THE STORY
On the eve of her 20th birthday, Ra, a young documentarian researches the sordid history lying beneath the notorious Lake Lanier and is haunted by ghosts that threaten to reveal the truth about her own past.
"All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was." - Toni Morrison
Lake Lanier is a story about the ghosts of our personal and historical memory. It is about the recurrence of a disinherited past materializing in the present to make its presence known. It is a story about the lengths one takes to uncover the truth of one's own heritage.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
As an Atlanta native, Lake Lanier, the man-made 38,000 lake about an hour north of where I was born and raised, was a staple in Georgia folklore. Its wretched waters have snatched the lives of hundreds of people since it was created in the 50s, making it one of the most dangerous lakes in the country.
In my final year as an African-American Studies and Film/TV major at Brandeis University, I decided to dive deeper into the troubled waters of Lake Lanier to see what its history could tell me about the nature of haunting as it relates to black life and ontology. As I researched, I discovered that below the lake are the remnants of several towns, most notably the black township Oscarville, GA that was massacred by white Klansmen in 1912, leading to the expulsion of all black people in Forsyth county for 70+ years following. The lake had a history that could not be ignored. A history that refused to be drowned out. A history that with each death on its waters drew us deeper into its dark belly.
My film Lake Lanier is my attempt to speak with ghosts. History is made up of ghosts which haunt our present, guide our lives and whisper warnings from beyond. We all speak with ghosts in some form or another, whether they creep in the shadows, speak to us in our dreams or create our material conditions. My film’s main character Ra Edwards is, like me, obsessed with the ghosts of her own personal past and the historical past, and will stop at nothing to make contact with them.
I have a reverence for history and the ancestors and as such, I approach this film not with the detached irony of traditional horror but rather with the aim to illuminate the very real history surrounding the lake and to allow us all to think about the ghosts in our own lives.
“To be is to live with ghosts, in the upkeep, the conversation, the company, or the companionship of ghosts. And this being with specters would also be a politics of memory, of inheritance, and of generations.” - Jacques Derrida
WE ARE EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY SPIKE LEE
Our film was one of the 2024 recipients of the annual Spike Lee production fund awarded to select thesis films. I had the distinct honor and pleasure of serving as Spike Lee’s teaching assistant for his Directing Strategies class in 2023. One of the greatest joys of my time at NYU Grad Film was being taught and mentored by world class filmmaker Spike Lee and to have my film supported by him in such a large way.
We are also the recipient of the 2024 Black Family Thesis prize also awarded to select thesis films.
We are honored that our vision has already been supported in a major way and with your support we can reach our financial goal and help the film get made!
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Your contribution to our film will be instrumental in reaching our financial goal to help us make the film! Your donation will go toward a variety of production and post-production expenses including:
- Equipment rentals
- Transportation for cast and crew
- Costumes
- Set-design and props
- Meals for cast and crew
- Post Sound mixing
- Musical composition
- Festival submission fees
Other ways you can support:
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Thank you!!!
