Monadnock: The Mountain That Stands Alone

2012-01-01T14:54:00.001-08:00

READ JACKIE STETSER'S UPDATES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

2011-12-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Guest Post by Steve Hooper

Jackie Stetser is adding weekly tidbits about our film project. Catch up with news on our Rabbit Ear Films Facebook site. WE ARE UP TO 239 "LIKES" AS OF 2/1/12.

THANK YOU!!!!

DOCUMENTARY FACTOID (UPDATED 2/1/12)

2011-10-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to the late David Knight of Marlborough NH, a respected community leader who appreciated Mount Monadnock and hiked it frequently

Endorsed by Monadnock Conservancy and Society For The Protection of NH Forest (Forest Society), Harris Center

Sponsors: Monadnock Imaging, RJ Sports, True North Networks

Grant Support: New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The Bean Family Foundation

9 interviews and extensive video on the Mountain already completed

Many vital tasks still need funding in production and off-line editing

Total budget is $150,000.00

Need $75,000 to complete film

Completion date: Spring 2013

Donations are welcome. Check made out to Rabbit Ear Films. Tax-deductible.

Rabbit Ear Films

P.O. Box 714

Fitzwilliam, NH 03447

LOCAL HISTORIAN JUDY HALL INTERVIEWED

2011-10-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

GUEST POST BY STEVE HOOPER-Judy Hall, of Troy, was the subject of a filmed interview for the documentary. Dan White was camera man and Steve Hooper the interviewer. Hall's stories about Mount Monadnock were a touching example of how generations of the same family have been bonded by the love of Mount Monadnock.

SCRIPT FOR DOCUMENTARY IN THE PROCESS

2011-10-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

GUEST POST UPDATE BY STEVE HOOPER-Editor's Craig Brandon and Jackie Hooper are working on the documentary script which includes narration, quoted comments and interviews.

BRANDON WORKING ON DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT

2011-10-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

GUEST POST BY STEVE HOOPER-Craig Brandon, of Surry, is our Project Humanist for the Mount Monandnock documentary film; Monadnock-The Mountain That Stands Alone

Brandon is author of the critically acclaimed book Monadnock-More Than a Mountain.

Brandon has completed a draft script for the documentary. This script will be edited with a final script planned for SPRING 2012.

2010-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Humanist

2009-12-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert G. Goodby is a humanist for our project.

Goodby brings with him outstanding credentials and insights:

Ph.D. in Anthropology, Brown University, 1994.
Associate Professor of Anthropology at Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, New Hampshire.
Archaeological field research in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Author of more than 50 technical reports on New England prehistoric archaeology.
Past President, New Hampshire Archeological Society.
Executive Board, Monadnock Institute of Nature, Place and Culture.
Speakers Bureau, New Hampshire Humanities Council.

Thank you Dr. Goodby for your help!

Interview - Lee Willette

2009-11-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Winter and the Mountain

2009-10-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Adams took this picture on Jan 5th.

Monadnock From the Water - Steve Hooper

2009-10-13T06:30:00.001-07:00

Dancing Like a Mountain

2009-09-26T04:57:00.001-07:00

Dancing Like a Mountain is a poem written by Dianne Eno for a Supervised Independent Study at Antioch as a CAP Ethnography exercise. It tells the experience of dancing on Mt. Monadnock.

Dancing Like a Mountain
Dancing like a mountain…
But “how does a mountain dance?” one may ask.
With power…
With mystery…
With harmony…
Beauty…
Balance and strength.
But “how does one know this is true?”
Through quality-not quantity.
These things cannot be counted.

Power.
The mountain stands alone-
Solid and strong.
Unmoved in space and time.
(At least this is how most humans perceive it)
Like the power of the dancer's legs-watch.
Heart, mind and spirit follow in a similar rhythm, pulse, pattern.
But all things change over time-this is how it is.

Mystery.
What is the magnetizing force that draws us here?
That sustains us?
Inspires us?
That allows us to feel the wisdom and the ancient knowledge held in these granite rocks?
Time; years; patience; willingness…
Less, fame and fortune; more of humbleness and awe.
This experience of raw wonderment.
Untainted by human ambition.

Only honesty flows through the underground currents that feed and sustain the dance here.
The belonging wholly/ holy to this place and vice versa.
That is the gift.
That is why we are here.
Lesson learned.
Now to share this "knowledge" with others.
"What knowledge?"

