As part of its ongoing series, Rhode Island Stories, WSBE presents the two-part documentary, Carolina, RI: The Smallest of the Small, a film by Carla Ricci about the village of Carolina in Richmond, RI.
A hundred years ago, New England had 2,000 mill towns - and one of them was tiny: 75 houses clustered around one street less than a mile long. But, Carla Ricci says, "don't let looks deceive you: Carolina, Rhode Island, has a big story." As mill towns go, it may be the smallest of the small, but this film makes the case that it may be one of the best.
What started out for Ricci as casual conversation between neighbors turned into a seven-year long journey of research and discovery, poring over historical letters, photos, and documents, as well as hours of captured recollections and reminiscences. What resulted is the woven tapestry of the rich - and almost forgotten - history of remarkable Rhode Islanders from a remarkable Rhode Island village.
This linkwill take you to a video preview. Don't miss the "Cutting Room Floor" for more stories that didn't make it into the final film.
Carolina, RI: The Smallest of the Small will be shown in two parts. Part 1 airs on Saturday, September 24 at 7 p.m. (re-broadcast on Sunday, September 25 at 11 p.m.) on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. Part 2 airs Saturday, October 1 at 7 p.m. (rebroadcast on Sunday, October 2 at 11 p.m.)
The Ballad of Baby Roger, a short documentary written and directed by Jamestown resident Patti Cassidy, tells the fascinating story about a four year old elephant that the children of Rhode Island purchased for Roger Williams Park back in 1893. Baby Roger was the Park's first elephant and the only male elephant in its 139 year history. The South County Independent and The Westerly Sun published stories about the short film earlier this year.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS will show The Ballad of Baby Roger on Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m. as part of its ongoing series Rhode Island Stories.
Following The Ballad of Baby Roger, WSBE airs part 1 of Carolina, RI: The Smallest of the Small, a film by Carla Ricci about the village of Carolina in Richmond, RI.
UPDATE: Broadcast of Carolina, RI: The Smallest of the Small is postponed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience.
A hundred years ago, New England had 2,000 milltowns - and one of them was tiny: 75 houses clustered around one street less than a mile long. But, Carla Ricci says, "don't let looks deceive you: Carolina, RI, has a big story." As mill towns go, it may be the smallest of the small, but this film makes the case that it may be one of the best.
What started out for Ricci as casual conversation between neighbors turned into a seven-year long journey of research and discovery, poring over historical letters, photos, and documents, as well as hours of captured recollections and reminiscences. What resulted is the woven tapestry of the rich - and almost forgotten - history of remarkable Rhode Islanders from a remarkable Rhode Island village.
This linkwill take you to a video preview. Don't miss the "Cutting Room Floor" for more stories that didn't make it into the final film.
Carolina, RI: The Smallest of the Small will be shown in two parts: June 18 at approximately 7:15 p.m. and on June 25 at 7 p.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. On WSBE Learn, the film will air June 22 (part 1) and June 29 (part 2) at 10 p.m., June 23 (part 1) and June 30 (part 2) at 5 a.m., and June 24 (part 1) and July 1 (part 2) at 2 a.m. New air dates and times will be announced when broadcast-quality version of the video is available.
The Tent: Life in the Round tells the story of the Warwick Musical Theatre, the site of countless summer performances by entertainment's top stars. A family-run business for 45 years, "The Tent" was a popular must-visit destination, known for its revolving circular stage, intimate atmosphere, big-name performers, and affordable tickets. Owners Buster and Barbara Bonoff took their passion for the performing arts and made it their living. Along the way over the years, they touched the lives of their hundreds of employees and thousands of theater-goers. Typical of Rhode Island, the Warwick Musical Theatre was still known as "The Tent" long after a permanent building was erected on the site in 1967.
The Tent: Life in the Round is co-produced by Larry Bonoff, son of the owners, and features reminiscences by performers Billy Ray Cyrus, Howie Mandel, Huey Lewis, Vince Gill, and many more. Director-writer-co-producer Brian Jones used archival footage, as well as memorabilia and photos from Larry Bonoff's collection. The film was edited by Emmy-winning filmmaker Jim Karpeichik and narrated by Patrice Wood. Journal Arts writer Michael Janusonis said about The Tent: Life in the Round: "It’s a warm-hearted, endearing portrait of a place where everyone who worked there came together every summer, year after year, as one big happy family to present the kind of performers one could only see at the time on television or in the movies."
