Local Paper Features Berrien Springs Documentary

What makes the Berrien Springs area special is the focus of a new documentary scheduled to be shown at 7 p.m. April 17-18 at the Howard Performing Arts Center at Andrews University.

Screenings of “A Place to Grow” will be accompanied by performances by the Berrien Springs High School Choir (April 17) and the Andrews Academy string ensemble (April 18).

Andrews University graduate and Berrien Springs resident Pieter Damsteegt is the director and producer of the Berrien Film Project, which was commissioned last year. He began filming in June and concluded earlier this year.

It was originally billed as “a year in the life”-style documentary, but Damsteegt said it turned out to be much more. He not only recorded community events, he also interviewed a variety of people and delved into local history.

“Yes, I do believe it will portray Berrien over a year,” Damsteegt said, “but I don’t think it is just only that. I aim for it to be a piece that will allow anyone with no context of Berrien to be able to watch it and get a feel for what Berrien Springs is all about. ... People can expect to see a glimpse into the life of Berrien Springs, sprinkled with some stories, a little bit of history and even some dreams for the future.”

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