UPDATE FROM NUBAR ALEXANIAN AND WALKER CREEK MEDIA

Dear Colleagues, Supporters, and Friends,
I want to share an update on my recent and ongoing projects and look forward to becoming more active in sharing my work and progress with you. Toward this end, I plan to share another update this summer and hope you will share your thoughts and reactions. I look forward to continuing to engage with you about my work and yours.
Scars of Silence
Three Generations From The Armenian Genocide
(working title)

A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have supported this film over these past 8 years. There is no way to make a documentary film like this without the generous support we’ve received and we are truly grateful.

Over the past two years we have continued to hone the footage down to include the additional scenes from my last trip to Turkey.  While we don’t have a complete edit of the entire film, we have a compelling assembly of these scenes. The next step is to create the all-important rough cut.

I must confess, when Abby and I began this journey together in 2012, I was sure that the film would be about Abby connecting with our family’s Armenian heritage. It never occurred to me that I would eventually have to step out from behind the camera, where I’ve apparently been hiding for decades, and discover that I too, have a story to tell. Abby, Rebecca and my close friends have been trying to tell me this all along the way.  One doesn’t need to know that they are traumatized to feel the effects of trauma. Lesson learned!

What’s next? My plan is to collaborate with a production company I trust, who can shepherd our film through post production and all the way through its release. I know the production company I want to work with. It’s just a matter of whether it’s a good fit and that the timing is right for them. More on this in my next update.

 

Logline: An Armenian-American father and daughter set out to understand the powerful legacy of genocide and the ways that a century of silence and denial has shaped their family and themselves. When your family’s brutal past is denied, how do you make sense of the present? What is your story?

Description: Nubar and his daughter Abby set out to find their story. They travel to Eastern Turkey in search of their family’s ancestral homes. For Nubar, the return to this land is revelatory. “I didn’t realize that trauma could be silently passed from one generation to another,” he says. “It was so much a part of me, I didn’t even notice it. Being in that land released it.” The film follows Nubar from avoidance, through painful recognition, to an embrace of his family’s story.

Check Out This Scene of yours truly getting a shave in a barber shop in Istanbul HERE. You can see more details and make a tax-deductible donation HERE

Recipe For Disaster: Green Crabs in The Great Marsh

The story of an ecological catastrophe in the making in four neighboring towns on the Massachusetts coast. As native scallops, mussels, clams, and protective eelgrass disappear under the explosive invasion of green crabs, scientists, local experts, and residents are scrambling to save the marsh from decimation.

This short, powerful documentary film explores one aspect of the consequences of climate change that are echoed in coastal communities around the world, with stunning footage of the beautiful marshes and estuaries whose salvation may come on a dinner plate.

Running Time: 06:30
Format: Interviews and Verité style footage
Release Date: Summer 2018

Many thanks to our supporters and everyone who appeared in or worked on this film.

You can watch it here:

I’ve been asked whether I’m planning to do a follow-up, which I am considering,as part of my ongoing interest in telling stories about the impact of climate change. I am actively seeking more projects related to climate change and would love to hear about potential opportunities and partnerships on this subject. Please contact me by email at: nubar@walkercreekmedia.com to share ideas and learn more about my passion for this work

Still Photography
I love this quote by photographer Ralph Gibson: “I am not the music; I’m the radio through which the music plays. So I follow the work, I don’t lead the work. I go where the work sends me.”

Over the past two years, the work has been sending me into our yard, up on the roof, to hiking trails and anywhere I can find leaves to photograph. I don’t collect or arrange them. I just photograph them. It’s amazing how many cool looking leaves have landed on our barbeque grill (see below). This wasn’t my idea. It just started happening. I was even forced (by the leaves themselves) to purchase a new camera with a larger sensor so that the prints would have more image fidelity (more grey tones between black & white).

Speaking of prints, I’m planning a print sale of these leaf images which you can see HERE: 5 beautiful museum quality prints at a great price.

Portraits

I love doing portraits in black and white and color for authors, musicians, politicians……anyone, really. My approach is simple and direct. I don’t use lights or assistants. Just you and me in a setting of your choice. For more information please reach out to me at nubar@walkercreekmedia.com

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANIELLE GLANTZ AND HER BEAUTIFUL PASTA AND WINE SHOP ‘PASTAIO VIA CORTA’

Congratulations to Danielle for the continued success of her fabulous homemade pasta and wine shop. Danielle has a gorgeous new website, with great information on her local sources and the natural, organic wines she carries, with photos by Nubar Alexanian.

Visit Danielle’s website here. 

