Chris Simon & Maureen Gosling of THIS AIN’T NO MOUSE MUSIC! - Western Carolina University, Robinson Film Center, & Union College

From filmmakers Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling of THIS AIN’T NO MOUSE MUSIC!:

CULLOWWHEE, NC

We interrupted our Tour to make a brief trip to Austin for SXSW where we joined others from the Les Blank film family to celebrate the opening of A Poem is a Naked Person, a film the late documentarian made 40 years ago on rock star Leon Russell. Maureen spent two years living at Russell’s rural Oklahoma studio compound, working with Blank as an assistant and sound recordist. After Les’ death, his son resurrected the film and miraculously convinced Leon Russell to let it be released. It was an event neither of us could possibly miss. The opening was fabulous, with Leon Russell in attendance, as well as many family and friends, and the celebration lasted – well, too long!

Maureen on stage at SXSW

After 2 hours of sleep, Chris flew back to Atlanta, leaving Maureen to further celebrations, and drove to Cullowhee, NC. What was supposed to be a three hour drive was more like five, but she got there, exhausted, in time. The screening was at Western Carolina University and there were young student filmmakers, as well as musical members of the community. As usual, it was a real pleasure to talk to the folks afterwards.

Chris with some questionable barbecue on the way to Cullowhee

Coffee was very much needed on the five hour drive to WCU!

SHREVEPORT, LA

We made it to Shreveport with little time to spare on Thursday afternoon, enough to briefly check in at the fancy casino hotel. We headed to the impressive Robinson Film Center, where the screening room was set up with chairs, and a hot string band trio performing and singing for people as they arrived. During the screening, we had a delicious dinner across the hall in the classy bistro. The audience loved the film and there turned out to be among them a more than usual number of record collectors, historians and music aficionados. They not only knew a lot about the music in the film, but reminded us of Shreveport’s place in US music history, such as being home to the famous Louisiana Hayride and the legendary Leadbelly. Archivist and historian Chris Brown played a musical sample for the audience from a 78 recording of a local musician whom Arhoolie Records’ artist Black Ace gave credit for his slide guitar style. Post screening, we had drinks with Chris, his wife, Board of Directors member Jeff Hendricks and other music aficionados. It was nice to have the time to chat at length. We were sorry not to have time to make a pilgrimage to Leadbelly’s grave, but next time.

Trio playing as people arrived

Robinson Film Center's electronic billboard

Film Reel Art

Drinks with Chris Brown, Jeff Hendricks, and others

BARBOURVILLE, KY

Up and out early next morning, we flew to Knoxville, TN, where we rented a car to drive north into Kentucky to Barbourville for our last screening of the Tour. Finding our way to the correct highway from the Knoxville airport and then finding the airport again later proved to be one of the most stressful parts of our trip – thank God for GPS! Chris swore off paper maps after that one. But otherwise it was a nice, partly foggy drive to Barbourville, where the screening was held at Union College. The venue, once again, was a re-purposed church hall that housed a theatre and portable movie screen. We were pleased at the almost full house, made up of many students who’d been encouraged by their instructors to show up. That meant more young folks. During the screening, the new local and very popular Italian restaurant kindly squeezed us in, though we had no reservation (plus it was Saturday night) and we discovered that Barbourville is “dry”, so we couldn’t bring in our celebratory bottle of wine. Back at the theater, the Q & A was hosted by Union College professors and folklorists Hugo Freund and Susan Isaacs. They lead the questions and offered their own, making it a pleasingly in-depth experience for the audience who stayed till the very end. Our hosts provided treats for all afterwards. We were very satisfied with the ending of our wonderful Southern Circuit Tour. Chris headed home the next morning and Maureen went on for an overnight trip to nearby Harlan, KY, where she had lived for four years as a child.