The dancer becomes more like the mountain and mountain is dancing, to be sure.
You can see this with your own eyes,
If you choose to see…
If you choose to be with this reality…
An alchemy of this rare circumstance-
An extraordinary phenomenon opens new possibilities-
Tangible ones, felt ones.
No need to count this or account for this in some analytical way;
Just take it all in through open eyes and heart…

Balance.
You either have it or you don't.
But it is necessary for the survival of the species!
Another lesson of the mountain.
Wise mountain, wise teacher…
Wide base supports all effort; just being.
A fundamental principal of the universe?
The dancer's body answers this mystery with flowing affirmations of synchronicity.
Balance on a single limb-solid, assured, immovable…
In harmonious dialogue and response to the impetus of the raw elements that might envision a different reality.

These want to move the dancer, like wind…
The wind-
Blows through the impervious spirit dancing to mimic the mountain's strength.
Dancer negotiates these forces that would move mountains…
And they do-over time…
But for now, stand solid in this place and time,
And revel in this sacred opportunity.
Feel the strength of the mountain take over,
Surging and coursing through limbs and heart and veins.
Dancer spirals, reaches for heaven in ways previously unimagined…
She piously retreats, then tries again to do the impossible-
Or is it possible?!

On Location

2009-09-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

Steve Hooper films Mary Iselin as she paints. Photo taken by Don Carrington (a passer-by).

Trailer of "Monadnock, The Mountain that Stands Alone"

2009-09-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

Monadnock, The Mountain that Stands Alone (Trailer) from Daniel White on Vimeo.

Success!

2009-08-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank everyone who made it to the premier of the trailer for our documentary - Monadnock: The Mountain That Stands Alone.

More than 100 people came to the Harris Center to share ice cream, Monadnock stories, ideas, and friendship.

Here is a photo from the presentation portion of the event.

From Troy

2009-08-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

This photo was sent to us from Jennifer Adams. It shows the view of Mt. Monadnock from Troy.

A Mountain of History: As seen in High-Def

2009-07-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Bobcat's Tail: A column by ERIC ALDRICH
For the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

With documentaries about so many things -- now including our national parks -- it's hard to believe a documentary has never been made about one of the world's most-climbed mountains.

That's about to change, thanks to a group of talented and visionary folks who are in the early stages of producing a film about the region's iconic mountain.

They'll talk about the project and debut a short trailer of the film on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m., at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock. (The event was originally scheduled for July 30).

At the Harris Center event, producers hope to hear stories about how people connect with the mountain and see if anyone has old photos, film or other art about Mount Monadnock.

The idea for the documentary came from Amanda Borozinski, a writer and journalist from Rindge, who had recently completed a 3-month residency at the MacDowell Colony. Inspired by talented filmmakers and other artists she met there, Borozinski returned back to work at the Keene Sentinel wanting to produce a documentary ... on something. She discussed her hopes with Sentinel colleague Steve Hooper, a photographer who in 1998 produced a documentary about an American nurse who helped wounded soldiers in France during World War I.

When Borozinski suggested producing a documentary about Mount Monadnock, Hooper thought surely it must have been done already.

"We couldn't believe that a film has never been made about Mount Monadnock," Borozinski said. "So we got really excited."

A Community-Driven Effort

At the outset, they wanted this to be a community-driven effort, so they formed a nonprofit organization of volunteers to steer production and gather funding to make the film a reality. Alas, Rabbit Ear Films was born, named after the old antennas that sat atop a TV set. It has an all-volunteer board of directors who are seeking advice and direction from a wide array of experts on Mount Monadnock, from those who know its history to ordinary folks who climb and love it.

Wanting someone with strong production talent, they approached Dan White an editor at Florentine Films in Walpole, which produces Ken Burns' award-winning documentaries for public television. White had worked on a few Florentine productions, including the latest, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."

White is thrilled at the chance to share through a film Mount Monadnock's many stories.

You're Almost Home

"Working on 'The National Parks,' we tried to convey this idea of sense of place, a sense of home," White said. "Mount Monadnock has that quality. It's the first thing you see when you return to this region. You see it off in the distance and you feel like you're almost home."

Those are the type of sentiments that the producers have already captured in interviews.

So far, they've interviewed: Dr. Robert Goodby, an anthropology professor at Franklin Pierce University and expert on the area's early native inhabitants; Charles Royce of Jaffrey, former manager of Monadnock State Park; Craig Brandon, a Keene State College journalism professor and author of "Monadnock: More than a Mountain;" and Deb and Stephen Pero, a Jaffrey couple who sealed their engagement atop the mountain.

