Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

Dr. John Lorentz, professor of History and Social Sciences at Shawnee State University speaks before a recent Portsmouth Kiwanis International lunch meeting about his upcoming documentaries on the Portsmouth Floodwall Murals and post-conflict Rwanda where he and his son, Nathan, will be filming in July.

            After successfully producing the award-winning documentary “River Voices: A Portrait of an American River Community,” several years ago, Shawnee State University’s Professor of History and Social Sciences Dr. John Lorentz has decided to produce two more documentaries with his son, Nathan, who was director, photographer and editor on “River Voices.”
            John Lorentz was the principal scholar for “River Voices.” His duties included directing, research, acquiring historical footage and photographs, and ensuring the project’s success as an educational, humanities-oriented work.
            The first documentary planned will be about the Portsmouth Floodwall Murals. The documentary will focus on the troubles that were caused by the floodwall blocking the river, the steel plants going elsewhere and other issues that caused the river-front side of town to become vacant. It will also focus on a non-profit organization, Portsmouth Murals, Inc., that set a goal to take a large 2,200-foot section of the massive grey Portsmouth floodwall and make it into a vast canvas of Portsmouth’s history.
            The documentary will focus on how the murals on the floodwall turned a previously drab landmark into a vital part of the community. More businesses began to form in the area and a dying part of town has been transformed. . Overall this documentary will be about what the floodwall did to revitalize the city of Portsmouth and what it means to the community.
            Lorentz Productions will also be working on a documentary about the 1994 genocide that took place in Rwanda. The film will document a group of young Rwandans and international volunteers who are partnering with communities in post-conflict countries like Rwanda to improve access to education.
            Lorentz Productions will begin filming the Rwandan documentary on July 3 and will take approximately two weeks to complete. One of the group’s founders and a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, David Mwambari, and his partner organization, Y-Generation Against Poverty (YGAP) will be featured in the film.
            “The purpose of this filming is to develop a high quality documentary that raises awareness of issues facing post-conflict countries, highlights the importance of education, and inspires youth to volunteer and make difference in the world,” Lorentz said. “The goal is to capture these themes through compelling, personal stories that engage the viewer and inspire discussion.”
            Lorentz Productions is currently self-financing the documentaries and is looking into grants and other sources of funding necessary to complete the project.
            For more information, contact Lorentz at (740) 351-3223.