On Jan. 28, 2024, Meredith College held its annual documentary film festival, hosted by the Meredith College Department of English. A total of eight films centered around North Carolina stories and issues were presented, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers.
“Little Red Pocketbook,” directed by Holly Holder, tells the story of the Adkin High School walkout. The film explains the events that led up to the then-segregated Adkin High School, located in Kinston, NC, organizing and carrying out a student-led walkout. After years of the school being underfunded while the whites-only high school was promised a brand new building, the students organized one of the first walkouts of the Civil Rights movement. In order to prevent any of the blame from falling onto teachers or parents, the students acted in secret. In Nov. 1951, after the phrase “Caroline Caufield has lost her red pocketbook” was read on the announcements, the students all left the school. Charles Coward, a former student at Adkin, described that “there was no fear… there was only elation.” The documentary highlighted the value of education as an equalizer and a source of community, as well as providing information about the beginning of the Civil Rights movement and end of Jim Crow laws in the South. To view the documentary, visit the Adkin High Walkout website.
“Picturing Pigs,” directed by Meredith Alumna Camden Watts, raises awareness of the treatment of pigs in the meat industry. The documentary provides a look into two photographers, Jane M. Castelline and Meredith professor of Photography Shannon Johnstone, and their use of billboards and photography to reshape public perceptions of pigs. Their mission was described as one to reframe pigs from “objects” into animals, and de-commodify pigs by placing billboards in Duplin and Sampson counties, places in North Carolina where the pork industry is heavily concentrated. Read more about the Picturing Pigs project and view the documentary here.
SAG-AFTRA eligible actress, musician, and filmmaker Jinna Kim shares the important and often forgotten work of Dr. Mable Ping-Hua Lee in “Chinese Girl Wants Vote.” Dr. Lee, the first Chinese woman to get her doctorate from Columbia, became involved in the women’s suffrage movement when she was only sixteen years old. She is often noted as participating on horseback during the 1912 Women’s Suffrage Parade, and her written works show her passion for extending the right to vote to all women. Although she did not gain the right to vote after the passing of the 19th Amendment due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese immigration, her contributions to the movement are undeniable. The film ends with sections of her written works being read aloud by women and girls of all backgrounds in a moving conclusion. “Chinese Girl Want Vote” is available to watch in the Digital Public Library of America.
Local filmmaker and writer Kim Best’s films “Insomnia” and “Better Bites with Bugs” are light-hearted, enjoyable films bringing a sense of levity to the program. “Insomnia" is a comedy documentary about Best’s cat, Narco (“as in narcoleptic”) and his “struggle” with insomnia. Despite trying yoga, meditation, and exercise and stopping smoking, drinking, and screen time before bed, Narco (a cat) still struggled to fall asleep, and didn’t want to lower himself to sleeping next to his owner. Narco also cut out lactose and fructose out of his diet, which cats can’t digest anyway, but was hesitant to try acupuncture and sensory deprivation tanks, for obvious reasons. Eventually, Narco allows his owner to place a box in her bed to sleep next to her while a “mind numbingly boring” story about cats plays, and learns that even if something sounds stupid, one should always give it a try. Best explained during the closing panel that “Insomnia” got its start as a comedic script writing exercise during the pandemic.
“Better Bites with Bugs,” on the other hand, was inspired by the variety of reactions Best observed at Bug Fest in Raleigh, as festival goers tried or refused a variety of dishes that included bugs as ingredients. Centered around professor of entomology Clyde Sorenson at NC State University, Sorenson explains his philosophy of cooking and eating bugs, or entomography. Sorenson pointed out that no matter how gross it may seem to a North American audience, the vast majority of the world costumes bugs as food regularly, and that Northern Europe was an outlier in that bugs were not considered part of their cuisine. He also noted that bugs are often harvested by mistake with crops and that many common foods will inevitably contain some ground-up bug parts in them. Sorenson showed a variety of dishes he prepares for his students with bugs in them, including Rice Krispy Treats with crickets in them, and explained that bugs are incredibly healthy to eat, as they are extremely high in protein and have healthier fats in them than red meats. Sorenson also drew the comparison that initially, public perceptions around sushi and raw fish were very negative, but now are popular as a dinner option. Although the documentary opens with a variety of negative comments on a FaceBook post about eating bugs that Best received, the film works to point out the shifting perceptions and potential health and environmental benefits of eating bugs. Both of Best’s films can be viewed on her website.
“Rescues” is a documentary by NC-based filmmaker Ed Foster about the financial and emotional burdens put on those who rescue animals. Focusing on the lives of two volunteer animal rescue workers, “Rescues” shares both the triumphs and hardships of saving animals. Donna, who works for Susie’s Hope Animal Rescue in High Point, NC, is tasked with helping several dogs rescued from an abusive hoarding situation. One of the dogs is a pregnant mother, and Donna and her husband Roy are responsible for caring for the mother and her seven puppies once they are born. Despite the workload and financial burden of caring for dogs with health issues, it’s one Donna is ready to tackle. Linda of Kodi’s Club, a rescue dedicated to rescuing rottweilers in the South East, has to nurse Ruger, a severely starved and emaciated rottweiler. Once he is at a healthy weight and is more comfortable around people, Linda and her husband must drive for two days to bring the dog they have cared for for nine months to his forever home. The film ends with the fact that animal rescue workers have the third highest rate of suicide of protective workers due to the intense emotional distress and compassion fatigue. Additionally, both Linda and Donna describe the struggle of wanting to be able to take care of more animals, but knowing they need to take time for themselves before they foster another.
“The King in Yellow” is a short, animated film based on the homonymous short stories by Robert Chambers. Using unique shadow puppets to tell the story, Meredith’s in-house filmmaker Cole Frederick creates an intriguing, bewildering experience for the viewer. Frederick described his own love of puppetry, as well as the tedious process of cutting his puppets out of old beer boxes and using a homemade screen to bring them to life. The film is dynamic and creative, and can be viewed here.
“The River Speaks of Thirst” is director Kristi Johnson’s directorial debut. Putting the poetry of NC poet laureate Jaki Shelton Green to music and contemporary dance, the film explores nine of Green’s works and their themes of righteous anger, rejection of oversexualization of Black women, and the experience of African Americans in the U.S. A project initiated by the Justice Theater Project, the producers and filmmakers were on a very short deadline to be ready for their release. The expert meshing of creatives can be felt, however, in the cohesive and distinct style of the film. Despite creative concerns from Johnson, who was concerned about misrepresenting Green’s work, and Green, who was unable to participate in the conception of the project due to a health emergency, the two came together with the team to create an experience for the viewer. “The River Speaks of Thirst” is available for purchase here.
Meredith College’s 2024 Documentary Film Festival brought many new ideas and stories to the forefront. With its wide variety of films and subjects and many well-made films, students, faculty, and community members alike can enjoy and learn from it. Many of the filmmakers featured today are also working on projects for the future. Small productions like the ones shown today have the potential to create awareness and conversation about the issues affecting communities and tell stories often overlooked. These stories and issues are no less important because they are not created by huge production companies, and the passion and love for film can be felt by the viewer. Darian Miller, Class of ‘27, stated that she “enjoyed how humble and earnest the filmmakers were about their productions, even though these all clearly took a lot of hard work and effort.” MCDFF provides an opportunity for the Meredith community to engage with these types of films for free. While waiting for the next MCDFF, Dr. Alisa Johnson, Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities, encourages students to “watch lots of documentaries” in the meantime.
By Lola Mestas, Copy Editor
Graphic by Shae-Lynn Henderson, EIC