Italy and World War II Documentaries
Collaborating with the World War II Foundation, myself and others traveled across Italy to film and interview people for documentaries. Here’s all the work and content we made on the film “The Tuskegee Airmen: Return to Ramitelli”
The Program
While there, the World War II Foundation filmed the documentaries, and we also filmed our own content, as well. Edited by yours truly!
The videos:
“Arancia”
“Behind the Scenes”
“Pompeii Documentary”
“Pompeii Q&A”
Film Premiere in Washington D.C.
After long and sweaty days in Italy, we attended the film premiere for “The Tuskegee Airmen: Return to Ramitelli” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Read more about our experience!
Our Time in Italy
By Gabby Kepnes
Television, radio and film professor Shaina Holmes spent a part of her summer working on a documentary with three of her students. This film, however, wasn’t in Syracuse, but in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast. In partnership with the World War II Foundation, Holmes and her students took a 10-day trip documenting the Tuskegee Airmen, the first group of African American airmen and military pilots to successfully complete their training and enter the US Army Air Corps in 1941.
“The students not only had the opportunity to help out on the film, but also served as production assistants and shadowed the cinematographers,” Holmes says.
Each day arrived with new filming locations and a new itinerary as the group traveled to air fields and army bases where the pilots were stationed. The students also created their own projects: a 12-minute behind-the-scenes video from their perspective.
“The students got so much hands-on experience, not only in the day-to-day, but also before and after the shoot,” Holmes says.
Rowan Ide, a television, radio and film senior, wanted to learn about the documentary filmmaking process, since she knew that would be her capstone project later this fall.
“It wasn’t like a normal PA job where you’re running to get coffee,” Ide says. “They let us hold the cameras and actively help out on set.”
Colette Holt, daughter of World War II veteran and Tuskegee Airman Coleman T. Holt, joined the group on their travels, an interaction which Holmes said turned into one of the most meaningful parts of the trip. Television, radio and film senior David Barbier Jr. felt the impact of Holt’s father’s legacy.
“To know that she is a direct descendent and has grown up with the mindset that you need to believe in yourself when others don’t, has motivated me to continue going after the things I want,” he says. “Talking to her was like talking to one of the Airmen.”
The documentary is scheduled to premiere next year at the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. The students plan to attend, and later, they hope to premiere the documentary at the Newhouse school.
From the World War II Foundation
We had a great time on this trip, but so did the World War II Foundation crew! Read more about their program and watch the video to see what we learned.