THE GATE: The Story of America’s First Contraband Community
Fifteen year old boy escaping to Fort Monroe in 1861 (animation in THE GATE)
Contraband Historical Society board members participating in Soil Blending Ceremony
A PBS Documentary and Educational Program Initiative
Historic story, told by descendants
This descendant-led PBS documentary and educational program initiative is in production in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Filming is centered at Fort Monroe, the birthplace of freedom for thousands of self-emancipated people in 1861. Known as “Contrabands,” these men, women, and children fled enslavement, sought refuge behind Union lines, and built the first free, self-governed Black community in the shadow of the Civil War.
More than a film, it’s an act of cultural preservation
While well-grounded in scholarship and guided by an established panel of historians, THE GATE is also a creative act of public history. Featuring descendants Pamela Holley, Tim Savage, and Agena Cason Rogers, the project preserves oral histories passed down for generations and pairs them with archival research and cinematic storytelling. Visual artistry is central to the film. Contraband descendant Kevin Brooks is painting original works depicting Contraband life, which Hampton University students and graduates will animate to bring history vividly to life. This collaboration between descendants, scholars, artists, and students makes THE GATE both an educational tool and a living cultural legacy
A National Platform
PBS has expressed a strong interest in airing THE GATE and making it available to PBS stations nationwide beginning in 2027. This will ensure that this untold story reaches millions of households across the country. It will be the first feature-length documentary and educational program devoted to this subject.
“The transformative period of the Civil War and Emancipation in the United States deserves further attention, beyond Reconciliation. A deeper understanding of key enablers of refuge, and empathy for the brave path taken by enslaved people who risked everything for their freedom, is paramount. Their persistence, and the pressure they exerted on U.S. authorities to enact emancipation policies, was pivotal to destroying slavery altogether in the United States. And yet, very few Americans know about the historical importance of the Contrabands” - Mike Mascoll
This film is being developed, in part, with a generous grant from Virginia Humanities.
LEV Media Group is proud to help tell this story in conjunction with the Contraband Historical Society and Seltzer Film & Video.
Filmmakers
Laura Seltzer-Duny
Executive Producer / Filmmaker / Impact Director
Emmy-nominated PBS Producer and award-winning filmmaker Laura Seltzer-Duny has been Producing and Directing documentaries and educational programs for over 20 years. Driven by her commitment to creating media that inspires social change, she founded Seltzer Film & Video, LLC. Her work has aired on major networks including PBS, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, Discovery & History Channels.
As an Impact Director, Seltzer-Duny designs and oversees strategic campaigns that mobilize viewers to take action after watching a film. She and her team create outreach campaigns for causes that assist filmmakers in spreading the reach of their films. Seltzer Film & Video’s impact campaigns have been utilized by PBS Learning Media, the History Channel, the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Telehealth and Technology, and the American Psychological Association.
Mike Mascoll
Producer
Mike Mascoll uses filmmaking to document invaluable chapters in Black History. His films offer opportunities for community engagement through discussions on race, diversity, inclusion, and contribution. He is working with Seltzer Film & Video as the Producer of The Gate. This will be the first feature-length PBS documentary and educational program about America’s first Contraband community. Mike Produced CodeSwitching: Race and Identity in the Suburban Schoolhouse and On The Line. Both films are about the longest voluntary school desegregation program in the US.
Mike founded LEV (Lift Every Voice) Production Company to create healthier dialogue and mutual respect for cultural differences – lifting the voices of future leaders. Upon completion of The Gate, he will spearhead the outreach and distribution of The Gate to educational institutions and communities throughout the country.