Folklorists Hugo Fruend (left) and Susan Isaacs (right) with Chris and Maureen (middle)

Reception

Maureen with Daniel Boone

FINAL THOUGHTS

We really congratulate the hosts in each town we visited for their hard work in promoting the arts and keeping the arts vibrant in their communities. It’s clear that the Southern Circuit Tour is a great contribution to that. We were very impressed with the win-win that the Tour affords both us as filmmakers and the community audiences we were able to share our film with. An exhausting, but richly rewarding experience! Long live South Arts!

Kit Gruelle from Private Violence - The Tennessee Valley Art Association, Western Carolina University, & Robinson Film Center

From Kit Gruelle of Private Violence:

In Shreveport at the Robinson Film Center on 2/19/15 from left to right (Sgt. Lindsey Bonner - Shreveport Police Department Domestic Violence Unit; the one and only Kit; Angela Henderson - Project Celebration Sexual Assault Executive Director & Domestic Violence Advisor; Petrina Jenkins - Project Celebration Domestic Violence Community Educator & Public Relations Coordinator.

I attended three screenings of Private Violence on the Southern Circuit tour – one in Sheffield, Alabama, one in Shreveport, Louisiana and one here in my own state of North Carolina, at Western Carolina University. Each event and audience was completely different, but the common thread between them was clear: the people who came believe wholeheartedly that domestic violence is something that everyone should care about and get involved in preventing. It is not an issue that is just the domestic violence agency’s “problem.” It is not a “private” problem. And it will take greater collaboration with everyone across our communities, not just with our criminal justice professionals, to get there. Domestic violence is, in fact, a societal problem that, directly or indirectly, touches everyone.

I was inspired by talking to so many people, and was especially moved by the young people who were passionate about getting into this work. I talked to several young women and men out there who are just starting their work on ending violence against women, and they were not afraid of what they are getting into. I was thrilled to see law enforcement so actively engaged at the screening in Shreveport. I loved that half of the people who attended the WCU event were men. There is much to be hopeful about. And yet, I still heard stories from advocates in the audience that made my skin crawl and my jaw drop. One lamented the fact that a particular judge in a neighboring county refuses to issue any protective orders period because he, “doesn’t want to come between a man and his gun.” This is 2015! We have the power to change communities with this film and its community outreach initiative and we appreciate Southern Circuit for giving us the opportunity to nurture these conversations.


When people come together to watch the film and participate in its outreach and collaboration initiative, they learn about the complex realities battered women and children face in their communities. Important relationships get formed, which leads to a more comprehensive and community-based response. No one person or agency can do this work alone, but together, much good can be accomplished.

Hao Wu, The Road to Fame - West Carolina University, Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, & Hapeville, Georgia

From Filmmaker Hao Wu of The Road to Fame:

I guess it could be depressing when an audience came up to you after a screening of your film, and told you that your film made him depressed. The stories of young people struggling to make it in showbiz was too close to home, he said. He was a college student studying filmmaking at West Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC) and the prospect of becoming a successful filmmaker was looking remote.

I quoted a line from the veteran musical director featured in my film - "Only those who really want this can survive" - and wished him good luck in figuring out the industry, and himself.

And then I was elated. I had done my job right, I thought, that I could move an American youth this way with a story about Chinese kids feeling the same stress in the faraway Beijing. What more could we ask for as filmmakers telling stories close to our hearts?

In Madison GA, much younger audiences watched the film. Fifth graders. They were into performing arts and couldn't stop talking about the film after the screening at the beautiful Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. They had a long road ahead of them, and their optimism was innocent, and pure.

In Hapeville, Georgia, the city held the screening at The Historic Christ Church Building & Carriage House. The atmosphere felt like a cozy community party. One audience said afterwards that The Road to Fame was his first time watching a subtitled film. Now he realized that he'd missed out on a lot of good foreign films.

The Southern Circuit Tour was an intense experience with lots of flying, driving and meeting different people from different states. But for an independent filmmaker, it was such a rare opportunity to see the beautiful land in the south, to meet curious and engaging audiences who embrace good storytelling regardless of differences in language, culture and geography. Many asked me during the tour when I could be back with my next film. I replied soon, hopefully soon.

Upward and onward on the road to storytelling!

