First airing

Tonight WHUT/PBS/Howard University in Washington, DC, showed the premier of Pink State Politics, which we started filming in September 2008 -- a nine month process from conception to screening. There are many, many people to thank, and we are especially appreciative of the many women in Virginia who gave their time to us. In all, we interviewed more than 100 women for the 30 minute film. 

If you missed tonight's airing, WCVE/PBS/Richmond and WHTJ/PBS/Charlottesville will show the documentary on July 2nd at 8.30 p.m.

Pink State Politics to Air on WHUT/Washington, WCVE/Richmond and WHTJ/Charlottesville

Pink State Politics will air on WHUT/PBS/Howard University on June 21 at 8 pm and again on July 2nd on WCVE/Richmond and WHTJ/Charltottesville at 8.30 pm.

Screening of Pink State Politics At Avalon Theater

The Avalon Theater in Washington, DC, previewed Pink State Politics: A New Virginia on May 28th. (Top photo) Filmmakers Laura Hambleton (left) and Laura DeBruce in front of the Avalon marquee. (Bottom photo from left) A few women featured in the film: Melinda Lewis, Phyllis Randall, Andrea McGimsey Laura Hambleton, Patti Maslinoff, Anne Whipple, Laura DeBruce, Paige Alexander and her daughters, Rachel and Carly Grand inside the Avalon.

Pink State Politics trailer

Edited by John Warnock 

Music by Cathy Pickar

Director of Photography,  Allen Moore 

Additional Photography, Brian Edwards, Elliot Klayman, Pat Flynn

Location Sound Engineers,  Pat Flynn, Kevin Beyer, Josh Balster

Film narrated by Kathryn Klvana

Edited at Kepferle Productions

Produced & Directed by Laura DeBruce and Laura Hambleton

End of editing!

Yesterday we finished the rough cut of PINK STATE POLITICS:  A New Virginia.   Our amazing editor, John Warnock, still has a day or so of polishing and we need to send it out to be mixed; but the two of us are done with the actual work of editing.   

Our film is thirty minutes long.   It could be much longer, and, who knows, we may end up making a more in-depth version one of these days.   We will post a trailer soon so stay tuned!   

Of Hockey Moms & Health Care

With Sarah Palin embracing the hockey mom label and bringing the term front and center in the political arena,  we visited a group of hockey moms in Virginia to find out what issues had been the most important to them in the election.  

For Sally, the most important issue was the government's increasing role in all sectors of life, including health care.   "Our government keeps becoming more and more socialist," she said. "It's nice, warm and fuzzy to say everyone's entitled to health care, but what does it mean for the doctors, patients and choice of care?"   

We hope that the new Obama administration will eventually answer that question, for Sally and for the thousands of her fellow Virginians currently without health care.   We met with one woman who could offer some advice.  Richmond attorney, Phyllis Katz, founded the organization LINC, www.cancerlinc.org, to provide assistance to cancer patients who are overwhelmed by the thicket of business and legal issues currently entwined with their care.  She says, "My passion is to open doors, cut through red tape, negotiate with hospitals."    Send this woman to Washington.  

Election Day - Obama Headquaters

Across town, Phyllis Randall was busy working at the Obama headquarters in Leesburg, where the buzz of anticipation filled the offices and spilled over to the sidewalks outside.  "For the most part of the day, I've been driving, taking people to the polls," Phyllis said.  "I took a 94-year-old woman who said she hadn't had this feeling since Kennedy."  She also brought her two boys, 14 and 12 respectively, to help out.  "I said to them, you're going to want to tell your children, your great-grandchildren, that you helped Senator Obama get elected."  

And indeed they will be able to do that. 

The boys' great-grandfather, Phyllis' grandfather, was a Pullman Porter who traveled to Washington,DC in August 1963 to mark with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Phyllis had both grandparents on her mind a few days after Barack Obama's historic win. 

"I'm driving down Constitution Avenue and there's a place you can look back and see the White House.   I burst into tears.  I was sobbing over the enormity of it all, that African American slaves laid the first bricks.  And I thought, Oh my God, Grandma and Grandpa, look what we just did.  It was an amazing thing that we just did." 

She added, "We didn't do it as African Americans.  We did it as Americans."