The Towering Task Newsletter: Updates

We know it had been a few months since we last wrote, and in case you missed our recent email, we wanted to make sure you get this one. We have been very busy, as you can see from our updates below. We also have work yet to do to make sure that the story of the Peace Corps reaches far more people. It’s a story of success and challenges, of relationships and common purpose.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to you and the rest of the Peace Corps community for helping us make it through this challenging year and sharing this story of the Peace Corps. Your continued support is humbling.

In solidarity,

Director Alana DeJoseph & the Documentary Team

• Over 7,000 viewers: We’re thrilled to have reached so many people with the film through community screenings (virtual and in person).
• 6 film festivals: We were accepted into film festivals in Denver, Vail, Black Star in Ghana, The Hague Global Cinema, Dallas International Film Festival, and Indo Global Cinema in Mumbai.
• Screened at government agencies, universities, libraries, etc.: The film has been shown at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Small Business Administration; the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan; at offices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); at universities (including Yale and Rutgers) and libraries across the country. It has been shown to a Navy group and to the New Politics Leadership Academy, among other showings;
• 26 RPCV groups: Returned Peace Corps Volunteer groups have showed incredible support by hosting screenings across the U.S.;
  • On March 1st, 2020, for example, the Boston Area RPCVs filled the auditorium of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library with over 500 audience members. It was our last in-person event before the pandemic, and it was spectacular.
• We’ve gone virtual: Our virtual theatrical release has continued with viewers purchasing virtual tickets from local movie theaters and streaming the film from home.;
  • Here is the list of theaters. You can purchase a ticket from any of the theaters listed. Since the film is streamed online from the comfort of your home, you don’t have to be in the same state or even the same country as the theater. http://www.firstrunfeatures.com/toweringtask_playdates.html;
• Many more screenings to come: Virtual and in-person screenings are being planned for the coming months. In 2021, we plan to reach millions of viewers worldwide. Join us!
  • Future broadcast dates coming soon: We look forward to opportunities to get the film to millions of viewers in the 60th anniversary year!

We’ve come a long way. From the September 2019 premiere screening in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center:

• The Peace Corps, a history of spirited engagement, by Scott Brinton via the LI Herald.
• Paul Theroux Reviews “A Towering Task” (Malawi), by Theroux via Peace Corps Worldwide.
• Alana DeJoseph talks about filming A TOWERING TASK, by Joan Mede-Matsui via Peace Corps Worldwide.
• And please add your own review to Common Sense Media here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/a-towering-task-the-story-of-the-peace-corps?gate=1.

Thanks to your ongoing support, we are working hard to bring this film to as wide an audience as possible and remind America and the world about the Peace Corps. That said, we are still fundraising for:

• Future broadcast release: We need funding for a re-edit to fit standard broadcast lengths, conforming to broadcast standards, and station fees;
• Alternate language versions and bonus material development;
• Educational distribution: We need funding for an educational distributor, lesson plans, and discussion guides;
• Continued distribution and Public Relations: As we continue to bring this film to diverse audiences across the U.S. and the world, we want to keep the Peace Corps in the public eye and keep the discussion going about why and how we engage with the rest of the world.

Given COVID-19, we can now work with you to host and view online events. We value in-person viewing and discussion, but physical distancing is essential.

Let us know if you are interested in hosting a screening online (or in person in the future) by emailing us at info@peacecorpsdocumentary.com.

1. Spread the word. Share this newsletter and the documentary website with your friends and family – and ask them to donate.
2. Donate. Click on the blue DONATE button below. (All donations are tax-deductible.)