Southern documentaries on Black brewers, rural doctors, and firefighters fighting cancer

If stories are not told, they disappear. This idea fuels the documentarian—especially in the South, where every part of the landscape bears the marks of untold stories. This fall, the Libraries presents a series of documentary films that bring under-told stories to life.

The Libraries is a proud Screening Partner of South Arts’ 2023-24 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. The tour connects U.S.-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around important stories and the art of filmmaking. 

Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts, a regional arts organization, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information about Southern Circuit please visit www.southarts.org/southerncircuit.

Here is the fall 2023 Southern Circuit film schedule at the Libraries (a different slate of films will screen in spring 2024):

Burned: Protecting the Protectors
Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:00-8:00 p.m., Hill Library Auditorium (Second Floor, West Wing)
The true story of one person's quest to understand decades of firefighter cancer. Cancer has been the leading cause of death among firefighters for decades. They are told it is due to toxic byproducts of smoke—"the products of combustion"—yet fires are increasingly rare for firefighters. In fact, the majority of calls are medical, yet cancer rates are at an all-time high. Diane Cotter wondered if something else could be at play, and with the help of many, including a nuclear physicist, it turned out that she was right.

The film's director, Elijah Yetter-Bowman, will join us in-person for the screening and for the post-screening discussion. Runtime 29 minutes. Watch the trailer here.

One Pint at a Time
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Hill Library Auditorium
Craft beer generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the US economy. Despite beer’s Egyptian and African heritage, these traditions have been mostly forgotten and are rarely found in American brewing culture. Today, Black-owned breweries make up less than 1% of the nearly 9,000 breweries in operation. Eager to shift the historical perception of who makes and drinks beer, Black brewers, brand owners and influencers across the country are reshaping the craft beer industry and the future of America’s favorite adult beverage. 

Runtime 89 minutes. Watch the trailer here.

The Only Doctor
Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Hill Library Auditorium
Dr. Karen Kinsell is the only doctor in all of Clay County, Georgia, one of the poorest and unhealthiest rural regions in the state. Her clinic has served the most vulnerable in her community for over 22 years but now faces bankruptcy. Despite not drawing a personal salary to help keep the doors open, Kinsell must now weigh retiring against providing healthcare to her patients. When a Hail Mary offer arrives from a university medical association, a fully equipped health center is proposed. But Kinsell makes affordability and access her personal red lines of the potential sale. An impending state election and the outbreak of COVID add more uncertainty to the fraught population, reminding Kinsell of how much is riding on the fine print. Straight-talking and downright inspirational, The Only Doctor presents a modern David-versus-Goliath healthcare story that might just restore your faith in humanity. 

Runtime 85 minutes. Watch the trailer here.