NOMMO Productions, documentaries based on the Black experience.
All films are available for purchase.
The August Wilson Center
Building on a Legacy
This video documents the development of the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, which opened in downtown Pittsburgh in September 2009.
The half hour digital video traces important elements of the Center from concept to completion. The centerpiece is time-lapse footage of the Center’s construction from the ground up, culminating with the ascent of the ship’s prow–an architectural design element symbolizing pride and forward motion.
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Interwoven with this footage are interviews with the organizers who helped to create the Center and with family, friends and contemporaries who knew August Wilson and deeply understand the essence of his plays and his significance in Pittsburgh and the world. Also showcased are performances and exhibits that have been mounted in an ongoing effort to develop a presence and patronage for the Center. These represent many of the art forms, and both local and national talent, included in the Center’s programming. More than just the story of one Center, Building On A Legacy offers an example that emphasizes the importance of all such institutions to local and national culture and the uncertainties they face. The interviews and events are supported by music and archival film and Teenie Harris photographs from more than six decades in Pittsburgh history, August’s personal and professional story, and the Center’s development. Original music and narration by Charles “Rock” Dutton weave together this seamless presentation.
The August Wilson Center
Building on a Legacy
$19.99
plus shipping.
Wendell G. Freeland
A Quiet Soldier
Tuskegee Airman. Civil Rights attorney. Powerful advocate for the poor and disenfranchised. Wendell Freeland devoted seventy years to fighting injustice wherever he found it, from the age of Jim Crow to that of Barack Obama. He blazed a trail for racial equality by working largely behind the scenes in America’s courtrooms, boardrooms, and political backrooms.
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We Are Universal
is a documentary film that recounts the influence of the “Black Is Beautiful” movement on the art of Black people. Scenes of arts organizations, performances, and lifestyles in four of the major urban areas for art in the country – Boston, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles – are interwoven with opinions of Black art from artists who were themselves major influences on the art then in the 1970’s, and who now have a place in Black history.
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Purchase your DVD today of We Are Universal for $19.99 plus shipping.
Didn’t We Ramble On?
The culmination of ten years research by Dr. Carl Atkins, Didn’t We Ramble On traces the evolution of the Black marching band from 14th Century West African processions to present-day bands. The music, the pageantry, and the many uses of current marching bands have been irrefutably traced to centuries-old Yoruba processions by Dr. Atkins and confirmed by noted ethnomusicologists Dr. Eileen Southern and Dr. John Szwed. Read More
Enough is Enough
On October 12, 1995 Jonny Gammage, a 31-year-old African-American businessman, churchgoer and volunteer, was pulled over by five white police officers while driving a Jaguar owned by his cousin, Pittsburgh Steeler Ray Seals. During the ensuing struggle Gammage was asphyxiated. There was shock and revulsion in the community, and thousands, both black and white, took to the streets to protest.
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Purchase your DVD today of Enough is Enough for $19.99 plus shipping.
Roger Humphries
Pass it On
Roger Humphries: “Pass it On” is a half-hour documentary on this legendary jazz drummer and music educator. Pass it On showcases Roger’s formidable talents as a musician and musical group leader, his skills as a teacher, and his inspirational dedication to his family, students, colleagues, and community.
Roger is known and respected among jazz fans and musicians worldwide. “Discovered” by other musicians in the family when he was only three years old, at four Rodger was sitting in with the Tab Smith Big Band, where his Uncle Frank Humphries played.