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Pushing the Elephant

– by Beth Davenport and Elizabeth Mandel

    1. Nonfiction

    2. Date Awarded: Summer 2008

    3. Directors(s): Beth Davenport & Elizabeth Mandel

    1. Producer(s): Katy Chevigny & Angela Tucker

    2. Company Credit: Arts Engine

    3. Location: Congo / USA

    1. Film Status: Completed

    2. URL: » http://www.artsengine.net/pushing_the_elephant/

About the Film:

In the late 1990s, Rose Mapendo lost her family and home to the violence that engulfed the Democratic Republic of Congo. She emerged advocating forgiveness and reconciliation. In a country where ethnic violence has created seemingly irreparable rifts among Tutsis, Hutus and other Congolese, this remarkable woman is a vital voice in her beleaguered nation’s search for peace. Now, Rose is confronted with teaching one her most recalcitrant students how to forgive—Nangabire, the daughter who remained behind. When war came to Rose’s village, she was separated from her five-year-old daughter, Nangabire. Rose managed to escape with nine of her ten children and was eventually resettled in Phoenix, Arizona. Over a decade later, mother and daughter are reunited in the US where they must face the past and build a new future Through this intimate family portrait unfolding against the wider drama of war, we will explore the long-term and often hidden effects of war on women and families, particularly those in traditional societies—financial despair, increased susceptibility to rape, and social ostracism. Pushing the Elephant will capture one of the most important stories of our age, a time when genocidal violence is challenged by the moral fortitude and grace of one woman’s mission for peace.

About the Filmmakers:

Having worked in various capacities at Big Mouth since 2003, Beth brings over eight years of production and outreach experience in television, commercials and award-winning documentaries for P.O.V., Sundance Channel, BBC and Arte France as well as directing advocacy videos and short films. Film credits include: the Emmy-nominated film Deadline, Thomas Balmes’ Wrongful Death and Election Day. Beth is currently a producer at Arts Engine, Inc./Big Mouth Films and is producing The Dishes, directed by Katy Chevigny and directing Pushing the Elephant, a feature-length documentary. Elizabeth is the producer of the film Arctic Son, and a co-producer on Jennifer Fox’s film Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman. She directs and produces educational videos for non-profit organizations such as Jewish Women International and for Johns Hopkins Medical Center’s Project Restore, in additional to producing spots for Nickelodeon and Sundance Channel. Elizabeth served as an associate producer for Jasmine Dellal’s When the Road Bends and was the producer of the Deadline DVD. Prior to joining Big Mouth in 2001, she worked for the United Nations and the Asia Foundation. She has also worked in India, Cambodia, Nepal and Japan on a variety of community development, leadership training and citizen participation projects. She holds a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in International Affairs, with a focus on Economic and Political Development and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with a B.A. in Religion and East Asian Cultures.

Cinereach Blog Posts Related to Pushing the Elephant:
DocuWeeks Showcases Pushing the Elephant and Summer Pasture