[None of the Above raw #70]

This tape features raw footage for the documentary "None of the Above," an in depth ethnographic look at non voting citizens in the U.S. We watch as the RePass family prepares food at their home after Sunday services. Cindy RePass talks about her religious and political beliefs. We also watch as Frank RePass takes a few of the videomakers on a tour of Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans.

00:00Copy video clip URL We watch as the RePass family peels hard boiled eggs in the kitchen. Skip Blumberg begins to talk to Cindy RePass about her daily life. Cindy explains that she does not have a lot of free time and that most of her time is devoted to her children. Cindy also talks about taking classes at a local college.

02:36Copy video clip URL Cindy talks about her hopes to become a nurse in the coming years and her need to only work part time in order to be there for her children. Cindy goes on to talk about her interest in politics. “I’ve always cared very much about being a good citizen, and being a good citizen means being informed and knowing who the candidates are and voting.” Cindy goes on to talk about her political beliefs in detail. She explains that she had been a Democrat in her younger years, but has since aligned herself more with the Republican party. Cindy emphasizes the need for less government involvement and asserts that many of the problems that the country faces can best be solved at the grassroots level. She gives an explanation for why she has voted Republican. “I live in the inner city with a lot of, you know, there’s a lot of welfare families in our area and I just, I see that their children are not happy. They are not happy. They don’t have jobs. They’re not going anywhere fast and I think that throwing money at it is not the answer, you know? And don’t think government knows what programs really work for people.”

06:16Copy video clip URL When asked about her feeling over her husband’s decision not to take part in the voting process, Cindy quickly responds and laments Frank’s choice not to vote. She goes on to talk about the differences between her conservative views and Frank’s views. Cindy also talks about their differences in opinion on the neighborhood she and Frank currently live in. She states that it is a “scary place.” “I have to look out the door before I go out, make sure there’s no suspicious-looking characters, you know, that kind of thing. You know, when we come home at night, we make sure we’re not being followed and you know, there’s a lot of fear that goes with living in the city.” She goes on to talk about her political beliefs in greater detail and expresses her disdain for the current welfare programs in place. “I see the programs that exist in our area and I don’t want to pay for those programs any more. I think that they’re a dead end street. … The inner city culture has progressively gone down. The violence has gone up. The death rate in New Orleans is horrendous and you have mothers who are my children’s, you know, my oldest girl is getting to be about that age and you have children raising children in the inner city and I think that these programs that have been in effect for the last twenty years where you give these children homes and money and the means to provide for their children has really aided in the downfall of a whole huge group of people in our American society, and I’m not sure how to cure that or solve it, but these programs haven’t done the job.”

12:41Copy video clip URL Blumberg asks Cindy to give a brief description of her husband Frank.  She goes on to talk about Frank’s involvement in the Catholic church and her attraction to Frank because of it. Cindy goes on to talk about her own religious convictions. She states that religion is the essence of her being. She also goes on to talk about her work as a nun in the past. John Callaway goes on to ask Cindy to address the trend of non voters in the U.S. Cindy states that it’s a “great concern.” Callaway also asks Cindy for her take on American civilization. Cindy states, “I think, you know, we’re just on one of those pendulum swings. I have a lot of faith in people in that you know, if we’re on the downward trend of being involved, well, it’s going to hit bottom and swing back the other way out of necessity.” Cindy goes on to talk about her past efforts to convince her husband to vote. We then watch as Cindy and her children continue to make hard boiled eggs for a Girl Scout meeting. This lasts for a good portion of the tape.

37:15Copy video clip URL Cut to a shot of Frank playing piano in his home. He briefly runs two pieces before beginning to talk about his love for classical music. This lasts for a few minutes.

40:38Copy video clip URL Blumberg and Weinberg travel with Frank to Greenwood Cemetery, the largest cemetery in New Orleans. Frank talks about the above ground cemeteries in New Orleans and visits the tombs of a number of his family members. He gives a very detailed historical description of the many cemeteries in the city. This lasts for several minutes.

45:57Copy video clip URL Frank talks about the beauty found in these cemeteries. “I find it very beautiful because it shows the passage of time and how these things that we seek permanence in are simply not. We live in a world of impermanence and we may seek to avoid change but it’s simply part of life, part of the world.” When asked what he sees in the crumbling grave sites, Frank responds, “I see it as just very, very beautiful. It shows the process of life and birth and death and rebirth.” The three continue travel through the cemetery.

48:23Copy video clip URL The three arrive at Frank’s mother’s paternal grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ graves. Frank talks about the thirteen people that are buried at the grave site. Frank goes on to visit another family grave in the cemetery. He then talks about his love for genealogy. Blumberg continues to gather b-roll of the area. This lasts for several minutes.

01:02:03Copy video clip URL Tape ends.