news Winter 2023
Spirit of King Award Ceremony, 09/23/23 Golden Decade Foundation
“World’s Greatest Cemeteries” Season 2 includes mini bios on boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali; authors Louisa May Alcott, Herman Melville, and Henry David Thoreau; Salsa Singer Celia Cruz; Musicians Irving Berlin, Miles Davis, and Grover Washington, Jr; Food magnates Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz and Colonel Harland Sanders; Scientist Jokichi Takamine; formerly enslaved colonial era farmer John Jack; Civil War Medal of Honor winner David Urbanski; and many others.
Spirit of King Award at MLK’s Alma Mater
I was honored to receive the “Spirit of King” award at the 16th annual Golden Decade Foundation conference during Boston University’s 2023 Alumni Weekend. Thanks to Duane Jackson and the Board of Directors for awarding myself, The Honorable Judge Milton Wright, and Aminah Pilgrim, Lecturer of History at BU’s College of Arts & Sciences. My award letter reads, in part: “The recognition is for your outstanding service in the emulation of both the dream and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Board is privileged to honor you for your passionate vision and continual dedication in representing marginalized groups in your many roles.” I graduated in 1976 with a degree in history, and was inspired by my classmates, the faculty, my family, and by the shining example of Dr. King (BU Ph.D., Class of 1955).
World’s Greatest Cemeteries Season 2!
Watch now on PBS online. "World's Greatest Cemeteries" Season 2 continues this exciting Public Television/PBS Passport series about the most beautiful burial grounds on earth, and diverse historical figures interred in them.
In each episode, Host/Executive Producer Roberto Mighty takes us to one of these iconic outdoor museums, where we meet inspiring people from the past who helped make our world what it is today. The series features costumed historical reenactors, breathtaking cinematography, and upbeat interviews with historians, tour guides, landscape architects, horticulturalists and other experts. Perfect for lovers of travel, history, gardens and biography.
Season 2 Historic Cemeteries include: Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KY; Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, OH; Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA; St. Louis Cemetery, No. 1, New Orleans, LA; and Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY. Series Distributor is American Public Television, and Presenting Station is Northern California Public Media.
getting dot OLDER Season 2!
Premiere Date: May, 2023 "getting dot OLDER'' Season 2 continues our ‘docu-talk’ format – talkin’ ‘bout my generation – Baby Boomers! From deeply poignant to laugh-out-loud funny, Host/Executive Producer Roberto Mighty helps diverse boomers across the country share their deepest feelings on life, love, spirituality, family, health and intimacy. Focusing on personal revelations about aging, each subject is asked the same questions designed to elicit heartfelt responses. New features for Season 2 include on-location reports with Boomers pursuing their “Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions”.
(WNET-TV 13 NYC) "Just caught today's show. It's great seeing and hearing your interviewees, how comfortable they are telling their stories/answering your questions." - Dan Z.
(KSFY Sioux Falls, SD) “I am 60 years old. I love your show because of the inspiring stories. So many hit home. I love it so much. Thank you! -- Patricia M.
Museum Exhibit
(9/15/22) I’m thrilled to announce the inaugural installation of “getting dot OLDER: The Exhibit” at Milton Academy’s Nesto Gallery. The exhibit features video, fine art photography and sound over the eight years of my project that is also now on PBS passport and public television. Multimedia consists of six screens on projectors and monitors. Special thanks to Ian Torney, Jennifer Hughes, Genevieve Healy, Andrea Abarca-Coutts and Brett of the Art and A/V departments. The exhibit will be available for installations in other museums nationwide starting January, 2023.
Comment
“getting dot OLDER: the Exhibit offers a rare, and in depth view into the lives of older Americans. Milton Academy students and community members have appreciated listening to the interviews and seeing life from a different perspective. Roberto Mighty's work is so impactful and important, especially for the teenagers on campus, who can hear these stories and start to find connections and ways to relate, and to see how storytelling and documentary film connects people across different spectrums." - Jennifer Hughes, Department Chair for Visual Arts and Nesto Gallery Executive Director, Milton Academy
Screening/Panel
(10/1/22) I was honored to be invited to the Boston University School of Theology for a special screening and panel discussion of my historical documentary film about Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King, hosted by EMMY-award winning newscaster Rev. Liz Walker. The film is now available online nationwide on PBS
Comment
“Roberto Mighty’s fascinating Legacy of Love documentary provides an intimate portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King as they started dating in Boston. Perhaps the film’s greatest contribution is its profile of Coretta Scott as a young woman who was deeply committed to humanitarian concerns and the ways in which her philosophical and political leanings romantically and intellectually captured Martin. Following the screening, Roberto was joined by Boston University professors Dr. Shively T. J. Smith and Dr. Margarita Guillory and community leader Rev. Carrington Moore for a group discussion, moderated by G. Sujin Pak, Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of the History of Christianity.” - Rev. Andrew Kimble, Boston University School of Theology, Associate Director of Alumni and Development, Director of Online Lifelong Learning
Story Class
9/21/22 Roberto Mighty, M.F.A. highlighted the importance of telling the story from a specific angle—and letting the rest fall away—when he spoke to Regis College graduate students in Assistant Professor Naomi Kooker's New Multimedia Communication class over Zoom. ”Mr. Mighty has an incredible gift for public speaking and telling it like it is, which students--and adults--appreciate and find illuminating," said Prof. Kooker. "My students learned so much—and would love to have him back!"