Message from Danielle ~

Three and a half years ago, I decided to take the biggest risk of my life and open up my shop in a tiny 800 sq. ft. space that was originally a shared space. My cool retro display case broke the first day, half the shapes were extruded and half the shapes were made completely by hand, and I even tried a little tricolore up at the top.

I’ve since refined, worked on my Italian language skills, educated myself more on regional Italian cuisine and family recipes, visited with numerous farmers and artisans here and in Italy, as well as meet and feed some of the most wonderful people in my community.

It’s super exhausting, challenging and tiring. But I love this more than you could ever imagine. Having the opportunity to educate and put real food on your tables has been my life goal. What I’m saying is, holy shit, the store has changed since the beginning, now I’m on Main Street, selling real Italian provisions from @gustiamo and natural wines from @selectionaturel . My importers and I have the same values and views. We work so hard as outcasts to deliver you the real message and passion of the people behind your food and wine.

Updated my website, check it out. I now am not just a pasta shop, but a provisions + natural wine shop too. Wow, to believe I built this with my two hands is not worthy of thanking all the people that helped me along the way….especially my customers – we have created a serious movement, thank you for coming into the shop. The power of the consumer is REAL!

Located at 123 Main Street, Suite 1, in historic downtown Gloucester.

Hours:

Open Wednesday-Sunday  11 AM to 7-ish PM

Closed Monday & Tuesday

The moral of the story is Danielle pretty much lives at the shop. Give us a ring if you’re heading out and you’d like to place your order in advance and/or you think you might miss us.

Contact:  

+1 (978) -868-5005

pastaioviacorta@gmail.com

TERRIFIC NEWS AND UPDATES FOR “RECIPE FOR DISASTER” FROM NUBAR ALEXANIAN!

Our film received a very enthusiastic reception at The Woods Hole Film Festival last weekend. And the Q & A that followed was terrific with great audience questions! 
 
We’re also thrilled that Recipe For Disaster has been accepted as an official selection to the Mass International Film Festival September 5th, 6th, and 7th  and the 14th Annual Newburyport Documentary Film Festival  September 13th, 14th and 15th. 
 
We’ve also been invited to The Online New England Film Festival, which will be promoted to NewEnglandFilm.com‘s over 50,000 monthly readers as well as our 14,000 monthly email subscribers
Finally, our film has more than 55,000 views online since June and we will be launching Phase Two of our Social Media Campaign sometime after Labor Day.
Thanks, as always, for you support!  We could not have made this film without you!
More Soon!
All my best,
Nubar

RECIPE FOR DISASTER LIVE ON FACEBOOK APRIL 5TH!

Get ready to watch the full version of our new film, “Recipe For Disaster: Green Crabs in the Great Marsh” premiering on April 5 AT 10AM on Facebook!

Share this post with your friends so we can all work together to protect this important ecosystem.

FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT: Nubar Alexanian, Director of RECIPE FOR DISASTER

SALEM FILMFEST March 29-April 4, 2019

March 29, 2019

An explosive invasion of green crabs is an ecological catastrophe in the making in four neighboring towns on the Massachusetts coast in RECIPE FOR DISASTER directed by Nubar Alexanian.  SFF program director Jeff Schmidt caught up with Alexanian ahead of the short film’s World Premiere as part of Shorts Block D at the National Park Service’s Salem Visitor Center on Sunday, March 31 at 10am.

Jeff Schmidt: You have been working as a documentary filmmaker for over 40 years, what are some of the past films you have worked on that have inspired you to carry on all of these years?

Nubar Alexanian: I’m very fond of the expression:  “It’s not what calls you. It’s what keeps you.” There is no shortage of compelling stories out there waiting & wanting to be told and some of them just grab hold of you and won’t let go. This is what happened with RECIPE FOR DISASTER.  It quickly became a film I had to make because it’s about a catastrophe in the making that is happening in my neighborhood. Also, my daughter and I have been working on a feature length documentary film since 2011 currently called SCARS OF SILENCE: Three Generations From Genocide, about the affects of the Armenian Genocide on our family. This certainly keeps me going…and often keeps me awake at night.

CALLING ALL CHEFS is one of my favorite short docs because it’s about the importance of the food we eat and the main character, chef Paolo Laboa, was a spectacular subject.  So, for me, inspiration has always come from connection to the subject.

JS: How did you come to learn of the Green Crab?

