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Do we ever really know our parents? If we were suddenly given the chance to
know all about them, would we take it? And is it ever too late to establish a deeper
connection with them?
Doug Block had every reason to believe his parents' 54-year marriage was a good
one. But a few months after his mother's unexpected death, his father announced he
was moving to Florida to live with his secretary from 40 years before.
51 BIRCH STREET chronicles Block's unpredictable journey through the ensuing
whirlwind of dramatic life-changing events and the uncovering of decades of family
secrets. Both an intimate autobiographical account and a meditation on the universal
themes of love, marriage, fidelity and the mystery of family.
Spanning 60 years and three generations, 51 BIRCH STREET weaves together
hundreds of faded snapshots, 8mm home movies and two decades of verité footage.
The documentary illuminates what can happen when the most fundamental assumptions
about family are suddenly called into question.
Always close to his mother Mina and equally distant from his father Mike, Doug
Block was stunned and intrigued when he learned of his dad's plans to relocate to
Florida. After the longtime family home was sold, he realized he had only a few short
weeks before his father would be gone, and a lifetime of memories would be packed
away forever. Block grabbed his camera and headed to suburban Long Island,
determined to learn more about his parents' marriage and confront the stranger who is his
father.
Both funny and heartbreaking, 51 BIRCH STREET chronicles Block's probing
conversations with family members, the surprising discovery of 35 years of his mother's
revealing daily diaries, and his subsequent reconciliation with his 83-year-old father. In
the process, he comes to terms with parents who were far more complex and troubled
than he ever imagined.
Hailed as "moving and fascinating" by the New York Times, and "a resounding
success" by the San Francisco Chronicle, 51 BIRCH STREET was named one of the ten
best films of 2006 by the New York Times, "Ebert & Roeper" and the Chicago Sun-Times.
It was named Best Documentary of the Year by AARP, and was on several year-end top
documentary lists, including Rolling Stone, the National Board of Review and the Boston
Society of Film Critics.
Doug Block is a New York-based director, producer and cameraman whose
previous CINEMAX credits include 1995's "Jupiter's Wife" (co-producer) and 1999's
Sundance Award-winning "Home Page" (director). He also directed 1991's "The Heck
With Hollywood!"; served as co-producer on 1993's Peabody Award-winning "Silverlake
Life: The View from Here" and 2004's "Paternal Instinct"; served as consulting producer
on 2002's "Love and Diane"; and is a producer of the current "A Walk into the Sea:
Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory."
51 BIRCH STREET is a Priddy Brothers presentation of a Copacetic Pictures
production in association with HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films; a ZDF co-production in
cooperation with Arte. Executive producers, John Priddy and Ed Priddy; written,
photographed and directed by Doug Block; produced by Doug Block and Lori Cheatle;
edited and co-written by Amy Seplin; music by Machine Head; composer, H. Scott
Salinas; associate editor and visual effects designer, David Rivello. For ZDF-Arte:
executive producer, Doris Hepp. For CINEMAX Reel Life: supervising producer, Lisa
Heller; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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