Film crews are a frequent sight in Newburgh, and so – excepting neighbors who lost their parking spots for a day – few may have minded nor even noticed the one scurrying about Liberty and South on March 30th.
The shoot was one of many that took place in the metro areas of New York, Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai for a docu-series just released by Katie Couric with the cosmetics giant SK-II. Called Timelines, it explores societal and familial pressures that young women face, through the lens of the mother-daughter relationship.
The urban dance music artist Maluca was selected for the NY episode. Her mom Liz – after living in Manhattan for 54 years – recently moved to Newburgh with her husband Michael to start a new business. So after shooting in Maluca’s apartment, the crew headed up the Hudson River to Liz’s home.
It took several hours to run cables in, around, up and down the 1865 townhouse, but by 11:00 AM, Katie’s interview of Liz got underway. Was Liz nervous? Maybe? During the early takes, Mollie, the director, was often heard saying “Liz, that was simply terrific! You’re a natural! Could we do it again, and this time please remember to say Maluca instead of Natalie (Maluca’s given name)?
After shooting B-roll of mom and daughter cooking in the kitchen and of Maluca playing DJ with some of Michael’s vinyl LPs, it was a wrap. Michael and Liz then took Katie on a tour of the work they put into restoring and renovating the home so that it is so energy efficient that it may be Newburgh’s first de-facto-passive-house/net-zero ready home (for more, see Liz and Michael’s business website). They told her about their hopes for Newburgh’s future, and the other wonderful things that many other people are doing in the city. Katie wanted to know more and promised Liz that she would come back to visit her and the city. Liz promised to remind her, and she wants everyone to know that Katie really is a sweetheart!