Francine Strickwerda, Oil & Water - Cullowhee, NC

The latest update from filmmaker Francine Strickwerda, touring the Southern Circuit with her film Oil & Water:

Gratitude, Y'all

After eight long years making OIL & WATER, it feels unbelievably good to be taking the film on the road. I’m on the Southern Circuit film tour this week, taking eight flights to get to screenings and meet-ups in three Southern states in just six days.

I write this from a rocking chair at Ashville Regional Airport in North Carolina. This morning I ate grits for breakfast, and last night’s entertainment was the music of Blue Ridge Mountain bugs and a swim in my motel pool with one of the biggest insects I’ve seen since I was last in the Amazon. And I’m just so grateful to be here.

Gratitude is big this week as I travel solo on the Circuit.  I rarely spend much time alone anymore now that I have a three-year-old son whom I love to bits.  Thanks to my son’s amazing daddy (and OIL & WATER editor) Tracy Dethlefs, who’s doing double duty at home in Seattle, I get to be here. Every night before bed, Tracy holds storybooks up to his smart phone so I can read to our son via Skype. This calms my worrying mom brain so that I can continue to launch our new film “baby.”

The Southern Circuit is an amazing logistical feat, and I’m astonished by the territory covered and the people I’m getting to meet. This year the good people at South Arts are touring 18 films in communities all over the South.  And earlier this week on my first Circuit stop, Western Carolina University staff, students and faculty welcomed me to campus.  (Shouting out to Francis Ann Ortiz, Mike Corelli and Arledge Armenaki – ya’ll rock.)

I’ll admit, I was nervous. We’ve got many more festivals coming up, and a (PBS) World Channel broadcast next week (Sunday, Sept. 21, check your local listings!), but we’re really just getting started.  The Western Carolina students, these bright young people, put me right at ease and reminded me why I started making documentaries in the first place.

One young woman asked how to get people to really care about environmental problems like the ones in OIL & WATER. I’ve been mocked for being too earnest most of my life, and am pleased that I’m thrilled by this question.  My answer to her: pick something, even one thing that you care about, and find a way to push on it. And don’t give up.

Am I hopeful things can be turned around? I’m hopeful for Hugo Lucitante and the Cofan people whose struggle is explored in OIL & WATER. They number only about 1,000 people in Ecuador and another 1,000 in Columbia, and the dangers loom large. It’s not just the oil beneath their feet that the outside world wants to take; it’s all the natural resources on their land. But the Cofan should not be underestimated. They have a sophisticated understanding of the problems they are dealing with, and a powerful strategy for survival. Anything could happen, but I’m betting on the Cofan.

Another student asked what I liked most about making OIL & WATER. My favorite moments come from the time I spend with the camera behind me in what I call the “yummy cone of light” when someone opens up and tells me their story.  I am always humbled by the privilege it is to be entrusted with people’s stories, and following OIL & WATER’s stars Hugo Lucitante and David Poritz for eight years has been so satisfying. I’m grateful to them for the work they’re doing and for letting us shadow them for so long. And we know we were needy, noisy shadows sometimes, especially in the jungle. Thanks for hanging in there with us, guys. And to my co-director Laurel Spellman Smith, thank you for sharing this great adventure with me.

Lastly, I like being able to update audiences on new OIL & WATER news since we finished the film. This past summer there was another sizable oil spill near the Cofan village of Dureno. Now, for some good news. David’s company, Equitable Origin, has “fair trade” certified their first oil field in Columbia. The field will yield 250,000 barrels of EO certified oil a day, the equivalent of 25 percent of Columbia’s oil production. This is big news and I’m excited to see what Equitable Origin will do next.


Thanks again to the Southern Circuit and South Arts for giving filmmakers opportunities like these to reflect on their own journeys, and for making such an enriching experience possible. It’s a spectacular treat to be able to visit communities and have meaningful conversations about stuff that matters. And the grits, rocking chairs, and southern hospitality are pretty wonderful, too. I am grateful.