Guest Lecture
9/28/22 “What a thrill and honor to have filmmaker Roberto Mighty as a special guest in my Creative Producing class at Boston University. Both the students and I were inspired by his wisdom, his honesty, his drive and his creativity. What's more, I marveled at how he made an indelible impression on each student in such a short time. He even learned their names and their career interests in less than one class period.” - Amy Geller, Lecturer, Boston University
news Summer 2022
Musical Moment
(8/15/22) Musical Moment: Filming today on location at New England Conservatory of Music for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Host/Producer Roberto Mighty (left) interviews multiplatinum and Grammy-nominated Jazz saxophonist/flautist Najee (right) about the late Grover Washington Jr., who’s fourth album, “Mister Magic”, climbed to the top of the charts in 1974, followed by critically acclaimed recordings, Grammy Awards and many other honors. Najee was mentored by Washington, who is buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA. www.worldsgreatestcemeteries.com
Forever Free
(7/21/22) Filming for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Reenactment with Actor (and former Concord-Carlisle History teacher) Joseph Zellner as John Jack, a formerly enslaved man who purchased his own freedom. Mr. Jack was buried in 1773 at the Old Hill Burying Ground in Concord, Massachusetts, near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and The Robbins House. Mr. Jack’s stirring epitaph, attributed to Daniel Bliss — a Tory — has become world renowned. www.worldsgreatestcemeteries.com
Little Women
(7/28/22) Filming for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Reenactment with Actor and Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House Executive Director Jan Turnquist. Alcott is buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. (left to right): Jan Turnquist, Actor; Roberto Mighty TV Producer/Director. BTS photo by Shawn Read. Also interred at Sleepy Hollow: Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne; Marc and Emily Daniels.
Herman Melville
07/22/22 “Call me Ishmael”. Filming for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Interview at Mystic Seaport Museum with Professor Mary Bercaw-Edwards, an expert on “Moby Dick” author Herman Melville, and an accomplished sailor who has circumnavigated the globe under sail.
(left to right): Shawn Read, Cameraman; Roberto Mighty, TV Producer/Host; Mary Bercaw-Edwards, University of Connecticut . Filmed onboard 1841 Whaleship “The Charles W. Morgan” Melville is interred at National Historic Landmark Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY.
¡Celia Cruz!
07/15/22 Filming today for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Interview with NPR/WBUR “Con Salsa” radio host José Massó about Celia Cruz, “La Reina de Salsa” (The Queen of Salsa) who is interred at National Historic Landmark Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY. Also interred there: Herman Melville, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Parker, Miles Davis, Bat Masterson, Madame CJ Walker and Irving Berlin. www.worldsgreatestcemeteries.com
Re-enactor
07/06/22 Filming today for Season 2 of public television series “getting dot OLDER” on Boston’s Beacon Hill with Joe Zellner - Member and former President of the Board of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment Company A Reenactors. The all-colored Infantry and Colonel Robert Gould Shaw monument is one of the most important public art installations in the USA. www.gettingdotolder.com
TV NEWS
06/30/22 World’s Greatest Cemeteries: Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery to be featured on Season 2 of PBS' 'World's Greatest Cemeteries' (photo: Re-enactor Melinda Beck portrays sculptor Enid Yandell in this episode)
Manischewitz
06/30/22 Filming today at the grave of Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz, matzah manufacturer, for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries” at Covedale Cemetery in Ohio. L-R: Ed Koziarski, Cameraman; Roberto Mighty, TV series Producer/Host; Jack Rabinstein, Trustee Emeritus, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati. www.worldsgreatestcemeteries.com
Muhammad Ali
06/29/22 Filming with Lonnie Ali, widow of Boxer and Humanitarian Muhammad Ali, for Season 2 of public television series ‘World’s Greatest Cemeteries’ at the Ali Memorial, Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville Kentucky. L-R: Roberto Mighty, Series Producer/Host; Lonnie Ali.