NA: I’ve lived in the marshes of Cape Ann for a long time as a photographer and avid striped bass fisherman.  So I know these marshes very well. However, in June of 2017 I heard about the explosion of the green crab population and was stunned that I had not heard about it before.  How could this be? How bad was it? Like many documentary filmmakers, producing a film is a way of educating myself about a subject and finishing the film is a way of sharing what I’ve learned.

READ MORE HERE

RECIPE FOR DISASTER screens as part of Shorts Block D at the National Park Service’s Salem Visitor Center on Sunday, March 31 at 10am – FREE ADMISSION:https://salemfilmfest.com/2019/programs/shorts-block-d/

NUBAR ALEXANIAN’S FILM “RECIPE FOR DISASTER” PREMIERING AT THE SALEM FILM FESTIVAL!

Very excited for Nubar and very much looking forward to attending the opening!

The screening will take place at the SALEM FILM FESTIVAL on Sunday, March 31st at 10:00am at the National Parks Service in Salem. The event is free and open to the public. There will be five short films followed by a Q&A. Total time for this event will be 67 minutes. 

Gloucestercast 297 With Pat and Jimmy Dalpiaz, Kim Smith ,John Bell, Nubar Alexanian, Susan Coviello, and Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 9/16/18

GloucesterCastSquare

Gloucestercast 297 With Pat and Jimmy Dalpiaz, Kim Smith ,John Bell, Nubar Alexanian, Susan Coviello, and Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 9/16/18

 

podcasticon1

When you subscribe you need to verify your email address so they know we’re not sending you spam and that you want to receive the podcast. So once you subscribe check your email for that verification. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder in your email acct so you can verify that you’d like to get the GloucesterCast Podcast sent to you for listening at your convenience..

subscribebutton

Topics Include:

Cape Ann Community Cinema Listings are always stickied in the GMG Calendar at the top of the blog or you can click here to go directly to the website

Green Crabs in The Great Marsh Film By Nubar Alexanian Links

www.greencrabrand.org

Last Stop shop on East Main Street is for sale. Jim spoke with owner and could share her thoughts
Visitors Center at Stage Fort Park worth a stop even for residents.
Kim Is Editing Like Crazy
Tony Gross Lined Seahorses
Columbia Gas Home Explosions and Fires- Link To
Congratulations Elise and Tucker Smith From Cedar Rock Gardens
Sorry To Hear About The Passing Of Vinnie Cafasso
GMGI Ribbon Cutting

TRAILER! NEW FILM -“RECIPE FOR DISASTER: GREEN CRABS IN THE GREAT MARSH”

Check out the trailer for Nubar Alexanian’s forthcoming tremendous documentary Recipe for Disaster: Green Crabs in the Great Marsh. A first-time screening will be held at the Cape Ann Cinema on Tuesday, September 18th at 7:30pm sharp.

The trailer may be viewed here.

 

NEW FILM! SCREENING OF NUBAR ALEXANIAN’S STUNNING DOCUMENTARY “RECIPE FOR DISASTER”

Must see- I had the honor of seeing an early cut and you will not want to miss this film screening. The Green Crab invasion is happening in our local marshes! Extraordinary footage, extraordinary film, told by a master storyteller.

SCARS OF SILENCE UPDATE AND APPEAL

Two hundred year old Armenian olive trees, Yalova, Turkey, 2015. I found myself looking for living things I could touch and photograph that witnessed the Armenian Genocide.  It is said that the olive tree was first brought to the Mediterranean region from Armenia in 4000BC.

Scars of Silence: Three Generations From The Armenian Genocide
a film by Nubar and Abby Alexanian

2017 has been a very productive year for our film, Scars of Silence. Our first ever multimedia art installation opened in September at The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown MA and runs through January 27, 2018. Curated by Jennifer Liston Munson, Senior Designer at the MFA, the show includes excerpts from our film and a selection of beautiful black and white prints by Nubar from his last trip to Turkey. The gallery talk we did at the opening was very moving, with poignant audience questions and family stories paving the way to a memorable evening. We’re planning a second gallery talk in January and hope to show a couple of additional scenes in addition to the current seventeen minute assembly. More on this soon.

We plan to release our film in 2018. But in order to do this, we need a hefty blast of wind in our sails. As you may remember, we’ve received grants and strong positive feedback in the past for our earlier 10 -17 minute assemblies from foundations (including MacArthur). What we’ve learned from foundations is that they want to see where we’re taking this film: what is the narrative arc of the film and what are our cinematic options. Before we apply for the funds from them to complete post production, we need to hire our editor, Sabrina, to create a rough cut of the entire film that will give the funders and places like Sundance and PBS, an idea of the story we are telling and how we plan to tell it.

