Sandy Northrop
Encyclopedia
Sandy Northrop is a producer, director, and editor whose documentaries have been shown on PBS. Wind & Stars Production Group http://www.windandstars.com/ is the bannerhead under which she produces. Her contributions to over 25 PBS productions have taken her all over the world. Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace, a trilogy on post war Vietnam
, premiered on PBS, and won national recognition.
in Africa
as location manager and editor on two acclaimed television specials. Last Stand in Eden covered the plight of endangered elephants in Kenya
. Gorillas, explored Rwanda
’s mountain gorillas.
on the 2004 Presidential Race
as seen by the cartoonists. Northrop followed The Economist
’s Kevin Kallaugher
who was making the transition for two-dimensional to three dimensional caricatures. The resulting film, The World According to Kal, was featured in Mightier Than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of Kal, at the Walters Art Museum
in Baltimore
the summer of 2006. Northrop also curated a retrospective on United States Presidential Elections, 1796–2008, as covered by editorial cartoonists, for the Newseum
in 2007.
, Vietnam
. While there she produced, directed, shot and edited Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace, a trilogy of three one-hour television specials on post war Vietnam
. These programs which premiered on PBS offer an intimate view of the changes that have taken Vietnam
forward from the ashes of a devastating war to the opportunities for peace.
Assignment Hanoi, the first program, told the story of Pete Peterson
, who having survived six years as a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton
” during the war and was returning to Vietnam as the United States
’ first Ambassador
since 1975. The second program, Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace highlighted the Vietnamese perspective on the “American” War and its aftermath. The Next Generation, the final program in the trilogy, focused on eight Vietnamese kids, born during or just after the war and their hopes for the future. The Library of Congress recently selected Next Generation for its permanent collection.
live concert celebrations.
’s Masters documentary program http://art.stanford.edu/graduate/mfa-documentary-film/ in 1972. She received a BFA in photography from the University of Michigan
in 1969.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, premiered on PBS, and won national recognition.
Early work
Making movies has taken Northrop all over the world. Among her many assignments was working for the National Geographic SocietyNational Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as location manager and editor on two acclaimed television specials. Last Stand in Eden covered the plight of endangered elephants in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Gorillas, explored Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
’s mountain gorillas.
Current projects
Northrop is also a recognized authority on American editorial cartoons. In 1996 she co-authored Drawn & Quartered, with Steven Hess on the history of American editorial cartoons and their impact on political and popular culture. The book grew out of two NEH grants. An updated version of the book will be published in Summer, 2009. She combined her love of filmmaking and political cartoons to produce two segments for The NewsHour with Jim LehrerJim Lehrer
James Charles "Jim" Lehrer is an American journalist and the executive editor and former news anchor for PBS NewsHour on PBS, known for his role as a frequent debate moderator during elections...
on the 2004 Presidential Race
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
as seen by the cartoonists. Northrop followed The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
’s Kevin Kallaugher
Kevin Kallaugher
Kevin Kallaugher is a political cartoonist for The Economist and the former cartoonist for the Baltimore Sun. He is known as KAL at The Economist.-Editorial cartoon career:...
who was making the transition for two-dimensional to three dimensional caricatures. The resulting film, The World According to Kal, was featured in Mightier Than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of Kal, at the Walters Art Museum
Walters Art Museum
The Walters Art Museum, located in Baltimore, Maryland's Mount Vernon neighborhood, is a public art museum founded in 1934. The museum's collection was amassed substantially by two men, William Thompson Walters , who began serious collecting when he moved to Paris at the outbreak of the American...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
the summer of 2006. Northrop also curated a retrospective on United States Presidential Elections, 1796–2008, as covered by editorial cartoonists, for the Newseum
Newseum
The Newseum is an interactive museum of news and journalism located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. The seven-level, museum features 15 theaters and 14 galleries. The Newseum's Berlin Wall Gallery includes the largest display of sections of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany...
in 2007.
Work in Vietnam
In 1997 Northrop moved to HanoiHanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. While there she produced, directed, shot and edited Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace, a trilogy of three one-hour television specials on post war Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. These programs which premiered on PBS offer an intimate view of the changes that have taken Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
forward from the ashes of a devastating war to the opportunities for peace.
Assignment Hanoi, the first program, told the story of Pete Peterson
Pete Peterson
Douglas Brian "Pete" Peterson was a U.S. Air Force pilot who spent over six years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese Army after his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War. He returned to Hanoi in 1997 as the first United States Ambassador to Vietnam...
, who having survived six years as a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton
Hanoi Hilton
Hỏa Lò Prison, later sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War....
” during the war and was returning to Vietnam as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
’ first Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
since 1975. The second program, Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace highlighted the Vietnamese perspective on the “American” War and its aftermath. The Next Generation, the final program in the trilogy, focused on eight Vietnamese kids, born during or just after the war and their hopes for the future. The Library of Congress recently selected Next Generation for its permanent collection.
Other Production
Northrop spent eight years producing the historical montages that have become the signature for PBS's National Memorial Day and A Capitol FourthA Capitol Fourth
A Capitol Fourth is a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in celebration of the Independence Day. Broadcast live on PBS and NPR, the concert is viewed and heard by millions across The United States and the world, as well as...
live concert celebrations.
Education
Northrop graduated from Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
’s Masters documentary program http://art.stanford.edu/graduate/mfa-documentary-film/ in 1972. She received a BFA in photography from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1969.