November Requiem nominated for Emmy Award
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer November Requiem, the documentary film completed for the 50th Anniversary of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley has been nominated for an Emmy Award for best documentary. Anne Belanger, program director at the Presque Isle District Library, and her brother Brian were responsible for putting much of the documentary together along with an editor, an effects manger and a graphics specialist.
The documentary was submitted in March for best historical documentary and historical music. ?We were informed through the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, Michigan chapter that it was going to be reviewed by panelists from North Carolina. My initial thought was we?re not going to get it. I didn?t have hope. I just didn?t think it would have an impact on that part of the country,? said Belanger. On May 13 the announcement was made that indeed the documentary had been selected as one of three nominations. Thirty-five applications were submitted. The two that it will be up against are both done by well-acclaimed people both documenting Detroit.
The award will be announced on June 5 at the Royal Oak Music Theater. ?Getting to be one of the top three. Being reviewed by a panel of judges in a different part of the country is just awesome,? said Belanger. Belanger feels that the story is so unique because it debuted on a 50th anniversary, the story is told by family members and the dive team footage going to the depths to recover the bell from the ship.
She also feels the small production team making it this far is very exciting when compared to other documentaries and production teams that are very large. ?We are in really good standing. Here we are in northeast Michigan and it would be wonderful to have this be celebrated by a larger public. I think it is a story that hasn?t been told to the degree that this is in this perspective,? said Belanger. Although she was reluctant to talk about the nomination in fear that it would jinx the chances they would actually receive the award, Belanger felt that it was a great honor to make it even this far and to actually be awarded would be the icing on the cake.