News about Zuzana including a New Yorker article, Bloomsbury's memoir deal and obituaries from around the world can be found on the News page of her movie website.
We are very sad to share the news that Zuzana Ruzickova died peacefully in her sleep on September 27, 2017, age 90. Her legacy lives on forever.
For information about upcoming screenings to our film about one of the world's greatest interpreters of Bach, please click here: http://www.zuzanathemovie.com/tickets/
Zuzana: Music is Life will be in the Competition Section at the Golden Prague Film Festival this September... http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/zlatapraha/en/2017/competition-programmes-4
We are thrilled to announce that ZUZANA: MUSIC IS LIFE is being distributed by EuroArts, one of the world's leading independent producers of classical music programs for TV and DVD. North American rights remain available.
Zuzana: Music is Life had an incredible world premier at Full Frame Film Festival in Durham, NC, to an audience of 400 people on April 8, 2017. There were great questions, tears, and lots of interest in how others can see the film. Links to reviews, publicity, upcoming screenings and further information can be found on the movie website: www.zuzanathemovie.com
Finished. January 2017. Festivals being entered. Distribution being pursued. Private screenings planned. Stay tuned.
In December we went to Prague to do post-production on our new film which is co-produced with Czech Television. ZUZANA: MUSIC IS LIFE. is the triumphant story told by Zuzana Ruzickova, 90, about how she became a world-famous harpsichordist and interpreter of Bach under the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, after surviving four concentration camps during her teenage years. Zuzana was the first person in the world to record all the keyboard works of Bach - which he composed only for harpsichord. In October 2016 Warner Music released a 20CD box set of this opus, which they remastered from the originals recorded by Zuzana in Paris, starting in 1964. It took her a decade to complete all the work. The box-set has sold out and is being reissued, and Zuzana has been interviewed in print, radio and TV including BBC and NPR.
A Survivor's Life in Music WASHINGTON POST
Music is Life WASHINGTONIAN
Where Fascism, Communism and Bach Meet by Harriet Getzels HUFFINGTON POST
Survival Music DER SPIEGEL & SPIEGEL ONLINE
The Two Wonders of Zuzana Ruzickova, SONNTAGSBLATT
The Artist of the Fugue, JEUDISCHE ALLGEMEINE
Current Affairs - Zuzana Ruzickova at 90, CZECH RADIO 7, RADIO PRAGUE
The Spirit of Bach, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
Zuzana Ruzickova's Bach Legacy, GRAMOPHONE
The Miraculous Life of Zuzana Ruzickova, BBC
Bringing Bach Back to Germany, LE MONDE
Watch the trailer for our new documentary
ZUZANA: MUSIC IS LIFE (trailer)
ZUZANA: MUSIC IS LIFE (83m)
Set for completion in December 2016
Getzels Gordon Productions plans to partner with Czech TV as a co-producer of our new documentary, and is putting the final touches on plans for doing the post-production work in Prague. Zuzana Růžičková survived four concentration camps as a teenager during the Holocaust and went on to become the first person in the world to record all the works of JS Bach in Paris during the 1960s and 70s. Remaining in Czechoslovakia after the War, she refused to join the Communist Party, which profited from her performances and prize money as they sent her to perform around the world. This is the inspiring story of one of the world's greatest harpsichordists and musical performers who, had she lived in the West, would have achieved fame on par with Yehudi Menuhin or Glenn Gould.
Check out our new website: www.zuzanathemovie.com
Warner Music just released a newly digitised master of Zuzana Ruzickova's entire opus on Bach, in a 20-CD box set.
EMMY FOR CHINA'S CHALLENGES
This spring the second 5-part season of CHINA'S CHALLENGES, series-produced and series-directed by Peter Getzels, won an LA Emmy. Co-produced with PBS So Cal and the Shanghai Media Group, CHINA'S CHALLENGES broke new ground in documentary production in China.
Find out more:
http://www.pbssocal.org/tv/programs/chinas-challenges/
FILMING NEW DOCUMENTARY IN PRAGUE
G2 have had the privilege and pleasure of working on a new documentary that tells the gripping story of a young Czech musician caught up in the horrors of 20th century Europe, and how her passion for Bach drove her against all odds to become the world’s greatest harpsichordist of her time. These are some pictures from a shoot in Prague in July 2015.
-July 23, 2015
PRIZES FOR PENGUINS
Our film took the top award at the Mexico International Film Festival this spring; then the Audience Choice Award from Moscow viewers, thank you very much Muscovites! And Penguins won the Wild Animal Award at the British Documentary Film Festival in London. We hope the prizes may be as plentiful as penguins. G2 are grateful and pleased but more than anything come see our film at a screening near you!
For additional information about THE PENGUIN COUNTERS (67m) which has not yet been screened in public, check out the links below.
Penguins tell us a lot about the health of our oceans.
