MPT Presents

Pearl Mallory is a staff cook at the St. Mary's Court Retirement Community in Washington, DC. Her specialty, Sweet Potato Pie, with its ingredients borne of her tangled Southern roots and her unyielding devotion to the Lord, inspires extraordinary and unexpected effects on the normally staid residents of St. Mary's.

Growing up in West Baltimore, a community plagued by generational poverty, drugs, and violence, five high school seniors continue their journey to become the first in their families to go to college. While the pressure of senior year intensifies, their college dream will disappear unless they succeed in navigating the college application process and in securing full funding for college.

Set in Baltimore in the runup to the 2020 US Presidential Election, "Out to Vote" follows formerly incarcerated residents who have become leaders for democracy & voting advocacy in their community. Nicole Hanson-Mundell, Bobby Perkins, and Monica Cooper engage marginalized citizens who have been led to believe either that their vote does not matter, or that they would not be welcome at the polls.

Using a theatrical piece by choreographer Liz Lerman, "Parables of War" explores the intricate nexus that exists between art and artist, representation & personal narrative, and historical truth and contemporary experience. The film witnesses the journey of three men who are, in one way or another, the casualties of war: actor Bill Pullman; dancer Keith Thompson; and former Marine Joshua Bleill.

Artist-blacksmith Nol Putnam employs centuries-old techniques to make art out of iron and steel. Over four decades, Nol has bent metal into iconic pieces, from his trio of gates at the Washington National Cathedral to whimsical indoor sculptures to colorful poppies in honor of the farriers who served in WWI. Forging Art follows Nol as he talks art, mythology and making metal move.

10th grade, a year of achievement for five scholars from West Baltimore, suddenly crashes in March 2020. Faced with the pandemic upheaval, they rely on personal resilience. With the killing of George Floyd, a national spotlight reveals their fears of police brutality they face daily in their neighborhoods. From their homes in 11th grade , they reveal the meaning of "West Baltimore Strong."

Based on the WYPR podcast, Out of the Blocks looks at the impact of COVID on the lives and communities of people living on the blocks of Baltimore, Seattle, Charleston, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The stories are woven together by intros from co-hosts Aaron Henkin and Wendel Patrick and a custom-tailored score by Patrick.

Dementia is the most costly disease facing society today, and Medicare doesn’t cover the cost of dementia care. Those costs rest squarely on the caregiver’s shoulder. SPENT – Discussing Dementia brings together leading experts in the fields of dementia and related illness to help you better understand the disease and how best to prepare financially and emotionally for what lie ahead.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel fled Nazi Germany to became “an authoritative voice not only in the Jewish community but in the religious life of America.” His book, "The Prophets" inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. to invite him to take a roll in the Civil Rights Movement. Heschel was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, an advocate for Soviet Jewry and a pioneer of interfaith dialogue.

In 1960, Belair at Bowie, one of Maryland's first planned communities, opened to the interested homebuyers. It promised an idyllic suburban lifestyle, but was the community everything that was promised in the sale brochure? Tales of Belair at Bowie presents first-hand memories from original residents of the community mixed with archival clips and photos.

For the inmates of the Baltimore County Detention Center, there are few opportunities to have contact visits with their families. Almost all interaction is through glass. Turning Pages, a local literacy and family reunification program, allows inmates an opportunity to maintain and grow their bonds as fathers through the act of reading with their children.

Deserted - In the world’s wealthiest country, access to healthy and affordable food should be a basic human right. However, equal access to nutritional food remains an endemic problem across America. Deserted shares the stories of individuals and organizations across Baltimore City working to shift the narrative and reclaim their right to healthy food.