Freedom Riders documentary director's cut premieres Thursday at JSU

Jun. 23—Jacksonville State University hosts the premiere of "A Fire in Anniston: A Freedom Riders Story" at 6 p.m. Thursday night at Ernest Stone Performing Arts Center.

The documentary, a joint project of Alabama Public Television, JSU's Longleaf Studios and Memphis-based film production company Prodigi Arts, originally premiered in May during events recognizing the Freedom Rides' 60th anniversary.

According to Seth Johnson, director at Longleaf and one of the film's executive producers, Alabama Public Television decided to air the documentary shortly after it was completed to coincide with the anniversary.

That decision worked out — the film streamed live during an event at the Greyhound bus depot on Gurnee Avenue, where it had the proper effect — but JSU didn't have a chance to promote the viewing, Johnson said.

"JSU wanted an event on campus and a chance to invite the writer, director and producers, everyone involved," Johnson said. Thursday's event is free and open to the public, he added.

The film features interviews with Freedom Riders Charles Person and Hank Thomas, Anniston city leaders, residents and others connected to the attack, with reenactments of historic events.

The director's cut will be shown Thursday, extending the original version of the film and adding more context. Afterward, crew members that include the film's writer and director, Chris O'Connor, will answer questions from the audience.

Some of those inquiries might have to do with the challenge of filming the documentary during a pandemic. O'Connor said Wednesday that the film originally called for large-scale reenactments of the attack with a large, violent mob, but COVID-19 nixed that plan. The way around that obstacle led to fresh takes on the Freedom Riders, O'Connor said, which ultimately made the film stronger. The team zoomed in for smaller reenactments that were more intimate, up close and affecting.

"It provided the unique opportunity to do something completely different, with our actors filmed individually, which created these unique shots filmed in a studio," O'Connor said. "It didn't take away from the action, either."

Another facet to filming was the backdrop of civil unrest developing across the United States in the spring and summer of 2020. The murder of George Floyd occurred long after Alabama Public Television commissioned the film, but both O'Connor and Johnson said it would have been an oversight not to mention modern race relations as the documentary examined historic civil rights.

O'Connor said he found bright spots in contrasting the two eras.

"Our crew is diverse, and that's a big important part of Prodigi," said O'Connor, who is Black, with a crew of varied races and backgrounds. "I think that kind of reflected the joint efforts of the Freedom Riders. You think 'Freedom Riders' and think about a bus full of Black kids, but they were Black, white, Jewish ... Charles Person and Hank Thomas were very vocal about how white and Jewish Freedom Riders had everything to lose and nothing to gain from risking their lives to fight for human rights and civil rights."

Recognizing that there were and are people recognizing the violation of human rights and are willing to intercede was uplifting, he said.

"It's a great show of unity between races," O'Connor said.

The free showing of "A Fire in Anniston" starts at 6 p.m. in the Ernest Stone Performing Arts Center Thursday night, located at the corner of Church Avenue Northeast and 11th Street Northwest.

Assistant Metro Editor Ben Nunnally: 256-235-3560.