Voices Over the Water – Feature Documentary
American Public Television, PBS, and the VOICES Digicast
“Beautifully done! . . . It’s very entertaining, well-paced . . . I learned a lot. A powerful and poignant documentary. . . important viewing for educators, students, and the general public.”
— Stephanie Zacharek, film critic, Time Magazine
“As a participant in VOTW, I found it to be a captivating exploration of Celtic heritage and the fusion of cultures in America.”
— Ernest Gilchrist, participant, commentator, Voices Digicast, Campbell University, and Celtic Life International
“We were fascinated by the history and the different stories of each person.”
— Denise Pinckley, film & TV producer, Love Life, Mysteries of Laura, Manhunt, Julia, Lost Boys
“Loved what I have seen of this documentary.”
— Leslie Denninger, St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, New York Caledonian Club
“Voices Over the Water is a powerful new documentary . . .”
— Scottish-American Women’s Society of Washington D.C.
“Huge congratulations on the release of their documentary, Voices Over the Water.”
— Mary Hoyt Akiyama Kearns, Daughters of the American Revolution
“We need to learn all of the history, and from it, to make a better nation in the present and in the future. This film is a good start. We hope there will be others, and that people will not only watch this and other films, but also find and read more books on the subjects. However, let’s start our learning by getting this film on ALL PBS stations and telling family and friends to watch it.”
— Tony Becker, AmeriCeltic.net
“. . . a new PBS documentary film featuring 2023 EMMY award-winning actor Brian Cox that explores the struggles and triumphs of Scottish immigrants to the US. . . glad to support this endeavor.”
— Scottish Heritage USA
“A powerful documentary about Scottish immigration to the U.S.”
— Larry Bethune, Scots in New England
“Save the date for Voices Over the Water, a powerful documentary about Scottish immigration airing soon on a PBS station near you!”
— NYC Tartan Week Committee
On Exploration:
“I am very pleased to co-sponsor Guy Perrotta's application for membership [to The Explorers Club, Fellow Member]. I have enjoyed getting to know him over the past year and found both his experience in the field and his insights into the world of exploration in 2015 are imaginative, original and well researched. His work on the Scottish diaspora is terrifically interesting. His history of grants, awards and lectures and presentations is impressive and almost uniformly linked to subjects close to the missions of the club.
Guy cares about the values of exploration and the value of history. His intellectual involvements are highly original. I know he will bring his seriousness of intent and breadth of inquiry to many endeavors at the club and become a valuable member.”
— Les Guthman
Chair, Artist-in-Exploration Committee, The Explorers Club
Founding Executive Vice President, Executive Producer, Outside Television
Producer, Discover Magazine, the Disney Channel
“Les Guthman is sponsoring Guy Perrotta as a member of The Explorers Club and I wish to support the nomination. I met Guy at our summer barbeque and found that he works with a number of our members that I know at the Shark Research Institute (SRI) including Sylvia Earle, David Doubilet, Marie Levine and Steve Nagiewicz.
As you know, I carried the flag on a little shark habitat research expedition in 2012 so I was interested to find that Guy participates in the SRI field research and makes presentations in the Northeast at schools and universities on shark conservation. . .
It is my judgment that Guy’s experience and interest in field research, sustainability and indigenous cultures as well as his skills as a documentary producer will make a valuable contribution to our Club and therefore support the nomination made by Les Guthman.”
— Bill Runyon
Fellow, Member, The Explorers Club 2001
Find out more about The Explorers Club where Guy Perrotta is a Fellow Member.
Praise for Teaching:
“Overall an amazing professor. I 100% recommend this professor. He is accessible outside of class hours and helps you as a student to make outside connections to go farther in your career.”
“He does a very good job at making every student feel respected and makes sure everyone gets a chance to participate.”
“. . . Guy Perrotta is easily the best teacher I have had at college thus far. He knows his subject matter well, encourages everyone, and has been able to keep up with the current generation's psychological needs. Humble and never condescending.”
