Film Story

One of my first jobs was working at the St. Benedict The Moor Church in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District which was made famous through the great August Wilson’s ten play Pittsburgh Cycle.   I knew how many great stories there were to tell about this community which is why I was so excited to help director Demetrius Wren realize the vision of his script as part of the University of Pittsburgh’s Year of Diversity.

The Rehabilitation of the Hill was designed as a community teaching film which gave those who live in the Hill District and surrounding communities as well Pitt students the opportunity to work alongside experience film professionals in telling a moving story about the challenges of community development.  Before the production, Demetrius and I co-hosted filmmaking workshops at The Hill House to identify those who may want to be part of this film, as well as help train people for when productions like Denzel Washington’s productions of Fences and Ma Rainy’s Black Bottom come to town.

For more, please read the articles below about the making of the film.

https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/in-rehabilitation-of-the-hill-filmmaking-is-a-community-project/

https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/movies/2017/04/16/Pittsburgh-film-Hill-District-The-Rehabilitation-of-the-Hill-trains-new-actors-tradespeople-Demetrius-Wren/stories/201704160032

https://www.chronicle.pitt.edu/story/pitt-class-producing-feature-film-local-actors-hill-district

And watch this video with director Demetrius Wren discussing the idea of a community teaching film.

Watch this segment from The Reel Teens on the making of the movie:

Watch this documentary on the project which was produced by Pitt students in my Making The Documentary Class:

And visit the website for the film here.