Alumni Award
06/24/22 Honored to be among the 2022 Lesley University Alumni Award winners, presented at the Harvard Square campus. The MFA program (2011), faculty and fellow students have been critical to my development as a filmmaker and artist. Please check out the other award recipients by clicking on the photo.
Laurel Hill
06/21/22 Filming today for public TV series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries” Season 2 at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. Interred include jazz musician Grover Washington, Jr; Civil War General George Meade; 19th Century Inventor Martha Coston; Singer Teddy Pendergrass; and sports announcer Harry Kalas. Left to Right: Cameraman Reid Carrescia; Volunteer Sarah Hamill; Producer/Host Roberto Mighty; Volunteer & Tour Manager Beth Savastana; Production Assistant Richard Ffrench.
Big Bird
06/10/22 “Big Bird”: Filming at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx NY for season 2 of World’s Greatest Cemeteries. Roberto Mighty, Host/Producer, with a new friend - Red-Tailed Hawk carved from a single tree by chainsaw sculptor Jon Vincent Antonuk. Season 1 Finale of World’s Greatest Cemeteries Sunday, June 26th, 11:30am EST on WGBH-2.
Woodlawn
06/08/22 Filming this week for World’s Greatest Cemeteries at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY - Interred: Miles Davis, Herman Melville, Celia Cruz, Madame CJ Walker, Jokichi Takamine, Bat Masterson, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Parker. L-R_Roberto Mighty, Producer/Host; Barbara Selesky, Susan Olsen, Meg Ventrudo of Woodlawn Cemetery; Cameraman Talal Jabari. Photo by Production Assistant Harry Colvin.
“Last Call”
06/08/22 I was honored to produce this 4-minute short, featuring a poem by the late African-American Lesbian activist Pat Parker, read by Indee Mitchell and Bonnie Gabel, co-Directors of “Last Call” in New Orleans. Thanks to U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky for commissioning me to create this film. Special thanks to the Midway Cafe & Bar, Boston, for the film location.
news Spring 2022
Animal Rescue
05/31/22 Filming today for public television series "getting dot OLDER" Season 2's spotlight on boomer volunteerism. Location: MSPCA Nevins Farm Animal Care & Adoption Center. L-R: Roberto Mighty, Producer/Host; Heather Robertson, MSPCA; Charlene Allen, MSPCA Volunteer. Thanks to Volunteer Ashley for the great photo!
Missionary of Mercy
05/31/22 Here’s a 4-minute film I made about Dorothea Dix as part of my artist residency at Mount Auburn Cemetery. Dorothea Lynde Dix (April 4, 1802 – July 17, 1887) was an American activist on behalf of the indigent insane who, through a vigorous program of lobbying state legislatures and the United States Congress, created the first generation of American mental asylums! During the Civil War, she served as Superintendent of Army Nurses. I was honored to have historian Victoria Cain as consultant on my film.
Edmonia Lewis
05/30/22 Mary Edmonia Lewis (ca. 1844 – 1907) was an American sculptor who worked for most of her career in Rome, Italy. She is the first woman of African-American and Native American heritage to achieve international fame and recognition. I’m developing a dramatic historical TV series inspired by her life. Honored to have arts scholar and historian Marilyn Richardson as consultant on the film. Here’s a six-minute documentary I made about her as part of my artist residency at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Wen-Ti Tsen
05/25/22 Filming today with legendary Artist Wen-Ti Tsen for season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”, my public TV series on aging across America. https://www.gettingdotolder.com/ I first filmed Wen-Ti about 30 years ago! We’ve both put on a lot of miles since then. Check out his current project: “Chinatown Worker Statues” A large-scale public art project coming to Boston.
New Orleans!
05/19/22 Filming in New Orleans historic cemeteries this week with experts in history, architecture, restoration, multicultural spirituality, immigration, etc. This Fall on Season 2 of World’s Greatest Cemeteries. (L-R) Heather Veneziano; Roberto Mighty; Julius Evans.
PBS Passport!
05/05/22 Honored to announce my series “getting dot OLDER” is now streaming 24/7 online for the next two years, while continuing to air on public TV stations across the USA. PBS "Passport" members can watch all 13 current episodes, right alongside Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, NOVA, American Masters, Finding Your Roots, American Experience, films from Ken Burns, and other legendary PBS shows. We are now producing Season 2.
PBS Passport!
05/04/22 Honored to announce my series "World's Greatest Cemeteries" is now streaming 24/7 online for the next two years, while continuing to air on public TV stations across the USA. I am Producer/Host. For the first time, PBS "Passport" members can watch all six current episodes, right alongside Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, NOVA, American Masters, Finding Your Roots, American Experience, films from Ken Burns, and other legendary PBS shows. We are now producing Season 2.
