Two free Brown Bag programs on recent documentary films focusing on the politics, history, and people of the South will be held from noon to 1 p.m. March 24 and 25 at Old Independence Regional Museum, 380 S. Ninth Street, Batesville. The programs are sponsored by the Ozark Foothills Filmfest. A discussion led by FilmFest president and co-founder Bob Pestwill follow the screenings. Bring a lunch (water will be provided), settle in and enjoy.  

Documentary Showcase I (Wednesday, March 24), features two short films:

From Wood to Singing Guitar (2009, 32 minutes)

Wayne Henderson of Rugby, Va., a craftsman and musician, was awarded the National Endowment for the Art’s National Heritage fellowship for his work as a musician and luthier (a maker of string instruments). Henderson has made over 400 guitars for musicians as wide-ranging as Doc Watson and Eric Clapton. From Wood to Singing Guitar is a portrait of a Henderson at work.  

The Sheriff (2007, 14 minutes)

This is a portrait of Eugene, an elderly African-American man with albinism from the mountains of North Carolina who works in a mattress for the Industries for the Blind. 

Documentary Showcase II (Thursday, March 25) features three short films:

Dick-George, Tenn-Tom (2007, 12 minutes)

In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon visited Mobile, Ala., for 104 minutes, during which time he shook 100 feet of hands, lost a cufflink, and shared a stage with his biggest political rival, Governor George Wallace. Dick-George,Tenn-Tom is a look at their rivalry, the creation of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, the attempt on Wallace's life less than a year later, and Nixon’s fall from grace due to Watergate. 

The Space within Memory (2007, 5 minutes)

An abstract journey through the filmmaker's memories of and emotions about her hometown in the Mississippi Delta. 

Another Word for Family (2007, 17 minutes)

Through new Super 8 footage and family archives, the film confronts how a community and its individuals deal with the legacy of racism.