For some people, the Revolutionary War isn’t just a part of America’s past; it’s their present. You’ve probably seen these folks reenact on battlefields or hold demonstrations of eighteenth-century living. But who are the people behind the period clothing shooting muskets and cooking over an open hearth?
That’s what filmmakers Tina Traster and Lennon Nersesian set out to explore in a new documentary, “The Story of Us: Behind the Scenes of American Revolution Reenactors,” which screens at the Nyack Library on July 16 followed by a discussion with three of the film’s reenactors.
The idea for the film grew out of Traster’s curiosity after attending The Brigade of the American Revolution events. Traster, who’s publisher and editor of the Rockland Business Journal, a journalist and a filmmaker, wanted to understand more about these people who are so devoted to such an unusual hobby.
The film features three reenactors who invite us into a unique world through candid observations and take us beyond battlefield performances. It touches on America’s 250th and the inflection point the country is experiencing, but politics is not the takeaway.
Some of the most intimate scenes take place during an eighteenth-century immersion weekend, which is a private event the Brigade of the American Revolution holds annually. The filmmakers were allowed to embed with the hobbyists.
“I pull the curtain back — not on the battle scenes, but behind the scenes — and ask: Who are these folks and what makes them tick?,” Traster said.
We meet three passionate reenactors: Dakota, who’s a teacher inspired by the overlooked lives of ordinary women of the time; Niel, a Renaissance man with a design background who’s prominent in the eighteenth-century culinary world; and Justin, who’s pursuing a PhD in history at Stony Brook University. All three will join Traster for a discussion after the film.
“While we focus on them, the story is that the American Revolution reenactors are a surrogate family, who are united by strong passions about the founding of our country or the telling of our story,” Traster said.
“The film is, above all, a mediation on a reenactment, the American story, and on the future of both the country and reenacting its origin story. They braid together by opening up this very quirky world,”
Tickets are free, but please register in advance.
The Story of Us: Behind the Scenes of American Revolution Reenactors
A film screening and discussion with three of the film’s reenactors
July 16, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Nyack Library, 59 S. Broadway
