At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, filmmaker Steven Ross will bring two films, “Liberia: A Fragile Peace” and “Fishers of Dar,” to Sweet Briar’s Tyson Auditorium. The screening is part of the Southern Circuit Film Series. Admission is free and open to the public.
Prior to the show, at 5:30 p.m., dinner with the filmmaker will be held in Prothro Room B. Cost of dinner is $6.75 for guests, $3.50 for ages 3 to 11; $5.50 with a Sweet Briar ID, $2.75 for ages 3 to 11.
“Liberia: A Fragile Peace” explores the civil war between the wealthy minority of former American slaves and the indigenous, rural tribes across the country. Ross calls it a “happy accident” that he met a graduate student who wanted to make a documentary about the Liberia situation and needed help with the filmmaking.
Filmmaker Steven RossDuring his first trip to Liberia, after the exit of a tyrannical Charles Taylor and the entrance of the United Nations in 2003, Ross said their experience was like classic news-journalism.
He and his student colleague had only one contact in the whole country, stayed in a convent because the only hotel in Monrovia was charging $350 a night, and “filled a bag with footage.”
They went back again a few years later. “I wasn’t there during the carnage,” said Ross, who also is an associate professor at Ohio University School of Film. “I was never fearful for my life. The people saw my camera and wanted to talk. They needed to tell the world their story.”
Ross describes his film “Fishers of Dar” as “A sublime bit of filmmaking.” Although the film presents issues around development in the Third World and the idea of modernizing traditional markets, Ross said, “This film doesn’t take a position towards its subject. It is Africans being productive and allowing the viewer to take an accurate look at their lives.”
An image from Ross' film "Fishers of Dar." Rakumi Arts International writes, “ ‘Fishers of Dar’ is a visually lush documentary without commentary. The film takes the viewer, beginning before dawn, to the pier and the bustling central market, as hundreds of people make their living in this age-old way.”
The film has screened internationally, winning “Best Documentary” at the Athens International Film/Video Festival (2003) and “Best Cinematography” at the Ann Arbor Film Festival (2002).
Created by the South Carolina Arts Commission more than 30 years ago, Southern Circuit takes independent filmmakers on a journey into communities across the South. Chosen by a panel of experts for the quality of their work, the filmmakers screen their recent films for local audiences.
Produced without studio backing and struggling to secure a distributor, many of these films would never be seen on a screen in this area of the country without Southern Circuit. The program also encourages audiences to interact with the filmmakers during receptions and post-screening discussions.
Southern Circuit is a program of the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit regional arts organization making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975.
Southern Arts Federation is supported by funding and programming partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts, private foundations, corporations, individuals, and the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
