Susan Raymond

Lance Loud!: A Death in an American Family

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

Lance Loud, Pat Loud

In 1973 An American Family, a 12 hour documentary series on PBS, profiled the real life drama of the Loud family. The eldest son, Lance, became the first openly gay man on television and a gay icon for his generation. On December 22, 2001, Lance died from an HIV and hepatitis C co-infection. When he entered the hospice, Lance requested his friends, and the original series filmmakers, Susan and Alan Raymond to return to film the final episode of An American Family. Lance reflects upon his days with Andy Warhol, his band The Mumps, a career as a writer and the experience of being the first reality TV star. This film is a celebration of life and a cautionary tale.

Elvis '56

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

Elvis Presley, Levon Helm

The year Elvis Presley went from rising star to pop culture sensation is chronicled through rare footage, interviews and that pelvis-gyrating music.

An American Family Revisited: The Louds 10 Years Later

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

Bill Loud, Pat Loud

HBO's one-hour follow-up to the famed PBS documentary series,"An American Family" (1973), is a ten-year update on the Loud family and their reflections on becoming overnight media celebrities. Filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond had remained friends with family members and knew the celebrity experience and the effects of divorce had changed them in many ways. The Raymonds filmed family members discussing their reactions to these events, intercutting the new footage with scenes from the 1973 PBS series. Although this HBO production was seen on HBO in 1983, it was not aired on PBS until 1991.

The Police Tapes

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

Charles Rydell, Anthony Bouza

The Police Tapes is a 1977 documentary about a New York City police precinct in the South Bronx. The original ran ninety minutes and was produced for public television; a one-hour version later aired on ABC. Filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond spent three months in 1976 riding along with patrol officers in the 44th Precinct of the South Bronx, which had the highest crime rate in New York City at that time. They produced about 40 hours of videotape that they edited into a 90-minute documentary.

Hard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card

Susan Raymond

Inside an inner-city Baltimore high school as teachers and students face the challenges of a 2002 education-reform act.

I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

Susan Raymond, Deanna Burney

An unflinching verité portrait of the children of Stanton Elementary School in North Philadelphia, an inner-city neighborhood where 90% of the students live below the poverty line. Seen through the viewpoint of devoted principal Deanna Burney, the film shows Stanton as grossly underfunded, understaffed, and filled with children struggling to overcome their difficulties. But for these at-risk kids, however, the hope for their future survives only in the success of their education. A captivating series of vignettes concerning children growing up outside the American dream, echoing current “hot-button” issues in our country’s ongoing political discussion.

Killing the Colorado

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

The drought in the American West is predicted to be the worst in 1,000 years. Join five Academy Award-winning filmmakers as they explore the environmental crisis of our time and how to fix it before it's too late.

Journey Into Dyslexia

Susan Raymond

Erin Brockovich, Benjamin Foss

Addresses misunderstandings of learning differences and demonstrates potential in dyslexic persons.

Toe Tag Parole: To Live and Die on Yard A

Susan Raymond, Alan Raymond

In 2000, a California State Prison inmate serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) approached the warden to request a dedicated yard for men serving life sentences that would break the code of violence dominating prison life. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) subsequently transformed Yard A at California State Prison into The Progressive Programming Facility, which inmates call The Honor Yard. The only one of its kind in the United States, this experimental prison yard is free of violence, racial tensions, gang activity and illegal drug and alcohol use.

Ararat

Atom Egoyan

Simon Abkarian, Charles Aznavour

Interrogated by a customs officer, a young man recounts how his life was changed during the making of a film about the Armenian genocide.

Into Madness

Susan Raymond

Bob, Missy

Initially airing on HBO's "America Undercover" series, this riveting documentary focuses on three families shattered by the psychiatric disorder of schizophrenia. Subjects "Bob," "Missy" and "Steven" have lived for over a decade with schizophrenia. The film documents the difficult day-to-day existence of both those afflicted with this order and the families searching for answers to their loved ones' suffering. This film also shows the varied and variably successful treatment methods for each of the subjects—one is placed in a group home, one is placed in an institution, and one is cared for at home. The documentary was critically acclaimed for its compassionate treatment of mental illness.