OUTBREAK: THE FIRST RESPONSE

Outbreak: The First Response shines a spotlight on how a community cares for its most vulnerable in the face of a deadly pandemic.  

ABOUT THE FILM

Outbreak: The First Responses chronicles the first community in the United States grappling with a COVID-19 outbreak. Through exclusive access with the Department of Public Health for Seattle and King County, this documentary explores how a virus exposed the faults in our public health infrastructure as a nation and the tenacity of first-line responders fighting to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.

 Told through the eyes of the county health director, a single mother grappling with homelessness, and families advocating for their elderly parents locked into a COVID-sieged nursing home, this documentary captures the interlocking lives of citizens navigating personal battles in the midst of a global crisis.

 Outbreak: The First Response shines a spotlight on the public health infrastructure in our country as it faces a confluence of crises, highlighting its triumphs, and scrutinizing the consequences when the broader political system neglects it.

THE FILMMAKERS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Soledad O’Brien has produced, directed or reported nearly 2 dozen documentary films, including the critically acclaimed Black in America series, and the documentaries Kids Behind Bars and Black and Blue. Her CNN documentary The War Comes Home debuted as a Fathom event in movie theaters around the country. She has been recognized with three Emmy Awards and was honored twice with the George Foster Peabody award for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina and her reporting on the BP Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Her reporting on the Southeast Asia tsunami garnered CNN an Alfred I. DuPont Award. 

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Brian Castrucci, Dr PH, MA, is the president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation, which works to strengthen the public health system.

DIRECTOR

Rose Arce is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who has produced or written for 13 documentaries, including Her Name Was Steven, Gary and Tony Have a Baby, Rescued and The War Comes Home.  She has worked as a producer for Soledad O’Brien for 16 years, serving as her co-author on 2 books and a producer on 9 of her documentaries. As a print reporter, she shared the Pulitzer Prize for spot news reporting. 

FIELD PRODUCER

Riley Morton is a producer/Shooter specializing in nonfiction production in remote and difficult locations. For the last 15 years, he’s produced adventure sports and travel-related media for a variety of outlets. In addition to working for clients like Microsoft and Discovery Channel he has Field Produced and Executive Produced a PBS travel show, Produced and Directed four feature documentaries and told nonfiction stories for a variety of partners. His work has been seen on Netflix, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery, ABC’s Nightly News, ITV, Food Network, NBC’s Today show, and in darkened cinemas and on screens the world over.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Howard Shack is an Emmy Award-winning Producer and Cinematographer with over 20 years of experience creating content for clients such as PBS, Discovery, and National Geographic. He has worked on many award-winning films and television programs including Earth Days, the Closing Night Film at Sundance Film Festival (2009), and Sentenced Home, winner of multiple Audience Awards at international film festivals. His corporate and non-profit clients include Disney/Pixar, Boeing, Phillips Academy, Seattle Aquarium and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

EDITOR

Alex Keipper is a documentary editor whose work includes the four-part series The Case Against Adnan Syed, produced for HBO, as well as the mini-series Hunting ISIS, which aired on VICELAND and the History Channel.  His feature film credits include the Showtime documentary American Jihad, and the HBO Documentary film Risky Drinking. Keipper’s short work includes various projects for VICE Media, and the New York Times Op-Doc A Conversation With My Black Son.  He has additionally worked on music videos, narratives, and commercial projects.

A MATTER OF FACT SPECIAL WITH SOLEDAD O’BRIEN

Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien takes you to the center of the country’s first confrontation with COVID-19. We reveal some of the first moments leaders in Seattle, Washington began grappling with a new and deadly coronavirus, never before seen in the United States. In our documentary-style episode, we will introduce you to a family struggling on the streets during the pandemic; a daughter fighting to get care for her father while he is quarantined inside a nursing home; and local caregivers working to protect the most vulnerable in the community.