The Tent: Life in the Round airs on Saturday, April 3 at 7 PM, and Sunday, April 4 at 11 PM
WHEN THE REDS RULED THE ROOST (April 10)
When the Reds Ruled the Roost, the story of a 50-year hockey love affair between a team and its thousands of passionate fans. The 40-minute documentary includes rare footage from every decade, starting in the 1920s when the Rhode Island Reds were born. The film also shows vintage photos of Hockey Hall of Famers Milt Schmidt, Johnny Bower, Ed Giacomin and Fern Flaman. Other hockey greats appearing in the film are some of the toughest guys ever to play the game: Jim Bartlett, Eddie Shack, and Chuck Scherza.
The program is a compelling video history about the immensely popular Rhode Island Reds and includes many colorful stories from former players, hockey Hall of Famers, owners, general managers and coaches.
Emmy award-winning former television sportscaster Joe Rocco produced When the Reds Ruled the Roost. He spent 18 months conducting interviews with former hockey greats, as well as collecting photos and film clips that haven’t been seen in decades. The program is narrated by Boston Bruins legendary announcer Fred Cusick.
When the Reds Ruled the Roost airs on Saturday, April 10 at 7 PM and Sunday April 11 at 11 PM.
THE HIDDEN FACE OF HOMELESSNESS (April 17)
The poignant and factual Hidden Face of Homelessness examines the difficult choices that so many who find themselves homeless must make each day to survive, even as they hide from those who really should be able to help them.
The documentary offers insight, dispels myths and stereotypes, and proposes real solutions. Through several interviews with experts as well as the homeless themselves, the documentary shows that 80-90% of the homeless population does not fit the stereotypes. These are people we encounter on a daily basis, working at a market or in an office, but have no place to go at the end of the day.
Hidden Face of Homelessness was filmed in Rhode Island, second only to Nevada in percentage of population that is homeless. It airs on Saturday, April 17 at 7 PM, and on Sunday, April 18 at 11 PM.
ZACH: A FILM ABOUT EPILEPSY (April 24)
From award-winning director Christian De Rezendes comes Zach: A Film about Epilepsy.
Nearing the age of twenty, Zachery Smith has a severe form of epilepsy for which there is no cure. This film captures a day in his life with his family, his schooling, and Zach's ongoing struggles with epilepsy.
Zach: A Film about Epilepsy airs Saturday, April 24 at 7 PM and Sunday, April 25 at 11 PM.
Following Zach: A Film about Epilepsy is a timely encore of The Impact of Your Choice: Underage Drinking and Reckless Driving. With prom and graduation season around the corner, the documentary serves as a stunning reminder of the dangers of underage drinking. The Impact of Your Choice: Underage Drinking and Reckless Driving presents local stories but from the perspective of those who are left behind to cope with the death of their child, brother, sister, friend. This documentary won several awards for its educational content.
The Impact of Your Choice: Underage Drinking and Reckless Driving airs Saturday, April 24 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, April 25 at 11:30 PM.
BOY IN THE WORLD: Preschool Inclusion at Brown/Fox Point is the story of Ronen Kadmon, a 4-year-old boy with Down syndrome, and his inclusion in a regular education preschool classroom. The film looks at his day-to-day life in a regular education classroom at Providence’s Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center, as well as his family life and community activities. By focusing on Ronen’s success at Brown/Fox Point, the film shows how inclusive classrooms can benefit all children, both those with special needs and their typical peers.The documentary airs Saturday, February 20 at 7 PM, as part of Rhode Island Stories, and will be rebroadcast on Sunday, February 21 at 11 PM on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (on digital 36.1, RI cable 8, DirecTV 36 and Dish 7776).
The film is the collaborative effort of local filmmaker Jessica Jennings, Dr. Penny Kadmon, and the Pawtucket-based Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN), a nonprofit advocacy organization that supports parents and children in Rhode Island.
What started out for Ricci as casual conversation between neighbors turned into a seven-year long journey of research and discovery, poring over historical letters, photos, and documents, as well as hours of captured recollections and reminiscences. What resulted is the woven tapestry of the rich - and almost forgotten - history of remarkable Rhode Islanders from a remarkable Rhode Island village.
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