BLACK CANARIES (2016)

Isolated, desperate, and haunted by his coal-stained birthright, Father continues his daily descent into the accursed Maple mine—even after it has crippled his ancestors and blinded his youngest son. Set in 1907 and based on director Jesse Kreitzer’s own coalmining heritage, Black Canaries is a powerful meditation on patrimony, loyalty, and love.

STATUS

Complete / Now Streaming

OFFICIAL SELECTION & AWARDS

PBS Online Short Film Festival
      *Juried Prize Winner
Film Shortage - Featured Weekly Short
Booooooom TV!
Directors Notes
Big Sur International Screening Series
Film Fest Petaluma
Crossroads Film Festival
Oxford Film Festival
      *Honorable Mention, Best Short Film
Tacoma Film Festival
      *Nominee, Best Short Film
FliXX Fest
     *Best Production Design
Ashland Independent Film Festival
     *Special Jury Recognition for Short Film
White River Independent Film Festival
Promofest Short of the Year
     *Special Jury Mention
Green Mountain Film Festival
Woodstock Film Festival
     *Finalist, Best Short Film
Oldenburg International Film Festival
     *Nominee, German Independence Award - Best Short Film
Vermont International Film Festival
    *Winner, James Goldstone Award for Emerging Vermont Filmmaker
    *Winner, Best Cinematography
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
     *Vermont Symphony Orchestra Award for Music Integration
HollyShorts Film Festival
     *Grand Jury Award, Best Film
     *Grand Jury Award, Best Cinematography
Provincetown International Film Festival
     *Grand Jury Award, Best New England Short Film
Woods Hole Film Festival
     *Director's Award, Best Cinematography
Rural Route Film Festival
Huesca International Film Festival
IFFBoston
Rainier Independent Film Festival
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
     *Nominee, Best Student Film
Newport Beach Film Festival

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

My great-grandfather Thomas Clarence “T.C.” Chapman was a coal miner from Maple, Iowa—a small mining village that dried up and disappeared along with the coal. At age 11, he lost his father and went to work in the mines as a breaker boy, sorting shale from coal.  In his 30s, he became friends with labor activist John Lewis and fought to strengthen the unions and safety standards.  He spent the rest of his life as a mining inspector and died bedridden of black lung in 1962.  

That’s about all I knew about my great-grandfather. So, in 2013, I moved to Iowa to pursue my MFA degree at the University of Iowa, and spent the next three years learning about my coal mining ancestry.  Extended family welcomed me with open arms to share childhood memories, photo collections, and keepsakes.  Together, we dug up records from state and county archives to piece together a history corroded by time and coal dust.  Black Canaries is a culmination of my research; an ode to my ancestors, honoring not only my own family history, but a collective cultural heritage shared by so many descendants of the coal camps.

QUOTES

"[A] flat out masterpiece of a piece of art!!!  [Kreitzer is a] mind-boggling talent and the world needs to see more of what [he] can do!"
-Steven J. Bellamy, President of Kodak Motion Pictures

“Black Canaries is a technical marvel. The film recreates a world lost to time, and this artful period piece pays tribute to lost generations of miners, acknowledging their indomitable Middle American work ethic and concurrent aspirations.” -Warren Etheredge, AIFF Juror

"With truly stunning cinematography and sound design, this hauntingly beautiful story has an almost documentary feel as Jesse recreates the world of his ancestors. The performances are truthful and authentic, and the film is both timeless and relevant. I was so moved, and mesmerized."
-Joanne Feinberg, FeinFilm/Former AIFF Senior Programmer

"Stark, imaginative and well-made, Black Canaries really brought you back to another world.  The sparse narration made the emptiness palpable." -Eric Gulliver, Producer/Editor for American Experience

"Black Canaries romanticizes a time and place without forsaking its grim realities. Its abstract story structure and unkempt appearance might initially seem off-putting but wipe away the dirt and you find a story that’s been told many times over, but rarely with this much consideration."
-Hunter Lanier, Film Threat

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

PRESS

THE CHAPMAN/HOLLAND FAMILY

A collection of photos from the Chapman/Holland families; filmmaker Jesse Kreitzer’s maternal ancestors