| A gifted and dedicated educator,
Christa McAuliffe originated a high school course on women in social history.
When President Ronald Reagan launched a search for a teacher who would become
the first civilian to go into space, McAuliffe applied and, after a long
series of interviews and tests, was chosen. Thus she won a place in history
as one of the pioneer women whose qualities of courage and resilience she
often held up to her students as role models. When the Challenger spacecraft
on which she had planned to teach via satellite exploded during launching,
she joined those women, many of whom died too soon. Renee Sotile and May
Jo Godges weave their celebration of McAuliffe's life from home movies,
video footage taken during her preparation for the space mission (including
an appearance on the Johnny Carson show), and testimonials by family and
friends. The portrait that emerges is of an immensely vibrant, generous,
intelligent woman. (Amy Taubin)
Directors/Producers:
Renée Sotile, Mary Jo Godges
Renée
Sotile has won two Emmy awards for her work as a video-journalist in Los
Angeles. She has extensive experience working in television news covering
high profile events and headline stories. A native of Rochester, NY, Renée
holds a B.A. in Television Communications/Technical Theatre from Brockport
State College.
Mary Jo Godges
is an Avid/Final Cut Pro editor and journalist with a strong background
in music. Her career began as an on-air radio personality in Los Angeles.
Godges is from Redondo Beach, CA, and holds a B.A. in Communication Arts
in Media from Loyola Marymount.
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