CARV and SORVO sponsored a screening of the new documentary, “A Towering Task,” followed by a discussion with Alana DeJoseph, the director on Sept. 12 – 13, 2020. The film traces the history of the Peace Corps from the original idea announced by John F. Kennedy during his 1960 campaign for president, although it was produced before the COVID-related evacuation. The RPCVs on the call agreed that there were connections in the movie to each of our experiences and that it provided a balanced and fascinating look at the Peace Corps.
We heard from Alana that the idea for the movie began in 2013 during the filming of another documentary on the Forest Service, when a group of colleagues who were also RPCVs thought that a similar look at the Peace Corps would be rewarding. Alana began interviews at a Honduras RPCV reunion, including CARV member George Fee (Honduras 84 – 87) who was there. This thoroughly researched and documented film was six and a half years in the making. It premiered in September 2019 and had forty live showings before the shutdown, including at the Kennedy library on March 1, 2020, the Peace Corps anniversary.
The target audience is the general public, who generally do not have much information about the Peace Corps. Alana hope to achieve wide distribution, even the the time of COVID. All suggestions for screening opportunities are welcome. CARV hopes to sponsor live showings when possible at local colleges and universities.
CARV members wondered how Alana was able to secure Annette Bening to narrate the movie. She laughed and said that is an example of how there is only one degree of separation between someone and the Peace Corps. Taylor Hackford, one of the RPCVs interviewed for the film, happens to be married to actress Helen Mirren, who has a very close friend – Annette Bening. Ms. Bening graciously donated her time and her voice to “A Towering task.”
If you missed the screening or if you would like to view it again, Click here for a link to the virtual movie theater. For more information about the documentary, Click here.