Alison E. Rose is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

, and producer from

Markdale, Ontario Markdale is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, in Grey County, Ontario, Canada. The population was 1,216 in 2016, an increase of 3.5% from 1,175 in 2011. In 2016, the average age of the population was approximately 43 years old. ...

. Since 2003, she has released three documentaries: ''Galileo's Sons'' (2003), ''Love at the Twilight Hotel'' (2009), and ''Star Men'' (2014). Rose has won and been nominated for several awards including, a

Gemini award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...

for ''Galileo's Sons'', which she won in 2004, and the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the Advice (constitutional), advice of the Executive Council ...

, which she received in 2012.

Personal life

Alison E. Rose was born in Emo, Ontario, in the Rainy River District north of the Minnesota border. She has degrees in journalism and political science and she is a national newspaper and national magazine award-winning writer. She created her own production company, Inigo Films, in 2001. Rose also volunteers, helping to feed the hungry in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Rose describes giving back as a "gift." "It anchors my week, it provides structure in my life that would otherwise be lacking because I'm self-employed and somewhat undisciplined...it gives me people to care about...I've always wanted to help."

Career

Rose created Inigo Films in 2001. She made the Gemini award-winning ''Galileo's Sons'' (2003), a documentary about the

Vatican Observatory The Vatican Observatory () is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in the Roman College of Rome, the Observatory is now headquartered in Castel Gandolfo, Italy and operates a telescope a ...

. The film explored the history of the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

and their relation to astrophysicists, as well as, the rivalry between science and religion centering around the trial of

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...

. In 2009, Rose completed work on her second documentary, ''Love at the Twilight Hotel''. Set in motels along the infamous

Little Havana Little Havana () is a Neighborhoods in Miami, neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban exiles, as well as many immigrants from Central and South America, Little Havana is named after Havana, the Capital (political), ...

strip in

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, the film interviews men and women who had encounters with drug deals, prostitution, and robbery in the motels. Rose spent three years making the film, staying in motels and meeting men and women who frequented the area. In June 2015, Rose released ''Star Men,'' a documentary that follows a reunion of four astronomers as they embark on a nostalgic road trip in the American Southwest.

Donald Lynden-Bell Donald Lynden-Bell CBE FRS (5 April 1935 – 6 February 2018) was a British theoretical astrophysicist. He was the first to determine that galaxies contain supermassive black holes at their centres, and that such black holes power quasars. ...

, Roger Griffin, Wal Sargent and Neville Woolf are the subjects of the film. After earning their PhDs in England, they went on to do post-doctoral research in California in 1960/61 and the four explored the Western United States on holidays. Rose's ''Star Men'' depicts a reunion of such a journey almost fifty years later. Rather than concentrate solely on the scientific process, ''Star Men'' depicts the passion the scientists have for their work. Aging is another theme the film explores; the astronomers, all in their twilight years, confront physical deficiency and terminal illness, with Wal Sargent dying seven months after the reunion.

Awards

* National Magazine Award, Gold (1997), Science & Technology writing * National Newspaper Award, Arts & Entertainment writing (2002) * Gemini Award (2004) * Order of Ontario (2011) * Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)

Filmography

* ''Galileo's Sons'' (2003) * ''Love at the Twilight Hotel'' (2009) * ''Star Men'' (2015)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, Alison E. Canadian women film directors Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian documentary film directors Members of the Order of Ontario Canadian women documentary filmmakers