Kaja + Michael
A Familiar Wilderness, a documentary commissioned for the opening of the Shedd Aquarium’s Oceanarium, documents an aboriginal fisherman, Roy Cranmer, fighting to preserve the ‘Namgis band’s historic fishing grounds and land of origin while protecting the vibrant ecosystems and salmon populations that have sustained the Pacific Northwest Coast region for centuries. Also known by the anglicized name Nimpkish, the ‘Namgis are part of the Kwakwaka’wakw (initially named the Kwakiut’l by Franz Boas) First Nation and have their homeland in what is now British Columbia, on the northern end of Vancouver Island. Hoffman has maintained a long relationship with the ‘Namgis band, having been adopted into the Cranmer family at the Cranmer potlatch in November 2017. This video was a collaborative effort with the First Nation people of Alert Bay, B.C., and continues to be shown there at the U’mista Cultural Centre.
Studs Terkel discusses his new book, “Race” and some of the most compelling stories he’s heard in his career of documenting oral history. He tells these stories with the backdrop of related video footage of the world of work, the Great Depression, World War II, and race relations in America.
Raw footage for the award-winning series The 90’s of 42nd Street in New York City.
Raw footage for The 90’s. Interview with urbanologist Prof. William Kornblum of City University about the history, and 1990s revitalization, of New York’s Times Square.