Post by twayne on Feb 24, 2005 23:06:44 GMT -5
News
Lincoln Lecure explores 'Confederate States of America'
By MIKE KRINGS, Times News Editor
People often ask "what if?" Lawrence filmmaker Kevin Willmott asked a what if few people have dared to explore with his film "CSA: Confederate States of America," what if the South had won the Civil War.
Willmott was the featured speaker at the University of Saint Mary's Seventh Annual Lincoln Lecture Monday. In his career, he has worked with director Oliver Stone, written several history-based scripts, and has made a lot of noise with his film.
"His latest film, 'CSA,' was the buzz film at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival," Sister Diane Steele, president of Saint Mary, said in her introduction.
Willmott began his remarks by saying it was his first visit to Saint Mary.
"I don't think anyone will argue that the best schools around are these small, Catholic schools. If they can turn me around, they can turn anyone around," he joked.
Willmott, a native of Junction City, received his college education at Marymount College in Salina. Some of his former professors from the school are now associated with Saint Mary, which he said helped get him involved with the lecture.
Before showing an excerpt of his film, Willmott spoke about Abraham Lincoln. Although he wasn't originally an abolitionist, Lincoln was a good man who believed in doing what was right.
"The thing I love to reflect on is he was surrounded by people trying to convince him to do the right thing," said Willmott, of Lincoln's relationships with people such as Wendell Phillips and Frederick Douglas.
Willmott also discussed America's history. It was founded as a slave nation. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were slave owners, but were still great men, he said. The film is an attempt to understand slavery, its causes, and how it ties in to our history as a nation.
"What I'm trying to do with my film is say '(America's founding as a slave nation) is true,' but you can't throw out the baby with the bath water...If we don't understand slavery, we don't understand America. And, in essence, we don't understand ourselves."
As a child, Willmott saw movies made by African-American directors, which he said encouraged him to become a filmmaker.
In Hollywood, certain subjects are off limits, Willmott said. Movies are seldom made about elderly people. The same is true with slavery. He had written a script about abolitionist John Brown that was never made because it was dubbed a "non-commercial slave film." But he wasn't deterred from making "CSA." In researching the slavery era, Willmott learned about the Confederacy's plan had they won the Civil War. They had plans to go south, taking over Mexico, Central America and eventually South America.
"What I did in the film was just carry out their plan," he said.
His goal was to drop viewers into a modern-day America based on a history that didn't happen. He does so by presenting an imaginary documentary of America's history, complete with commercials reflecting the culture, such as "Sambo X-15 Axle Grease," "Confederate Family Insurance" and "black person Hair Tobacco." The products he mentioned actually existed, and were based in the North, he said.
Willmott used "reverse history" to tell of America's past had the South won. In the film, he says Confederates persuaded British and French troops to assist in defeating the North. After the fall of the Union, Abraham Lincoln attempted to escape America with Harriet Tubman, but both were captured.
Lincoln then was imprisoned for two years, witnessed Tubman's execution, and was eventually exiled to Canada.
"Now I'd better explain myself before you run me out of here," Willmott joked after showing the excerpt.
What happened to Lincoln in the film actually happened to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He was imprisoned for war crimes and practically forgotten by history.
Although the Union won the war, the South won the quest to continue its way of life, Willmott said. Although slavery was ended, segregation continued throughout the country, until the 1960s. It's also important to remember the Civil War wasn't solely about slavery. It was indeed about politics and economics as well, he said.
"The more we understand about what leads to war, perhaps the more we understand about how to prevent it."
Willmott said he had actors and executives afraid to work on the project because it deals with such a sensitive subject. When asked how he got around the reluctance to finish the film, he replied, "one of the great things about making films in Kansas is the people are real here. They could tell I was sincere."
Audience members asked several questions, including how he handles historical figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. in the film, and if slavery continued. Another audience member asked when he could see the entire film. Willmott replied it will be released in theaters this summer, and it was bought by the Independent Film Channel, and Spike Lee agreed to serve as executive producer.
At a reception following the lecture, Willmott said he recently learned about the University of Saint Mary's Lincoln collection. He researched copies of many of the documents and items in the collection, but wasn't aware of it.
