WHAT: Southern Docs – a five-part film series featuring documentary films by North Carolina filmmakers, with an introductory appearance on October 2 by noted filmmaker Cynthia Hill
WHEN: Each Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in October 2012
EVENTS:
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Tobacco Feeds My Family: A Documentary Film by Cynthia Hill and Curtis Gaston (Markay Media, LLC, 2003)
Cynthia Hill, acclaimed filmmaker and co-founder of the Southern Documentary Fund, will discuss the founding and mission of the Southern Documentary Fund, the process of creating a successful documentary film, and the importance of the documentary film industry in the state of North Carolina. The discussion will be followed by the showing of Tobacco Feeds My Family.
While tobacco-related illnesses kill millions each year, for some North Carolinians farmers growing tobacco is their livelihood. In this thought-provoking film, veteran filmmakers Hill and Gaston explore why farmers continue to grow tobacco in the face of growing public criticism and ever-increasing financial pressures.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four (Video Dialog, Incorporated, 2005)
Based largely on first-hand accounts and rare archival footage, this film documents one volatile winter in Greensboro, North Carolina and the protest that not only changed public accommodation customs and state law, but also served as a blueprint for the non-violent civil rights protests that swept across the South and the nation in the 1960s.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Moving Midway: A Southern Plantation and the Legacy of Slavery (First Run Features, 2008)
New York film critic / filmmaker Godfrey Cheshire returns to North Carolina to find that his cousin Charlie Silvers plans to uproot and relocate the family ancestral home to escape urban sprawl. The relocation leads to the unexpected discovery of African—American cousins whose ancestors were slaves at Midway, proof of the historical status of America as a mixed-race society.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. 
Change Comes Knocking: The Story of the North Carolina Fund (Video Dialog, Incorporated, 2008)
Based on the book, To Right These Wrongs by Robert Korstad and James Leloudis (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2010), this film documents the fascinating and tumultuous story of the bi-racial anti-poverty organization, the North Carolina Fund, that boldly confronted the issues of race, class, and politics during the turbulent 1960s.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
The Guestworker: A Documentary Film by Cynthia Hill and Charles Thompson (Markay Media, LLC, 2007)
For decades, Don Cande risked his life crossing into the United States to work in farmers’ fields, compelled by his devotion to his family and his need to sustain his own farm in Durango, Mexico. Now 66 years old, Don Cande joins thousands of other seasoned workers who legally enter the US each year in the Guest Worker program, working long hours each day and enduring months away from his home and family.
WHERE: Auditorium – Gaston County Public Library
1555 East Garrison Boulevard – Gastonia, North Carolina 28054
COST / FOR: Free public events appropriate for adults and teens. No reservations required for individuals and families. Advance reservations required for organized groups to insure seating.
PRESENTED BY: Gaston County Public Library and Friends of the Gaston County Public Library.
This special series has been made possible by a partnership with the Southern Documentary Fund, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources and the State Library of North Carolina, and First Gentleman Bob Eaves’ 2012 Celebrate North Carolina Film Initiative, a project focusing on the vibrant and creative documentary film industry in our state.
The Gaston County Public Library strives to make its programs, services, and activities available to all. For special accommodation, please call 704-868-2164 / Dial 4 at least five days before the event.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please call 704-868-2164 / Dial 4 or visit www.gastonlibrary.org.
documentary: a film presenting facts about a person or event.
American film critic Pare Lorentz defines a documentary film as “a factual film which is dramatic.”
The Gaston County Public Library is pleased to present Southern Docs, a five-part series of documentary films created by regional filmmakers and filmed in North Carolina. The October 2012 series has been made possible by a partnership with the Friends of the Gaston County Public Library, the Southern Documentary Fund, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources and the State Library of North Carolina, and First Gentleman Bob Eaves’ 2012 Celebrate North Carolina Film Initiative, a project focusing on the vibrant and creative documentary film industry in the Tar Heel State.