The four “Promises of the Revolution” films chronicle the efforts of present-day Massachusetts residents—from Marblehead to Mashpee—to hold the nation and themselves to the ideals that birthed the Revolution. Weaving together history with the challenges we face today, the documentaries show the diverse ways that young writers, Indigenous leaders, archivists, historians and artists tackle the 250th with creativity and courage. Their stories give viewers a window into the way history is made and why it is more important than ever.
In “Heading Home,” a film by Evan Goodchild, the town of Marblehead and concerned citizens explore the “moral contradictions” of their celebrated patriot Jeremiah Lee through a new exhibition at the Marblehead Museum. The film depicts how the community is reclaimin the lost stories of the Black people enslaved by Lee. Against a backdrop of the Semiquincentennial, “Heading Home,” shows the community effort and creativity involved in widening standard historical narratives.
The “Promises of the Revolution” film series represents a new partnership between GBH and Mass Humanities and reflects their mutual public missions to explore the ideas, people and places that shape the commonwealth.
“Promises” is based on four projects supported by Mass Humanities and conducted by Queer History Boston, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, WordPowered and the Marblehead Museum. The films were produced by Raeshma Razvi, with individual shorts directed by Wes DeShano, Evan Goodchild, and Steven Peters. The films are made possible through support from MA250 and the Eastern Bank Foundation.