<em>Chainsaw Samaritans</em> a New Film About Volunteers in Tuscaloosa by <em>Oxford American</em>
May
5
Written by:
5/5/2011 10:59 AM
From what I can tell from talking with friends in Tuscaloosa, everyone who can lay hands on one is wielding a chainsaw. Oxford American, the magazine of Southern writing, music, and culture sent filmmaker Dave Anderson to Tuscaloosa the day after the tornadoes hit, and they just released this film: Chainsaw Samaritans. Seeing this film reminded me of my first visit to the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans a few months after Katrina - something that rearranged my neural circuitry for life. The difference is that this is landscape I should know by heart. But now it is nearly devoid of recognizable landmarks. The only place in the film I could recognize (I think) is Forest Lake, where the image in the previous blog post was taken.
The film is part of a series called SoLost, celebrating being lost in the American South. Check out the other films and the magazine. Oxford American's annual music sampler this year focused on little-known music from Alabama, which is celebrating its musical heritage this year.
I found this film very moving. Just watch:
With the release of this film, Oxford American is encouraging donations to redcross.org & servealabama.gov.
I would be remiss if I did not add a link to our own organization CERF+ which is providing assistance to craft artists who are affected by this and other emergencies + promotes emergency preparedness, and provides emergency resources, including this web site, to all artists.
If you are in recovery mode, or assisting others, these sections of this web site (www.studioprotector.org) may be particularly useful right now:
Disaster Relief
Clean-up
Salvage
e-Salvage
Emotional Recovery