Teacher known for Sinatra gets serious for Sudan documentary
Chicago, January 21, 2008(I-Newswire) - Chicago area history teacher Bruce David Janu never intended to make a feature length documentary about the situation in Sudan. Known for his use of Sinatra in the classroom, including the infamous "Frank Sinatra Detention club," Janu stumbled into feature-filmmaking after meeting Brian Burns, a young janitor at his school.
Burns was sweeping floors on the third shift at John Hersey High School in suburban Arlington Heights when the two crossed paths. They struck up a conversation and when Burns began relating his experiences in Sudan, Janu saw an opportunity for his students.
That chance meeting on a Friday afternoon led not to a speaking engagement in front of a class of freshman, but to a feature documentary entitled Facing Sudan. The film highlights the situation in that war-torn country but is uniquely told through the eyes of ordinary individuals who have made a difference there: a suburban housewife, a 73-year-old pediatrician, a grandmother, a high school student, several Sudanese "lost boys" and, of course, Brian Burns.
"Two years ago, if someone said to me that I would be making a documentary about Sudan," says Janu, "I would have told them they were crazy."
It is Janu's students, however, who think that he is the crazy one. In addition to extra credit Sinatra questions on every test, Janu routinely dresses in costume and dances in front of class in an attempt to get the students interested in history. He sings too. One of his raps about absolutism in Europe even made it on You Tube. His students weren't surprised at his turn as a filmmaker. He had already made several educational videos for his classes over the years and many of his students turned out for the Chicago premiere of Facing Sudan at the Illinois International Film Festival last fall, where it won "Best Documentary."
"I put this film together in my spare time down in the basement," Janu says. "I never thought it would get this much attention." In addition to the long hours, he ended up paying for the film using his credit cards.
Although creating the film was arduous and financially challenging, Janu did have some help. His subjects supplied much of the footage from Sudan and he discovered two singer/songwriters from Pennsylvania, Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, willing to compose an original soundtrack for the film. Passionate about Sudan, the duo contributed songs completely pro bono, including "Crayons and Paper," a heartbreaking song that accompanies drawings made by children from Darfur smuggled out of Sudan by a pediatrician working with Doctors Without Borders.
Facing Sudan has toured the festival circuit and received much critical acclaim, including two "best documentary" awards.
The film has now been released on DVD by Bell, Book & Camera Productions with several deleted scenes, director commentary and a bonus song by Tom Flannery.
In addition, Janu has provided free lesson plans and discussion questions for Facing Sudan, hoping that it will fulfill his ultimate goals: education and awareness.
"Anyone can make a difference in this world," he says. "Especially if you know what's going on. As more people know about Sudan, the more likely something will be done."
Press kit, artwork and photos from the film are available at the official website at http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
###
Bell, Book & Camera Productions
PO Box 24
Cary, IL 60013
Tel: 847-721-9222
info@bellbookcamera.com
Other film related sites: http://www.myspace.com/facing_sudan
Songwriters' site: http://www.songaweek.com
Tom Flannery's Site: http://www.tomflannery.com
Lorne Clarke's site: http://www.songaweek.com/lorne/
"Reel Chicago" Article about the film:
http://www.reelchicago.com/archive.cfm?storyID=1628
Information about the Frank Sinatra Detention Club and the director:
New York Times article
Entertainment Weekly article
Monday, January 21, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Children's Photographs from Darfur Featured in Award-winning Documentary
Yale student and her photographs from Sudan are featured in award-winning documentary, "Facing Sudan"
(Newswire Today) — Chicago, IL, United States, 2008-01-18 - Alice Baumgartner, a sophomore at Yale University, never expected to be in a film about Sudan. Two years ago, however, she was approached by Chicago filmmaker and teacher Bruce David Janu about including her unique photograph collection in a film he was making about Sudan.
And those photographs, featuring children from a refugee camp in Chad who had fled the violence in Darfur, are featured in the award-winning documentary along with the young activist.
The film, entitled Facing Sudan, documents the situation in that war-torn country through the eyes of ordinary people, like Alice, who have made a difference there. The film won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards, first at the Landlocked Film Festival and then at the Illinois International Film Festival.
“The pictures Alice has of these children---taken by children---really highlight the human tragedy that is Darfur,” says Janu, who put the film together over the last two years, paying for the film himself and working long hours in his basement. And he knew he needed to include Alice’s story in the narrative.
As a high school student at the Latin School in Chicago, Alice had wanted to document the situation in Darfur but through the eyes of the region’s most vulnerable victims: the children. After approaching student correspondents from MTV, Alice was able to send two dozen disposable cameras to the war-torn area. They were distributed to children living in a refugee camp in Chad and then sent back to Alice.
The images show the cramped, dusty living conditions of everyday life for refugees fleeing the violence of Darfur. Yet they also capture the attempt by the inhabitants to maintain a sense of normality.
And all of the images are touched with an innocence that only a child’s eye can capture.
