Conversation with Brooke de Zutter
Please tell us about the project you co-produced, Monumental Change.
Monumental Change is a documentary highlighting the destruction of the once prominent Monument Cemetery in North Philadelphia. With that as the backdrop, the film explores Temple University’s history of gentrification.
What were the most challenging and most rewarding parts of working on this project?
I think one of the most challenging parts of the project was all of the research we had to do. We spent about 3 weeks working on our “Pre-production Book” which was a 2-inch binder full of articles, newspaper clippings, interview subjects, etc. There is such limited information out there about Monument Cemetery, so we really had to dig deep and research as much as possible. I’m glad we did all that preliminary work, however, or else the film would not have been as well done if we hadn’t.
I think the most rewarding part, for me, is seeing how well our film has been received since we completed it. We put so much effort and energy into this project and for it to be as successful as its been is truly amazing.
The project was recently honored with many awards. Congratulations! Can you tell us about your recent awards?
Thank you! The first major award we won was 1st place, Long-Form Student Documentary at the BEA Festival of Media Arts, held every year in Las Vegas. Since then, we’ve also won the Student Cultural Spirit Award at the New Hope Film Festival, the Merit Award at the Accolade Global Film Competition, and the Recognition Award at the IndieFest Film Awards. We were also an Official Selection at the Harlem International Film Festival and a Semi-Finalist at GNG Green Earth Film Festival.
When do you graduate, and what’s next for you?
After I graduate, the goal is to hopefully find a job in casting or production in Philadelphia or New York for a few years and then eventually move back out to LA, where I interned this summer, and find a casting job there.
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More about Monumental Change:
Monumental Change is a documentary highlighting the destruction of the once prominent Monumental Cemetery in North Philadelphia. With the cemetery as backdrop, the film takes a deeper look at the history of Temple University and the larger role the expanding university plays in the neighborhood and citizens’ concerns about development and gentrification.
View the full documentary on vimeo or on the BEA website.
Read more about this project in a recent article by Klein news, “Monumental” Achievement: Klein College Students Take Home Livingstone Undergraduate Research Award
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