"It's amazing," he said of the collection. "I didn't know this existed."
Lincoln Lecure explores 'Confederate States of America'
By MIKE KRINGS, Times News Editor
People often ask "what if?" Lawrence filmmaker Kevin Willmott asked a what if few people have dared to explore with his film "CSA: Confederate States of America," what if the South had won the Civil War.
Willmott was the featured speaker at the University of Saint Mary's Seventh Annual Lincoln Lecture Monday. In his career, he has worked with director Oliver Stone, written several history-based scripts, and has made a lot of noise with his film.
"His latest film, 'CSA,' was the buzz film at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival," Sister Diane Steele, president of Saint Mary, said in her introduction.
Willmott began his remarks by saying it was his first visit to Saint Mary.
"I don't think anyone will argue that the best schools around are these small, Catholic schools. If they can turn me around, they can turn anyone around," he joked.
Willmott, a native of Junction City, received his college education at Marymount College in Salina. Some of his former professors from the school are now associated with Saint Mary, which he said helped get him involved with the lecture.
Before showing an excerpt of his film, Willmott spoke about Abraham Lincoln. Although he wasn't originally an abolitionist, Lincoln was a good man who believed in doing what was right.
"The thing I love to reflect on is he was surrounded by people trying to convince him to do the right thing," said Willmott, of Lincoln's relationships with people such as Wendell Phillips and Frederick Douglas.
Willmott also discussed America's history. It was founded as a slave nation. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were slave owners, but were still great men, he said. The film is an attempt to understand slavery, its causes, and how it ties in to our history as a nation.
"What I'm trying to do with my film is say '(America's founding as a slave nation) is true,' but you can't throw out the baby with the bath water...If we don't understand slavery, we don't understand America. And, in essence, we don't understand ourselves."
As a child, Willmott saw movies made by African-American directors, which he said encouraged him to become a filmmaker.
In Hollywood, certain subjects are off limits, Willmott said. Movies are seldom made about elderly people. The same is true with slavery. He had written a script about abolitionist John Brown that was never made because it was dubbed a "non-commercial slave film." But he wasn't deterred from making "CSA." In researching the slavery era, Willmott learned about the Confederacy's plan had they won the Civil War. They had plans to go south, taking over Mexico, Central America and eventually South America.
"What I did in the film was just carry out their plan," he said.
His goal was to drop viewers into a modern-day America based on a history that didn't happen. He does so by presenting an imaginary documentary of America's history, complete with commercials reflecting the culture, such as "Sambo X-15 Axle Grease," "Confederate Family Insurance" and "black person Hair Tobacco." The products he mentioned actually existed, and were based in the North, he said.
Willmott used "reverse history" to tell of America's past had the South won. In the film, he says Confederates persuaded British and French troops to assist in defeating the North. After the fall of the Union, Abraham Lincoln attempted to escape America with Harriet Tubman, but both were captured.
Lincoln then was imprisoned for two years, witnessed Tubman's execution, and was eventually exiled to Canada.
"Now I'd better explain myself before you run me out of here," Willmott joked after showing the excerpt.
What happened to Lincoln in the film actually happened to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He was imprisoned for war crimes and practically forgotten by history.
Although the Union won the war, the South won the quest to continue its way of life, Willmott said. Although slavery was ended, segregation continued throughout the country, until the 1960s. It's also important to remember the Civil War wasn't solely about slavery. It was indeed about politics and economics as well, he said.
"The more we understand about what leads to war, perhaps the more we understand about how to prevent it."
Willmott said he had actors and executives afraid to work on the project because it deals with such a sensitive subject. When asked how he got around the reluctance to finish the film, he replied, "one of the great things about making films in Kansas is the people are real here. They could tell I was sincere."
Audience members asked several questions, including how he handles historical figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. in the film, and if slavery continued. Another audience member asked when he could see the entire film. Willmott replied it will be released in theaters this summer, and it was bought by the Independent Film Channel, and Spike Lee agreed to serve as executive producer.
At a reception following the lecture, Willmott said he recently learned about the University of Saint Mary's Lincoln collection. He researched copies of many of the documents and items in the collection, but wasn't aware of it.
"It's amazing," he said of the collection. "I didn't know this existed."
