From WGTE PUBLIC MEDIA
WGTE Public Media broadcast “Sister Eileen and Her Boyz,” a 30-minute documentary about the grassroots efforts to support Toledoans during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This documentary, produced and directed by independent producer Holly Hey, will premiere on WGTE HD at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Hey is a professor of film and video production in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Toledo.
“Sister Eileen and Her Boyz” chronicles the work of Sister Eileen Schieber, who moved to Toledo in 1987 to serve as vicar for religious within the Diocese of Toledo and soon became a leading advocate for individuals with HIV/AIDS at a time when the virus and illness it caused was highly stigmatized. Schieber first became involved with a volunteer group called N.O.V.A, or No One’s Victory Alone, and later played a major role in establishing David’s House Compassion, a housing shelter and resource center for people with HIV/AIDS.
“Sister Eileen had this ability to bring people together and educate without making people feel threatened or anxious,” Producer and Director Hey states. “She was mild mannered in appearance and tone but if you’re in a fight you want her on your side. She had those hard and soft skills that helped make David’s House Compassion so successful.”
“We welcome the opportunity to work with independent producers that share the same values as WGTE. Holly Hey was able to capture the story of Sister Eileen and the contributions she has made as an advocate for individuals with HIV/AIDS. This documentary fits well into our ‘Toledo Stories’ series as it educates the community on important individuals and organizations,” says WGTE’s Director of Content and Creative Services Ray Miller.
Co-producers on the project include Carter, Dr. Ally Day, an associate professor in the Department of Disability Studies, and Richard Meeker, manager of community engagement and development at the UTMC Care Clinic.
Hey’s previous work distributed by the National Educational Telecommunications Association includes “Reentry Realities: Hope Deferred,” a short documentary focusing on a longtime Ohio inmate’s effort to develop a reentry program for fellow prisoners, and “Crossing Water: Portraits from Flint, Michigan,” which documented a group of volunteers working to help residents struggling with the Flint water crisis.
WGTE’s series of remarkable television programs that celebrate and document the people, places and moments that built Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan into the strong and vibrant region we live in. Recent productions include “Freedom Means Never Surrender,” “Lakeside Chautauqua: An American Treasure,” “The House That Love Built” and many more.
