Last Week
Produced by: Steve Barth
Filmed: April, 2009
First Shown: April 17, 2010
Music by: David Negron & Simon Brewer
Description: Ruth Barth is one of those teachers her kids will never forget. She always strived to make a true difference in her kids lives. In 2009, after a long teaching career, it is time for Ruth to retire. As the director of the school's drama department, each year she would put on a spring musical. This year, it would be her last one.
As a filmmaker, the idea that lead me to this project was not "let's tell my mother's story on film," but this: When someone does something they love for their career, and there can be periods of high stress, what happens when you try to achieve something for the last time? What kind of emotions will there be? In addition to the high stress that will always accompany a theater director during the final week of rehearsals, what happens when you add the element of "I will never do this again, and I love these people" into the mix. This is the story I wanted to tell going into the production in Colorado, yet I never expected the shocking events of the final day of filming to compound the emotion, far past anything I ever expected.
Filmed: April, 2009
First Shown: April 17, 2010
Music by: David Negron & Simon Brewer
Description: Ruth Barth is one of those teachers her kids will never forget. She always strived to make a true difference in her kids lives. In 2009, after a long teaching career, it is time for Ruth to retire. As the director of the school's drama department, each year she would put on a spring musical. This year, it would be her last one.
As a filmmaker, the idea that lead me to this project was not "let's tell my mother's story on film," but this: When someone does something they love for their career, and there can be periods of high stress, what happens when you try to achieve something for the last time? What kind of emotions will there be? In addition to the high stress that will always accompany a theater director during the final week of rehearsals, what happens when you add the element of "I will never do this again, and I love these people" into the mix. This is the story I wanted to tell going into the production in Colorado, yet I never expected the shocking events of the final day of filming to compound the emotion, far past anything I ever expected.
Last Week from Steve Barth on Vimeo.