Rose, Christine M. 1969–

PERSONAL:

Born November 12, 1969, in OH; daughter of Robert Weisheit and Donna Rowe; married Ethan Rose (an author), October 22, 2000. Education: Sam Houston State University, B.A., 1992; Texas Woman's University, M.A., 1996.

ADDRESSES:

E-mail— [email protected].

CAREER:

Author, screenwriter, director, and producer.

WRITINGS:

(And producer/director)Liberty Bound(documentary film), Blue Moose Films, 2004.

(And producer/director)Internationally Speaking(documentary film), Blue Moose Films, 2005.

(With husband, Ethan Rose)Rowan of the Wood(young-adult novel), Blue Moose Press, 2008.

Contributor to periodicals MovieMaker and IndieSlate.

SIDELIGHTS:

Christine M. Rose was born in Ohio but grew up and went to college in Texas. After receiving both her bachelor's and master's degrees in English, Rose says she found herself "virtually unemployable." After spending several years teaching high school English and special-education classes, Rose decided to dedicate her time and energy to writing, directing, and producing her first documentary film.

Rose, a longtime activist, was troubled by the shift in American culture after the events of September 11, 2001. Believing that the government and the mainstream media were withholding vital information about violations of civil liberties, Rose embarked on a journey to document these cases and explore how ideas about freedom and democracy have changed in a post-9/11 America. With no funding or experience, Rose relied on a community of online independent filmmakers for support and advice. After a cross-country journey, conducting interviews with everyone from average citizens to historians, Rose completed Liberty Bound in 2004. The film was viewed at festivals around the world.

In a review of the documentary for Variety, Robert Koehler noted that though Rose's film is mainly "preaching-to-converted," there are several powerful moments when the filmmaker manages to capture an actual civil rights violation under the Patriot Act on tape.

Rose followed up Liberty Bound with a second documentary called Internationally Speaking. Again, Rose tackles a sensitive and somewhat controversial topic by asking people from around the world to give their honest and uncensored opinions of America, its people, and its foreign policy. With this film, Rose hoped viewers would have a better understanding of how America and its citizens are viewed by the rest of the world.

Nathan Southern, a contributor to the All Movie Guide Web site, noted that the film suggests that global citizens have a negative view of America because of the nation's "superior and intrusive attitude."

Taking a break from the harsh reality of documentary filmmaking, Rose and her husband, Ethan, began work on a young-adult novel called Rowan of the Wood. The story focuses on a young boy named Cullen Knight who finds refuge from his oppressive foster family in the redwood forest where he spends much of his time reading. The plot takes a magical twist when Cullen finds a wand and releases the wizard Rowan, who has been trapped inside the wand for centuries. In a review of the book for Strange Wordings, Brian Malone noted that while the basic plot has been done before, parts of the story are "quite inventive."

Rose told CA: "Passion for life and love is my primary motivation for writing. My work is influenced by a wide range of authors, from [William] Shakespeare and [Jonathan] Swift to more contemporary authors like [Kurt] Vonnegut and [J.K.] Rowling. I write best with a balance of creative inspiration and organized structure. It's important for me to set benchmarks and goals to reach. After I complete a draft, my coauthor and husband revises it, inserting his ideas and commentary, then hands it back to me for further revision. My nephews and the magic of [J.K. Rowling's series] "Harry Potter" inspired me to write Rowan of the Wood. I was moved not only by the series itself, but seeing my young nephews fall in love with it as well inspired me to create something they cherish."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Variety, June 8, 2004, Robert Koehler, review of Liberty Bound, p. 38.

ONLINE

All Movie Guide,http://www.allmovie.com/ (October 23, 2007), Nathan Southern, review of Internationally Speaking; Jason Buchanan, synopsis of Liberty Bound.

Internet Movie Database,http://www.imdb.com/ (October 23, 2007), "Biography of Christine Rose."

Movie Maker Magazine Web site, http://www.moviemaker.com/(spring, 2006), Christine Rose, "LIBERTY BOUND: True Independent Spirit Christine Rose Chronicles the Making of Her First Film, the Controversial Doc Liberty Bound. "

Rowan of the Wood Web site,http://www.rowanofthewood.com (October 24, 2007).

Strange Wordings,http://www.bmalone.blogspot.com/ (October 1, 2007), Brian Malone, review of Rowan of the Wood.