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For Immediate Release:
Bridge the Gap to Pine Ridge
Premieres on PBS July 19
Step outside your world with host Chris Bashinelli--
a global explorer, travel writer, and moderator
for the United Nations.
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 Lincoln, Neb: Twenty-five-year-old Brooklynite Chris Bashinelli of The Sopranos fame brings a new meaning to the term cultural exchange in his new documentary Bridge the Gap to Pine Ridge. In two eventful weeks, Chris gets a taste of what it means to be a modern-day Oglala Lakota Indian on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota--a part of the United States that at times, is either in the media for its poverty statistics or is completely forgotten. By walking in local residents' shoes, Chris hopes to bridge the gap between viewers and the lives of the people on Pine Ridge--their daily struggles, their successes, their culture, and their dreams. Chris is honored to participate in a sacred buffalo harvest and joins in on the celebration that ends in a big bite of raw liver. But that's not all, he gets to take part in hard-labor farm work in order to better understand employment, gets 'schooled' by the women's basketball team at the Pine Ridge's Community College, and visits with a fourteen-year-old girl who has devoted her life to suicide prevention.
Talking with youth and young adults, Chris poses the question, "Do you want to live on or off 'the Rez'?" Touching talks and classroom visits with school-aged youth uncover stories of hope and Chris learns how culture through the generations has prevailed in the face of adversity.
Jane Goodall, Ph.D. sums it best--" Bridge the Gap shares exciting and inspirational stories of daily life from the developing world and encourages us to realize that at the end of the day, we really are all the same, and every single one of us makes a difference."
About Vision Maker MediaVision Maker Media shares Native stories with the world that represent the cultures, experiences, and values of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Founded in 1977, Vision Maker Media, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) which receives major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, nurtures creativity for development of new projects, partnerships, and funding. Vision Maker Media is the premier source for quality Native American and Pacific Islander educational and home videos. All aspects of our programs encourage the involvement of young people to learn more about careers in the media--to be the next generation of storytellers. Located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we offer student employment and internships.
Additional Information Regarding Bridge the Gap to Pine Ridge:
Feed Date: PBS Broadcast | Friday, July 19, 2013, 10 p.m. ET
Run time: apprx. 57 minutes
Credits: A film by Chris Bashinelli. Bridge the Gap to Pine Ridge is a co-production of Bridge the Gap TV and Vision Maker Media.
Funding for Bridge the Gap to Pine Ridge:
Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Vision Maker Media. Additional funding provided by Osprey Packs, South Dakota Humanities Council, South Dakota Community Foundation, Yip Harburg Foundation, and the Mother Jones Fund of the Peace Development Fund.
Sign-up to get notified of when the DVD becomes available: www.surveymonkey.com/s/bridgethegapdvdAdditional Sites: www.chrisbashinelli.com www.facebook.com/bridgethegaptvwww.youtube.com/bridgethegapwithcbDIRECTOR/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Chris Bashinelli was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. After a decade long acting career including an appearance on the HBO hit television show The Sopranos, Chris decided to follow his real passion--so he traveled to East Africa. He now traverses the globe from Tanzania to Thailand as host of Bridge the Gap where he discovers what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes for one day. He is a moderator for the United Nations, a writer for award-winning publications like Lonely Planet, and is the recipient of a National Geographic Young Explorers grant for which he will travel to Mongolia to live as a nomad. Chris has spoken in nearly a dozen countries--everywhere from Azerbaijan to the United Arab Emirates. He has shared the stage with people like Stevie Wonder, Dr. Jane Goodall, and United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. He is the youngest male to ever moderate the United Nations International Day of Peace and has interviewed some of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People." Chris is an Eagle Scout and holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Marymount Manhattan College where he graduated Cum Laude. ###
Download the Full Press Release: Word | PDF
Contact: Jessica Kinser
Marketing Director, Vision Maker Media
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