Kapilow Documentary: Summer Sun Winter Moon

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, a thought-provoking documentary film that exposes viewers to the reality of the American Indian perspective of Lewis and Clark's legendary "Corps of Discovery" mission, is scheduled for broadcast on PBS during November and December 2009. The featuring of the film strategically aligns with the programming goals of PBS and its network of broadcast affiliates for National American Indian Heritage Month. Click here to see the Summer Sun Winter Moon Trailer.

In the film, Rob Kapilow is commissioned to compose a symphonic work with a specific theme: a reflection of the enduring legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Kapilow foregoes his original intent to set the journals of Lewis and Clark to music, choosing to actually re-trace the journey himself as a catalyst for fresh inspiration.

Upon engaging tribal representatives out West in active dialogue about how best to convey their stories, Kapilow finds himself overwhelmed at the crossroads of textbook history and the tangible perspective of the American Indian. Seeking to collaborate with Blackfeet tribal member Darrell Robes Kipp, the innovative artist delves into a sharply alternative – and controversial – avenue of perspective: that of the indigenous storyteller's view "from the river bank, not the boat."

"There's nothing to celebrate here…not for Indian people," says Darrell Robes Kipp, referencing the planned events for the celebration of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. The co-founder of the Nitzipuahsin Blackfeet Language Immersion School, Kipp is a poet and educator who has been laboring to salvage his native people's language from the brink of near-extinction. Enlisted by Kapilow, Kipp agrees to author the libretto for the symphony project, offering his own hand to the composer who dared to reach across the divide.

Executive Producer Cynthia Newport and award-winning director Hugo Perez bring to the national viewing audience SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON's inherent declarations of truth, proving to be important and timely in what it tells us about ourselves, about our place in time, and about the choices we have to make moving forward. While there are two sides to every story, viewers are left haunted by the words of two storytellers with one story that can only be interpreted by each individual.


On Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 6:30pm, Executive Producer Cynthia Newport and Illume Productions cordially invite you to a press conference/launch. Please join Rob Kapilow, filmmakers Director Hugo Perez and Editor Francisco Bello and representatives from American Indian tribes for Q & A for press and breakaway sessions for interviews and photo ops. A high-tech media hub will be available for live video feeds, streaming video interviews, and real-time reporting to social media. Also appearing direct from New Mexico's Jemez Pueblo, Grammy winners Black Eagle will lend authentic American Indian musical blessings in support of the controversial documentary film's success.