The good news is that Sabrina’s schedule has an opening in January & February, so we need to raise $15,000 by the end of December to engage her.  We’ve made it this far thanks to you, our generous supporters, and we hope you can continue on this journey with us by making a tax-deductible contribution that will bring us where we need to be to complete Scars of Silence.
So please, if you can, help us with a tax-deductible donation by clicking HERE HERE
You  can also send a check to Filmmakers Collaborative, 6 Eastman Place, Suite 202, Melrose MA 02176
and write Scars of Silence on the check.  
As always, we are grateful for your support these past 6 years and look forward to screening the film with you.
All our best
Abby and Nubar

NUBAR ALEXANIAN PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE EXHIBIT “SCARS OF SILENCE”

Join us for the opening of our FIRST EVER multimedia art installation at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown MA! The opening reception and gallery talk will be held on Thursday, September 28 from 6 pm – 8 pm. The show includes excerpts from our film and beautiful black and white prints by Nubar Alexanian from his last trip to Turkey in 2015. We look forward to seeing you there!

Can’t make it to the opening? The show will be up from September 28, 2017 through January 27, 2018.

 

 

DON’T MISS THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE NUBAR ALEXANIAN GLOUCESTER PRINTS! SALE ENDS DECEMBER 7TH

Nubar writes, “I am offering photographs from my Gloucester work for sale as single, partial or full portfolio sets. The normal retail price for these prints is $800 and up. However, from November 14 thru December 7, they are priced from $125 to $395 with free packing and shipping (U.S.). Prints will be delivered by December 20. The purpose of this offering is to raise money for the post-production of our documentary film, Scars of Silence: Three Generations From the Armenian Genocide. Click HERE for more information.

unnamed-1unnamed-1unnamed

RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE NUBAR ALEXANIAN GLOUCESTER PORTFOLIO PRINTS AT A GREATLY REDUCED PRICE

unnamedNubar writes, “I am offering photographs from my Gloucester work for sale as single, partial or full portfolio sets. The normal retail price for these prints is $800 and up. However, fromNovember 14 thru December 7, they are priced from $125 to $395 with free packing and shipping (U.S.). Prints will be delivered by December 20. The purpose of this offering is to raise money for the post-production of our documentary film, Scars of Silence: Three Generations From the Armenian Genocide.” Click HERE.unnamedunnamed-1

Science All Around Us with Collin Keegan Update

An educational series created by and starring an ambitious young boy who has an extraordinary vision.

We’d like to thank all of you once again for your support of this project. While we did meet the initial objectives of the Kickstarter campaign – to create a finished Pilot for the series, develop a strong presence on social media, and pitch the Pilot coast to coast, there have yet to be any offers to pick up the program from traditional broadcast outlets. It was received with great interest (including a possible appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show), and as some of you know from the SAAU Facebook page, it received third place at the Red Shed Film Festival in Rockport, MA.

Nubar and his production company, Walker Creek Media (WCM), have been in touch with a producer who loves this project and believes it can be a success. Based on his advice and his own success with non-traditional media, WCM has created the first episode of Science All Around Us, which will be available for sale online as a Video On Demand (VOD). The idea here is to build a measureable audience…..10,000-30,000 downloads…. at $2.99 each. This is not simply about money, but about demonstrating to advertisers the strength and commitment of the audience for the series. The funds for the next episode will come from a monthly fee from advertisers on the SAAU website. (As an example, the producer mentioned above has a show on YouTube about woodworking with 30,000 subscribers and generates a daily average of $1324 from advertisers.) To view Science All Around Us Episode 1 click here.

Meanwhile, Collin has continued to be buoyed by all the support and interest and has moved forward on several other avenues. He has maintained his interest in science, providing a weekly Science public announcement for his school this year. He has participated in the science fairs each year – doing some really creative research and exciting other students with hands-on activities on sound and the science behind 3-D images, started his own computer company Coltch Computing and learned to fly a plane. He’s also been invited to be the student keynote speaker at the MassCue in October of 2016 at Gillette Stadium, a conference for “computer use in education.” And this is the short list of what he’s doing.

cb42651c80c20b90bac535ee3e95cb63_large

TERRIFIC INTERVIEW WITH NUBAR ALEXANIAN AT THE LITERARY HUB! (INCLUDING A GREAT SELECTION OF HIS GORGEOUS PHOTOS!)