Age in Place
05/12/22 Filming for Season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”. Seaglass Village is part of an international movement – communities of seniors helping each other maintain their independence while aging in place. Volunteer Claire (left) assists Susan (right) with weekly tasks like grocery shopping and transportation.
Horse, of Course
05/11/22 Filming for Season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”. Learning to ride a horse – or owning a horse – is on many boomers’ bucket lists. Is it too late for retirees to ride? We filmed riders Russell and Paula putting their steeds through the paces, and found out what it really takes to care for these 1,000 lb pets! (left) Tammi Barton, Owner, Integrity Equestrian Center, Jefferson, MA, with “Mandate”.
Art Gallery
04/27/22 Filming for Season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”. Jean-Pierre Ducondi is a fine art photographer, gardener and photographer. But his current passion is volunteering at a community-led art gallery. Why do some retired boomers spend hours a week toiling for no pay? We visited the “W Gallery” to find out.
Podcast News
04/26/22 Honored to be featured on Michael Azevedo's terrific "Making Media Now" Podcast. “Roberto Mighty Makes ’World’s Greatest Cemeteries’ Come Alive” On this episode, host Michael Azevedo welcomes back filmmaker and television producer Roberto Mighty to talk about the two programs of his currently airing on PBS: 'World’s Greatest Cemeteries' and 'Getting Dot Older.'
Motorcycle Mission
04/24/22 Filming for Season 2 of public television series “getting dot OLDER” in Brooklyn, Ny on Canarsie Pier: Roberto interviews Rev. Brenda Nixon, a woman called to minister to motorcyclists after the accidental death of her younger brother.
Nature Camp
04/22/22 Featured in season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”: We spent an afternoon at a mountain youth camp – birding and hiking – to learn why a former reform school kid and an ecology activist have made it their life’s mission to introduce inner-city youths to the natural world.
Studio Visit
04/19/22 Featured in season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”. Mario learned to use tools in his grandfather’s furniture shop in Buenos Aires. After earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering and emigrating to the United States, he became a fine artist. Now his unique wooden sculptures are exhibited internationally.
Alumni News
04/15/22 Honored to be featured in this new article! BU Alum Explores World’s Greatest Cemeteries in New PBS Series Six-part documentary by Roberto Mighty (CAS’76) launches April 17 on GBH-2.
Men’s Chorale
04/11/22 Filming for Season 2 of “getting dot OLDER”. The Apollo Club men’s chorale has been meeting weekly for 151 years (!), performing traditional, contemporary and Latin choir songs. We filmed them in rehearsal, in live performance, and in zoom interviews to find out why they make beautiful music together.
Louisiana Blues
03/17/22 Marcia Ball, a baby boomer blues artist from Louisiana, creates roots music about unlikely subjects…like “The Tattooed Lady and The Alligator Man”. In a video call interview from her home, we check out her fascinating background and hear some of her award-winning music.
news Winter 2022
Legacy of Love
02/02/21 Honored to share that my new film is now available nationwide for online streaming on PBS. “Legacy of Love”, a new documentary film by Roberto Mighty, hosted by EMMY- award winning newscaster Reverend Liz Walker, is about how Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott met in 1952, fell in love, dreamed a new world together, and resolved to dedicate their union to the civil rights movement. No matter what the cost. The film was funded by King Boston and The Boston Foundation.
Speaking Engagement
01/16/22 Newton Free Library/Zoom: Please join us this Tuesday, January 18, 2022 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Free, seats limited. “Creating Public TV Shows with Roberto Mighty. Join filmmaker, Roberto Mighty, for a session in which he will talk about the process of creating and producing his three new TV shows that are airing nationwide on public television. Learn why World’s Greatest Cemeteries, getting dot OLDER and Legacy of Love are all labors of love for this former college professor who is a former Newton resident.”
Speaking Engagement
01/13/22: Zoom/Wellesley Public Library, 7pm-8pm. "Legacy of Love" Documentary Screening with Filmmaker Roberto Mighty on Zoom. Join us for a virtual screening of "Legacy of Love" and live Q&A with filmmaker Roberto Mighty. “Legacy of Love”, a 2020 documentary film by Roberto Mighty, hosted by EMMY- award winning newscaster Reverend Liz Walker, is about how Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott met in 1952, fell in love, dreamed a new world together, and resolved to dedicate their union to the civil rights movement. No matter what the cost.
Music Video
11/01/21 “Autumn Leaves” Music Video: I wrote, performed and produced music professionally for many years. At this time in my life, daily guitar practice (I started playing at age 13) is a form of meditation! Here's my guitar arrangement of "Autumn Leaves", filmed in my studio and at a local mountain.