The Murals of Royal Oak

"The Murals of Royal Oak," a locally produced documentary film, has been honored with a 2009 State History Award from the Historical Society of Michigan. Competing in the media category, "The Murals of Royal Oak," was selected as the recipient of this year's award.

Filmmaker Ruben Rodriguez accepted the award at the Society's annual conference on Mackinac Island October 2. "I'm honored to receive this award and proud to have been part of such a wonderful project." The three-day conference was attended by representatives of historical societies, authors, academics and historians from across the state.

The one-hour documentary film, which traces the 70-year journey of three historic Depression-era murals, was produced by Rodriguez of VideoWorks Production Services Inc. The story begins in Depression-era America and continues to the present day. "At the heart of it, this is a film about how a community, despite some very real differences, learned to work together. It's really a celebration of that spirit," said Rodriguez. "The Murals of Royal Oak" is a firsthand account of the grassroots effort that led to the resurrection and restoration of three murals that had been "lost" for over 25 years.