Bruce David Janu
Encyclopedia
Bruce David Janu is an educator and low budget indie filmmaker. Currently he teaches Social Science and English at John Hersey High School
in Arlington Heights, Illinois. When he is not teaching, Janu is making educational materials and films. In 2000, he created an educational supply company called Bell, Book & Camera Productions. Through his company, he wrote several educational books, including Bring Out Your Dead: Recreating the Black Death in the Classroom, Mouldering in the Grave: A Dramatic Approach to Teaching About John Brown and The Constitution: A Cooperative Learning Approach.
In addition, he has written several articles for Illinois History Teacher.
Janu began creating educational films for particular topics to be used in his classrooms. The films have covered a wide variety of subjects, including immigration, freedom, millennium fears and gothic cathedrals. Usually, the short films involve Janu dressing in strange costumes and talking with people on the streets of Chicago.
As a result of his educational video work, Janu moved Bell, Book & Camera Productions into the wedding videography
field in 2001.
In 2005, he began work on his first feature-length film: a documentary entitled Facing Sudan
. Janu got the idea for the film after meeting a young janitor at Hersey High School who had been to South Sudan. Brian Burns told him stories about children dying in his arms and villagers running for cover at the sound of a distant plane. When Janu decided to document Burns' story for another classroom video, he began meeting other people like Burns and soon the short, classroom video Janu had planned turned into a feature-length documentary.
Facing Sudan
was completed in early 2007. It traveled the film festival circuit that year and garnered two Best Documentary Awards. The film features a soundtrack composed by Tom Flannery
and Lorne Clarke (singer)
.
In 2008, Janu completed a follow-up to Facing Sudan
entitled Crayons and Paper
. This film tells the story of Dr. Jerry Ehrlich, a pediatrcian who has traveled to war-torn areas, giving his young patients crayons and paper to document their lives. The 30-minute film features drawings from children in Sri Lanka and Darfur.
Currently, Janu is completing his first novel, entitled Lilac Wine. In addition, he started hosting an internet radio station entitled The Vinyl Voyage.
Janu lives in Cary, Illinois, with his wife, Cheryl and sons, Brennan and Quinn.
After a story appeared about the detention club on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times
, it was picked up on the newswires and the story started appearing in newspapers across the country. In addition, stories appeared in Time Magazine, USA Today
, and Life Magazine. In December, 1992, Esquire Magazine awarded Janu with a "Dubious Achievement Award."
John Hersey High School
John Hersey High School, , is a four-year public high school located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois in the United States, it has its students from Arlington Heights and also takes some students from Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect and a small part of Des...
in Arlington Heights, Illinois. When he is not teaching, Janu is making educational materials and films. In 2000, he created an educational supply company called Bell, Book & Camera Productions. Through his company, he wrote several educational books, including Bring Out Your Dead: Recreating the Black Death in the Classroom, Mouldering in the Grave: A Dramatic Approach to Teaching About John Brown and The Constitution: A Cooperative Learning Approach.
In addition, he has written several articles for Illinois History Teacher.
Janu began creating educational films for particular topics to be used in his classrooms. The films have covered a wide variety of subjects, including immigration, freedom, millennium fears and gothic cathedrals. Usually, the short films involve Janu dressing in strange costumes and talking with people on the streets of Chicago.
As a result of his educational video work, Janu moved Bell, Book & Camera Productions into the wedding videography
Wedding videography
Wedding videography is a video production that documents a wedding on video. The final product of the videographer's documentation is commonly called a wedding video it is also being referred to as a wedding movie or a wedding film.-History:...
field in 2001.
In 2005, he began work on his first feature-length film: a documentary entitled Facing Sudan
Facing Sudan
Facing Sudan is a documentary film released in 2007. It chronicles the situation in Sudan from independence in 1956, through civil war and the current crisis in Darfur. The narrative of Sudan is told through the eyes of activists from various segments of American society...
. Janu got the idea for the film after meeting a young janitor at Hersey High School who had been to South Sudan. Brian Burns told him stories about children dying in his arms and villagers running for cover at the sound of a distant plane. When Janu decided to document Burns' story for another classroom video, he began meeting other people like Burns and soon the short, classroom video Janu had planned turned into a feature-length documentary.
Facing Sudan
Facing Sudan
Facing Sudan is a documentary film released in 2007. It chronicles the situation in Sudan from independence in 1956, through civil war and the current crisis in Darfur. The narrative of Sudan is told through the eyes of activists from various segments of American society...
was completed in early 2007. It traveled the film festival circuit that year and garnered two Best Documentary Awards. The film features a soundtrack composed by Tom Flannery
Tom Flannery
Tom Flannery is an American singer-songwriter and playwright from Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. Allmusic has called him "one of the most gifted songwriters to emerge at the turn of the century." After three critically acclaimed albums he...
and Lorne Clarke (singer)
Lorne Clarke (singer)
Lorne Clarke is a Canadian singer/songwriter and concert promoter who first began performing in the mid-1970s in the Toronto folk scene. Raised in the isolated mining community of Schefferville, Quebec, Clarke has since worked at a number of careers, including engineer on Great Lakes vessels,...
.
In 2008, Janu completed a follow-up to Facing Sudan
Facing Sudan
Facing Sudan is a documentary film released in 2007. It chronicles the situation in Sudan from independence in 1956, through civil war and the current crisis in Darfur. The narrative of Sudan is told through the eyes of activists from various segments of American society...
entitled Crayons and Paper
Crayons and Paper
Crayons and Paper is a documentary short, featuring Dr. Jerry Ehrlich, a pediatrician who has worked with Doctors Without Borders. To document the effect of war on children, Dr. Ehrlich has the children draw pictures of their lives. The film features drawings made by children in Sri Lanka and...
. This film tells the story of Dr. Jerry Ehrlich, a pediatrcian who has traveled to war-torn areas, giving his young patients crayons and paper to document their lives. The 30-minute film features drawings from children in Sri Lanka and Darfur.
Currently, Janu is completing his first novel, entitled Lilac Wine. In addition, he started hosting an internet radio station entitled The Vinyl Voyage.
Janu lives in Cary, Illinois, with his wife, Cheryl and sons, Brennan and Quinn.
Frank Sinatra Detention Club
When Janu started teaching in the early 1990s, he gained short-lived notoriety for creating the "Frank Sinatra Detention Club." An avid Sinatra fan, Janu decided to use Sinatra's music as a form of punishment for his students. The punishment involved a half hour after school of loud music with Janu singing along. In addition, Janu routinely places Sinatra extra credit questions on tests and even has Frank Sinatra homework tokens.After a story appeared about the detention club on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, it was picked up on the newswires and the story started appearing in newspapers across the country. In addition, stories appeared in Time Magazine, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and Life Magazine. In December, 1992, Esquire Magazine awarded Janu with a "Dubious Achievement Award."
External links
- Bell, Book & Camera Productions
- Facing Sudan Official Site
- Crayons and Paper trailer, featured on GRITtv with Laura Flanders
- Lilac Wine: A Novel
- Vinyl Voyage Radio Station
- John Hersey High School
- New York Times' Article on the Frank Sinatra Detention Club
- Entertainment Weekly article about Detention Club