Activist Video Archive

Preserving progressive, multicultural voices of Los Angeles area activists, and philanthropists.

Preserving progressive, multicultural voices of Los Angeles area activists and philanthropists.

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BROGAN DE PAOR was born in Waterford, Ireland.  He received his Bachelor's degree and a Masters Degree in Mathematical Physics at University College Cork, National University of Ireland.  While there he co-founded a local branch of the Irish Film Society. From early on Brogan was immersed in the cultural and political history of his country and that legacy helped set the course of his intellectual life.

Brogan came to the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in late 1967 to complete a Ph.D in Applied Mathematics. In 1968, on college campuses across America, the university curriculum was over-shadowed by resistance to the War in Vietnam and cultural changes were rampant throughout the society. Already a firm opponent of the Vietnam War before he arrived, Brogan found life on the conservative Cal Tech Campus a challenge.

In the U.S. he also discovered the existence of film studies and filmmaking in Universities and eventually decided to change disciplines. He was accepted in the MFA program in film production at UCLA. Among the films he made there are two fine short films, Because it Changes and Another Life, both awarded prizes and commendation in film competitions. The invasion of Cambodia, early in his time at UCLA, shut down the campus. Many film students used their craft to aid in the unrest, and one of Brogan's early experiences as a film student was as a cameraman for a French film being made about Angela Davis.

After graduating with an MFA, Brogan became a "jack of all film trades" to support himself and gain experience in the film industry, working as a camera person, sound person, and most often as an editor or editorial assistant.  He worked on various low budget features and for two seasons on  "....In Search of...." at Alan Landsburg Productions, as an editor and assistant supervising editor.

While working as a camera man on an educational series, he met Julie Thompson and they forged their first project partnership on Citizen: The Political Life of Allard K. Lowenstein which Brogan Co-Produced and Edited. The film was Executive Produced by Mike Farrell and the documentary production took up residence on the 20th Century Fox lot during the last season and a half of M*A*S*H.

Brogan continued to edit films including "Bread and Salt," a feature documentary by Jeanne Collachia  set during the fall of the Soviet Union. He also joined Julie in working for the Liberty Hill Foundation, crafting tribute films for those prominent film industry activists who were honored by the foundation for their work. Brogan produced, edited and sometimes shot footage for film compilations about Haskell Wexler, Oliver Stone, Harry Shearer and Alfre Woodard.

In the 1990's Brogan worked on television movies for CBS as a post production supervisor. Shortly thereafter, Brogan and Julie formed their video production company, Sundays Well Productions. The name Sundays Well refers to a part of Cork City where Brogan lived while a student in Ireland.

Sundays Well clients have included The Liberty Hill Foundation, The Nation Institute, Rabbi's for Human Rights, Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking, Wally and Suzy Marks, Center for the Study of Political Graphics and Physicians for Social Responsibility to list but a few.

In 2008, Brogan spent six months in Joshua Tree, California, editing a feature length documentary about new music composer Lou Harrison entitled Lou Harrison: A World of Music.

Recent editing work includes DR. KEELING’S CURVE, a one man multi-camera program for link tv starring Mike Farrell exploring climate change.  Additional editing credits include the feature documentary film THE WONDER OF IT ALL and an educational film, NEVER GIVE UP! Ama’s  Journey to Freedom on the Underground Railroad.


“Everything that is tearing us down today will become a memory, and this memory will be shared as an anecdote or a story or a poem or a play or a warning. It will be shared with another human being, who will then understand that he is not alone in his sadness. This is why we show up for others and tell our tales and listen to others. The great congregation meets daily, and you are someone’s angel today.”

-Tennessee Williams/Interview with James Grissom

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