Legacy: Women of Southeast Ohio, a series of documentary films, is premiering at Stuart’s Opera House on Aug. 27. The documentary showcases the impact of four trailblazing Southeastern Ohio women: Ada Woodson Adams, Francine Childs, Dru Riley Evarts and Carol Kuhre.
Liz Pahl is the director of Legacy. She created the film to preserve the legacies of Adams, Childs, Evarts and Kuhre in a tangible way and to encourage conversations about listening to and honoring the voices of women in communities everywhere.
The Post sat down with Pahl to discuss creative processes, the current desire for women’s stories and representation and collaborations that occurred during the creation of Legacy.
The Post: Why did you create Legacy?
Liz Pahl: I started this project in 2014 or 2015, when I was working at Athens County Foundation. Ada Woodson Adams and Carol Kuhre, who are two subjects of the film, both were board members at the time. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I've been here in Athens for quite some time.’ At that time, it was 15 to 16 years. I was just amazed at how I knew of them by name, but I didn't really know the depth of everything that they've done for our community for the last 30 to 40 years. So, that just stuck with me, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, someone should really make a film about their lives and document their legacy.’ I didn't think it would be me.
TP: How did it “become you”? Why did you undertake this project?
LP: I had left Athens County Foundation and took a job here at Ohio University, and their stories and idea of doing this project still haunted me. I think, sometimes, creative projects pick you. And sometimes they hang on, and they say, ‘I'm gonna bug you until you get this done.’ That was very much the case with Legacy: Women of Southeast Ohio.
TP: You had never made a film before this. What enabled you to undertake a task that you were not familiar with?
LP: I was talking to my friend Andie Walla, who's a professor in the media arts department, and I was like ‘OK, well, I'm going to do this thing. I’m going to do it by myself.’ I've never really delved into film. My background is mainly in music and music production. So, I met with Andie, and I pitched her the project. I was like ‘So, what kind of camera should I get? What kind of sound and light gear should I get?’ She just looked at me, and she was like ‘You're the director and the producer. You need a videographer. You need a director of photography. I'll do it.’
TP: What was community support like for this project?
LP: The thing that I've loved about this project is every time I would talk about it with people, someone else would come on board. Someone would donate money, or someone would say ‘Here's my email. Keep me up to date with the project.’ It was just so cool that everybody agreed with me that their stories were important.
TP: What do you think made the project magnetic; what made it draw in so much support?
LP: To tell you the truth, I think people are craving women's stories. I think that now is the time, which I'm so glad about. Everyone, men, women and non-binary people in general, are just tired of what seems to be the status quo in media. That is the man’s story. I (also) think people are wanting to honor these women. These women are in their 80s and 90s, and they are giants in their field(s) of work. They are giants within the community. I think it was just one of those projects where people also wanted to pay homage to them.
TP: How can people watch Legacy if they don’t go to the premiere?
LP: If you can't get to the premiere, the film will be embedded on my website, www.lizpahl.com.
Tickets to the premiere are free, but options to support the event range from $5–$50. Funds raised via ticket sales will be donated to the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society.