“The. Man. Seriously, one of the best professors available . . . He has a wealth of knowledge within the film industry and holds two Emmy Awards! I'm actually sad that I’m done with his class. Do not hesitate, take him.”
“Amazing teacher, He actually cares about the work you do in class and wants all of his student to do well. I would enjoy school much more if all teachers were like him. Great teaching technique and easy to get along with.”
“Guy is a great person, cares about his students and is very knowledgeable when it comes to movies. This man has 2 Emmy's and loves to give you thoughtful insight on movies since he has had hands-on experience with making them. Much love to Guy and his class. 10/10 would take over and over again.”
On Event Producing:
“This is utterly fantastic, Guy. Thank you again for all of your hard work, and thanks to the amazing panelists. I loved the insight. . . Seeing all those hands raised with a desire to work in the industry, and then getting an opportunity to get questions answered by seasoned professionals is exactly the goal of what Northeastern University is looking for!”
— Peter Schaefer, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Northeastern University
“Guy Perrotta and I met in the hallway at Western Connecticut State University many years ago . . . doing our best for students each week. He inspires young filmmakers and teaches them valuable skills and high standards for their work — and he is an all-around good human. It's a wonder of the Universe when talent, creativity, empathy, and humanity can be embodied in one educator! Well done, Guy! Keep it up!”
— Mary O'Neill, Main Street Moxie, Designing Your Life, You Doing You
For Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War
American Public Television, PBS
“This docu-drama tells events from divergent perspectives …two very different peoples with two very different belief systems both vying for existence on the same piece of land. Balanced … a compelling piece of dramatization. Told sympathetically through the voices of Native-American descendants [but] does not disintegrate into Euro-bashing … There is a shift in perspective – an English narrator takes over the account – and the film then works from the colonists’ point of view. Pequot sympathy is developed, but the English perspective of the situation is not neglected. … Resonates today in the Age of Terrorism … The “mystic voices” trapped in the burning enclave of Missituck sound eerily similar to the 9-1-1 tapes recorded in smoky New York City on September 11th, 2001. The parallels are subtle but present, and they are likely to spark discussion if this film is used in a classroom setting.”
— Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film & Television Studies
Published by the Historians Film Committee, an Affiliated Society of the American Historical Association
“This beautifully produced documentary provides a superb telling of the often tumultuous relationship between the European settlers and the Pequots of Connecticut... Visually beautiful and balanced, paintings, photographs, and reenactors tell the tale. The musical score by Charles David Denler is superb. The treatment of the subject matter, one that still enflames emotions, is well balanced and even handed. It is refreshing that, in addition to the politics of the English and Dutch, inter-tribal relations are discussed.”
— Mike Brown, Bowie High School, MD, School Library Journal
“Mystic Voices succeeds in changing the direction of discussion of early American colonization.”
“The audio and visual quality is excellent as is the artwork, maps and dramatizations. Highly recommended for any library in the Northeast as well as libraries collecting in Native American Studies.”
— Michael A. LaMagna, Educational Media Reviews Online
Highly Recommended
[Four Stars] Editor's Choice. "A must for libraries in New England, this is highly recommended elsewhere."
— Video Librarian
“The near sellout audience . . . was stimulated." The film presents a "balanced" view of the War, and in the discussion that followed the screening, "The engrossed audience didn't seem to want to end the discussion. The overwhelming sentiment in the audience, apparently mostly educators, was that the documentary is . . . objective" and presents "an important piece of history.”
— The Pequot Times, the internal newspaper for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
“The live-audience response to Mystic Voices is impressive. At the FFNH screening last February, a packed audience (including standees) remained completely focused... The Q&A was very lively and could easily have continued way beyond the allotted time. The audience was universally enthusiastic, commenting on the depth of previously unknown history and the absence of simplistic portraits of good and bad. The audience seemed in agreement that this film should be viewed widely...”
— Nina Adams, Artistic Director, Film Fest New Haven
