Kannapolis: A Moving Portrait

Acclaimed composer, singer, and violinist Jenny Scheinman invites us into the captivating visual world of Depression-era filmmaker, H. Lee Waters. Scheinman and her musical sidemen, Robbie Fulks and Robbie Gjersoe, create a live soundtrack of new folksongs, fiddle music, and field sounds to accompany Waters’ fascinating footage, now masterfully reworked by director Finn Taylor. The result is a reflection on “the gaze” both then and now; the evolution of mill towns; and a striking commentary on race, class, and the American experience. “Scheinman [has] a distinctive vision of American music, suffused with plainspoken beauty and fortified all at once by country, gospel, and melting-pot folk, along with jazz and the blues”—the New York Times. Post-performance Q&A with the artists. Funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series, Department of Film and Media Culture, Committee on the Arts, and the Museum of Art. Tickets: $20/15/6