Wal-Mart backed film on Gullah/Geechee culture picks yet another honor

(August 11, 2006) E. Morris Communications (EMC) continues to take 2006 by storm on both the national and international fronts. The Wal-Mart sponsored, EMC produced documentary, “Will to Survive – The Story of the Gullah/Geechee Nation” has been awarded Best Film/Video on Matters Relating to the Black Experience/Marginalized People by the 2006 Black International Cinema Film Awards. 

The "Will to Survive" documentary, which was screened in Berlin, Germany and St. Louis, Missouri at the 2006 Black International Film Festival, focuses on Sapelo Island, Georgia, and allows viewers a rare glimpse into the soul of Sapelo Island and the proud and mysterious Gullah/Geechee people who are in real danger of losing their land.

EMC’s first international award comes on the heels of sweeping the prestigious 27th Annual Telly Awards with seven awards, earning two Addy Awards for “Storyteller” and “Power of Voice” as well as another Telly Award for the Tyson Foods “Powered By” campaign. 

The agency also won Gold and Silver Service Industry advertising awards for outstanding work on the public relations and advertising campaigns for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and American Family Insurance, respectively.  This international film award is also shared with What My Mother Told Me, a UK/Trinidad-Tobago film.

Inspired by the authenticity of the ancestral legacy, EMC committed to telling the story of the Gullah/Geechee - an American people of African decent with a precarious future who have remained in isolation for more than 200 years.  “The Will to Survive spotlights the struggle of a people to preserve their West African-rooted culture and heritage,” says Al Hawkins, EMC’s executive producer for the film. “Having an opportunity to share this compelling aspect of American history with a global audience signals the significance of our film partnership with Wal-Mart.  I am excited that our first foray into the international arts community has netted our team such an honor.”

“How fantastic to win an international award in recognition of work that was simply a joy to produce,” added EMC associate creative director Kathleen Humphries.  “We were excited about this project from the very beginning; this was a rare opportunity for us to create a documentary that captures the essence of this important, yet little-known culture through a combination of stunning visuals and powerful life stories.”

Funded by Wal-Mart as a curriculum tool for educators, the film is the culmination of vision and talent from the multicultural experts at EMC.  The EMC production team devoted nearly two years to the project, documenting the distinctive languages and lifestyle of the Gullah/Geechee natives.  In addition to creating a compelling film about this little-known, important culture, EMC will also be a sponsor of the Gullah Gullah/Geechee Nation International African Music & Movement Festival held August 25-27, 2006.

The Will to Survive is the second notable documentary that EMC has produced examining a historic but little-known aspect of black life.  However, the opportunity to showcase the film in Berlin marks an important international debut for the agency.

“The Will to Survive documentary presents us with the chance to tell a fascinating story,” said John Fleming, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Wal-Mart Stores Division.  “We are delighted to present it as part of our Voices of Color program and give ‘voice’ to a broader and more positive depiction of African-American images, via wide range, quality programming for the whole family.”

In conjunction with the documentary, Wal-Mart is also sponsoring a free online educational program for grades 7-12, providing a curriculum kit with background information and engaging classroom activities to enhance students’ viewing of the documentary.


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