Press release from Center for Cultural Preservation:
The Center for Cultural Preservation, WNC’s Documentary and History Center is excited to announce the release of its new short film, THEY WHO OVERCAME, Stories of Hope and Resilience. The film focuses on how elders in our region coped with major challenges that came their way in the past, from pandemics to Great Depressions and how they and their families rose to meet them head-on.
According to Center director and filmmaker David Weintraub, “It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the news, the pandemic, politics and difficult economic times. But what gives me comfort is understanding that this is not the first time our community has faced these issues. When we don’t understand our local history and the resilience our community has shown in the past, we suffer. By learning how our recent ancestors overcame trials and tribulations, we have great emulative examples to follow to help us in today’s world.”
The film features elders in Henderson, Buncombe, Avery, Transylvania, McDowell and Polk counties discussing their lives, the challenges of the past and their hopes for the future. Given current conditions, the film will be livestreamed to the public followed by discussion and Q&A with the director and a local elder.
The world premiere for They Who Overcame is scheduled for Thursday, September 24th at 7:30 PM. This event is an educational fundraiser for the Center and ticketbuyers can choose how much they want to give to support the Center’s work. Once they make their donation, they will be provided with a link to access the event on September 24th. To register for the film screening, log on to SaveCulture.org or call the Center at (828) 692-8062.
This is the first in what the Center hopes to be a series of short films that touch on this subject. The Center is also working on a documentary on the history of moonshining in the mountains which is expected to showcase this coming spring.
The Center for Cultural Preservation is a cultural nonprofit organization dedicated to working for mountain heritage continuity through oral history, documentary film, education and public programs. For more information about the Center contact them at (828) 692-8062 or www.saveculture.org
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