Support filmmaking from the South Carolina lowcountry
June 1, 2008
You are invited to see the latest documentary film from the South Carolina lowcountry:
“Bin Yah: There’s No Place Like Home”.
A proposed highway extension threatens to bisect close-knit neighborhoods of cousins and kinfolk, established by freed slaves and home to generations of their families for hundreds of years. Many residents are artisans and craftspeople, practicing traditional skills including sweetgrass basketmaking, brought over from West Africa and handed down from mothers and fathers to sons and daughters.
Through the testimonies of the residents themselves, the film explores the culture, the history, the importance of land and the concept of home, giving a voice to those who seldom have had a chance to be heard. Bin Yah will attempt to preserve — at least on film — the memories of the special places that may be lost forever as the struggle between the real “bin yahs” and the “come yahs” escalates.
As part of Piccolo Spoleto, there will be 2 FREE screenings:
No tickets, and no reservations needed.
Tuesday June 3, Mother Emanuel AME Church, 110 Calhoun Street (see map below)
Screening 1 – 11am
Screening 2 – 6pm
Both screenings will include music, a blessing, the film, and a panel discussion.
The Bin Yah DVD will be for sale.
Juneteenth – Freedom Day / Emancipation Day
May 12, 2008
Bin Yah is almost complete. These next few days we will spend tweaking the credits, final color correction, audio mixing and setting up our broadcast master for our first TV screening on ETV’s Southern Lens, June 12 at 10pm.
Soon it will be closed captioned – and since we have some Gullah in our film that has been fun!
We are looking forward to selling the DVD, and making it available to libraries and for research. Around june 1, you will be able to purchase Bin Yah from this website.
There are hours and hours of footage and interviews of historic Mount Pleasant – we will release that as well.
Juneteenth
In June there are all kinds of celebrations for Juneteenth – the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
From the Juneteenth website:
From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.
Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.
To find a Juneteenth celebration in your area of the USA, check: Juneteenth Events
- Justin
VIDEO – Sweetgrass Basket Sculpture Unveiling & Dedication to Gullah – Geechee Culture
May 10, 2008
“Winnowing Hands” Dedication and Unveiling
May 10, 2008
Click to Play Video - Sweetgrass Basket Sculpture Unveiling & Dedication to Gullah Culture
Octavia Mitchell from WCBD and Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, Mount Pleasant Town Council Member and President of the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival Association welcomed and presented “Winnowing Hands”, a beautiful, big bronze sculpture in the Oakland Plantation Shopping Center in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Almost 3 years of planning went into this dream, honoring sweetgrass weaving heritage and Gullah – Geechee culture.
More than 150 people joined Mayor Harry H. Hallman, Congressman and super delegate James E. Clyburn, NPS Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor Coordinator Michael Allen and others as Tex Small unveiled the sculpture. Winnowing Hands was created by sculptor Shirley McWorter-Moss, who was on hand and shared some nice words.