Southern Culture on the Skids
September 23, 2008
Midway Plantation, circa 1900
Raleigh native, Godfrey Cheshire, premiered his new documentary “Moving Midway” this weekend at The Rialto. Pressured by modern sprawl, the Hinton family plantation was moved in 2005 and Godfrey was inspired to film this monumental family event. He may have imagined what ghosts lied beneath but never could have foreseen the synchrony that expiates their demons.
Midway under-way, circa 2005
For me, you can hardly get more local. It was an easy stroll from my house, a short drive from my ancestral farm and a subject that continues to divide the country we live. With multi-racial presidential candidates, new books giving voice to founding mothers and a slave history married to the untenable conflict of ‘All men created equal’, I can not imagine a more timely film.
The twain shall meet
Unlike Godfrey, I am no film critic, so I will leave that to my betters but I will say, “you should see this movie!”. Regarless of your origins, yet, you seek better self-awareness through history, find the world torn by a legacy of polarization or think that it is time to call the chickens home to roost, “Moving Midway” is a movie that might rattle your skeleton’d closet.
Stumble it!
Tags: , Culture, documentary, film, history, Raleigh & Beyond, slavery
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September 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I have not seen Midway. But I did check out Meeting David Wilson. Similar story - past slave owner meets a bonafide relative of the “owned” side of the equation. Oddly both are named David Wilson.
I know one of the Dave Wilsons well. Good doc. MSNBC showed the doc and tried a forum after the film. They hired a bunch of talking heads that returned the dialogue back to the political familiar. David Wilson the film maker was very upset. Neither Wilson participated in the forum after the film.
http://www.meetingdavidwilson.com
Paul
September 25th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Paul,
I have heard of this movie and would love a chance to see it.
If most of us had a documentary done of our lives we would likely find this common thread. Slave or slave master, almost all human cultures have this blight.
You should try to get to one of the showings with Godfrey and Dr. Hinton present. Take David
with and you will find the conversation you seek. After this film, I have come to understand that all of us of the ‘South’ are African Americans. This feels like a beginning, to realize this is a family relationship to heal. Not a black rage or white guilt to suppress.
Ty