A Mountain of Stories

They've also filmed a trail-clearing project of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and many scenes of the mountain, all of this in high-definition video. White is stitching scenes together for the short trailer that will debut at the Harris Center. They hope to complete the entire film by 2011.

Producers are also doing research for the film, looking for compelling stories and visuals that will convey Mount Monadnock's history and strong appeal.

Monadnock itself is a mountain of stories, and capturing the breadth of those stories will be a huge challenge for an hour-long film. The mountain has inspired native Americans; scores of writers, like Thoreau and Emerson; and countless poets, artists and photographers, from Abbott H. Thayer to Edward MacDowell and the dancers who perform at the summit.

Bring Your Stories

Then, of course, is the story of conserving the mountain itself, led in the early 1900s by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and other far-sighted people who knew the region's iconic pinnacle must be protected for future generations.

"People have a very personal relationship with Mount Monadnock," Borozinski said. "They climbed it as a kid, then they take their own kids there. It's at the center of so many personal stories."

After producers explain and show a bit of the movie at the Aug. 11 event at the Harris Center, "we hope to gather fresh information on the mountain," said Steve Hooper. " We're hoping to get leads on old photos and film. But we also want to hear people's ideas about what the film should show about Mount Monadnock. This is really a community effort."

Eric Aldrich leads outings and handles communications for the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock: http://www.harriscenter.org.

Click here for the original article.

Clean up on the mountain

2009-07-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Wendy Weisiger, right, Field Forester for SPNHF and other SPNHF staff and volunteers work to clear brush from a trail on Mt. Monadnock Sunday July 12. The trails were strewn and sometimes completely blocked by trees and branches from the December 08 ice storm.Wendy Weisiger, SPNHF Field Forester, works on clearing brush on one of the lower trails at Monadnock State Park Sunday July 12.

Pictures from the Mountain

2009-06-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken by Amanda Borozinski

Moving forward

2009-06-03T07:10:00.001-07:00

This AMAZING image was captured by Steve Hooper. We suspect it will appear in our trailer!!!

We have now officially interviewed Charlie Royce and Bob Goodby. Next week we will interview artist Deb Pero and author Craig Brandon.

Thanks to a new member - Jamie Judd - we have also begun fundraising in earnest. We will have an exciting event at the Harris Center:

PLEASE consider joining us!

Aug. 11 – Mount Monadnock: A Documentary Film. Can you believe there has never been a film made about one of the most-climbed mountains in the world? Now Rabbit Ear Films (founded by Steve Hooper and Amanda Borozinski) is doing just that. It’s a community-driven non-profit film company that’s looking for stories, images, old footage and relics to capture the magic and allure of our regional emblem. We’ll see a short preview and hear about this remarkable project from Daniel White, who works for Florentine Films in Walpole, and others involved. If you’ve got a compelling story, relics, old photos or movies, the producers are all ears. Starts at 7 p.m. at the Harris Center. For more information about the project go to mtmonadnockdocumentary.blogspot.com <http://mtmonadnockdocumentary.blogspot.com>

Getting Hitched on a Hike up Monadnock

2009-05-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

A proposal on the mountain and we were there for the moment!!! Check out the film link on the right - "Clips from the Documentary" - to watch an interview with the happy couple.

A Great Little Film About Monadnock...

2009-04-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

In the Shadows of Monadnock

A film by the 7th grade at Mountain Shadows, Dubin, NH, under the direction of Boston-based animator Karen Aqua and composer Ken Field. Made with support from The MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, NH.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akthnmc3CIc

First Day of Filming

2009-03-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

On March 19, we officially started filming of the Mt. Monadnock Documentary. We started with an interview of Dr. Goodby. We are filming in High Definition and plan to have a short "teaser" of the film completed by the end of May. With this in hand we will begin a comprehensive fundraising effort... stay tuned for a showing of the teaser in Aug.

(photo: S. Lindell and S. Hooper)

American Painter: Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921)

2009-03-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

Abbott Handerson Thayer was born in Boston Mass. on August 12, 1849. His study of natural history began early, before he was nine he had begun to paint animals, especially birds. He painted dog's and cat's portraits, cattle and landscape. After four years in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts he returned home and started painting human subjects. Thayer was elected to the Academy in 1909, the same year the book titled Concealing Coloration in the Animal Kingdom was written by his son.

