Outstanding in their (and our) fields
Naturally Rappahannock County is, to the casual visitor, outstanding in its fields – as well as its mountains and scenic views in general – but it’s not always evident that its residents are so often outstanding in their respective fields. Just in the last week, for example, two Rappahannock residents won coveted awards – one in New York, another in Sydney, Australia.
For his 2011 documentary “The Woodmans,” filmmaker Scott Willis of Woodville won an Emmy Monday night (Oct. 1) at the 33rd annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards in New York. “The Woodmans,” produced by PBS’ “Independent Lens” series, captivatingly tells the story of a family that suffers a tragedy but perseveres through each other and their work as artists. “I'm wearing a smile all day,” Willis said by email, before starting the drive back home from New York this week with his latest statuette in the back seat. (This isn’t the first Emmy for Willis, a longtime senior producer for “Nightline” before starting up his own filmmaking company.)
Meanwhile, when Leonard Foglia isn’t at home in Harris Hollow, he’s usually off directing an opera – and his direction of “Moby Dick” last year by the State Opera of South Australia won him a Helpmann Award, Australia’s much-prized live- performance honor (kind of a combination of our Tonys and Emmys). Foglia won for best director of an opera. More about Harris Hollow’s latest celebrity in the Washington column on page 14.