

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Actress Evan Rachel Wood Outs Her Abuser in HBO’s Phoenix Rising

“What is this feeling?  It’s the feeling of being believed!”— actress Evan Rachel Wood. It’s clear that even as a young teen, actress Evan Rachel Wood had affinity for edgy dramas.  But, as it turns out, her film roles were … Continue reading

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