*2026 SXSW Premiere - Beyond the Duplex Planet - Director Beth Harrington
In 1979, David Greenberger, a recent art school grad became activities director at a Boston nursing home. David began interviewing the residents, rejecting pat questions with the unexpected: "Which do you prefer- coffee or meat?” “What is embarrassment?” and “How close can you get to a penguin?” The result was The Duplex Planet, an early ‘zine characterized by humor, warmth and sincerity. Today David’s work takes the form of spoken word shows and recordings. Beyond the Duplex Planet explores notions of aging and its intersection with art and community. It’s also a slightly ironic look at the life of an artist devoted to documenting the elderly who is himself in his senior years. A long-time friend and collaborator with David Greenberger, our guest Beth Harrington directed and produced Beyond the Duplex Planet.
About the filmmaker - Beth Harrington is an Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated independent producer, director and writer, born in Boston and transplanted to the Pacific Northwest. She most often focuses on work that explores American history, music and culture. Harrington’s independent production Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, a music documentary about the pioneering women of rock and roll, was honored with a 2003 Grammy nomination. This and other work reflect a long-standing love of music. She’s been a singer and sometimes guitarist, most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers on Sire Records. In 2015 her film The Winding Stream – The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music premiered at SXSW, later appearing in over 30 film festivals in the U.S. and abroad. Her latest projects include the documentary Beyond the Duplex Planet about artist David Greenberger, and Our Mr. Matsura, a historical film about a Japanese photographer’s unconventional work documenting the people of Washington State in the early 1900s.Harrington has also worked with public television stations WGBH in Boston and OPB in Portland producing, researching, and developing shows for both national and local air on series such as Nova, Frontline, History Detectives, Oregon Art Beat and Oregon Experience. Her film Fort Vancouver received a NW Emmy for Best Historical/Cultural Program in 2019 and her piece Once Upon a Time in the Northwest – The Music of Federale, a NW Emmy for Best Arts/Entertainment - Long Form Content in 2021.
