Kentucky Historical Society
KHS to Show “Stranger with a Camera,” Host Filmmaker Elizabeth Barret

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 27, 2010)— The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) film series will show “Stranger with a Camera” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 13 at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort.  Elizabeth Barret, the director of the documentary, will be in attendance at the showing.

“Stranger with a Camera” tells the story of Canadian filmmaker Hugh O’Connor, who visited the mountains of central Appalachia in 1967 to document poverty.  A local landlord, who resented the presence of filmmakers on his property, shot and killed O’Connor, in part because of his anger about the ways the media portrayed Appalachia as an icon of the nation’s War on Poverty. Barret uses O’Connor’s death to explore the complex relationship between those who make films to promote social change and the people whose lives and locales are represented in such media productions.

As a director and filmmaker, Barret is committed to producing and preserving work in media about the history, culture and social issues of the Appalachian region and rural America. 

“Stranger with a Camera,” an award-winning documentary, was recognized in 2001 by the American Historical Association for the film’s interpretation of history through the medium of film or video. The film was also an official selection of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast nationally on “P.O.V.,” the PBS series that showcased the work of America’s best contemporary-issue independent filmmakers. Barret is a native of Hazard and a graduate of the University of Kentucky. 

Tickets to the film series are $4 for KHS members and $8 for the general public. Admission to “Stranger with a Camera” includes a post-film discussion with the filmmaker, popcorn, soda and entrance to the KHS history campus.

The film series is part of a larger series of Thursday evening programming at KHS.  Other upcoming Thursday evening events at the KHS history campus include a the showing of “Strangers and Kin” on June 10; a discussion with Kentucky authors Silas House, Erik Reece and Jason Howard on May 27; and a concert on June 24 featuring the band No Tools Loaned and food from Dunn’s Barbecue.

Visit www.history.ky.gov and click News and Events for up-to-date information on other KHS events and programs.

-30-
An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, established in 1836, is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky's history. The KHS history campus includes The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Old State Capitol and Kentucky Military History Museum at the Old State Arsenal.  For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.