The Lady with All the Answers (2011)
Ann Landers changed the world, one piece of advice at a time.

The Lady with All the Answers profiles the mastermind behind Ann Landers, known to friends and family as Eppie Lederer. This 1950s housewife transformed herself into one of the most powerful women in America, counselor to priests and Presidents, housewives and CEOs. As she tackled cutting edge topics from domestic abuse to bulimia to AIDS, her sense of morality traversed great distances. Yet the journey was so personal, so sincere, that she literally led millions along with her through her advice column syndicated in thousands of newspapers. The Lady with All the Answers is a portrait of an extraordinary woman who excelled by confronting a challenge all too typical for women in the second half of the 20th century: how to live a great life for oneself and to make a difference in the world.

Length: 60min
Outlet: PBS American Masters
Produced by Ali Pomeroy
Written and Directed by Calvin Skaggs

Parenthood ... the real story (2012)
Enter unprepared. Leave transformed.

It’s life’s most challenging and rewarding unpaid job. Almost 150 million Americans are doing it right now. But most parents are too focused on their kids to understand the tremendous changes they’re experiencing themselves. Blending observational scenes, pop culture, and a growing body of scientific research, Parenthood explores a life-changing journey that begins before conception and ends with the final farewell.

Length: 4 x 60
A series by David Van Taylor, Cal Skaggs, and Ali Pomeroy

Schism (2008)
Homosexuality and the Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church is being split apart by the confirmation of a partnered gay bishop and the blessing of same sex unions, as parishes vote to separate from the American church and seek supervision by bishops from other countries, such as Nigeria and Rwanda.

Through the experiences of divided congregations in the Diocese of Virginia, Schism will convey the causes and effects of the split, and its reverberations in people’s personal and political lives. The film will also explore the psychosexual and geo-political roots of the schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the American branch.

Length: 60 min
Produced and Directed by Calvin Skaggs

To Tell The Truth (2011)
The ultimate documentary—on documentaries

There are countless histories of fiction film, but the documentary —from late 19th-century “actualities” through the incredible array of recent films by Errol Morris, Michael Moore, Werner Herzog, and others—has never received its due. In 6 hour-long episodes, To Tell the Truth will chronicle the many adventures of documentary filmmakers who have braved dangers and journeyed to the ends of the earth to enlarge our understanding of the human experience. The series will place familiar historical events in a startling new perspective, and help viewers understand the choices behind—and consequences of—on-screen “reality."

Length: 6 x 60 min
A series by Ali Pomeroy, Calvin Skaggs, and David Van Taylor

When Muppets Dream of Peace (2010)
Does Sesame Street run through the West Bank?

Starting before 9/11 and the Second Intifada, Sesame Workshop brought Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians together to create a children's television series that would foster peace and mutual respect. But like everything in this war-torn region, Muppet vignettes, live-actions, and animations proved fraught with dissension. Spanning years and continents, this "backstage" documentary captures an unexpected microcosm of the Mideast peace process.

Length: 60min
A production of Highlander Pictures and Lumiere Productions
Directed and Produced by David Van Taylor
Executive Producer: Jane Coleman