Exploitation or tragic realism?

We here at Break of Dawn Productions are very disappointed by the journalism exhibited by Steve Shanafelt [“Culture Watch: Cashing in on the Down-Home Murder Ballad”] for his notice on our film, “A Christmas Family Tragedy.” As a filmmaker, criticism of the film is expected, but we do not take kindly to being called “exploitative” by a journalist who has neither seen the film nor bothered to contact us.

It is extremely touchy to make a film about real-life tragedy—in this case a well-respected father brutally murdering seven of his family on Christmas—[which] has haunted the community for 77 years in a search for meaning. We’re hardly the first artists to tell the story, most notably [achieved] through the bluegrass ballad “The Murder of the Lawson Family,” recorded by such legends as Ralph Stanley and Doc Watson. But we are the first to be publicly thanked and called nonexploitative and genuinely sincere by not only members of both families, but by the Tittle family as well, who lost a daughter in a modern domestic-violence homicide tragedy in the same community.

Yes, domestic violence. I am sorry to have to give away the end of the film to defend our integrity, but the film ultimately connects the tragedy to issues of domestic violence, the ongoing tragedy in our communities. For our approach, we have a broad base of support by the DV community, and in Asheville the good folks over at Helpmate of Buncombe County are supporting the film and will be handing out literature about DV in this community at the screening. If Mr. Shanafelt had followed the practices of quality journalism, he would have also mentioned that we are putting our money where our mouths are by putting aside 10 percent of the film’s profits to sponsor the first battered-women’s shelter in the county where this tragedy occurred.

It’s ironic that when we publicize our good deeds and community contribution, no one wants to see the film; when we publicize the murders, we get a full house and our ethics are called into question. We’re just trying to use a story that Appalachia can’t quit talking about to raise awareness of an issue no one wants to face—domestic violence. But shhhh, don’t tell anyone—then they won’t show up for the film.