Jyllian Gunther and 'The New Public' on the Road

East Tennessee State University Our first screening on the tour - we drove from the Full Frame Festival in Raleigh Durham through torrential downpours and Blue Ridge mountain fog so thick we could not see two feet in front of us. 5 hours later we emerged at The Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City - “where old world meets modern comfort” then to dinner with the faculty of  ETSU, who were gracious and super interesting - Shara K. Lange Assistant Professor, RTVF Director Department of Communication, Tammy Hayes, Director, Anita DeAngelis, Director, Heidi Ehle, Assistant Director, Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. The screening was attended by 68 people and our Q&A was enlightening. A few exchange students from China were floored at the way the school in our film was run, they said they could not believe it existed, and would be interested but scared to attend a school that allowed kids so much freedom.  It was a great first screening. Following day we met with Kim Hale, an interim associate dean in education, and Alison Barton, an associate professor in teaching along with Heidi and a few others. It was really interesting for both Penelope Falk, (film’s editor) and myself to get a sense of the education system in Johnson City, and it really felt gratifying that the film offered a platform to spark discussion for everyone. Western Carolina University The highlight of this screening was our cafeteria dinner with senior student, Jefferey Ray, who was also our host and MC’d the screening. There were about 25 audience members here and once again we were amazed by the similarities and differences the audience, a mix of both students and educators sited. They gave us a reception and served a cake with our name on it!  Educators expressed their frustration of being underfunded and overworked and in response to our tag line,  “It’s bigger than school -  Dr. Catherine Carr, Director of English Education Western Carolina University said AMEN!” PS:  We went horseback riding on our way to….
Clemson University Friday Night Lights! On a Wednesday. Aga Skrodzka-Bates hosted this screening, which had a packed audience. Afterwards, she told us that the film was her favorite of all from the Southern Circuit tour and she felt it made a great impact- who could ask for more? A student, Katie Capurso came up to us at the end and told us she wanted to stop the film in the middle to give one of the students in the film a hug.
Presbyterian College This was our favorite screening to date - and it wasn’t because we were staying in a luxurious farmhouse with goats and alpacas, thanks to Molly McGehee, Director, Southern Studies Program. The school’s campus was beautiful, the faculty took us to dinner and were amazing and fascinating people. They said it was their most packed house of the season - there were local hs teachers, educators and students from PC, the former Dean of the school, and the Superintendent of the school district, David O'Shields, not only came, but gave us a standing ovation!  Penelope and I were riveted by the audiences responses as they watched - usually we step out during the film, but the energy in the room was gripping and we could barely bring ourselves to miss any of it. The young people asked eye--opening and challenging questions, the educators applauded the schools honesty the way it did not push an agenda - was really wonderful all around.
Link Centre Got food poisioning, wah! So sorry to have missed this! Hope it was a great screening!
Georgia College and State University It’s post spring break finals week at college right now, which means folks are pretty busy, but a small group made it to our screening and we had a lengthy and intense conversation afterwards. At each screening, we hear from folks that there are ways in which the film highlights their own experiences and also surprises them with just how different things are. I was thrilled to meet Grace, a young woman who runs an LGTBQ organization and connected her Live Out Loud, and organization that supported JOhn Dargan, one of the main subjects of The Public. Thanks to Mary, Joe and Doug for their hospitality - a lovely dinner and a tour of the Georgia’s antebellum capitol!
The Arts Council University of North Georgia, Gainesville Great Q&A about both education and filmmaking, which was refreshing!  Of course, I enjoy talking about education issues, but it’s nice to share about the filmmaking process as well, especially with media students.  Also, appreciated Jeff Marker’s  Q&A style - very energetic and knowledgable - I bet he is also a great teacher. Jeff said our film was in high demand on the southern circuit --so  great to hear We had about 35 audience members, combo of students and educators. I love it when folks are not afraid to be critical or ask hard questions and a real debate gets started. We discussed what preparation BCAM school founders had and if it was enough - also, if there is ever enough. On the filmmaking front, one student was disappointed that we skipped from 1st year to 4th year - ulitmately, i took it as a compliment that he could have watch 2 more years, but I appreciate that he was not crazy about the jump in time, so I suggested he  watch the Michael Apted  7UP series…  : )  We stayed at a B&B in the woods - nice respit from Comfort Inn living. We’re looking forward to Memphis BBQUE in just a few hours and also meeting Brighid Wheeler who has been our point person for our Indie Memphis screening!
Indie Memphis Indie Memphis screening was everything we hoped for. Thanks for Brighid and Eric for making it happen. Their gigantic screen and a sound system allowed us to hear things we never even knew were in the film.  We had an amazing, passionate and knowledgable panel Marc E. Willis, Co-founder & CEO of Omni Schools Inc. Cardell Orrin, Memphis City Director of Stand For Children, Chris Caldwell, Shelby County school board, District 1, and moderated by Barbara Prescott, a former 3 term member of the Memphis City School Board (as President and VP.) We iphone video recorded this panel and will include it here in the days to come. Also, here’s a link to WKNO Memphis Public radio intvw by Kacky Walton with editor Penelope Falk and myself! https://soundcloud.com/jyllian-gunther/the-new-public-on-wkno-intvw-by-kacky-walton-feat-penelope-falk-jyllian-gunther
Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston School of the Arts Our last screening on our Southern Circuit tour could not have been more gratifying - only sorry we didn’t have more photos - was so caught up in the Q&A that I totally forgot to take snaps. (photos above are the theatre and the poster they made in a local cafe : )  Our audience members said one after another that they felt the film should be shown in every school in the country (!) and the Q&A was more like  testimonials of personal experiences from students, parents, and educators. ONe student said he went into teaching and after a year could not handle it, but wished he had been able to see The New Public before he did that which he felt would have prepared him for what to expect. A parent with two teens found the film so inspiring he asked if he could show the film to his kids who he felt were in crisis to help give them some perspective on perservering. A public defender noted that the film resounded with the same issues he faces in his work everyday - issues that cannot be addressed by one public insitution alone - not his own or schools. And many of the educators in the audience said they saw their own experience in the film and appreciated the way it didn’t vilify or glorify their job. Thanks to Lizz Biswell of the Halsey Institute for doing such a great intro and making it happen!

