‘Agnes’ returns to The Kirby on June 23

                    Producer talks about the initial reaction to the documentary and offers some insight into its production

“Agnes,” a critically-acclaimed documentary film, will return to the F.M. Kirby Center on Friday, June 23, 2023. The special screening will take place on the 51st anniversary of the Agnes Flood of 1972 that devastated much of the Wyoming Valley. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. “Agnes” premiered at The Kirby last June 23 and, due to popular demand, three additional screening were added. The documentary includes rare photographs, local news footage, newspaper clippings, interviews with Agnes survivors and, for the first time ever, archived national network footage. It was not shown on television. Hailed as “emotional,” “powerful” and “inspiring,” the film serves as a testament to the strength and fortitude of the people of the Wyoming Valley, who overcame what at the time was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. A limited number of DVDs will also be available at the show. This will be the only theatrical screening of "Agnes" this year. Tickets, priced at $10, are available only at The Kirby Box office or by calling (570) 826-1100. All proceeds benefit the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society.

“Agnes” was directed and edited by Tim Novotney and co-directed by Bob Savakinus. Tony Brooks was the historical consultant.  Alan Stout served as writer, narrator and executive producer. The "Agnes Flood Documentary Project" has more than 20,000 followers on social media and now - one year after the film was screened for the first time - the executive producer is answering some of the questions that have often been asked about the film, reflecting on the initial reaction to it, sharing some of the stylistic decisions that went into its production, and talking about why it will be back at The Kirby on June 23.  

Last year, of course, was the 50th anniversary of Agnes. Why did you decide to bring “Agnes” back again to The Kirby this year?

 “Truthfully, we weren’t sure about it at first. Our goal last year was to show it at The Kirby on June 23, on the 50th anniversary, and offer a limited number of copies on DVD. And then, in the fall, take it out to our local schools. And we did all of that. But the first screening at The Kirby sold out very quickly, and so we added another, and then another, and then another. It total, there were about 4,000 people that came out to see the film at The Kirby, and then, later in the fall, we also did two screenings at the Moonlite Drive-In. All of that was done during the 50^th anniversary year of Agnes. And we were thrilled with that. But it was Bob Savakinus, who co-directed the film, who suggested we bring it back again this year. After everything we did last year - and the fact it was the 50^th anniversary last year - we knew full well there would not be as much pomp in 2023. But we decided that it doesn’t matter. There are still some people that would still like to see it, that couldn’t get there last year, and people that would like to see it again on the big screen. There are also people that came out last year, but regretted not bringing their children or grandchildren. And so this will allow them that opportunity. As a film team, all we want is for people to see the film, and so even if it’s only a few hundred people this time, why not show it again? Plus, the film continues to be a fundraiser for the Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society.”

What was your reaction to the reaction of the film?

 “We were pretty floored. And we were  very appreciative. Our goal was to make a  definitive documentary on Agnes, to honor  the people that fought through it, and to  teach the younger generation more about it. I remember, after the premiere at The Kirby, someone said that we had ‘validated all of   these people,’ meaning that - for those that   really battled back from the incredible   challenges of Agnes - we had recognized   what they went through and gave them the respect they deserve. And that’s exactly what we had hoped to do. And when we later took it out to the schools, the reaction from the students was incredible."

 At what schools did you show the film?

 “We tried to get to all of the school districts that are in the floodplain, and we were at Wilkes-Barre Area High School, Wyoming Valley West High School, Hanover Area High School, Holy Redeemer High School, Good Shepherd Academy, St. Nicholas-St. Mary’s School and Wyoming Area Catholic. We were also at Wilkes University, King’s College and Luzerne County Community College. At some of those assemblies, there were thousands of kids there.”

 How did students react to the film, as compared to those at The Kirby?

 “It was amazing, because it was the same. Once the closing credits started to roll, the entire auditorium would burst into applause. Did they like the film? Sure. Is that why they were applauding? Sure. But it was more than that. They were cheering for their own parents and grandparents. They were proud of them. They were proud of their hometown and their community. Maybe they’d heard about this big flood all of their lives, and now they’d actually seen it. They saw just how bad it really was. And they saw how their community – and in many cases, their own families - responded. And they truly appreciated it. For me, I teared up a few times in those auditoriums, because it was another case where the film accomplished what we hoped it would. It connected with people. And this time, it was with the kids. It was a beautiful thing to see."

 Explain what it was like to be a part of the “Agnes” team.

 “I loved our film team. It was a lot of hard work and long hours, and we had some challenges along the way, ranging from everything from funding to acquiring some of licensed material. But I told them all afterwards that I, personally, would not have wanted to have done it with anyone else. We all had a role and we all did our jobs, and we all collaborated when needed. Naturally, we’d squabbled, but nothing personal. On one or two occasions - once early in the production and once towards the end - we disagreed on some of the content. Nothing major. Just little things. But creative people can be pretty headstrong, and compromise can be tough. But we did it. We really listened to each other and we respected each other, and in the end, we all had a film that we were proud to be a part of. I remember on the day of the premiere, Tim and I grabbed a bite to eat at Rodanos, which is right next to The Kirby, and we knew it was all worth it. We had a sold-out show, we were all happy with the film, and he and I were even laughing about some of our disagreements during production. “I’d say, “Well, you were right about that,” and he’d say, “Yeah … but you were right about that.” It was nice. Together – Tim, Bob, Tony - we made good team. They're great guys and I can’t say enough about the skills and talents of our directors.”  

 Do you have a favorite part of the film?

 “It’s probably the segment on the sandbaggers. A lot of people, myself included, may have known about the sandbaggers, but they might not have known all of the details. Once we started to research it, and we took a closer look at it, you realize just how gallant of an effort it really was. There were 10,000 people there that morning trying to save their city. And they headed right towards the river at the exact same time that 80,000 other people were evacuating. It was incredibly brave, and there were dangers there that they probably weren’t even aware of. There’s really a certain poignancy to that part of the film.”

 Can you share anything about the film that you have not discussed before?

 “Yes. I’ll share something that we did, stylistically, that we feel is probably at least a part of the reason why people connected with film so much, perhaps more so than anything else that’s been done on Agnes. If you notice, most of the people that are interviewed in the film don’t get into too much personal detail about their specific stories of Agnes. And there is a reason for that. We didn’t want to cherry-pick 10 or so people and have them saying, ‘When I was evacuated in the morning, I did this …' or 'When I went back to my house after the water subsided, I saw this …' or 'When I was sandbagging, I did this … ' We didn’t have any of that, and that was by design. In the film, when Greg Fellerman talks about Agnes through the eyes of children, he’s speaking for all of the kids at that time. When Bill Corcoran Jr. talks about how millennials look at Agnes, he’s speaking for all millennials. Joe Butkiewicz, Tony Brooks and Robert Wolensky talk about how the destruction of Agnes affected everyone, not just them. When people saw the film, we wanted them to all to feel as though they were fully represented. The people that we interviewed are speaking ‘for’ you, not ‘to’ you. That’s a big difference. And we think that’s why people might feel so connected to the film. They can watch it and say, “That was me. That was us.” And that’s really who the film is for.

 “ ‘Agnes’ is dedicated to them.”