The documentary ROBERT FLAHERTY LOOK AGAIN takes a new look at a project begun in 1944 by pioneering documentarian Robert Flaherty, and the artist, stonecutter and calligrapher, John Howard Benson. Drawing from never before seen footage and interviews with figures such as Richard Leacock and Mrs. John Howard Benson, the film examines a story long obscured by time. The original Flaherty footage was lost for decades. The new documentary is a passion project from filmmaker Rebecca Miller, who found the original never-before-seen Flaherty footage when she was a student at Rhode Island School of Design. ROBERT FLAHERTY LOOK AGAIN takes a surprising high-impact approach to archival storytelling.
The 33 minute film, available in the summer of 2025, was created by filmmaker Rebecca Miller, from production company Optik Nerve, Inc., of Jamestown, RI.
February 1, 2025 4-6PM
18 Valley Road, Jamestown, RI 02835
The winter films Sunday Series at JAC kicks off with the screening of ROBERT FLAHERTY LOOK AGAIN: The John Howard Benson Film, a new documentary by Jamestown filmmaker Rebecca Miller.
October 30 I 2025
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI 02903
The premier event showed the finished film with Q +A with Rebecca Miller, Christopher Benson, Regina Longo and Margot McIlwane Nishimura. The restored Flaherty movie CUTTING A QUILL was also screened.
Wonderful event with new and old friends gathering to view the finished film.
Our new documentary examines the approaches of the two artists, Flaherty and Benson, to their work: the scripted, the ungoverned, the planned, and the spontaneous. It becomes clear the two artists had their own vision for the project, and we examine how these ideas diverged. The documentary, ROBERT FLAHERTY LOOK AGAIN, includes interviews conducted in 1978 with principals—Richard Leacock, Mrs. John Howard Benson and others, as well as interviews conducted in 2025, correspondence gathered between the principals, a wealth of rare photography, and the original film material recorded in 1944 by Flaherty.
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Producer, Director, Designer, Editor, Writer
From the first discovery of the Flaherty film materials in 1976 until today, Rebecca Miller has lived with this project for almost 50 years. She took on the challenge to make ROBERT FLAHERTY LOOK AGAIN to breath new life and new vision into the Flaherty-Benson story. No one knew more about the history of this orphan Flaherty project, no one would be a better filmmaker to tell this story, no one else had the passion.
The visual material she gathered was significant: Flaherty footage, Flaherty footage with exposed sprocket holes, interviews recorded in 1978, the Benson family archive of photographs, over 800 pages of correspondence between the principals, interviews conducted in 2025, still photographs of Robert Flaherty from archives and museums, and newspaper clippings.
What makes this film compelling? This one has a great backstory and it's told with style.
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Established talents and surprising newcomers. Who are the talents behind the new film?
