About the Documentary
In the eerie stillness of 2021, Emmy winning Producer Jody Small began documenting the untold stories of a nation in crisis. Her work would become The Storm & The Boats, a powerful documentary capturing the raw essence of America’s first year of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
“We were all experiencing the same storm,” Small reflects, “but we were certainly in different boats.” Her lens became a window into the diverse experiences of many during these unprecedented times. The result is both a documentary and a time capsule of human resilience, fear, and hope.
The film weaves together both tragic and inspirational human experiences, that remind us of the impact and consequences of the pandemic. These stories, now preserved at the Rutgers University Oral History Archive, stand as testament to both our collective trauma and endurance. Small’s masterful storytelling pairs with the scientific insights of Dr. Brian L. Strom, creating a chronicle that documents history while helping us navigate its aftermath.
Small brings deep expertise to this project, including an understanding of oral histories having served as Founding Director of Film & Video at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and Film Producer at The Vietnam Era Educational Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, Holocaust Museum Houston and other prestigious institutions. She also received an Emmy Award for her work at WUSA-TV, Washington DC’s CBS affiliate.
“That was an amazing and compelling film. I loved every one of the interviewees!”
Film Background
Why The Storm & The Boats?
The Covid-19 pandemic felt like a storm, while each of us was in our own boat.
Filming for The Storm & The Boats began immediately after the first vaccines became available. Jody Small, a New Jersey based Producer set up a makeshift studio in her home and began interviewing participants diverse in age, background and life experience.
About the New Jersey Film Festival
The Storm & The Boats was chosen from over 600 entries to be one of 44 films featured in the 43rd Annual New Jersey Film Festival in February, 2025. The winning films were selected by a panel of judges, including media professionals, journalists, students, and academics.
The documentary aired on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 7:00 PM in New Brunswick.
The Storm & The Boats was chosen Winner Best Documentary Film at the Festival.