Till Schauder - Till Talks Tennessee!

Hello everyone. I'm Till Schauder, director of THE IRAN JOB. Last night was the first screening of the film's tour at ETSU in Johnson City. I had looked forward to this tour for months now but last night far exceeded my expectations. My fabulous hosts - Anita, Shara, Heidi, Lise and all the volunteers - were fantastic representatives of Southern hospitality. And the audience was much more diverse than I expected. I never thought I would meet an Iranian blue grass musician in Tennessee -- or anywhere in fact! But there he was, the fabulous Erfan, who seems to have quickly grown into a local legend - for good reason.

Check out Erfan's video

The diversity continued today, when I was picked up for a guest lecture at Shara's ETSU film class by Martin, a student from Spain. It seems the world is coming together in Johnson City, and it's fabulous. As Martin walked me over to the class he told me about a short doc he recently completed about… an Iranian guy who came all the way from Tehran to Tennessee to study… bluegrass music. So Erfan is well on his way to becoming the next big thing and Martin's film proves there's some serious filmmaking talent in this school. I encouraged Martin to make this a feature length doc, or at least an hour long piece -- and I think FROM TEHRAN TO TENNESSEE would be a cool title (Full disclosure: I had a working title once FROM TEXAS TO TEHRAN, which ended up not working for that film (which later became THE IRAN JOB) -- but I still like the TT alliteration and think for this Erfan project it would be just perfect.

Martin's short doc on Erfan

After the class (pics attached) I drove from Johnson City to Cullowhee, NC today for a screening tonight at Western Carolina University -- a beautifully recreational drive compared to NYC traffic - and am now looking forward to the show tonight. Already sad that my stint here is over after tomorrow's screening at Clemson University, but I know the folks who'll come down to represent the film once I leave - our associate producer Julien Segui and my co-producer (of films and babies) Sara Nodjoumi - will have a magical time as well. I am so impressed by what Teresa and South Arts are doing here. I already want to come back next year -- with the kids! No better way to see the South!

