Breaking Branches Pictures

09/22/2025

Tomorrow 9/23 @ 6PM
I will be giving a talk on the making of SLATERSVILLE @ Slater Library, 26 Main St,
Jewett City, CT. JOIN US!!
😊🙏❤️ Learn more @ firstmillvillage.com

09/19/2025

Last month, our Slatersville: America's First Mill Village Co-Producer Gail Denomme and I were working on a Vietnam War sequence in Episode 9. While I was in Iowa, she tracked down Helen Lavallee and Ruth Gourdreau, both sisters of the Carter family, whose brother Frederick died in the war at the age of 20. No doubt this will be a powerful addition to our story. I am truly grateful to Gail for bringing them on board. Thanks to Helen and Ruth and to my 2nd videographer John Dolber for their work in Harrisville today!! Watch Learn & Donate at firstmillvillage.com.

09/17/2025

Hard to believe that 3 YEARS AGO last night Episode 1 of Slatersville: America's First Mill Village premiered on Rhode Island PBS, and here we are about to edit Episode 10!! Revisit and enjoy!! 😊🙏❤️ https://www.firstmillvillage.com/watch-slatersville-episode-1. Watch follow & donate at firstmillvillage.com.

09/14/2025

CBS News aired a story tonight about a new video store opening in San Francisco. It was said that, like vinyl, physical media - DVDs, Blu-ray, 4K - is having a comeback. Sales are rising, and Gen Z actually loves looking at the case artwork and act of browsing in a store. WOW!! What a foreign concept!! So in that spirit, for those who love holding their Blu-rays, I can't help but share our fine Slatersville: America's First Mill Village - Episodes 1 Through 8 Blu-ray set, which can always be ordered and shipped ASAP. :-) Thank you.

Own the first 8 episodes of the Emmy® Award-winning historical documentary series for the first time on Blu-ray. Directed by Christian de Rezendes with music by Emmy® winner Stephen Gilbane, this eye-opening story dives into the birth of the Industrial Revolution and tells the story of the origins...

09/09/2025

Big thanks to Lee Mowry and David Soucy, along with Judy Donovan & Lisa Harpin in memory of Wanda Tutaj, for their generous contributions to Slatersville: America's First Mill Village this week!!

Visit firstmillvillage.com to learn all about SLATERSVILLE. … Christian de Rezendes de Rezendes needs your support for Complete SLATERSVILLE Film Series

09/08/2025

To subscribe to our NEW Slatersville: America's First Mill Village - ONLY Youtube channel, this is where you go!! Our Breaking Branches channel has over 2,200 subscribers, but we are now moving all our Slatersville followers to a channel dedicated solely to the series and its outreach. So I invite you to join us here to keep up with our Q&A panel videos, press links and more :) Thank you. https://www.youtube.com//videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh0mGoAJ6LU

09/06/2025

This week I am grateful for the outpouring of support following Labor Day’s successful screening of SLATERSVILLE Episode 9. Our audience and the talk that followed could not have been better, and the surge of donations has been very helpful. Now 2 episodes remain. Together they will be a powerful conclusion to the whole story, and I cannot wait to create them. Plus more and more people globally learn about the series every day!! In many cases, there are folks in other parts of the country who are more familiar with the SLATERSVILLE series than its residents. I kid you not. So I invite you to…. Visit firstmillvillage.com. Watch episodes. Buy our Blu-ray set of episodes 1-8. Get some merch. Support us anyway you can… Because of these tough times, in order to get there, we’re gonna need it. Be a part of our journey. Many thanks to you ALL!!! 😊🙏❤️

Slatersville: America's First Mill Village is a historical documentary series filmed in the US and the UK focusing on the 250-year history of the first industrialized mill village in northern Rhode Island.

09/05/2025

FINALLY!! This wonderful Q&A can now be seen. Our panel led a fantastic talk on "Slatersville: America's First Mill Village - Episode 8" following an emotional screening. The audience asked deep questions about aspects of post WWII life, racism, and Afro-Indigenous culture and what was allowed as the norm 75 years ago compared with today. With thanks to my former intern, Michael Nolan of Stone Hill College, we were able to comb through it. I am so appreciative of our wonderful group and their contributions both in front of and behind the camera - Bruce Curliss, Jay Freitas, Akeia de Barros Gomes, Allison Horrocks, Daryl Jamieson, Richard Keene, Valerie Tutson. Big thanks to Tim Labonte, John Dolber and Slatersville Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ for hosting. Enjoy this thought provoking conversation, and remember that you can stream Episode 8 and others at firstmillvillage.com. Thank you 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ndPOOq2yqw

09/02/2025

The premiere of our 9th Episode of Slatersville: America's First Mill Village could not have gone better yesterday. I truly appreciate the energy our audience brought to the events and the support they and so many others have given this massive project through the years.

