TONIGHT: Alone in the Wilderness and Alaska Silence & Solitude

In 1967, at age 50, Dick Proenneke traveled to the Twin Lakes region in Alaska and built himself a log cabin on the lake shore. With only skill and resourcefulness as his companions, it was there, amid all the beauty – and harshness – of Alaska, that he spent the next 30 years of his life, Alone in the Wilderness.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS will air this fascinating glimpse into solitude and survival TONIGHT August 31 at 7:30 PM, followed by the second in the series of three films about Proenneke's adventures, Alaska: Silence & Solitude at 9 PM.

Alone in the Wilderness, produced by Bob Swerer, uses color footage Proenneke recorded himself to share with his family back home in Iowa. Filmed mostly with a stationary 16mm camera, the film consists of shots of Proenneke performing tasks around his cabin, canoeing, walking, plus views of wildlife, along with narration.

With more than 3,000 feet of film shot by Proenneke, and meticulous, poetic journals written, his adventures in Alaska resulted in three films, edited and produced by Swerer Productions. Alone in the Wilderness, released in 2003, covers Proenneke's first year in the wilderness, showing his day-to-day activities, and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living.

Alaska: Silence & Solitude, filmed 20 years later, is the follow-up film to Alone in the Wilderness. Bob Swerer and Bob Swerer, Sr. produced the film in 1998, documenting their visit with Dick Proenneke at his famous cabin on Twin Lakes where the wildlife is still abundant and the scenery is spectacular.

Find WSBE Rhode Island PBS over the air on digital 36.1; Cox/Verizon/Full Channel 08; DirecTV 36; Dish Network 7776; ComCast subscribers, please check local listings for the channel number in your area.

Information/sources
http://www.dickproenneke.com/DickProenneke.html
http://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/

Dick Proenneke and his 30-Year Alaskan Wilderness Adventure

In 1967, Dick Proenneke retired at age 50. He traveled to the Twin Lakes region at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula and built himself a log cabin on the lake shore. With only skill and resourcefulness as his companions, it was there, amid all the beauty – and harshness – of Alaska, that he spent the next 30 years of his life, Alone in the Wilderness.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS will air this fascinating glimpse into solitude and survival on August 31 at 7:30 PM, followed by the second in the series of three films about Proenneke's adventures, Alaska: Silence & Solitude at 9 PM.

Alone in the Wilderness, produced by Bob Swerer, uses color footage Proenneke recorded himself to share with his family back home in Iowa. Filmed mostly with a stationary 16mm camera, the film consists of shots of Proenneke performing tasks around his cabin, canoeing, walking, plus views of wildlife, along with narration. For shots of himself, Proenneke would fix the camera in place, and then perform his tasks. Since he was alone, he would have to return for the camera after walking or canoeing away.

In 1986 producers Bob Swerer, Jr. and his father first met Dick Proenneke while the Swerers were in the Twin Lakes region to explore the area and film wildlife. Their mutual affection for nature and the wilderness forged a long friendship. In 1997, the Swerers returned to Alaska to visit with Proenneke.

With more than 3,000 feet of film shot by Proenneke, and meticulous, poetic journals written, his adventures in Alaska resulted in three films, edited and produced by Swerer Productions. Alone in the Wilderness, released in 2003, covers Proenneke's first year in the wilderness, showing his day-to-day activities, and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living.

Alaska: Silence & Solitude, filmed 20 years later, is the follow-up film to Alone in the Wilderness. Bob Swerer and Bob Swerer, Sr. produced the film in 1998, documenting their visit with Dick Proenneke at his famous cabin on Twin Lakes where the wildlife is still abundant and the scenery is spectacular.

Find WSBE Rhode Island PBS over the air on digital 36.1; Cox/Verizon/Full Channel 08; DirecTV 36; Dish Network 7776; ComCast subscribers, please check local listings for the channel number in your area.

Information/sources
http://www.dickproenneke.com/DickProenneke.html
http://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/

Advice and Support for Caregivers

HOME ACROSS LANDS features International Institute of RI's resettlement work (Saturday at 7 PM)

The journey of a family that spent more than five years in an Ethiopian refugee camp before relocating to Rhode Island is the focus of the upcoming documentary, Home Across Lands.

The documentary will premiere on WSBE Rhode Island PBS on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 7 PM, as part of the station's ongoing series, Rhode Island Stories. The documentary will be re-broadcast on Sunday, August 16 at 11 PM, and on WSBE Learn on Sunday, August 30 at 11 PM.

Home Across Lands was commissioned by the International Institute to chronicle the journey of a group of Eritrean-Kunaman refugees making the transition from life in the Shimelba Refugee Camp in Northern Ethiopia to their new home in Rhode Island.

The Kunama featured in the film fled their native Eritrea and spent years in the confines of the camp, until they were granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The film focuses on their journey to Rhode Island and their journey to becoming self-reliant, invested participants in their new home.

The film was shot over a one year period and features footage and interviews from various locations in Ethiopia and Rhode Island. The experience for the filmmakers was a challenging one as the U.S. State Department had issued a warning for travelers within 50 km of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The refugee camp was located 45 km south of the Eritrean border.

“Our goal was to present viewers with a first-hand visual representation of the journey, while giving a voice to those who live in the camp,” said director John Lavall, who produced the one hour documentary in conjunction with executive producer Mary Copp, cinematographer Jessica Jennings, and editor Julie Lewis/editor.

The film takes viewers on the odyssey from the camp on the arid northern border of Ethiopia and Eritrea to Rhode Island’s Spring House Hotel and Resort on Block Island. Home Across Lands illustrates the ways the International Institute bridges the vast divide from life in a refugee camp to life in Rhode Island as they help the Kunama in making sense of apartment living, public transportation, employment and health care, while nurturing their own community as they adapt to a larger and very foreign one.

Home Across Lands is a production of Devlo Media and Vision Wink Films. For more information, visit www.devlomedia.com or www.iiri.org.

Find WSBE Rhode Island PBS on

• Over-the-air digital 36.1
• Cox/Verizon/Fullchannel: 08
• ComCast: check listings for local channel
• DirecTV: 36
• Dish Network: 7776

Find WSBE Learn on

• Over-the-air digital 36.2
• Cox: 808
• Verizon: 478
• ComCast: 294

source: http://www.film.ri.gov/HomeAcrossLands.html