Join us as we host Docs in Progress for a screening of four short films created as part of their Village Reels project. Village Reels is Docs in Progress's intergenerational filmmaking program, designed to teach documentary filmmaking to high school students and to connect them with seniors willing to share their life stories. For the project, Village members were paired with Montgomery County high school students.
The Village of Takoma Park was pleased to collaborate with Docs in Progress for the second year in a row. This year two Village members - John Wilkinson and Helena Fabry - shared compelling stories with students from Montgomery Blair High School. In 2024, two other Village members - Joann Malone and Larry Rawlings - did the same.
John Wilkinson, reflecting on this year’s project, shared that for him, the whole process was a “beautiful experience.”
Helena Fabry said “I think it is a really important project for future generations to know the past and I [thought that the students] asked really, really interesting questions. …I do think the project is absolutely wonderful and I hope it will continue.”
One student said that “it was a wonderful, wonderful experience getting to know Helena and also just getting to know her story and working with the answers that she gave and crafting a cohesive narrative.” He said it was a challenge to edit over an hour of interesting footage to just 4 minutes!
The Village Reels project was made possible with support from the City of Takoma Park, Heritage Montgomery, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, and Montgomery County Government.
We’re saddened to share that Helena Fabry passed away on August 18, shortly before her 100th birthday. We look forward to honoring her memory and her spirit on October 18.