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May 26, 2021

INTERVIEW: Filmmaker Vanessa Roth On Her Latest Projects, National Geographic’s “Impact With Gal Gadot” And Amazon’s “Mary J. Blige’s My Life”

Nicole Barylskiby Nicole Barylski
in Arts
Home Arts

Academy Award, Emmy Honors, DuPont-Columbia and Sundance Award-winning nonfiction filmmaker Vanessa Roth had planned to travel the world to meet with women making a difference for her latest project, National Geographic’s new documentary short series Impact with Gal Gadot, but then the pandemic happened. That led Roth, who created and executive produced the series, to work on the shorts mostly from her home on Shelter Island.

Impact takes viewers to Brazil, Puerto Rico, Michigan, California, Louisiana and Tennessee to meet six incredible subjects – Kameryn Everett, Kelsey Ellis, Arianna Font Martin, Kayla Gore, Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar, and Tuany Nascimento – that are rising above challenges to make an immense difference in their communities. The series is hosted by actress Gal Gadot.

We spoke with Roth about Impact, her next project, Amazon’s Mary J. Blige’s My Life, and more.

You actually created and executive produced the series from your home on Shelter Island, but I noticed that there was some footage from 2016. So when did you start filming?

VR: So the series was created because my executive producing partner, Ryan Pallotta, had actually shot in Brazil in 2016. And they made a little short film out of that. From that Gal Gadot got involved, Tara [Long] from eOne got involved, I got involved. From that short, we decided this should be a larger series about women around the world making an impact in their communities. We had already found six stories around the world that we were supposed to start shooting in 2019. I’m based in Brooklyn, I have been based in Brooklyn for 17 years and we have our house in Shelter Island that we would come to for weekends, but we thought we were going to be traveling around the world. So we came out to Shelter to use it like our base. The plan had been to homeschool my son while we traveled to all these places. And then when COVID hit, we had to shift, obviously. That’s when we changed the stories we were doing. I went to a couple of them in person and a couple of them we did basically with local crews and sort of Zoom interviews – and all of the prep from home and all of the post production I did out of my barn. All the editing we did remotely with my editors from California and all over.

The impact of the women featured is truly inspiring – especially having such a profound impact even during a pandemic. How did you come across their stories?

VR: Each woman we found in a little bit of a different way. One way that I just sort of love, the full circle of the series, is that we found Chief Shirell, who’s in Louisiana, and she’s been fighting for her land and her ancestors against climate change, and timber and oil extraction, we found her actually through a photographer on Instagram, who posts all the time about the devastation and the land loss in Louisiana. So we’d seen these photos that she had taken and then got in touch with the photographer, who then put us in touch with Chief Shirell. In Puerto Rico, we learned about Arianna through an award that she had won for young people inventing things to help their communities. So a lot of stories we actually had found through social media in some way or even local stories, local newspapers that cover smaller community things.

What does it mean to you to be able to capture part of their legacy through Impact and tell their stories?

VR: For me, being able to showcase and celebrate and honor people’s lives and voices that we don’t usually hear from – and don’t get those narratives out in the world has actually been so profound to me, because it’s been my sort of mission and my core hope with the work I do is that I make content that matters, that shares people’s lives that we don’t usually get to see. For us, especially in the pandemic, for us to be able to tell the stories of these women, who the pandemic didn’t stop them, it actually just added to the amazing work they’re already doing. So to be able to have like a little fraction of their life and impact captured at that moment to me has just been really profound and the relationship that I’ve been able to develop with all of our crews around the world and the women in the series has also just been a really strong feeling of community. And so it’s just been really special.

The series is hosted by Gal Gadot, whose role as Wonder Woman has inspired a new generation. How did she get involved with the project?

VR: From what I understand from Gal is she had been really looking for some way to make sure that she could use the platform that she has, and the reach that she has around the world for good, and really wanted to be able to put the spotlight on women and people around the world who, again, don’t usually get that kind of acknowledgement. And so she was looking for a project that would do that. When she did see that first short film, that Brazil film I was talking about, I think that there was a sort of light bulb that went off of this is a great connection between what she was looking to do and the potential for what we could create. The way we’ve been talking about this Impact series is it’s much more than short films, but really a movement, and hopefully something that is sort of a ripple effect. When people see these films and when people know about these women, they understand that you can make change, and you can make a difference in your community as small or as large impact as you set your mind to.

