Portland Student Documentary 'Preservation Pictures' Acquired for Nationwide Educational Distribution
The documentary 'Preservation Pictures,' created by Portland students through an intergenerational filmmaking program, has been acquired by Alexander Street, a prominent educational film distributor. This acquisition means the 58-minute film will be available to 60,000 universities, colleges, schools, and public libraries across the country starting in spring 2027. The film originated from a program at Buckman School during the COVID-19 pandemic, where Gal Pal Films, an independent media company founded by Portland filmmakers Mary Matthews and Jenny Abeling, paired young people with older adults. Students learned filmmaking skills, including using cameras, conducting interviews, and building stories, to document the lives of their elder partners. The project aimed to foster connections across generations and explore the value of listening to one another's stories.
