Scribe Producers’ Forum: The Contradictions of Fair Hope
dirs. S. Epatha Merkerson and Rockell Metcalf, USA, 2012, 67 min.
Narration by Whoopi Goldberg – Music by Christian McBride
Presented in partnership with International House Philadelphia
Q&A with directors S. Epatha Merkerson and Rockell Metcalf following the screening
This documentary sets the stage in rural Alabama, prior to Emancipation, and traces the development, struggles, contributions and gradual loss of tradition of one of the last remaining African American benevolent societies, known as “The Fair Hope Benevolent Society” in Uniontown, Alabama. Through gripping human stories of some of the last surviving society members and interviews with historians and local residents, the film provides an unprecedented look at the complex and morally ambiguous world of Fair Hope juxtaposed against the worldly pleasures of what has become known as the annual “Foot Wash” celebration.
