Harvest of Peace is a 1985 American short documentary film directed by Robbie Leppzer. The film, shot during the height of the US-backed Contra war in Nicaragua, follows a group of 150 Americans who spend two weeks in a village in northern Nicaragua, where they participate in a cotton harvest.[1][2]
| Harvest of Peace | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Retrospective promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Robbie Leppzer |
| Edited by | Robbie Leppzer |
Production company | Turning Tide Productions |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 24 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20,000 |
Harvest of Peace premiered at the Telluride Film Festival (TFF) in September 1985, where it screened on a double bill with another documentary, Nicaragua Was Our Home, directed by Lee Shapiro.[3] Harvest of Peace received a theatrical release in November 1985.[2]
Production
editHarvest of Peace was conceived, directed, and edited by Robbie Leppzer.[2] Production on the film began in the autumn of 1984, which was shot over a two-week period in Nicaragua.[2] Following filming, Leppzer returned to his home in Leverett, Massachusetts, where he spent nine months on audio editing and fundraising for the film.[2] Post-production continued for an additional five months, which Leppzer spent as "a prisoner to his editing table."[2] The film ultimately cost $20,000 to complete, and was financed by individual supporters as well as grants from small private foundations.[2]
Reception
editReviewing the film following its TFF premiere, Catharine Rambeau of the Detroit Free Press referred to both it and Nicaragua Was Our Home as "classic knee-jerk-liberal graduate theses. Politics deserves better."[3]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | San Antonio Film Festival | Best Non-Fiction Film | Won | [4][5] |
| 1987 | New England Film & Video Festival | Curator's Choice | Won | [4][6] |
References
edit- ^ "Harvest of Peace". Turning Tide Productions. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Arnholz, Sarah (June 20, 1986). "Working as a film maker in Franklin County". The Recorder. Greenfield, Massachusetts. p. 7. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Rambeau, Catherine (September 11, 1985). "Telluride: A film festival that acclaims the unexpected". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. p. 10C. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "New England Festival awards | 2 Valley filmmakers cited". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, Massachusetts. June 5, 1987. p. 14. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sullivan, Leah A. (December 5, 1988). "Coming, Going and Staying | Footbag Peace Initiative". The Valley Advocate. Hatfield, Massachusetts. p. 32. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Davis, Richie (April 9, 1991). "Local video goes national". The Recorder. Greenfield, Massachusetts. p. 1. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit
 | This article about an American documentary film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |