The Southern Documentary Project
TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STORYTELLERS
David Frazier is a fly fisherman who favors the small rivers and streams of Mississippi. For him, it’s not necessarily about the catch, but the experience. Join him on the Chunky River one beautiful Fall morning to see why SIZE DON’T MATTER in this latest edition of Mississippi Stories.
SIZE DON’T MATTER from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.
Growing up in Hickory, Mississippi, about five miles from the Chunky River, I had floated it many times in the past, but never after the leaves turned. Little did I know what I’d been missing. I recently went fishing with David Frazier, fly fisherman extraordinaire, and was amazed at the Fall beauty of the river – so much so that I will add a November float and fishing trip to my list of annual outdoor adventures. This short doc features brilliant riparian scenics and exciting underwater footage, so stay tuned for the release of SIZE DON’T MATTER in the next few days!
“You do everything big!” That’s the advice of Lecile Harris, the seventy-six-year-old professional rodeo clown whose life in rodeo spans almost sixty years. I got to spend some time with him at rodeos in Meridian, MS and Jonesboro, AR and had an absolute ball. Lecile began his career as a bullrider and bullfighter, but a devastating accident in the arena at the age of fifty-two led him into comedy full-time. Since then, he’s been named “Clown of the Year” four times and inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. This is his story.
Rex
LECILE from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.
The Neshoba County Fair has been around since 1889, and Pat Banks Woodrick’s family was there at the very beginning. CABIN 25 is her story of fun and fellowship at Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty. Special bonus footage includes Ross Barnett on guitar and the melee that is the infamous chair race!
Rex
CABIN 25 from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.
Philadelphia, Mississippi is notorious for the 1964 Civil Rights killings of Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney, and Michael Schwerner. In I CAN’T AFFORD TO FUMBLE THE BALL, Mayor James A. Young talks about the responsibility he feels as Philadelphia’s first black mayor and how the city has moved forward from its ignoble past.
Rex
There are much worse places to go to work than Rum Boogie Cafe, the Beale Street Music Festival, and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. See a little bit of all three in BEALE, BLUES, & BARBECUE, a profile of Natchez native Lyman Aldrich, whose leadership helped make Memphis in May into the internationally known economic development engine that it is today.
Rex
BEALE, BLUES, & BARBECUE: The Origins of Memphis in May from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting with a young lady who has spent more than eighty years of her life in service of others. The latest installment in our “Mississippi Stories” series is a portrait of Leola Dillard, the centenarian community activist who founded the nationally recognized Make a Difference Day Free Flea Market in Yazoo City.
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WHO NEEDS THE MOST HELP? from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.
Enjoy the latest installment in the Mississippi Stories series from MDP’s Rex Jones. Here Rex features Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles, a Shelby, MS native and pastor of the Monumental Baptist Church in Memphis. Rev. Kyles tells his story of being on the Lorraine Motel balcony with Martin Luther King, Jr. when Dr. King was assassinated.
Rex Jones has finished the second of his Mississippi Stories. This time Rex paints a portrait of Lee McCarty of McCarty’s Pottery in Merigold, Mississippi. Keep checking back for future installments in this series that will cover the state over the next year.
Rex is off to a great start with his new series on Mississippi Stories with one already “in the can.” Over the next year Rex will be taking our beloved “Rango” all across the state (and occasionally onto Beale Street, if necessary) looking for stories of interesting people and events so check back here for his updates and the finished films.
Pictured below are his two latest interviews with The Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles and Lyman Aldrich.
Rex Jones, aka the new guy, has hit the road in search of Mississippi Stories. The first installment in this new MDP project, “Cherish the Music,” features M.B. Green, a custom instrument maker and musician from Louin. Nice job Rex. We can’t wait to who’s next.
This week, we had all hands on deck shooting a “State of the University” video with Chancellor Jones around campus. Special thanks to everyone involved who worked so hard for the last few days including Andy Harper, Karen Tuttle, Joe York, Rex Jones, Mary Stanton, Todd Lauterbach and Matt Minshew.
– Matthew
