Project Description

This 15-minute award-winning film brings to life the story of James F. Brown, an enslaved man who escaped to freedom and rose to become master gardener at Mount Gulian, the Hudson River estate of the Verplanck family, in antebellum America. Told in chapters paralleling the seasons of a garden’s growth, the film explores the degrees of freedom available to people of color and women (through the story of Mary Anna Verplanck, the unmarried mistress of the estate) and the role of Brown’s own agency in achieving the status of property owner and voter in the period before the Civil War. James F. Brown’s and Mary Anna Verplanck’s story of self-determination in carving out their own version of their lives through hope and hard work, in spite of overwhelming obstacles, is in an inspiration to contemporary viewers.

Creative Director / Writer

Conceived and developed the structure of the film, conducted content and image research, and consulted with subject scholars in creating the storyline. Wrote the treatment, draft, beta and final scripts. Collaborated with the director and producer in casting and directed final edit.

With The Sound & Story Project