Our Kickstarter campaign: http://ow.ly/oSANX
Harriet’s Huffington Post essay about the journey to the Antarctic: http://ow.ly/oTiMP
Private Screening at National Geographic on October 14, 2014 sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts:http://ow.ly/DVLQ7
Interviews by WTOP: http://bit.ly/ZsC63y
Penguin Counters Movie: http://penguincountersmovie.com
Penguin Counters on Facebook: http://ow.ly/oSAXq
Twitter: @PenguinCounters
Find out what this fur seal had to say when the ashes of Frank Wild, Ernest Shackleton's best friend and colleague, were buried on South Georgia Island.
-Nov. 7, 2014
CLOSER TO TRUTH GARNERS AWARDS
CLOSER TO TRUTH, now in its 14th season on PBS, has been honored for Television, Websites category in the 4th Annual Lovie Awards. The Lovie Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), and is the leading European award honouring excellence on the Internet.
2014 Davey Award, Television, Silver
2014 Marcom Award, Design/Website Redesign-Platinum
2014 The Lovie Int'l Awards, Television, Shortlist
2014 International Design Awards(IDA), Graphic Design/Multimedia: Website Design, Honorable Mention
2015 Ava Digital Awards, Website:Informational, Platinum
Search by co./project: https://enter.avaawards.com/winners/#/platinum/2015
2015 Horizon Awards, Websites: Entertainment Industry, Gold
2015 Internet Advertising Competition(IAC) - Website: Television, Outstanding Website
-Oct. 25, 2014
PENGUINS PREMIER
A private preview-screening was hosted by The Pew Charitable Trusts at National Geographic in Washington DC on October 14th. The event was presented by Melissa Shackleton Dann, followed by a lively panel discussion about ocean health and marine conservation. More to come!
-Oct. 8, 2014
PENGUIN COUNTERS TIES FOR 1ST PLACE
We are pleased to announce that our 9-minute taster of THE PENGUIN COUNTERS tied for 1st Place in the ‘Indie Features in Development’ category, at the International MY HERO Film Festival in Los Angeles. MY HERO has an educational mission that spans the globe. We are thrilled that the work of Ron and his teams of field biologists will be available in this short video to teachers and kids all over the world. We want to thank The Tinker Foundation, The Jeniam Foundation and Oceanites for their support.
-Nov. 21, 2013
WHERE PENGUINS GO TO DREAM
Yes, we aim to inspire a whole new generation of field biologists!
With just 24 hours to go on our Kickstarter campaign (ending Thursday October 10 at 1pm EST), please join us and share the link above. We are hugely thankful to those who have supported our campaign and we welcome everyone who hasn’t yet donated, to be counted in! There are lots of cool rewards.
Antarctica is the size of the US and Mexico combined, about 5.4 million square miles. Yet the penguin counters only work on a fraction of this region, about half a million square miles.
‘It’s so quiet here,’ says Ron, ‘that all you hear are the penguins and your heartbeats thumping through your parka. It’s a place to study, a place to think, and of course, a place to dream.’
Please let these dreams include you. We are grateful for any donation, large or small. Funding beyond our goal will be used for extra science and educational materials – all important and very much needed to keep the research going.
Please join our Penguin Counters campaign!
All the best and many thanks,
Harriet, Peter & Ron
Tackling climate change, one penguin at a time http://kck.st/185pLFs
- Oct. 9, 2013
OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN HAS LAUNCHED!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1871897047/the-penguin-counters-documentary-film
CHECK OUT THE PENGUIN COUNTERS MOVIE WEBSITE - http://penguincountersmovie.com/index.php
This is our Kickstarter pitch - please view, consider joining our campaign and most important - share!
-Sept. 10, 2013
THE PENGUIN COUNTERS ARE BACK!
We are on a countdown to launching our Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for our documentary film called THE PENGUIN COUNTERS!
From government lawyer to penguin counter, our documentary shows how Ron Naveen’s passion for birds resulted in the world’s most comprehensive data-base ever achieved on the Antarctic Peninsula. We are turning to Kickstarter because we are huge fans of making the connection between you and us as we embark on raising awareness of what penguins have to tell us about adapting to a warming climate; and editing a festival-ready copy of this passionate, inspiring film. Please stay tuned!
Please check out our Facebook page & LIKE us!
-Sept. 4, 2013
BETHESDA MAGAZINE WRITES ABOUT GETZELS GORDON PRODUCTIONS
Here is a very nice plug for GETZELS GORDON PRODUCTIONS by local writer Virginia Myers in the Aug/Sept 2013 issue of BETHESDA MAGAZINE.
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/September-October-2013/Peter-Getzels/
-Aug. 26, 2013
THE PENGUIN COUNTERS
Getzels Gordon Productions and Oceanites are gearing up for a crowd-sourcing campaign to raise money for editing our documentary we shot in Antarctica. Stay tuned for more info!
-April 24, 2013
HARVEST OF EMPIRE - THE AWARDS KEEP COMING!
