Andrew Greer

Plainspoken is a well crafted documentary that does not attempt to solve the racial division that plagues so many small town communities but it simply and smartly opens the conversation. This is a sampling of small town USA and it is a project still in motion today. This being Andrew Greer’s directorial debut, the film manages to approach race relations in a small southern town from new perspectives and gives voice to questions of “what actually constitutes active racism vs simple apathy when it comes to differences in circumstance”, “Just because we espouse different ideologies, does that mean we cannot be civil and maybe even be friends” and “Can a somewhat divided community that has been bridged by a revered and ever present figure continue to build and expand on that progress, it has worked so hard to achieve, when that figure is long gone and forgotten”? Will someone or many stand in the gap to ensure that growth continues? I encourage everyone to gather the largest, most diverse group of family and friends they can gather to watch this thought provoking conversation starter and then do just that, have a safe and open conversation about what moments grabbed you the hardest and what are some of the ways that we can open the conversation in meaningful and actionable ways to continue to effect change. Because two of the major themes that really struck me were that, much like the story of addiction and recovery, race relations is an ongoing and fluctuating conversation but as long as there is hope reflected in the hearts of those willing to engage in uncomfortable situations, the effect of change will continue to evolve and reach toward a better understanding of one another. Enjoy and engage!