CHICAGO — CNN FILMS has acquired SOLE SURVIVOR, a new, feature-length documentary, examining the complicated emotional aftermath of survivors following commercial aviation disasters. It will premiere on CNN/U.S. in early 2014, following its theatrical debut.
The film will have its Chicago theatrical premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center at 164 N. State Street Saturday September 21 at 8:00PM and Thursday, September 26 at 8:15PM. Tickets $11 for general admission, $7 for students and $6 for Center members and are available on the Film Center's website. Director Ky Dickens and producer Amy McIntyre will be present for audience discussion at both screenings. On Saturday only, sole survivors from the film will be in attendance along with former NTSB investigator Shawn Pruchnicki.
SOLE SURVIVOR centers on the journey of George Lamson, Jr. Nearly three decades ago, as a teenager, Lamson was the lone survivor of the Galaxy Airlines flight 203 crash near Reno, NV. Memories of surviving the crash have never been far from his mind: "During the course of my life…I have been curious to know, what makes a person heal? People don't understand. It never goes away. It's something that stays with you for the rest of your life," he says in the film.
Lamson seeks the community of the other 13 sole survivors of airplane crashes. Among them, Lamson finds a young teenager, Bahia Bakari, who had clung to bits of aircraft for hours following her plane's crash into the ocean, Jim Polehinke, a former co-pilot whose struggles with survivor's guilt, and Cecilia Cichan, who, at four-years-old, survived the second most fatal plane crash in aviation history. Each survivor has a unique journey toward healing, with some similar challenges.
Filmmaker Dickens understands well the emotional geography examined in her film. As a young adult, Dickens herself became a survivor when she traded places with a friend, before getting in a car. That friend died moments later in a crash. "Survivors are often considered lucky and the rescue is often considered the end to their story," Dickens said. "But the complexity of true survival is where our film — and the questions that it poses — begins."
To coordinate an interview with Director Ky Dickens, contact Kristen Kaza: kkaza@no-small-plans.com or call 312-771-8546. For information regarding the CNN Films acquisition, contact Jennifer Dargan jennifer.dargan@turner.com or call 404-885-4638.
Yellow Wing Productions is an award winning, Chicago-based production company specializing in documentaries, short films and activist-oriented commercials committed to preserving stories and inspiring change with media that educates, heals and transforms both individuals and communities. Mention anything about FOOW?Yellow Wing Productions' last feature documentary, FISH OUT OF WATER, premiered at Outfest in 2009 and went on to win multiple festival awards and secure distribution by First Run Features.
CNN Worldwide is a portfolio of two dozen news and information services across cable, satellite, radio, wireless devices and the Internet in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Domestically, CNN reaches more individuals on television, the web and mobile devices than any other cable TV news organization in the United States; internationally, CNN is the most widely distributed news channel reaching more than 271 million households abroad; and CNN Digital is a top network for online news, mobile news and social media. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world's most extensively utilized news service partnering with hundreds of local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company.
The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago celebrates 40 years of presenting cutting edge programs, independent and international cinema, premieres, retrospectives, and classic films. Internationally recognized for its original film programming, the Film Center is a vibrant cultural destination in Chicago that attracts a diverse and creative annual audience of over 80,000. www.siskelfilmcenter.org .