"The kids in these pictures,” states Alice, “are real people who are really suffering and who need help.”
In addition to interviews of Alice, the film includes a montage of those photographs set to music written and performed by Pennsylvania native Tom Flannery.
Facing Sudan was recently released on DVD and includes bonus footage of Alice discussing her photographs.
# # #
Related Link: http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
Contact name: Bruce David Janu
Related Link: http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan_clips.html
847-462-5941 / info@bellbookcamera.com
(Newswire Today) — Chicago, IL, United States, 2008-01-18 - Alice Baumgartner, a sophomore at Yale University, never expected to be in a film about Sudan. Two years ago, however, she was approached by Chicago filmmaker and teacher Bruce David Janu about including her unique photograph collection in a film he was making about Sudan.
And those photographs, featuring children from a refugee camp in Chad who had fled the violence in Darfur, are featured in the award-winning documentary along with the young activist.
The film, entitled Facing Sudan, documents the situation in that war-torn country through the eyes of ordinary people, like Alice, who have made a difference there. The film won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards, first at the Landlocked Film Festival and then at the Illinois International Film Festival.
“The pictures Alice has of these children---taken by children---really highlight the human tragedy that is Darfur,” says Janu, who put the film together over the last two years, paying for the film himself and working long hours in his basement. And he knew he needed to include Alice’s story in the narrative.
As a high school student at the Latin School in Chicago, Alice had wanted to document the situation in Darfur but through the eyes of the region’s most vulnerable victims: the children. After approaching student correspondents from MTV, Alice was able to send two dozen disposable cameras to the war-torn area. They were distributed to children living in a refugee camp in Chad and then sent back to Alice.
The images show the cramped, dusty living conditions of everyday life for refugees fleeing the violence of Darfur. Yet they also capture the attempt by the inhabitants to maintain a sense of normality.
And all of the images are touched with an innocence that only a child’s eye can capture.
"The kids in these pictures,” states Alice, “are real people who are really suffering and who need help.”
In addition to interviews of Alice, the film includes a montage of those photographs set to music written and performed by Pennsylvania native Tom Flannery.
Facing Sudan was recently released on DVD and includes bonus footage of Alice discussing her photographs.
# # #
Related Link: http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
Contact name: Bruce David Janu
Related Link: http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan_clips.html
847-462-5941 / info@bellbookcamera.com
Thursday, January 17, 2008
MUSICIANS AND FILMMAKER TEAM UP FOR SUDAN DOC
Pennsylvanian musicians Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke never expected to record a soundtrack for a film. Two years ago, however, they were approached by Chicago filmmaker Bruce David Janu about including a couple of songs on his upcoming Sudan documentary.
Soon they were composing the entire soundtrack.
The film, entitled Facing Sudan, documents the situation in that war-torn country through the eyes of ordinary people who have made a difference there. The film won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards.
The songwriters are well-known throughout northeastern Pennsylvania and contribute songs on a weekly basis to their website, songaweek.com. Since setting up the site, they have had over 1 million downloads. It is through songaweek.com where Janu first came into contact with their music.
"It blew me away," he stated. Initially, Janu asked to use a couple of songs, but soon realized that the duo could provide the musical voice for the entire film. So Flannery and Clarke started writing songs about "Lost Boys," genocide and Sudan. One of Flannery's songs, "Crayons and Paper," accompany heartbreaking drawings from children in Darfur.
And, because of their passion for the issue, they provided the music pro bono.
Now, to commemorate the dvd release of the film, Flannery has written a new song entitled "I Want To" which can be downloaded for free at http://www.songaweek.com.
--------------------------------------------------
For more information about the film and to download the press kit and photographs, visit:
http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
For more information about the songwriters, visit:
http://www.songaweek.com
http://www.myspace.com/kikomusictomflannery
www.myspace.com/lorneclarke1
Soon they were composing the entire soundtrack.
The film, entitled Facing Sudan, documents the situation in that war-torn country through the eyes of ordinary people who have made a difference there. The film won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards.
The songwriters are well-known throughout northeastern Pennsylvania and contribute songs on a weekly basis to their website, songaweek.com. Since setting up the site, they have had over 1 million downloads. It is through songaweek.com where Janu first came into contact with their music.
"It blew me away," he stated. Initially, Janu asked to use a couple of songs, but soon realized that the duo could provide the musical voice for the entire film. So Flannery and Clarke started writing songs about "Lost Boys," genocide and Sudan. One of Flannery's songs, "Crayons and Paper," accompany heartbreaking drawings from children in Darfur.
And, because of their passion for the issue, they provided the music pro bono.
Now, to commemorate the dvd release of the film, Flannery has written a new song entitled "I Want To" which can be downloaded for free at http://www.songaweek.com.
