A September to Remember

By George Lewis, Production Assistant

As our busiest year yet continues at Family History Films, the end of September saw not one but two international shoots take place within a week of each other - one in Toronto, Canada, and the other in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The latter marked a personal milestone for me, as it was my first overseas project with the company. Until a few weeks ago, it had been over a decade since I’d last set foot in the U.S., and even then I was only thirteen! With a prefrontal cortex only half-baked, I feel I was unable to fully appreciate the splendour and nuance of this abundant landscape. Did you know it was here that they first thought to add chocolate to peanut butter? Thus, my favourite kind of M&Ms were born. And it was only thirty minutes after landing in Boston that I was able to purchase my first bag. What an arrival! This must be how Aragorn felt in Return of the King.

Boston skyline

From Naples to New England

Our filming in New Hampshire was the second part of a project that began earlier this summer in Naples, where we explored the roots of some of our Italian-American clients, walking the same streets their ancestors once trod. This time it was about capturing the modern chapter of their story, at their family home in New Hampshire.

The trip went off without a hitch as we filmed a series of heartwarming interviews with the family and extended relatives, who were true old-school Bostonians in both accent and manner. We also captured thoughtful, career-focused conversations at the patriarch’s former offices, which shone a light on an impressive entrepreneurial journey.

We also had sit-downs with the family’s tennis coach, as well as the client’s childhood friend turned family chef, who later treated us to a magnificent Italian spread. In the afternoon, we revealed some newly uncovered family secrets, including that one branch of the family had, for a time, lived far beyond Italy in what was then part of the Russian Empire. Their ancestors had left Sicily to help build new communities along the Black Sea coast before eventually returning home and later emigrating to America. Capturing their reaction to this discovery was a moving reminder of how unexpected and far-reaching family histories can be.

Project Manager Nico getting mic’d up before interviews

We also visited a local school that recently built a new dining area thanks to a generous family donation. Watching 14-year-olds taller than me stroll past, I couldn’t help but wish they had donated towards a library instead…

Senior Researcher Cosima sitting in for the camera set-up

On our final day, we headed into central Boston to capture establishing shots of a few streets tied to the family’s past, before wrapping the trip with a well-earned jig at an Irish pub that was celebrating its 20th anniversary. It was the perfect conclusion to a shoot that felt like a celebration of legacy, identity, and a moment in time that the family can now pass down for generations.

Live Irish folk music at The Shaskeen Pub - Manchester, NH

Tales from Toronto

While we were wrapping up in New England, another FHF crew was across the border in Toronto, filming an emotional chapter of a different family story. This was the sequel to a project that began in Puerto Rico in March. We returned to work with our clients of Swedish heritage on a production led by our Project Manager Matilda, joined by Ellen, our newest researcher, also on her first shoot with Family History Films.

The main interview day brought together three generations: a mother, her two sons, and her two grandchildren, all reflecting on the life and legacy of their respective husband, father, grandfather, who had been an architect responsible for the design of multiple buildings across the Toronto area. It was an emotional day, full of laughter, nostalgia, and a few tears, as the family spoke openly about their memories and what the project meant to them.

Interview set-up

We then revealed to the family our research into their ancestors who lived for generations in a Polish town with a long-established Jewish community, before leaving in the early 20th century amid social upheaval. They were presented with original Polish records, newspapers, and a paper trail showing how their ancestors traced multiple migration paths, moving to Canada, New York, and a few even going as far as Brazil. You never know where a branch of your family might be hidden.

Ellen received a true FHF baptism, conducting her first filmed interview and spending the rest of the day feverishly digitizing more than 1,000 family photos before filming wrapped. A challenging but rewarding task, as our work is so aided by these visual fragments of the past.

The following day, the team took to the streets to capture footage across Toronto. Under a clear blue sky, they revisited locations seen in the family’s archival videos, filming present-day versions to show how those places have changed over time and capturing the evolution of both a city and a family’s legacy. And this was captured not a moment too soon, as the next day brought a torrential rainstorm, serving as a timely reminder that a return flight to England was looming.

Researcher Ellen directing some scenic shots

That’s (not) a Wrap

For us, the end of September was a reminder of what we do best, travelling across borders to capture the stories that define people and the places they come from, and then combining our footage with extensive research to create digital heirlooms that can be treasured for decades. Every family we work with reveals something new about the emotional connections between memory and history. We’re looking forward to discovering more of these stories, with two more shoots still to come before the year’s end.

For me, it was the perfect introduction to the global reach of our work, and a reminder that wherever you go, family remains one of the most defining and salient aspects of our lives. Oh, and peanut butter M&M’s!

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