American Painter: John White Allen Scott (1815-1907)

2009-03-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

Mt. Monadnock of New Hampshire, oil on canvas, 12"x20" image,
19"x27" framed, s.l.r. "J.W.A. Scott"

Painter of portraits, landscapes, and marine scenes. Also, a lithographer and engraver. Began his career as a lithographer with W.S. Pendleton in Boston. Formed a business partnership with Fitz Hugh Lane to publish lithographs in Boston during 1840’s. Well known for paintings of White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Catskills of New York.
Exhibited: Boston Athenaeum and Boston Art Club.

In the collection of: Bostonian Society, MA; Farnsworth Art Museum, ME; Colby College, ME; New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown; and Massachusetts State House.

Monadnock Tales

2009-02-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

A long, narrative poem about
Mount Monadnock, a mountain
that is small in stature but big
in the hearts of those who live near it
and who recognize its mystical powers. Monadnock rivals Mt. Fuji as the
“most climbed mountain in the world,”
and has been worshiped by artists,
painters and writers since the area
was settled. This poem is the result
of a collaboration between Edie and
composer Larry Siegel. Together, they
created a musical work that arises
from and reflects a love of the mountain
and the Monadnock Region.
This work, which is the narrative
portion of the musical work, features
nine individual poems, and is
a celebration of the mountain,
a place known to Ralph Waldo
Emerson as “Cheshire’s haughty hill”
and to countless others as home.

For more information check out Edie's Website: www.edieclark.com

2009-02-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

ABOUT US

The first ever documentary movie about Mt. Monadnock is in the works.

A group of area residents including Rabbit Ear Films Board Members Amanda Borozinski, Steve Hooper, Dan White, Terri Sillanpaa, Jeff Newcomer and Chrysten Starrett, have formed a community based nonprofit film-making company: Rabbit Ear Films.

This is a grass roots endeavor. Our goal is to produce a film of the highest quality and greatest heart.

Join with us.

For more information check out our Website: rabbitearfilms.org or call Steve Hooper 603-209-2525.

A Mt. Monadnock Blog

2009-02-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

Oh To Be Hiking!: Climbing Mount Monadnock

A Mt. Monadnock Blog by Kevin Montgomery

2009-02-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

Kevin Montgomery's Cycling & Adventure Blog: Hike up Mt. Monadnock

In the presence of greatness

2009-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

Today Dan White - an assistant editor at Florentine Films - and one of our board of directors at Rabbit Ear Films - gave us a tour of where he works. We were inspired, in awe, and grateful!

We watched footage and learned what it takes to edit a film in the same room where Ken Burns has watched and edited movies such as Jazz, Unforgiveable Blackness, and The War.

AWESOME!

We would like to thank Dan for his time and involvement in our project. And we would like to thank the team at Florentine Films for the outstanding contributions they have made to the documentary film world.

More old photos from the Mountain

2008-12-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

Monadnock in poetry...

2008-11-23T16:18:00.001-08:00

"Monadnoc is a mountain strong,
Tall and good my kind among..."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson1846, Monadnoc

Married on Monadnock

2008-11-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Deb Pero and her husband were married on Mt. Monadnock in Oct. 2001. These pictures are during the vows, after, and changed back into hiking clothes for the trip down. "Happy memories!" said Pero.

Wearing the Mountain

2008-11-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

Caroline Hollister poses in a caftan made by artist Holly Alderman (see links of interest). The caftan is one-of-a-kind, printed with images of Mt. Monadnock.

2008-11-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

Can't Wait to See Sam: As Told by Sarah Beames

2008-11-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

"Mom, you made it to the top! Can't wait to see Sam tomorrow. He won't believe we climbed Mount Monadnock! Three Floridians used to flat land, ocean waves, jogging, and riding bikes. But, when in new Hampshire, we did what New Hampshireites do: climb the mountain.

"Why are we here in New Hampshire? We've come to pick up Sam at Camp Takodah, highly recommended by Grandpa, who went there in 1939- 42. He lives in Jaffrey with Grandma and today, he climbed the mountain with us.

"We're all anticipating seeing Sam -- surfer, musician, and football player who has never been away from home more than an overnight with a friend. Can't believe I've missed my brother, three years older than me, a tease, and a 'pain', like most big brothers at age 15.

"Next day, we went to Camp Takodah to pick up Sam. You won't believe how the conversation went: 'Sam, Sam, guess what I did yesterday -- I climbed a big mountain.' 'You did, Sarah? Guess what, I climbed one, too.' 'You didn't! What time did you get to the top, Sam?' '12:05.' 'You won't believe Grandpa took this picture at 12:00 noon and then we hiked down! Sam, Sam, we missed you by just 5 minutes!' "