It’s a day of documentaries on BEHIND THE LENS as we take a look at two very different subjects thanks to our guests ANDREW NOVICK who talks about JONBENET’S TRICYCLE while MARIA PEEK and STEPHEN PEEK talk about SEXTORTION: THE HIDDEN PANDEMIC.
First up, take a listen to director/editor MARIA PEEK and producer/cinematographer STEPHEN PEEK who join us fresh off their world premiere at Santa Barbara International Film Festival to talk about SEXTORTION: THE HIDDEN PANDEMIC. A compelling and disturbing investigation into the world of online grooming and sextortion–a present-day reality for one in seven children online. An interesting conversation discussing how Maria and Stephen became involved in this documentary, the challenges of research, the opening up of files and cooperation of DHS and other agencies, interviews with investigators and prosecutors explaining and showing the investigative process, creating a throughline, editing, the courage of one of the victims to now speak out, the shared shock of discovering that one of the featured perpetrators in the film was a Top Gun Navy pilot, and so much more, not the least of which is the importance of this story to them as parents. A thought-provoking conversation, this is a documentary that every parent and teen/pre-teen should see.
SEXTORTION: THE HIDDEN PANDEMIC is currently on the festival circuit but you can get updates on the film, as well as learning tools associated with the film that will be made available to schools and parents this summer, at https://sextortionfilm.com.
Then, writer/director and avid collector ANDREW NOVICK joins us to talk about his documentary feature debut with JONBENET’S TRICYCLE. Taking us on a ride that starts with Andrew’s compulsive collecting, things turn into an interesting layman’s examination of the JonBenet Ramsey murder sparked by JonBenet’s tricycle which Andrew just happened to gain possession of. Using the tricycle as a means to unpack the history of the JonBenet Ramsey still unsolved murder, as a collector of “pop culture”, Andrew is able to provide a very unique spin to this unending story and do it through this documentary. Listen as Andrew talks about developing the story, the filming process, his own learning curve as a first-time filmmaker, finding the unique angle of psychometry as a means to “connect” with the tricycle, not to mention paranormal investigative debunking. But what he also touches on in the documentary and in this interview is the effect of the media on the shaping of public perception and the cultural zeitgeist. Andrew is a pure delight and his enthusiasm and passion for the creative arts are not only welcoming but infectious.
JONBENET’S TRICYCLE is available now on digital platforms.
