Cathleen O’Connell is an independent documentary producer based in Boston. Her films shine a light on lesser known but important facets of American culture – stories found when you exit the interstate and pull onto blue highways and back roads. Her broadcast credits include non-fiction programming for PBS, Animal Planet, The History Channel and Discovery Channel.
We love deserts and we love penguins, hence Desert Penguin Pictures. (Although someone once said it sounded like a Zen kōan, and we like that as an origin story as well.) Team Desert Penguin is a pool of talented collaborators - a flock of rare birds, although we don't wear tuxedos very often. (Above is a Scottish penguin at the Edinburgh Zoo. When traveling, Desert Penguins seek out their brothers and sisters around the world.)
The Perfect Crime (American Experience/ PBS)
The shocking story of Leopold and Loeb and the "Crime of the Century"
Producer/Director
Ripley: Believe It Or Not (American Experience/PBS)
Biography of Robert "Believe It Or Not" Ripley
Producer/Director/Writer
War of The Worlds (American Experience/ PBS)
Orson Welles' infamous 1938 radio broadcast
Producer/Director
A documentary about contemporary and historical Native American marching bands. A co-production with Vision Maker Media and produced in association with the Center for Independent Documentary
Producer/Director/Writer
Time Capsule: Message In A Bottle
The past, present, and future of time capsules
Producer/Director/Writer/Editor
ADDITIONAL CREDITS
Latino Americans (PBS) - Recreation Producer Hours 1 & 2 • About Face (Nat'l Center for PTSD/VA) - Production Coordinator • God In America (PBS) - Co-Producer Hour 1 & 2 • We Shall Remain (PBS) - Co-producer Hour 1 • Welcome To The Club: The Women of Rockabilly - Archival Researcher • River of Song (PBS) - Coordinating Producer • all sorts of stuff on the IMDB page