Jeremy Seifert - Western Carolina University

The latest update from Jeremy Seifert, touring his film GMO OMG:

Tucked in the mountains of the Nantahala National Forest, just south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, lies the tiny town of Cullowhee, NC, home of Western Carolina University. For this second screening of the Southern Tour, the whole family packed into the rental car and drove through the gray, dormant forest through wisps of icy snow. This was the second cold snap of fall and the temperature dropped to 26 degrees! Very cold for transplants from Los Angeles.

It was another fantastic screening, with many students in attendance, and a lively half hour discussion afterward. We ended up talking about the need for students to wake up to this issue and take a stand, like in the good ol' days of campus revolution again Vietnam.

Many students on campuses across the country truly do not have a choice when it comes to food. The meal programs, many of them run by companies like Aramark, serve up GMOs and preservative-packed crap to a captive student body. We need for students to take the lead on getting good, organic, local, fresh food on campuses. How amazing would it be if the college population of this country said NO to the corporate slop and YES to real food?

I heartfelt thank you to senior Jeffrey Ray for driving me around and helping with t-shirt sales. Wearing only a t-shirt in the bitter cold, without one goose bump on his smooth black skin, I learned a thing or two about being a real man, too! Thanks for that, Jeffrey!

Jeremy
www.gmofilm.com

Hidden In The Mountains of North Carolina

Drove from Tennessee to North Carolina on Tuesday morning to land on the campus of Western Carolina University, where Lori Davis took Kalin and I under her wing. The campus is beautiful surrounded by mountains. Almost 75 people attended the screening--the diverse audience of students, faculty and community members enjoyed the film and most stayed behind to participate in the question and answer session. One student asked me about the Little Rock Nine suffering from post traumatic Stress Syndrome. That question continues to resonate with me because during the course of my research on the film and after meeting many of the Little Rock Nine I had come to the same conclusion. At the end of the Q&A an older woman walked up to me with her son. In a very quiet and sad voice she told me that she attended Central High School and she handed me her graduation ring. She said that I deserved it after working on the film for so long and so hard. I tried to return the ring but she wouldn't accept it--we hugged as I thanked her profusely and promised to take good care of it.

One last word from Jeb Berrier

by Jeb berrier, Bag It

Hi All

Wow, what a tour!

Just got home from the Southern Circuit and am still reeling from such an amazing trip showing Bag It throughout the South.
When I last wrote I had just left Manteo, NC and was headed to Miramar, FL and then on. Miramar’s screening was the second time I had been there with ‘Bag It’ and the turn out was even better than the first. I think Jessica and Joyce had been working hard getting the word out and it paid off big time. We also had a very fun Q and A where I met, and had pictures taken with a bunch of folks, one high school student who had written an essay for school on the subject of plastic, a young man with a theater company, people who wanted to get involved in a local bag ban, and more.
The Miramar cultural center is a quite beautiful, new facility that hosts arts performances of all sorts in the city center. I also got to finally meet Theresa Hollingsworth from South Arts, who puts the whole tour together. Big high five to you Theresa for bringing us around the region with our films. Thanks!!!

Next I headed to Jacksonville for a show at the Aurora Stage Theater. Aurora Stage has been in existence for around eight years and is actually a theater inside and old JC Penny, inside a mostly empty shopping mall in Jacksonsville. The idea came from a man named Daryll Ruben Hall as a way to revitalize an area that had been hit hard by economics and crime. The place hosts not only sold out theatrical productions but also arts camps for kids and a community center of sorts. I was treated to some very fine BBQ afterwards by my host, which was delicious. Just a side note about this tour, be prepared to eat well!

Off to Winder, GA where we screened in what was once an old industrial building and is now a theater/tv studio for the city of Winder, which can be used by schools and groups throughout the region. I see a theme in these place of taking what was old and abandoned and using the arts as a way to revitalize.