Joseph-Lucia-II-Boston-Fish-Pier-1980ON PHOTOGRAPHING A GENERATION OF GLOUCESTER FISHERMEN

NUBAR ALEXANIAN DOCUMENTS THE DYING ART OF EAST COAST FISHING

June 7, 2016

By Rachel Cobb

Rachel Cobb: How did you fall into documenting these fishermen?

Nubar Alexanian: I moved to Gloucester from Boston in 1971. I was teaching photography and having shows, and that was getting a little boring. I wanted to start doing magazine work and learn how to do photo essays, so I decided to find the most successful fishing family, at least in Gloucester, if not on the East coast, and follow them. That turned out to be the Brancaleone family. They had two boats. They were the boats that everyone else wanted to know where they were fishing. I followed them for about a year and a half and went on four ten-day trips to Georgia’s Bank.

I have a middle ear balance problem and get seasick very easily. After the first trip, when my wife came to pick me up, I had lost 20 pounds. She just drove right by me. Every time I would tell the Brancaleone family I needed to go again, they were just incredulous. It was painful for them to see me so seasick. So they were like… No! But they always agreed. When I sold the story to Geo, the magazine asked me to go on one more trip—a winter trip (which are really bad). But when you’re working on something and it has you, you just have to keep up with it.

READ THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW AND SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

Seine-Boat-Racer-Pavillion-Beach-1997

Sunday-Procession-St.-Peters-Fiesta-1997

Winter-Storm-Joseph-Lucia-II-Georges-Bank1980

xIcing-Tuna-Cape-Ann-Tuna-1998

ANGELA SANFILLIPO SHARES MEMORIES FROM NUBAR ALEXANIAN’S BOOK “WHEN THE FISH CAME FIRST”

Nubar Alexanian Book signing Angela Sanfillipo -2 c Kim Smith

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDHhhlDyoA/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDIAc9Dyo9/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDIS3WDypZ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDIxaKjyqY/

WONDERFUL EVENT FOR NUBAR ALEXANIAN’S BOOK “WHEN THE FISH CAME FIRST!”

Despite the chilly winds and rain, a fantastic group of friends, fans, and well-wishers came out for Nubar’s book signing, When the Fish Came First. All throughout the evening there were waiting lines to purchase books! Thanks to Karen Ristuben and the Rocky Neck Cultural Center for hosting this very special community event.

Nubar Alexanian Book signing c Kim SmithHonoring Linzee and Beth Coolidge

Nubar Alexanian Book signing Angela Sanfillipo -3 c Kim SmithAngela Sanfillipo and Nubar

Nubar Alexanian Book signing -3 c Kim SmithNubar signing his book Stones in the Road: Photographs of Peru for Ricardo and Diana Fernandez

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDFi_-jykE/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFDEWrKDyhx/

Nubar Alexanian Book signing Angela Sanfillipo c Kim SmithMemories from December 1979 – Angela, her husband, daughter, and three-month old baby daughter’s christening

LINZEE COOLIDGE AND MAYOR ROMEO THEKEN WITH NUBAR ALEXANIAN’S GORGEOUS BOOK!

Linzee Coolidge, who sponsored the publication of the new book GLOUCESTER: When The Fish Came First, by photographer Nubar Alexanian, presenting a copy to Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. Copies are still available at 58% below the publication price through May 5th at Walker Creek Media.
Linzee & Sefatia

GloucesterCast 175 with @NAlexanian Susan Kelly @KimSmithDesigns, @DonnaArd and @Joey_C Taped 3/25/16 #GloucesterMA

GloucesterCastSquare

GloucesterCast 175 with Nubar Alexanian, Susan Kelly, Kim Smith, Donna Ardizzoni and Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 3/25/16

podcasticon1 - Copy - Copy subscribebutton - Copy - Copy

Topics Include:

Nubar Alexanian’s “Gloucester When The Fish Came First” www.walkercreekmedia.com/gloucester
Starting today through May 5th $125 until
May 5th Launch Party at Rocky Neck Cultural Center
After The Rocky Neck Launch Party the price goes to $295
To get pre-publication price click here http://www.whenthefishcamefirst.com/
Science All Around Us Update- http://scienceallaroundus.com/
Susan Kelly From Generous Gardeners Talking about the new expansion of the Stacy Boulevard gardens as part of the Seawall reconstruction project. to see the plan-
Clean City Meeting-
Saturday
Cigarette Butlers On Main Street
Bag Thing
Ten Pound Island Meeting At City Hall- Hot Topics Once a Month
whenthefishcamefirst
stacyboulevardplan
 GMG 175 podcast Joe Ciaramitaro, Nubar Alexanian, Donna Ardizonni, Susan Kelly