FILMS | Kristen Lauth Shaeffer

FILMS

Nello (short experimental documentary, 4:46)

Over thirty years ago, Nello Pisoni was in a car accident. As a result, he became blind. While many people in his situation might be discouraged, Nello was not. Instead, he told his wife Theresa that he was going to buy an old loom from a neighbor, string it, and make rugs to keep busy and earn money for the family - and he did.

In the spring of 2007, Theresa spent a day remembering a time when Nello could still weave rugs, re-teaching herself and her family how to use the antique loom, and talking about Nello.

Pierogies (short documentary, 13:06)

I first considered making a short film about pierogies when I realized that I didn’t know how to make my own family’s recipe; if something were to happen to my mother, it would be lost forever.

The making and eating of pierogies – eastern European dumplings – is deeply embedded as a part of my family history, as well as the culture of Pittsburgh. Many Pittsburghers claim them as a trademark of the city; they are made in our churches, sold through our local businesses, and created by our families. Pierogies began as a humble food because they were made from inexpensive and available ingredients. Today, they seem to be viewed not as commonplace, but rather, a treasure.

dirt clouds grass sky dirt clouds grass sky (short experimental, 3:00)

"dirt clouds grass sky dirt clouds grass sky" was created with Andrew Halasz and Noel Marie Schermaier for SYNC’D, an event during which a live band improvised a soundtrack for the moving image. Shot with a MiniDV camcorder in a carefully rigged hamster ball, we set out to see how the potential chaos might be represented in music. The result is an experiment in perspective, remaining grounded while spinning out of control.

Greetings from Pittsburgh: Neighborhood Narratives Trailer (feature film, 120 min.)

Inspired by the way that the arrondissements of Paris were featured in the film "Paris je t'aime," Andrew Halasz and I thought that it would be great to see the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh celebrated in the same way. We set out to find filmmakers who had stories to tell about some of the city's neighborhoods. The result is a collection of nine fictional films that reflect the talent of Pittsburgh's filmmakers and paid tribute to the city's diverse neighborhoods in 2008, its 250th year.