After Winder I was back in the Tar Heel State for a show at Western Carolina U with a huge college crowd, some of whom were there for extra credit, but still!!!! Rachel my host did a great job of getting the word out and packing the place on a school night. Once again a great Q and A followed ‘Bag It’ with questions about the film and also quite a few about how people could affect change in their community and on a larger scale. One young man told me the film had changed his life and he was determined to go to law school so he could work at the higher levels of power to really get at the root of issues with environmental law. Wow!

Savannah was one stop I was looking forward to as it’s a place with lots of beauty and history to take in. ‘Bag It’ was screened in the historic Lucas Theater which was just unveiling its new LED, energy efficient marquee. We had a champagne toast and were told that the lights, over the course of their expected 20 year life-span, would save an estimated $80,000. I think it was worth it. And they look great!
I took in the sights, learned that the civil war was a bit more complicated than my Yankee upbringing had lead me to believe, and headed to my last stop, Alexandria, LA.

It was here that I was hosted by the delightful David and Nicole Holcombe, who have hosted every filmmaker since the beginning of the Southern Circuit. The Holcombe’s live in a wonderful art filled home and wined, dined and conversed with me in grand style. Our screening took place in downtown Alexandria before which I took a stroll with David around town and got to see the Bently Hotel, which was the headquarters for all the generals planning D Day back in WWII, as well as the river, art museum and an Irish Pub, which I visited again during ‘Bag It’. What, I’ve seen it a few times. J. The Bentley is now empty with talk of something moving in to once again help revitalize the downtown area.

After the screening I was treated to a very nice reception where I got to meet and talk plastic with most of the film attendees. 

The next day the Holcombes put me on a plane and I was on my way back home to Portland.
The trip was a whirlwind and such an amazing chance to get to see places, talk to people and share the message of our film, Bag It, with yet more people who can help be catalysts for change in our world that desperately needs it.

Thank you Theresa, Alison, and all responsible for my great time on the Southern Circuit!

"Encounter" a hit in the Smoky Mountains

East Tennessee State University and Western Carolina University journal.....

Driving up from Georgia, my mother and I ran into some serious fog...those beautiful Smoky Mountain views alluded us. But, fingers crossed, we'll get to see the lovely vistas and the colorful leaves tomorrow as we head down to Cullowhee and Western Carolina University.  We did however feel somewhat compensated when we checked into the magnificent Carnegie Hotel.

This evening, after a yummy Mexican meal with Shara Lange (professor in the Radio/Television/Film Dept at East Tennessee State) and her husband, we drove to the theater on campus where the film was to be shown.

There I got to meet Anita DeAngelis, who did such a great job organizing my visit.

As she said, ETSU strives to really take care of its visiting artists, and that was abundantly clear to me when I saw AN ENCOUNTER WITH SIMONE WEIL projected in the theater. It was by far one of the best projections we've had, surpassed only by those that were projected from HDCAM tape.

The post-screening questions were thoughtful, challenging, and profound. One audience member even asked me what I thought about the future of humanity. I felt as if I was being elevated to heights far beyond those usually occupied by documentary filmmakers. Afterward at the reception, many people expressed how much the film had moved them, which were deeply gratifying words for me to hear.

It's those moments that, after laboring on something for years, make it all so worthwhile, those moments when I feel as I've really communicated to someone and touched their heart in some way. Most people came not knowing anything about Simone Weil, or my own personal journey in the film, and they said they left with a reinvigorated sense of purpose and hope.  THANK YOU ETSU!

The next day, the weather cleared up and we were treated to beautiful sunshine and hospitality at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Our host and organizer of the event was Lori Davis (pictured below), who got a large crowd out to see the film.
She also helped us sell a record number of DVDs and T-shirts!

I got some great questions in the Q & A. People were interested to know what Weil would be doing today if she were still alive. While it's hard to predict, I said, I imagine she might well be involved with the Catholic Workers, a progressive Catholic group that does direct action protesting government repression throughout the world.

I left with fond memories and a sense of gratitude for all the hard work that went into making the evening such a success!