• January 1, 1999: Headlines: COS - Peru: COS - Tunisia: Film: Movies: Film Making: Documentaries: Hollywood: Black Issues: Black International Cinema: The two-hour biography of Paul Robeson, directed by veteran filmmaker St. Clair Bourne  Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 3:45 pm [1]

• February 1, 1999: Headlines: COS - Peru: COS - Tunisia: Film: Movies: Film Making: Documentaries: Hollywood: Black Issues: American Visions: Peru RPCV St. Clair Bourne, Chronicler of Heroes'  Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 3:45 pm [1]

• January 1, 2001: Headlines: COS - Peru: COS - Tunisia: Film: Movies: Film Making: Documentaries: Hollywood: Black Issues: Pittsburgh City Paper: Radio shows with pictures” is how St. Clair Bourne describes the sort of documentary filmmaking most of us see most often: Television news. “Somebody’s telling you what to think,” says Bourne. “That’s the dumbing down of the documentary.”  Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 3:44 pm [1]

Documentaries: St. Clair Bourne



Documentaries: St. Clair Bourne

St. Clair Bourne

Caption: Alfre Woodard with St. Clair Bourne at a screening of "Paul Robeson: Here I Stand" at the TV Academy

St. Clair Bourne, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Danny Glover at the "Paul Robeson: Here I Stand" screening
As head of his production company Chamba Mediaworks, Inc., producer/director/writer St. Clair Bourne has made more than 42 films concentrating on cultural and political themes, a focus he continues to explore. Most recently, he has produced a feature-length documentary for HBO: HALF PAST AUTUMN: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF GORDON PARKS about the photo-journalist and filmmaker. With actor Wesley Snipes as executive producer, Bourne directed JOHN HENRIK CLARKE: A GREAT AND MIGHTY WALK, a feature length documentary about the respected historian and Pan-African activist. The film has been invited to the Toronto, Carthage (Tunisia), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso, Africa) and Sundance film festivals. Bourne then directed PAUL ROBESON: HERE I STAND!, a 2-hour documentary for the "American Masters" PBS series and is currently in post production on another feature-length documentary about Doctor Yussef Ben-jochanen, the Egyptologist, on tour in Egypt.

Other past productions include MAKING "DO THE RIGHT THING", Bourne's acclaimed narrative documentary about the making of Spike Lee's controversial feature. It was invited to the Munich, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Amiens (France), the Festival Dei Popoli and Turino (Italy) film festivals and received national theatrical distribution, an unusual feat for a documentary. Bourne produced and directed IN MOTION: AMIRI BARAKA, a portrait of the activist writer also known as Leroi Jones; LANGSTON HUGHES: THE DREAM KEEPER, a narrative performance documentary for the PBS Voices And Visions series and films for the National Geographic Society's "Explorer" TV series: THE GULLAH CONNECTION about the impact of tourism on the African "Gullah" culture of the South Carolina Sea Island people, NEW ORLEANS BRASS about the brass bands in New Orleans and HERITAGE OF THE BLACK WEST, about African-American cowboys and cowgirls. In addition to domestic productions, Bourne produced two one-hour documentaries for a six-part BBC series with London-based Catalyst TV. Entitled WILL TO WIN, the series explores the political impact of athletes of African descent on international sports.

St. Clair Bourne began his career in American public television and was the youngest staff producer for the public affairs series BLACK JOURNAL during the year it won an EMMY. He received the John Russworm Citation for "excellence in broadcasting". His productions range from public television, educational (SESAME STREET series, the American Institute of Architecture, the College Entrance Examination Board), network programs (NBC White Paper Special Report "AMERICA: BLACK AND WHITE" which won the Carlo TV Film Festival's Documentary Award), political films (THE BLACK AND THE GREEN in which African-American activists meet the IRA in Northern Ireland).

Bourne's break with traditional television journalism and his move toward more narrative films started with LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN!, which chronicled the maiden voyage by a young minister into the secular world. He made his entrance into theatrical feature films as the co-producer of THE LONG NIGHT which premiered at New York's Museum Of Modern Art's "New Directors, New Films" series. Based on Julian Mayfield's novel, the film had an American theatrical release as well as foreign broadcasts. He also made a dramatic short for television, ON THE BOULEVARD, a love story about two unemployed entertainers in Hollywood. Most recently, Bourne co-produced REBOUND, a HBO dramatic film about the fall and rise of Earl "The Goat" Manigault, a real-life playground basketball legend.

Bourne is currently developing a dramatic feature film: EXILES AND ALLIES, a love story set in the ex-patriate community of US Army deserters in Stockholm, Sweden during the Vietnam War.

In addition to his own projects, St. Clair Bourne has been the executive producer for three documentary films. A QUESTION OF COLOR by Kathe Sandler explores beauty standards and skin color discrimination within the Black community. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, had a two-week theatrical run at NYC's Film Forum Cinema and was broadcast over the PBS network.

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 27,000 index entries in 430 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today.

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

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February 5, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Peace Corps swears in 12 new Country Directors 4 Feb Kenneth Hawkinson studies oral traditions of Mali 4 Feb Tony Hall urges politicians to bring religious faith to office 4 Feb Dodd opposes Gonzales nomination 3 Feb Dr. Robert Zeigler to head Rice Research Institute 3 Feb Taylor Hackford going into television with "E-Ring" 2 Feb President Bush's past promises in State of the Union 1 Feb Moreigh Wolf says gays cannot volunteer with partners 1 Feb Coleman to chair Peace Corps Subcommittee 1 Feb Vasquez assesses need in Southeast Asia 31 Jan James Bullington says Bush Inaugural speaks to PC 31 Jan Allen Andersson creates foundation to promote libraries 31 Jan Joseph Opala to film "Priscilla's Homecoming" 31 Jan Donna Shalala embarks on aggressive UM expansion 31 Jan Thomas Dichter says Poor Countries Need Smarter Aid 30 Jan Alberto Ibargüen to head Knight Foundation 28 Jan Helen Sheehy organizes "Endangered Peoples" exhibit 28 Jan

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RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.

RPCVs contend for Academy Awards Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

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