IMPACT will be released digitally (weekly) and then culminate in a feature-length documentary special on National Geographic channel on June 24, and then air globally in 142 countries and 43 languages. What sort of impact do you hope it has on viewers?

VR: I hope the impact that the series has on viewers is to both remind us all or show us all that there is good happening in the world, that there are people around the world really making a difference in their community. And then at the same time, I hope it’s an inspiration for people to think about what’s right in front of them where they could also have an impact. And that you don’t have to wait to change the world in some huge way. The women in our series saw things and were affected and impacted by things in their life, and they chose to act. And that’s kind of what I hope people take away from it.

And is that what you took away from your time with the extraordinary six subjects?

VR: What I took away and I still take away every day from anytime I speak with any of them is the sheer will of spirit that just drives them forward and they move forward in spite of the fear they may feel or insecurities or doubt, they still do the work that they know is needed. And by doing that, it just inspires me to keep going with whatever I’m doing and inspires me to share those kinds of stories with my kids as just great examples of not being stuck in fear or insecurity or doubt, but to just do what your heart desires and keep moving forward.

You’re directing the documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life, an Amazon original. Could you speak a bit about that project?

VR: Yeah, that has been an amazing project. That started before the pandemic and that’s coming out this summer on Amazon. Mary made her album My Life in the 90s, her second album, it was at a time when she was really struggling with a lot of depression and really trying to figure out who she was. The film, it’s about the album, but it’s really about… there’s a line she says that I love, she says, “I didn’t know I was me.” And it’s this idea about self-love. It’s about trusting what you know in your own core and for women, and especially women of color, being proud to take up space, to make your voice heard. Mary speaks a lot to the idea of speaking your truth and that her music really saved her. So the film’s about all of that. We had a great time, we were able to add animation into it. It’s just a story that I love. I haven’t done music documentaries, but to me it was this really beautiful blend of a music doc but also a film about just coming to terms with who you are and feeling good about whoever that is and this idea of self-love.

For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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INTERVIEW: Sag Harbor Cinema Executive Director James Hook Talks The Cinema’s Grand Opening

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  • LVIS thrift shops are open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 AM through 5 PM

donations are accepted Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM through 1 PM by appointment 