--------------------------------------------------
For more information about the film and to download the press kit and photographs, visit:
http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
For more information about the songwriters, visit:
http://www.songaweek.com
http://www.myspace.com/kikomusictomflannery
www.myspace.com/lorneclarke1
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
PRESS RELEASE: TEACHER DOCUMENTS ATROCITIES IN SUDAN WITH AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY
CHICAGO Jan. 16, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE)---Chicago area history teacher Bruce David Janu never intended to make a feature length documentary about the situation in Sudan. But then he met Brian Burns and his life changed.
Burns was sweeping floors on the third shift at John Hersey High School in suburban Arlington Heights when the two crossed paths. They struck up a conversation and when Burns began relating his experiences in Sudan, Janu saw an opportunity for his students.
That chance meeting on a Friday afternoon led not to a speaking engagement in front of a class of freshman, but to a feature documentary entitled, Facing Sudan. The film highlights the situation in that war-torn country, but is uniquely told through the eyes of ordinary individuals who have made a difference there: a suburban housewife, a 73-year-old pediatrician, a grandmother, a high school student, several Sudanese "lost boys" and, of course, Brian Burns.
"I spent two years working on this in my spare time down in the basement," he says. In addition to the long hours, Janu ended up paying for the film using his credit cards.
But he did have help. His subjects supplied much of the footage from Sudan and he discovered two singer/songwriters from Pennsylvania, Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, willing to compose an original soundtrack for the film. Passionate about Sudan, the duo contributed songs completely pro bono, including "Crayons and Paper," a heartbreaking song that accompanies drawings made by children from Darfur smuggled out of Sudan by a pediatrician working with Doctors Without Borders.
"Two years ago, if someone said to me that I would be making a documentary about Sudan," says Janu, "I would have told them they were crazy."
Facing Sudan has toured the festival circuit and has received much critical acclaim, including two "best documentary" awards last fall.
The film has now been released on DVD by Bell, Book & Camera Productions with several deleted scenes, director commentary and a bonus song by Tom Flannery. In addition, Janu has provided lesson plans, hoping that Facing Sudan will fulfill his ultimate goals: education and awareness.
“Anyone can make a difference in this world,” he says. “Especially if you know what’s going on. As more people know about Sudan, the more likely something will be done.”
Press kit, artwork and photos from the film are available at http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
----------------------------------------------
Contact:
Bruce David Janu
Bell, Book & Camera Productions
Tel/Fax: 847-462-5941
Cell: 847-721-9222
info@bellbookcamera.com
Burns was sweeping floors on the third shift at John Hersey High School in suburban Arlington Heights when the two crossed paths. They struck up a conversation and when Burns began relating his experiences in Sudan, Janu saw an opportunity for his students.
That chance meeting on a Friday afternoon led not to a speaking engagement in front of a class of freshman, but to a feature documentary entitled, Facing Sudan. The film highlights the situation in that war-torn country, but is uniquely told through the eyes of ordinary individuals who have made a difference there: a suburban housewife, a 73-year-old pediatrician, a grandmother, a high school student, several Sudanese "lost boys" and, of course, Brian Burns.
"I spent two years working on this in my spare time down in the basement," he says. In addition to the long hours, Janu ended up paying for the film using his credit cards.
But he did have help. His subjects supplied much of the footage from Sudan and he discovered two singer/songwriters from Pennsylvania, Tom Flannery and Lorne Clarke, willing to compose an original soundtrack for the film. Passionate about Sudan, the duo contributed songs completely pro bono, including "Crayons and Paper," a heartbreaking song that accompanies drawings made by children from Darfur smuggled out of Sudan by a pediatrician working with Doctors Without Borders.
"Two years ago, if someone said to me that I would be making a documentary about Sudan," says Janu, "I would have told them they were crazy."
Facing Sudan has toured the festival circuit and has received much critical acclaim, including two "best documentary" awards last fall.
The film has now been released on DVD by Bell, Book & Camera Productions with several deleted scenes, director commentary and a bonus song by Tom Flannery. In addition, Janu has provided lesson plans, hoping that Facing Sudan will fulfill his ultimate goals: education and awareness.
“Anyone can make a difference in this world,” he says. “Especially if you know what’s going on. As more people know about Sudan, the more likely something will be done.”
Press kit, artwork and photos from the film are available at http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
----------------------------------------------
Contact:
Bruce David Janu
Bell, Book & Camera Productions
Tel/Fax: 847-462-5941
Cell: 847-721-9222
info@bellbookcamera.com
Sunday, January 06, 2008
FACING SUDAN now on dvd!
Happy New Year!
2007 went by extremely fast. Last year at this time, I was wrapping up the film and starting the film festival submission process. In total, FACING SUDAN screened at 14 film festivals and won two BEST DOCUMENTARY awards.
Now, the film is available on dvd for the first time. This is a Special Edition version and contains:
- 12 extra scenes
- Director commentary
- English subtitles for the hearing impaired
- Theatrical trailer
- Bonus song by Tom Flannery entitled, "I Want To"
- For teachers, a 24 page lesson plan booklet
- Facing Sudan discussion questions
- detailed "teach-in" instructions
- Downloadable Sudan information placards
- And much more!
Visit the website for more information.
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