Media Information for The Turtle Park Story
| Screenings | Media |
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Turtle Park Story is a 30 minute documentary.
We welcome inquires from festival and broadcast programmers. Send us an email
and we will contact you as soon as possible.
|
Short Synopsis:
Turtle Park was built in 1996 and is an extremely popular destination in St. Louis, Missouri.
This film reviews the history and inspiration behind the sculptor playground and features a
variety of people visiting the giant turtles located on Oakland Avenue across from the St.
Louis Zoo.
Format/Running Time:
The program was shot in mini DV. Its running time is 30 minutes. It was edited in Final Cut
Pro.
Production/Website Stills:
To download an image, right-click (PC) or control-click (Mac) on a link and save image to
disk. All images are jpg files unless otherwise specified. You have permission to use other
website pictures in articles/postings regarding Turtle Park documentary.
Turtle Park Sign (1024x768 325KB)
Turtle Park Closeup (1024x728 209KB)
Turtle Park Mo Boxer (1024x768 306KB)
Comments:
"There's just something about turtles," says landscape architect Richard Claybour, when
asked to describe the appeal of Turtle Park, Bob Cassilly's array of giant sculpted turtles
across highway 40 from the St. Louis Zoo. "I don't know why, but they seem to have this
effect on people. And for this space, they were perfect. I really can't think of anything else
that would have had the same effect on people."
And what an effect! Whether it's a picnic, playtime, a special photo, or a day of relaxation,
St. Louisans have been gathering in the park since it was opened in 1996. Turtle
Playground has become a destination, a landmark, and now, it's the topic of a
documentary to air at the St. Louis International Film Festival.
"The Turtle Park Story" is a fresh, upbeat 30 minute documentary about the local
landmark, and the people who made it a reality. The film focuses on Sonya "Sunny"
Glassberg, and her desire to create a fun place, a happy place for all of St. Louis' children.
"I wanted to give children a place where they could be happy, where they could feel
inspired. Because I feel that that sort of thing is contagious."
Local filmmakers Michael Dorn and James Finn wanted to tell the park's and "Sunny's"
story. "People drive by and see the giant turtles. But they don't know what they mean, or
why they are there. We met Sunny and were so inspired by her spirit and her kindness that
we wanted to tell this story," says James, producer of the documentary.
"It really is an interesting story," says Michael, director. "And in this day and age, whenever
you can have a public private partnership success story, you really want to get the word
out and celebrate that. It's so inspirational to others."
The documentary tells the story of how "Sunny" Glassberg worked with City officials to
identify a piece of land and obtain the necessary approvals for the sculptor playground
design. "Everyone was familiar with Bob Cassilly and his work," says Anabeth (Calkins)
Weil then President of Forest Park Forever. And we thought it would be a perfect use for
that piece of land. A real entry into Forest Park for the Zoo, and a bridge into the Dogtown
neighborhood. Architect Richard Claybour agrees. "Bob was the perfect choice. I can't
imagine anyone else doing quite what Bob did." Listen to children and adults share their
stories of fondness for the sculptor playground and learn why Turtle Park has become a
St. Louis landmark.
The Turtle Park Story will air at the St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday,
November 12th, 2005 at the Tivoli Theatre at 12pm. The film was funded in part through a
grant from the Committee for Access and Local Origination Programming (CALOP).
|
Cast:
Mrs. Sonya "Sunny" Glassberg
Philanthropist / Turtle Park Patron
Richard Claybour
St. Louis Architect
Robert Cassilly
American Sculptor and founder of City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri.
Anabeth (Calkins) Weil
St. Louis Forest Park Manager
Crew:
Michael Dorn
Director
Mike is a Chicago native who moved to St. Louis where he attended St. Louis University
High School. He's a graduate of Harvard University, where he studied political science. In
2001, Mike wrote and directed the narrative film "About A Girl", and is currently working on
documentaries about James B. Eads, Rock and Roll, and mayoral politics in the District of
Columbia. Mike lives in St. Louis with his wife Karlah, and their 2 dogs.
James Finn
Producer
James has worked in the film industry for over ten years. Always on the lookout for
challenging projects, he has worked on both commercial and nonprofit productions, from
television spots and feature films to community videos and independent documentaries.
James graduated from Boston University and studied film editing at the University of
Southern California. He has produced and edited numerous short films and has worked as
the producer on several feature length documentary and narrative films. He is Co-Founder
of and Producer for ModernFilmsOnline.com. His latest project is a documentary about
James B. Eads building the first ironclads for the United States Navy, during the Civil War.
Karlah Pogue, Associate Producer
Jim Tudor, Editor
Jim is a St. Louis based editor, working full-time in the film industry.
Marc Luther, Videographer
Marc is a St. Louis based cinematographer, working full-time in the film industry.
Brian Pershall, Production Assistant
|
Synopsis:
Brief Synopsis (88 words)
The natural wonder of giant turtles has helped make Turtle Park a major attraction in St.
Louis, since opening in 1996. While watching the 30 minute documentary, we meet the
people who made the park possible, hear how they were inspired to build Turtle Park.
Watching old video footage and pictures, we learn about the planning and building of the
park. We then continue to explore the success of the park with new video of the St. Louis
community visiting and enjoying the park as it is today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long Synopsis (204 words)
Turtles have roamed the Earth since the time of the dinosaurs and have long fascinated
children and adults. The natural wonder of turtles has helped make Turtle Park one of the
major attractions in St. Louis, since opening in 1996. The park is located at Oakland and
Tamm Avenues, on the south side of Forest Park near the Zoo.
In this 30 minute documentary, architect Richard Claybour takes us on a tour of the parks
history as we meet the people who helped make Turtle Park come to life. From Anna Beth
Caulkin we learn that the Turtle Playground park is a joint project of the city's Department
of Parks and the Forest Park Forever organization. Sonya "Sunny" Glassberg shares with
viewers how she was inspired to donate the park for all children, young and old, to honor
the memory of her family. We hear from the sculptor, Robert Cassilly how he wanted
children to enjoy climbing on the giant turtles as we watch video of children playing in the
park. Both children and adults then share their thoughts about the sculptor playground.
The Turtle Park Story offers a fascinating look at how and why Turtle Park has become a
St. Louis Landmark.
The Turtle Park Story is funded in part by Committee for Access and Local Origination
Programming (CALOP). A foundation responsible for supporting the educational and
cultural programming needs of University City and encouraging development of programs
that meet those needs.
|
Contact information:
James Finn, producer
fineas@prodigy.net
Michael Dorn, director
modernfilms@sbcglobal.net
|
|
