# Gary Glassman
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{{Short description|American filmmaker}}
'''Gary Glassman''' is a [documentary](/source/documentary) filmmaker based in [Rhode Island](/source/Rhode_Island). His company, Providence Pictures, produces films for ''[NOVA](/source/Nova_(American_TV_series))'', [Discovery Channel](/source/Discovery_Channel), [History Channel](/source/History_Channel), [BBC](/source/BBC), and other television networks and programs.[{{cite web|work=Rhode Island Business Quarterly|last=Sterrett|first=Diane M.|url=http://www.providencepictures.com/images/RIBQ_PPprofile.pdf|title=Lights Camera Action!|date=2008}}][{{cite web|work=[Providence Journal](/source/Providence_Journal)|last=Smith|first=Andy|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150211/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE/150219787/0/SEARCH|date=11 February 2015|title=Providence filmmaker behind new 'Building Wonders' episodes for 'NOVA'}}]
== Early life and education ==
Glassman became interested in film and entertainment at a young age. After spending three years with a European circus, he completed an [MFA](/source/Master_of_Fine_Arts) program in directing at [UCLA](/source/UCLA).[{{cite web|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20130926/ENTERTAINMENT/309269906|work=[Providence Journal](/source/Providence_Journal)|last=Smith|first=Andy|date=26 September 2013|title=Digital City initiative in Providence hits the ground running}}][{{cite web|work=[Providence Journal](/source/Providence_Journal)|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20131111-digital-city-already-thinking-big-as-it-opens-its-doors-in-downtown-providence.ece|last=Smith|first=Gregory|date=11 November 2013|title=Digital City already thinking big as it opens its doors in downtown Providence}}]
Glassman's ''The Bible's Buried Secrets'', a 2008 feature on the science series NOVA on PBS, attracted some controversy for its provocative ideas, including the idea of [God having a wife](/source/Asherah).[{{cite web|work=[The Christian Post](/source/The_Christian_Post)|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/pbs-to-air-bible-s-buried-secrets-35473/|title=PBS to Air 'Bible's Buried Secrets'|last=Kimball|first=Josh|date=18 November 2008}}] According to the ''Christian Post'', Biblical scholar William G. Dever said some bible literalists may call the film "shocking" but he said the film was the best documentary ever made on the origins of the Israelites and the writing of the first five books of the Bible, and contrasted it positively with several other similar films he was involved with, which he considered to be dishonest. The [American Family Association](/source/American_Family_Association) protested the film, urging Congress to stop providing funding to PBS.[{{cite web|work=[The Takeaway](/source/The_Takeaway)|publisher=[WNYC](/source/WNYC)|url=http://www.wnyc.org/story/9037-science-religion-intersect-nova-documentary-bibles-buried-secrets|title=Science, religion intersect in NOVA documentary "The Bible's Buried Secrets"|date=18 November 2008}}]
Glassman won the 2009 [Writers Guild of America Award](/source/Writers_Guild_of_America_Award) for best documentary on a subject other than current events for ''Secrets of the Parthenon'', produced for [PBS](/source/PBS)'s ''Nova''.[{{cite web|url=http://awards.wga.org/wga-awards/previous-nominees-winners |work=Writers Guild Awards |title=Previous Nominees & Winners |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151206164251/http://awards.wga.org/wga-awards/previous-nominees-winners |archivedate=2015-12-06 }}]
Glassman and Providence Pictures went to the [Colosseum](/source/Colosseum) in [Rome](/source/Rome) to install a replica of the wooden elevator used by the Romans to move animals into the center of the arena, and produced the documentary ''Colosseum: Roman Death Trap'' about the project.[{{cite web|work=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11655510/Colosseum-killing-machine-reconstructed-after-more-than-1500-years.html|date=5 June 2015|last=Squires|first=Nick|title=Colosseum killing machine reconstructed after more than 1,500 years}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rome-colosseum-lift-that-carryied-wild-animals-into-arena-rebuilt-after-2000-years-1504819|work=[International Business Times](/source/International_Business_Times)|last=Keating|first=Kiona|date=6 June 2015|title=Rome: Colosseum lift that carried wild animals into arena rebuilt after 2,000 years}}] It was one of a series of documentaries the company did for ''NOVA'' called "Building Wonders".