Nicole Martorana, 21, of Harrisonburg, takes her camera to the Preston Lake development Wednesday. At Court Square Theater tonight, she will present a new documentary exploring growth in the area. Photo by Nikki Fox

HARRISONBURG — In the spring of 2006, Nicole Martorana’s view of her hometown changed forever.

That May, Martorana returned to the Friendly City from a four-month study trip to Florence, Italy, with James Madison University.

It was the longest she had ever been away from home.

After she got off Interstate 81, new sights awaited her.

The hospital had begun construction. New houses, a few new businesses and a church sprouted in her neighborhood.

“Everything was different,” said Martorana, now 21.

Tonight, Martorana, a recent JMU grad, will show her honors project, a documentary called “Changing Landscapes: Growth and Development in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County,” in the Court Square Theater.

At 8 p.m., Martorana will present the film that she researched, videotaped, directed and edited as a result of the growth she first truly noticed after her trip to Italy.

“As long as we remember who we are, change and growth can be a good thing,” said Martorana, the daughter of Jill and Charlie Martorana, who live just east of Harrisonburg. “But change just has to happen in the right way.”

How & Why She Did It

After returning from Italy in 2006, Martorana spent the next year researching the area’s growth.

She dug through Daily News-Record archives, JMU yearbooks and various historical documents and books about the area.

Then, for two months, she interviewed community leaders, farmers, businessmen, JMU officials, including President Linwood Rose, JMU alumni, city planning officials and Bob Sullivan, the unofficial Harrisonburg historian.

The 30-minute video took “at least 200 hours” to write, edit and direct, she said. Martorana used Final Cut Pro software in JMU’s new media lab to complete the movie.

She did it, she says, to “facilitate open and honest discussion among community members about the often charged topic of growth and development in the area.”

“Everyone has a different perspective on the growth,” Martorana said. “Church people, businesses, farmers; I wanted to create something that would encourage civil discussion among these groups.”

The Future

For now, Martorana wants to show her documentary on JMU’s campus and perhaps the local Public Broadcasting Station, WVPT.

She’ll continue to watch Harrisonburg grow and change, she said.

“I’m curious to see where we’re going to be in five years,” Martorana said.

Martorana graduated from Spotswood High School in 2003 and School of Media Arts and Design in August. She is looking for media-related work in the Washington, D.C., area.

Contact Heather Bowser at 574-6218 or hbowser@dnronline.com

Check It Out

Who: Recent JMU grad Nicole Martorana

What: She'll show her first documentary, "Changing Landscapes: Growth and Development in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County."

When: Today, 8 p.m.

Where: Court Square Theater, downtown Harrisonburg

Why: A question-and-answer session with the filmmaker and a panel of those interviewed will follow the film viewing.

Cost: Free