Crossroads Documentary Premieres
Last Thursday, a large crowd visited Thomas Persons Hall for the premiere of the documentary movie that will play with the Crossroads exhibit for the Smithsonian Institution that is supposed to open in Monticello on Saturday, Dec. 7.
The movie is made up of interviews with more than 100 people. And, ones who are not included in the movie, can still be seen as part of the exhibit.
The 50-minute movie Monticello Crossroads (2019) can be viewed on YouTube or https://www.facebook.com/JCHSFilm.
The documentary is about the people and history of Monticello and Jasper County, Ga. The film was produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit, “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.” This exhibit will be presented at the Monticello Visitors’ Center from December 7, 2019 to January 11, 2020.
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Thursday’s red-carpet gala was in conjunction with the movie and the kickoff for the Smithsonian exhibit which will visit six cities in Georgia, before moving to another state. The exhibit is scheduled to last five years, visiting six cities in five states each year for five years. Then it will be housed in Washington D.C.
Michele Celani has chaired the group that is bringing the exhibit to Monticello, and it will be housed at the Visitors’ Center on the Square. Many visitors are expected, and local individuals will want to be sure to view it.
The documentary project was sponsored by a “Stories: YES” youth programming grant from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program. Over 50 JCHS film students last spring and this fall were involved in the project. The students interviewed over 100 people in Jasper County ranging in age from 14 to 101.
Participants were asked about their Jasper County origins, their special places, their challenges of rural living, and their views on Monticello’s future and changes for good that could be made in our community.
Local sponsors of the documentary and Smithsonian exhibit include the Georgia Humanities Council, the University of West Georgia, Georgia EMC, Georgia Farm Bureau, Bank of Monticello, Monticello-Jasper County Chamber of Commerce, The Art Box Gallery, Reese Hall, City Grocery, and Thomas Persons Hall.
Commemorative DVDs may be purchased at the Monticello Visitor’s Center or by contacting JCHSFilm@gmail.com. JCHS Film continues to interview local residents as part of this ongoing, intergenerational documentary project. Interested persons should contact JCHS Film program director, Tyson Harty, at tharty@jasper.k12.ga.us.
