Thursday, February 26, 2009
Film 'Dare Not Walk Alone': Acclaimed Civil Rights Doc Screens Tonight and Tomorrow
Posted by Jim Ridley on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Aspiring documentarians can find some inspiration in the story of director Jeremy Dean, who as a college student in St. Augustine, Florida worked to repair stained glass windows in an African American neighborhood. While there, he began to hear stories about the city during the civil-rights era--including the flabbergasting detail that on St. Augustine's beaches at the time, even the Atlantic Ocean was segregated.
Dean had to wait tables and scrape pennies to afford the archival footage he needed to tell the story of St. Augustine's checkered past, and the efforts that led to pioneering civil-rights legislation. But the resulting doc, Dare Not Walk Alone, has won awards at festivals around the country. This week Dean will host two local screenings co-sponsored by the International Black Film Festival of Nashville: one 7 p.m. tonight in the Watkins College Theatre in MetroCenter, and another 7 p.m. tomorrow at Gallatin's historic downtown Palace Theatre. Tickets are $7.
Above is a clip that gives whole new meaning to the term "no day at the beach."
Comments (3)
Showing 1-3 of 3
This has been called "The Greatest Story Never Told," and the appellation is just. Jeremy Dean has made an incredibly moving documentary that brings to life the nation's oldest city and the role it played in the civil rights movement. Though a tourist town that attracts millions of visitors a year, this is a part of its history that has been hidden away for too long. Help to break the silence: go to see the movie!
like
dislike
Congratulations Jeremy. I'm so glad that the story of the Civil Rights Movement of St. Augustine is finally spreading beyond the walls of the Ancient City that tried for decades to cover it up.
The birthpains have begun---there is no turning back. There was a movement in St. Augustine--one that effected and affected the lives of every American citizen, led by the likes of Rev. Thomas A. Wright, Dr. Robert B. Hayling, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., & the Southern Christian Leadership confrence, and Rev. Goldie Eubanks. God bless the brave and courageous folks who risked their very lives in pursuit of their human rights. They are truly American Heroes.
It's great to know that DNWA is playing in Nashville. Our thanks to the International Black Film Festival of Nashville.
We welcome your feedback and comments via the film's blog.
There are several clips from the film, plus the trailer, on YouTube. And you can follow the film on Twitter.
Stephen Cobb
Producer
