RaMell Ross – Hale County This Morning, This Evening #jedensvet2019

PODCAST| Matt Micucci interviews RaMell Ross, director of the film Hale County This Morning, This Evening.

An interview with RaMell Ross, director of the Academy Award-nominated feature documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening, screened at the 2019 One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. The film could be described as an impressionistic portrait of Black life in Hale County, Alabama, and area that Ross describes as underrepresented. In this interview, we start by asking the filmmaker about his background and find out that he believes there is some connection between his “previous life” as an athlete and his current involvement in photography and cinematography. He also talks about the rhythmic flow of the film, that almost feels like a musical scrapbook, how the interactive nature of Hale County This Morning, This Evening prompts reactions from audiences all over the world and more.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening: With extraordinary sensitivity, director RaMell Ross follows the efforts of his protagonists to lead a happy life. Long shots looking for beauty in the everyday allow the viewer to dive into situations that are completely interchangeable, yet unrepeatable. A daughter’s romping, a sunrise, children playing in the street… The desire of a young father to earn the respect of those around him and of his wife, to graduate and to ensure a dignified livelihood. The difficulties he faces in fulfilling his dream uncover the hard facts of American reality, but also the cohesion of the African-American community and the diversity of life in one of the largest countries in the world. In some moments, the film evokes the collaboration of Terrence Malick and Emmanuel Lubezki, becoming the hit of the Sundance Festival 2018.