Lee Shapiro
Encyclopedia
Lee Shapiro was an American documentary film
maker. His one feature-length film, Nicaragua Was Our Home
, was released in 1986. It was filmed in Nicaragua
among the Miskito Indians who were then fighting against Nicaraguan government forces. The film was shown on some PBS stations and at the 1986 Sundance Film Festival
.
In 1987, Shapiro and fellow filmmaker Jim Lindelof were killed in Afghanistan
during the Soviet war in Afghanistan
. The resistance group they were traveling with reported that they had been ambushed by military forces of the Soviet Union
or the Afghan government
. However, the details have been questioned, partly because of the poor reputation of the group's leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
.
Shapiro was a member of the Unification Church
and a graduate of the church's Unification Theological Seminary
, as well as the London Film School
and the University of Colorado
. He also attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma
. His filmmaking was supported by CAUSA International, a church-related anticommunist organization.
In 2006 the documentary film Shadow of Afghanistan, by Suzanne Bauman and Jim Burroughs, was released. It incorporated footage originally shot by Shapiro.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
maker. His one feature-length film, Nicaragua Was Our Home
Nicaragua Was Our Home
Nicaragua Was Our Home is a 1986 documentary about the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua and their asserted persecution at the hands of the Nicaraguan government, filmed and produced by Lee Shapiro, a member of the Unification Church with funding from CAUSA International...
, was released in 1986. It was filmed in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
among the Miskito Indians who were then fighting against Nicaraguan government forces. The film was shown on some PBS stations and at the 1986 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
In 1987, Shapiro and fellow filmmaker Jim Lindelof were killed in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
during the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
. The resistance group they were traveling with reported that they had been ambushed by military forces of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
or the Afghan government
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :...
. However, the details have been questioned, partly because of the poor reputation of the group's leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is an Afghan Mujahideen leader who is the founder and leader of the Hezb-e Islami political party and paramilitary group. Hekmatyar was a rebel military commander during the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan and was one of the key figures in the civil war that followed the...
.
Shapiro was a member of the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
and a graduate of the church's Unification Theological Seminary
Unification Theological Seminary
The Unification Theological Seminary , is the main seminary of the international Unification Church. It is located in Barrytown, New York and with an Extension Center in midtown Manhattan. Its purpose has been described as training leaders and theologians within the Unification Church. The...
, as well as the London Film School
London Film School
The London Film School is a private film school in London and is situated in a converted brewery in Covent Garden, London, close to a hub of the UK film industry based in Soho. The LFS was founded in 1956 by Bob Dunbar as The London School of Film Technique...
and the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. He also attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. His filmmaking was supported by CAUSA International, a church-related anticommunist organization.
In 2006 the documentary film Shadow of Afghanistan, by Suzanne Bauman and Jim Burroughs, was released. It incorporated footage originally shot by Shapiro.
External links
- http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Talks/Franzen/Franzen-Shapiro.htm His death is reported by his friend Erwin Franzen.
- http://www.unification.net/1991/910220.html He is mentioned in a speech by Sun Myung MoonSun Myung MoonSun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
, the founder of the Unification Church. - http://www.shadowofafghanistan.com/index2.htm Shadow of Afghanistan official site.
- http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/books/bookdetail.aspx?productid=152228 Blood on the Lens, 2007 book by filmmaker Jim Burroughs who investigated Shapiro's death.
- http://www.facebook.com/s.php?k=100000004&id=40054086465&gr=2&sid=589044fa52e07215d1a6831278e39e88&_ecdc=false&n=-1&o=4&hash=45fe5c9223b33919df0e0302d2518af1&sf=p&s=40#/group.php?gid=40054086465 Memorial page on Facebook.
- For the screenwriter and animator born in 1970 see: Lee Shapiro (writer)Lee Shapiro (writer)Lee Shapiro is an American screenwriter and computer animator born in Dallas, Texas.-Biography:Lee hails from Dallas, Texas. His love for graphic arts and motion pictures give him a great visual sense in the medium of film...
.