Rumor of Blue Sky Premiers

PITTSBURGH PRODUCER/DIRECTOR TO RELEASE DOCUMENTARY RECOUNTS ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER IN DONORA
 
Rumor of Blue Sky
Premiers on WQED-TV Pittsburgh
Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m.

As part of Earth Week programming, WQED-TV will premier Rumor of Blue Sky, a documentary produced and directed by Andy Maietta, member of the Digital Filmmaking & Media Production faculty at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The documentary will air on April 23 at 8 p.m.
 
Through the compelling remembrances of 25 elderly survivors of the 1948 smog disaster in Donora, PA, Rumor of Blue Sky recounts one of the worst environmental tragedies in US history and one small town’s dramatic contribution to clean air legislation. An air temperature inversion trapped a thick cloud of industrial pollution in this Monongahela Valley town. More than 800 people reported illness and 20 people died.  The tragedy was the impetus leading to the nation’s first federal Clean Air Act.
 
The collection of first-hand accounts, conducted by oral historians from Steel Industry Heritage Corporation and Donora Historical Society, captures the smog survivors’ dramatic recollections of life in Donora before, during, and after the smog tragedy.  Retired workers give us a view from inside the mills of how little workers and employers were aware of the dangers of industrial pollution at the time.  According to one lifelong resident, “We had to sweep our front porches almost everyday to get rid of the particulate matter that came from the mills.  Smoke from the mills meant that the men were working and that we had what we needed to survive at that time.”

Through videotaped oral histories, archival materials, personal memorabilia, and present-day footage of the town, the filmmaker’s goal is to advance our knowledge and understanding of Western Pennsylvania’s industrial and environmental past. Maietta is from Ellwood City and his father was a steel worker.
 
For the making of the hour-long documentary, producer-director Andrew Maietta recruited a roster of talent from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he teaches scriptwriting and video production. Co-producer Janet Whitney and sound designer Dino DiStefano are Video Production graduates of the college. Senior animation students, under the direction of instructor Jeff Zehner, animated sequences of industrial facilities and the air temperature inversion.  Mark Bender of the Graphic Design faculty illustrated the iconic DVD cover art, while The Art Institute of Pittsburgh alumnus and graphic artist Cheryl Leto Bender designed the DVD menu and packaging.  The Art Institute of Pittsburgh instructor Chris Miller photographed historical images for the production.  
 
Andrew Maietta has been a member of faculty at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh since 1989. He earned his MFA from Columbia University and his BA from Duquesne University. Maietta has held editing positions on a variety of documentaries and exhibited at several film festivals. He dedicates his expertise and leadership to The Production Monsters, a student club at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh created to align students with organizations throughout the region. The club has produced a variety of videos for organizations such as Achieva, Central Blood Bank, Milestone Centers and many others. Maietta currently resides in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
 
Pittsburgh-based videographer Mark Knobil, whose credits include PBS, Discovery Channel, and NOVA, and camera assistant Jeff Garton, shot the documentary on location in Donora.  Musician Ron Schlachter composed an original score.
 
Through the non-profit fiscal sponsorship of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, of which Maietta is an artist member, the production received funding from local and state grant-making organizations, including: Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program.