Henry Corra

Henry John Corra (born November 11, 1955) is an American documentary filmmaker and commercial director.

Background

Henry Corra at the Camera.

Henry Corra is a New York City based documentary filmmaker best known for his highly acclaimed films Umbrellas (1995), George (2000), Frames (2004), Same Sex America (2005), the Emmy nominated NYC77 (2007), the Disappearance of McKinley Nolan (2009) and Jack (2009). Corra's work is influenced by cinema verité filmmakers David and Albert Maysles (Salesman, Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter) whom he collaborated with from 1981 - 1994. In 1994 Corra launched his own production company, Corra Films Inc. located in the heart of downtown Manhattan.

Corra's films have been exhibited worldwide in theatrical venues from New York City, San Francisco, Paris and Berlin, in broadcast venues including HBO, SHOWTIME, LOGO, CBS, MTV, BRAVO, PBS, VH1, ARTE and CHANNEL 4. His work has also been exhibited in museum and cultural venues internationally including The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Louvre in Paris, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC and the Pacific Film Archives in San Francisco.

Corra's work extends to episodic TV projects for broadcasters including VH1 and Sundance Channel and he has been singled out as one of the foremost director's of reality TV commercials in America creating highly successful campaigns for clients such as Mercedes, Papa Johns, AARP, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NYC Department of Health, Master Card, Gateway Computers, Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson, Reebok, McDonalds and Ford.

He currently lives in New York City with his partner and collaborator Celia Maysles.

Filmography

The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan (2010, 77 minutes, Henry Corra) Private McKinley Nolan vanished forty years ago in Vietnam on the Cambodian frontier. Some say he was captured, some say he was a traitor, some even say he was an American operative. The US Army officially claims he was radicalized and “went native”, joining the Viet Cong and later encountering the Khmer Rouge. In 2006, retired US Army Lt. Dan Smith, revisiting the battlefields of his youth, may have encountered the elusive McKinley, alive. So began a journey into the heart of darkness. The film will have a world premiere in June 2010.

Jack (2009, 87 minutes, Henry Corra and Eben Bull) Here is Jack, the most lovable train wreck you've ever met. This highly original documentary is an authentic portrait of an advanced alcoholic on what could be his final run. Never judging or proclaiming, the film is a wild ride that you can't get off. Eventually, even Jack runs out of road.

NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell (2007, 120 minutes, Henry Corra) A two-hour VH1 Rock Doc that documents one of the most tumultuous years in New York City’s history. The Emmy nominated documentary examines everything from the birth of hip-hop, the burgeoning disco movement, the famed New York blackout, the Son of Sam murders, the sexual revolution and the city’s ongoing financial and political problems. The list of people interviewed by Corra includes Mayor Ed Koch, Screw magazine publisher Al Goldstein, porn actress Annie Sprinkle, hip-hop pioneers KRS One, Afrika Bambaataa and D.J. Kool Herc, punk’s Richard Hell, Blondie’s Christ Stein, Studio 54 co-owner Ian Schrager and disco diva Gloria Gaynor.

Same Sex America (2005, 90 minutes, Henry Corra, Charlene Rule) History was made when Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to sanction gay marriage. Filmmaker Henry Corra weaves the stories of seven gay and lesbian couples on their emotional journey to the altar with the dramatic showdown at Massachusetts' constitutional convention, a vivid demonstration of democracy in action that may change the course of history. The film captures all the nuance of what may be the defining chapter in the history of the gay and lesbian struggle for equal rights.

Frames (2004, 53 minutes, Henry Corra, Charlene Rule) In this film about legendary media artist Grahame Weinbren, Corra effectively captures the complexity, mystery and excitement of the creative process. The film takes its lead from Weinbren’s work where spectators become characters and subjects, living participants as they interact with sound and story, image and screen. Frames had its world premiere at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

George (2000, 88 minutes, Henry Corra, Grahame Weinbren) Described by Amy Taubin in The Village Voice, as “an exceptionally intelligent and moving documentary that explores Corra’s twelve-year-old autistic son George, who uses his own video camera to make a movie within the movie. In fact, the film is about how we define normalcy.” George had its American theatrical premiere at The Screening Room, New York and was shown at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., The Gaga Film Festival, Berlin Germany. It aired on HBO in July 2000.

Umbrellas (1994, 93 minutes, Henry Corra, Grahame Weinbren) The controversial story of the artist Christo’s grand-scale environmental art project in Japan and California that ended in the tragic death of two of its spectators. At its world premiere in 1994 at the Berlin International Film Festival, Howard Feinstein of Variety praised the film as, “highly original and structurally flawless . . . an ambitious documentary about an ambitious project.” Umbrellas won The Grand Prize at the Montreal International Film Festival. It was shown at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. and The Louvre Museum, Paris and on the European network ARTE.

Change of Heart (1992, 57 minutes, Henry Corra, Kate Hirson) This documentary explores the reversal of heart disease through changes in lifestyle. It is an intimate portrait of four patients, four wives and one doctor. Change of Heart premiered nationally on PBS/NOVA in 1992 and was shown at: NY Film and TV Festival (1992), National Film and Video Festival (1992), Blakeslee Award for Medical Journalism (1992), Academy of Medical Films (1992).

Television and Commercials

MTV Truelife: I'm Ex-Amish (2010), Directed by Henry Corra) Growing up Amish can be tough: no phones, electricity, or cars, and your parents teach you to fear the “devil’s playground” outside your door. So what happens when you want to move on, break free, and join the outside world? Corra Films followed three young adults who have left the flock on their journey to find independence, a new life, and a new kind of family. Currently airing on MTV.

See also

• The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan

Sources

• Henry Corra at the Internet Movie Database
• Corra Films, Inc.
• Interview with Corra and editor Charlene Rule on Same Sex America
• Corra Films Official Youtube Channel
• Corra Films on Facebook

Persondata
Name	Corra, Henry
Alternative names
Short description	American documentary filmmaker and commercial director
Date of birth	November 11, 1955
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death