ABOUT
The Porchlight Sessions is a first-ever documentary on the bluegrass movement, as recollected by historical patriarchs of the movement including Dr. Ralph Stanley and Doc Watson, then follows through to modern-day musicians including Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Steve Martin, Del McCoury, Bobby Osborne, Trampled by Turtles, Mumford & Sons, The Infamous Stringdusters and many more Bluegrass music emerged from the crossroads of the Appalachian Mountains, where Jazz and Blues merged with Scot-Irish folk music. The movement as it began with Bill Monroe was inspired and sustained by a diversity of voices, attitudes, and approaches, contributing to the progression of modern-day bluegrass.
Filmed across the USA in lush mountain settings, festivals, and even personal homes, this documentary marks the first time the community has come together to characterize the energy and demonstrate the appeal of this influential and uniquely American musical form. “The enduring nature of the Bluegrass movement may originate from the longing in modern society to return to a simpler way of life, “ observes Anna Bek Schwaber, director of the film. The documentary artfully reveals the excitement in the movement - from the passionate insights of the founding musicians, through to the present-day creativity of mainstream acts, and even the clever aspirations of campground pickers. As a film, The Porchlight Sessions appeals to both new-to-bluegrass audiences and ardent fans by documenting the inventiveness of the human spirit, the passionate bluegrass culture, and the endless charm of its authentic, soulful music.
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MAKING OF THE FILM
I grew up in Nashville, where photography came first. I spent years in the darkroom learning the language of light and shadow before digital became the norm. Music was everywhere. I found myself working on concerts, music videos, and television shows. Eventually I joined Danny Clinch’s crew as a camera operator. That experience lit the spark. I wanted to tell stories of my own. Stories shaped by black-and-white film, forgotten archives, and the moments behind the curtain.
Bluegrass wasn’t the music I grew up with. My dad took me to blues clubs before I was old enough to get in. Years later, during a postgrad program in Australia, I met a banjo player. On weekends I joined his band on the road. It was an escape, and somewhere in that mix of distance and belonging, I started to connect with the music.
The Porchlight Sessions started as a personal project and became a deeper exploration of tradition and change. It includes interviews with legendary artists, unearthed archival footage, and photographs that had never been printed. Some of my favorite discoveries came from John Hartford’s estate, where I found negatives by Jim McGuire that hadn’t been seen in decades. I also met Sab Watanabe from Japan’s Bluegrass 45, who later featured the film in Moonshiner Magazine.
This film is a love letter to the genre as I experienced it. Personal, photographic, and rooted in reverence.
- Anna
Filming the performance of Steep Canyon Rangers' "Matterhorn" at the Station Inn, Nashville, TN 2012 on the Red Epic.
Philip Daniel in Canberra, Australia shot on a Holga with 120mm film, 2007.
Contact sheet from the archive of Jim McGuire. Photographed at Carlton Haney's 1971 Bluegrass Festival in Camp Springs, NC.
L to R: Stuart Duncan, Sam Bush, Del McCoury in Nashville, 2011 shot on Polaroid SX-70.
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Holding our Super 8mm camera while filming some b-roll at Romp 2012 in Owensboro, KY.
Anna Bek © 2026 | theporchlightsessions@gmail.com