Forgetting to Remember Project
Sag Harbor Cinema & Plain Sight Project Collaboration
The “Forgetting to Remember” Project (2022–2023) was a collaboration between Sag Harbor Cinema and the Plain Sight Project, supported by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer’s Congressionally Directed Community Project Funding through the U.S. Department of Education.
Expanding the Plain Sight Project’s work to Sag Harbor, the $200,000 initiative used archival research, exhibitions, film, and curriculum to illuminate the lives of enslaved, indentured, and free people of color in our local region.
Forgotten Founders: David Hempstead, Sr.
Commissioned as a part of the Forgetting to Remember Project, Forgotten Founders: David Hempstead, Senior (2023) is a short-form documentary, directed by Sam Hamilton and Julian Alvarez, and produced by Bill Collage.
The film highlights the life of David Hempstead, Senior, on the East End of Long Island, N.Y., tracing him from slavery to freedom using research from the Plain Sight Project and Sylvester Manor.
It was officially selected for the St. Louis International Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, and the Hamptons International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Short Film.
If you are a part of a school group or private organization that would like to schedule a free screening of Forgotten Founders: David Hempstead, Senior, contact education@sagharborcinema.org.
Learning & Engagement Resources
Beyond the film, the Forgetting to Remember project continues through these freely accessible tools for educators, students, and community members. Explore the research, maps, and curriculum that bring this history to life and invite continued learning and dialogue.
