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Documentary Film Group
Documentary Film Group
In a world of sound-bites, documentaries provide an opportunity to think, understand, share, and expand our experience. Documentaries provide the perfect topic for meaningful conversations.
The Documentary Film Group gathers one afternoon each month to discuss a documentary film. In the usual format, participants watch the documentary selection on Netflix before coming to the meeting where we will discuss the film.
This month is different: We will meet at the Seymour Center to watch the documentary "An Unlikely Friendship" together in the downstairs theater at Seymour.
The film's maker, Diane Bloom, will present the film which chronicles the true story about integration in Durham, with questions and discussion after the movie.
“An Unlikely Friendship” tells the story of the altogether surprising friendship that emerged between CP Ellis, the Exalted Grand Cyclops of the Durham, NC Ku Klux Klan, and Ann Atwater, an outspoken, black, woman, civil rights activist. In 1970, these two arch-enemies were appointed to co-chair a 10-day intense community meeting to resolve problems arising from a court-ordered desegregation of the Durham schools. Initially, their relationship was fraught with distrust and hatred. But through working together, they formed a deep and loving life-long friendship, as they came to realize that they were more alike than different.
“An Unlikely Friendship” is not only about black/white issues in the United States. It is about all forms of group hatred that are so prevalent in our world today. Audiences have found the film hopeful and optimistic, because if two people as different as Ann and C.P. could transcend stereotypes and form such a strong and loving bond, then any of us can do the same.
The film has played in 26 film festivals, has won 5 national awards for social and human justice and plays annually on PBS. The upcoming Hollywood film, The Best of Enemies was, in part, inspired by this documentary:
“When I first heard about C.P. Ellis and Ann Atwater I thought, 'Maybe this could be a movie.' Then I read the book and thought, ‘I think this might be a good movie.’ But it wasn’t until I saw Diane Bloom’s An Unlikely Friendship, heard these people, and saw the humanity in them that I thought, 'I absolutely have to tell this story… and it’s going to be a great movie!'” – Robin Bissell (writer and director of The Best of Enemies, opened in theaters April 5, 2019)
Questions: Contact Linda Maitand at lindaemaitland@gmail,com (281-235-9791) or Beth Laughlin at waycoolmrsl@gmail.com (713-503-7763). If you would like to nominate a film for discussion, please send your suggestions to Linda.