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Award-winning Locally Produced Documentary to Be Shown at ACC Features Internationally Known Musicians Singing Spirituals

Littleton – Come catch the spirit at Arapahoe Community College during the showing of the award-winning documentary, "I Can Tell the World", on Friday, March 13. Creators, writers and film makers Larry Bograd and Coleen Hubbard, both from the Denver area, produced "I Can Tell the World", which features internationally known musicians and follows an interracial choir committed to the preservation and performance of Spirituals and music born in slavery.

Before the screening of I Can Tell the World, Bograd and Hubbard will offer a seminar, Page to Screen: turning your creative idea into a documentary film, for those interested in learning the ins and outs of making a documentary -- for the family or the public. Space is limited so reservations are required. To register online go to www.firstgiving.com/accfoundation or call the ACC Foundation at 303.797.5881.

The workshop will run from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and the screening will begin at 7 p.m. in Waring Theatre. The workshop and screening are sponsored by the ACC Writers Studio, the ACC Foundation and the University of Denver University College. A $10 donation is requested for the screening and a $15 donation for both the workshop and the screening. The suggested donation for ACC students is $5. All proceeds will go to the Writers Studio Scholarship Fund.

"As these diverse men and women share their stories of transformation, we learn how the experience of shared song can help heal a nation still wounded by racism. In addition to following choir members, the documentary includes rarely-seen performances by Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson and the observations of African-American scholars."

Robeson was one of the leading American black artists and social activists of his time. Though he was accomplished in many areas including acting and athletics, he was primarily a singer and had a penchant for taking up controversial stands on an array of political and civil rights issues.

Contralto Marian Anderson's vocal range went from a soul-stirring ‘D’ to a soul-lifting ‘C.’ Her voice was large but had the flexibility to be equally at home with spirituals and German lieder. Many used words such as rich, velvety, vibrant, and expressive to try to describe her voice adequately; however, only those who listened to her live performances or her sound recordings could explain within the wordless vernacular of their own souls what they heard.

Robeson and Anderson both included Spirituals in their repertoire. Without Spirituals, there would be no gospel, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, hip-hop or rap. Many people will be familiar with some of the songs, such as “Wade in the Water,” “Go Down Moses” and “This Little Light of Mine,” but few people understand the deep history and complexities of Spirituals.

Shot on HDV, "I Can Tell the World" follows an interracial choir committed to the preservation and performance of music born in slavery. The documentary may convince you that singing Spirituals can change the world for the better -- especially now as we enter the “Age of Obama.” You may view the film's trailers at its web site: www.icantelltheworld.com.

Larry Bograd is a filmmaker, author and playwright living in Denver. "I Can Tell the World" evolved from a multimedia theatrical project, "The Spirit of Frederick Douglass", which allowed Bograd to immerse himself in the music created by enslaved Africans in America. Bograd is the author of more than 25 books, including "Los Alamos Light", which won the UNESCO Book for Peace award, and "Felix in the Attic," which received the Irma Simonton Black Award for Best Book for Children. In addition to his creative work, he runs Roundtable Learning, a learning consulting company.

Coleen Hubbard is the author of more than a dozen books, including the regional best-seller, "Big Purple Mommy". Her plays have been produced in theatres across the country, and she has served as literary manager for the Denver Center Theatre Company and director of New Play Development at The Cleveland Playhouse. Besides her creative work, she teaches literature at Saint Mary’s Academy in Englewood. Her next documentary project for Roundtable Media is "The Contents of Her Purse", which explores what women from around the world really keep in their purses—and why.

Arapahoe Community College is located at 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton, Co. For more information about ACC and its programs, call 303.797.4222 or visit www.arapahoe.edu.

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