Check out the revamped website, this is really good: http://harvestofempiremovie.com/
WINNER, BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM/TELEVISION, The Imagen Foundation 2013
WINNER, SPECIAL JURY AWARD, Cine Golden Eagle 2013
WINNER, BEST OF INDIE DOCUMENTARIES AWARD, Cine Golden Eagle 2012
WINNER, ABC NEWS VIDEO SOURCE AWARD, International Documentary Association
NOMINATED, Humanitas Award, International Documentary Association
-March 20, 2013
HARVEST OF EMPIRE: NOMINATIONS & REVIEWS
Nominated by International Documentary Association in October 2012 for two awards:
-- Humanitas Award and Best Use of Archival Footage (ABC Video News Video Source Award)
Extended at the Quad Cinema in NYC for a run of four weeks, and in LA for three weeks
Played in Washington DC at the American History Museum on October 30th at 6.30
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/harvest-empire-film-review-375308
-Dec. 11, 2012
LAUNCHED!
We produced the new website and media for the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, based at Johns Hopkins University, and now it's live.
The new Lieber Institute for Brain Development researches the genetic origins of schizophrenia and other mental disorders, and seeks to discover new remedies for those who are afflicted. According to the World Health Organization, 40% of diseases around the world are mental health disorders. For over a year, G2 worked with LIBD and a London-based design team to create a brand and launch this unique new website.
-Oct. 25, 2012
HARVEST OF EMPIRE: NOMINATIONS & REVIEWS
Nominated by International Documentary Association in October 2012 for two awards:
-- Humanitas Award and Best Use of Archival Footage (ABC Video News Video Source Award)
Extended at the Quad Cinema in NYC for a run of four weeks, and in LA for three weeks
Playing in Washington DC at the American History Museum on October 30th at 6.30
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/harvest-empire-film-review-375308
-Dec. 11, 2012
HARVEST OF EMPIRE TRAILER http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/harvestofempire/
-Sept. 27, 2012
HARVEST OF EMPIRE
When the unflappable Wendy Thompson-Marquez and Eduardo López appeared at our office with an unfinished documentary over five years in the making, we thought it might be madness to join them in getting the film to completion. Although they had worked in television, they had never made a feature documentary before. But their infectious passion and conviction that a documentary needed to be made that would drop a bomblet on the polarized discourse fueled by immigration in this country, meant that they would stop at nothing. Based on the book HARVEST OF EMPIRE by journalist Juan González, the film is a journey through the hearts and minds of those who witnessed and inherited the results of decades of tumultuous events in Latin America. Now a year later, the film is complete. Cathy Shields orchestrated the editing at Getzels Gordon Productions. Peter directed new material working closely with Cathy while struggling to sculpt the parameters of storytelling on Wendy and Eduardo’s far-reaching ambitions; Harriet worked as a co-producer. Before the film is released, several private screenings are scheduled in cities around the States, starting this Monday, April 16 in New York. Please contact us for further information.
- April 14, 2012
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REVOLUTION?
Read about the last Maoist village in China, where people still live according to the Red Book.
Photographs by Aaron Deemer
Feb. 14, 2012
FRANK WILD'S LAST JOURNEY
On our journey to Antarctica, we not only had penguin counters, we had the ashes of Frank Wild, which were being brought back to South Georgia Island to be buried close to his boss Ernest Shackleton. Here is a link to the story of Frank Wild’s final burial, told by Karen Bowerman who was on board for BBC’s ‘Crossing Continents’.
The ashes of Frank Wild are taken by the vicar and family descendants to be buried alongside Sir Ernest Shackleton, his partner in Antarctic exploration, on South Georgia Island.
- Dec. 29, 2011
HUFFINGTON POST FEATURES OUR JOURNEY
Huffington Post featured our journey to Antarctica - and it's not just about tracking the penguin populations. It's about ushering in the final burial of Sir Ernest Shackleton's closest, most intrepid colleague, Frank Wild. Written by Harriet, while waiting for Peter to return next week. Stay tuned.
- Dec. 20, 2011
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harriet-getzels/the-penguin-counters-and-_b_1156906.html
G2 IN ANTARCTICA!
Peter, me and Erik Osterholm are joining Ron Naveen on his annual visit to Antarctica, leaving November 17. Ron has been monitoring climate change by charting the fertility of penguins for nearly twenty years, and we all agree that it’s about time his work had a media blitz. Penguins are like the canaries in the mine shaft, when it comes to what they can tell us about climate change. Recently, ‘Naveen Cove’ was named to honor Ron and his work through the NGO he started, called Oceanites. Please stay tuned.
- Nov. 16, 2011
COMPLETING POST PRODUCTION
HARVEST OF EMPIRE is an ambitious, feature-length documentary about why people have been flooding into the US from Latin America for the past several decades. Based on a book by Juan Gonzalez – journalist for Pacifica Radio and the NY Daily News – the film is driven by gripping personal testimonies that grew out of historical and political circumstances beyond the control of ordinary people. A work in production for a number of years, Executive Producers Wendy Thompson and Eduardo Lopez brought the film to G2 for an editorial overhaul that included additional filming, editing and completion.
- Oct. 13, 2011