Huge thanks to everyone who put a lot into "Exodus," like our awesome 2-time Emmy® winning Composer Stephen Gilbane, our co-producers Gail Denomme and Pat Ferron, co-writer Allison Horrocks, our graphics lady Judy Beauchemin, and all of our project consultants, including Patrick Crowley and George Ransom, videographer Tim Labonte and to Irina Slovtsova for these wonderful photos. :-) We also appreciate the presence of our RI Secretary of State, Gregg M. Amore, who just so happens to be a former high school history teacher.

Big thanks to all of the Rhode Island based labor organizations that played a big role in helping us reach this goal, Anne Conway, Rachael and Chuck at the Museum of Work and Culture, John Butler & Susan Hayward-Butler, Papitto Opportunity Connection, the Felicia Fund, Barbara Murray, Linda Huestis, Anonymous, Sally McInnnis, Beth Sardinha, Jeanette Doherty, Carolyn Chiffelle, The Choate Family, Richard & Marcia Brodeur, and many more whose generosity made it all possible, along with Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the North Smithfield Heritage Association.

The version we showed of "Episode 9: Exodus" is about 95% complete. There are a few important things that will be added this Fall, which will be seen when the final season premieres, and/or if we choose to hold another local screening someday, which is now being pondered. :-) Our Sound Mix Master Marko Freedman will have to polish it up as well. Until the final season premieres publicly, screening events will be the only way the public can see it.

As we move onto our final 2 episodes, funding continues to be a challenge, especially in today's economy. We are planning to apply for grants and seek additional means of support. A lot of footwork still lies ahead, mostly with editing time. While we are very happy and grateful for our achievements over the past nearly 15 years in researching and building this series, the reality is that in order for us to complete Slatersville: America's First Mill Village, we continue to rely on donations of all kinds. You can always watch episodes, learn how to donate and more at firstmillvillage.com.

Thank you ALL for your amazing work and support. OK... 2 more remain.... We forge ahead!!

08/29/2025

WE ARE SOLD OUT FOR MONDAY, but there is a WAITING LIST... 🙂 Just in case you missed the list of those appearing in this episode, here you go!!

INTERVIEWS in
"Slatersville: America's First Mill Village - Episode 9: Exodus"
47 Interviews & Appearances (21 deceased)
(in alphabetical order):

Clarence Arsenault, Donald Arsenault, Judy Azar, Ray Bacon, Arnie Bailey, Louise Belisle, Lucien Benoit, Ken Bianchi, Merrill Brown, Emilie Couture Buzzi, Lillian Cabral, Susan Carlson, Culver Choate, David Choate, Nancy Choate Curtis, Carl Christiansen, Ruth Crownover, Armand DeVaudreuil, Allan Eggleston, Elliot Eggleston, Cecelia Flynn, Betty Gelinas, Marc Gelinas, Lisa Harlow, George Harvey, John Plimpton Kendall, Philip Kolupaev, Teresa Mahony, Pamela McCaslin, John Mendes, Scott Molloy, Gilbert Moore, Eileen Morris, Tom Mundy, Irene Nebiker, Ruth Pacheco, Maria Piette, Carlton Pipping, Jane Allaire Royer, Bill Schnorr, Candace Smith, Derek Stanley, John Symyncywycz, Linda Thibault, Louise VanHouwe, Steve Wilson and Millie Wowk

VOICES:
Bob Colonna as Henry Plimpton Kendall
John Cormier as Rev. Harvey Eastman
Robert Burke reads an editorial from the Worcester T&G
With Sandy Hall, Ryan DiOrio, Karen DiOrio, Melissa Flaherty, Emma Dombrowski and Anthony Ambrosino

Watch Episodes
Book a Presentation
Buy our Merch
Get a Blu-ray
or Donate
@ firstmillvillage.com

08/18/2025

Haven’t done this in a while. If you are so moved to WRITE a REVIEW for Slatersville: America's First Mill Village episodes 1-8 on IMDb, I invite you to do so here 😊🙏❤️ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21840164/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk This would be helpful as we do everything we can to finish the series. Learn more at firstmillvillage.com. 😊👍🎥

| Not Rated

08/11/2025

Someone from New York State just bought 3 blu-ray sets!! Sales continue to come in from around the country. Be sure to get your copy today!!

Own the first 8 episodes of the Emmy® Award-winning historical documentary series for the first time on Blu-ray. Directed by Christian de Rezendes with music by Emmy® winner Stephen Gilbane, this eye-opening story dives into the birth of the Industrial Revolution and tells the story of the origins...