located at 95 Main St East Hampton
  • Check out the Top Hamptons Events This Weekend!⁠
⁠
🚗 The Bridge IX⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 13 | 2–7PM⁠
📍 The Bridge, Bridgehampton⁠
Over 300 rare automobiles showcased across stunning landscapes.⁠
⁠
🎬 23rd Annual Surf Movie Night⁠
📅 Fri, Sept 12 | 5:30–9PM⁠
📍 Southampton Arts Center⁠
Surfboard swap, live music & outdoor film screening. 🌊⁠
⁠
🍝 San Gennaro Feast of the Hamptons⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 13 – Sun, Sept 14 | 10AM⁠
📍 Hampton Bays⁠
Italian pastries, live entertainment & fireworks Sat @ 8:15PM 🎆⁠
⁠
🎭 In Process: Roderick George⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 13 | 7PM⁠
📍 Guild Hall, East Hampton⁠
A special in-process presentation of The Missing Fruit (Part I).⁠
⁠
🎤 Sheena Easton at WHBPAC⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 13 | 8PM⁠
📍 Westhampton Beach PAC⁠
Grammy-winning artist live on stage!⁠
⁠
☕ Cars & Coffee⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 14 | 9–11AM⁠
📍 Bridgehampton Museum⁠
Classic & exotic cars, food, drinks & live music.⁠
⁠
🛍 Hampton Vintage⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 14 | 10AM–5PM⁠
📍 Westhampton Beach Village Green⁠
Shop unique vintage finds!⁠
⁠
🎶 Hamptons Festival of Music Finale⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 14 | 4PM⁠
📍 St. Luke’s Church, East Hampton⁠
Featuring Cimarosa, Berlioz & Beethoven.⁠
⁠
🍷 Wine Dinner with Pradorey at R.AIRE⁠
📅 Tues, Sept 16 | 6:30PM⁠
📍 Hampton Bays⁠
Five-course tasting menu with exquisite wine pairings.⁠
⁠
🎥 Toy Story 30th Anniversary Screening⁠
📅 Sept 12–15 | Various Times⁠
📍 Southampton Playhouse⁠
Celebrate Woody & Buzz’s timeless adventure!⁠
⁠
Check out more events at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#carshow #hamptons #sangennaro #sangennarofeast #winedinner #bridgeIX
  • The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF Hamptons) hosted the Bow Wow Meow Ball in East Hampton. The evening’s honorees, Ellen and Chuck Scarborough, were presented with the Champion of Animals Award, recognizing their more than twenty-five years of support to ARF. ⁠
⁠
Over 400 guests celebrated ARF’s remarkable work with cocktails, followed by dinner catered by Olivier Cheng. Peter Marino, accompanied by his daughter and ARF Board Member Isabelle Trapnell Marino, presented the Scarboroughs with their award. ⁠
⁠
📸: Patrick McMullan/PMC⁠
⁠
Check out the full gallery at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#arf #bowwowmeowball #hamptons #animalrescuefund #animalrescue
  • Make sure to add this event to your list for next summer
#Seafood #localeats #mtk #montaukgreen
  • I recently toured the new Rolex Boutique by London Jewelers in East Hampton, and it’s one of the most beautiful retail spaces I’ve ever stepped into. Located on Newtown Lane, the boutique is set inside a restored historic home that dates back to 1897, originally designed as a summer cottage.⁠
⁠
From the outside, it has that classic East Hampton charm, cedar shingles, white trim, and lush landscaping. But once you step inside, it’s all about quiet sophistication.⁠
⁠
The space is warm and welcoming, with walnut wood paneling, soft neutral tones, and beautiful textures throughout. There’s a fluted marble wall in a rich green Verdi Alpi stone that immediately catches your eye. It’s one of those details that’s understated but unmistakably Rolex.⁠
⁠
Read the full article at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#rolex #easthampton #hamptons #luxury #watch⁠
  • 🎾 Men’s US Open Final Viewing Party⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 2–5PM⁠
📍 Canoe Place Inn, Hampton Bays⁠
Watch the riveting Men’s US Open Final with drinks, grilled classics & fellow tennis fanatics in the lush garden.⁠
⁠
🦞 Montauk Seafood Festival⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6 – Sun, Sept 7 • 12–5PM⁠
📍 On the Green, Montauk⁠
The ultimate seafood event in the Hamptons! Lobster rolls, fish tacos, chowder, oysters & more 🐚🍤⁠
⁠
🩰 Master Class w/ Kat Wildish⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6⁠
📍 Hamptons Ballet Theatre School, Bridgehampton⁠
Open-level adult ballet class with world-renowned former NYCB & ABT dancer Kat Wildish. One day only!⁠
⁠
🎶 Hamptons Festival of Music⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6 • 7PM⁠
📍 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Hampton⁠
THFM’s MainStage Festival Orchestra featuring The New American Sinfonietta 🎻✨⁠
⁠
🌾 Outstanding in the Field (Sagaponack)⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 3PM⁠
Dine where the food is grown! Guest chef Jason Weiner returns for his 19th year 🍽️🌱⁠
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😂 Samantha Bee Live⁠
📅 Sat, Sept 6 • 8PM⁠
📍 WHBPAC, Westhampton Beach⁠
Award-winning comedian Samantha Bee brings her one-woman show to the Hamptons!⁠
⁠
🍴 Stirring The Pot: Andrew Carmellini⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 11AM⁠
📍 Guild Hall, East Hampton⁠
NYT’s Florence Fabricant interviews star chef Andrew Carmellini about his restaurant empire.⁠
⁠
🌕 Full Harvest Moon Hike⁠
📅 Sun, Sept 7 • 7:30PM⁠
📍 Meet at SOFO Museum, Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Tpke⁠
Walk under the moonlight with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt 🌙✨⁠
⁠
🎨 Style Beading Workshop⁠
📅 Fri, Sept 5 • 1PM⁠
📍 Nathaniel Rogers House, Bridgehampton⁠
Join Indigenous artist Savannah LeCornu to learn traditional beading techniques.⁠
⁠
⛳ A Legendary Day at Sebonack!⁠
📅 Tues, Sept 9 • 8:30AM–5PM⁠
📍 Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton⁠
An unforgettable day of golf supporting Westhampton Beach PAC 🌟⁠
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👉 Which event are you going to this weekend?⁠
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Check out more events at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
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#community #entertainment #hamptons #usopen #golf #comedy #seafood #montauk
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