Cinema and culture met at the crossroads of Clarksdale, Mississippi, in Coahoma County yesterday, May 29.
Cast and crew members of horror film “Sinners,” one of Hollywood’s most recently popular productions, brought the movie back to its birthplace, for a free three-day screening.
Ryan Coogler wrote and directed the film, which served as a love letter to the music, myths and magic of the Mississippi Delta. With a setting placed in Clarksdale and filmed in Louisiana, actors Michael B. Jordan (Smoke and Stack) and Miles Caton (Sammie) are forced to fight vampires and to face their past in an attempt to open a juke joint.
‘Wait a Minute. I’m from Clarksdale.’
Grossing more than $300 million since its premiere in mid-April, “Sinners” has garnered global admiration for both the film and the city of Clarksdale. While moviegoers all over the world were able to view the film in their own cities, Clarksdale residents had to drive more than an hour to see the movie that the place they call home so heavily influenced.
Local Clarksdale natives and city organizers Jaleesa Collins and Tyler Yarbrough wanted more for their hometown. After planning and organizing a screening for Clarksdale residents, Yarbrough penned an open letter to Coogler inviting the cast and crew to visit and to host a screening in the city.
Aallyah Wright, a Clarksdale native and rural-issues reporter for Capital B News, wrote about the open letter in her May 6th article.
“I saw the call, the open letter, and I immediately shared it out to my social-media platforms,” she told the Mississippi Free Press. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I’m from Clarksdale. I need to write this story.’”
Wright’s reporting created waves on social media. “When I wrote that story it just picked up momentum and it went viral and got to the people it needed to get to. It allowed Clarksdale and its beauty and its magic to be plastered on a national stage.,” Wright said.
After gaining national attention, the filmmaker and crew members—alongside representatives from Warner Bros. Entertainment studio—graciously accepted the invitation.
‘Mississippi Got It Goin’ On’
Accompanying Coogler were Zinzi Coogler, his wife and business partner at Proximity Media, and Ludwig Göransson, a musician and composer who worked on the film. Breakout actor Miles Caton was also in attendance.
While moviegoers were excited to see the Hollywood stars and executives, they were also honored to have local musical giants present. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who is from Clarksdale, made an appearance playing the guitar in the movie.
Ingram’s cousin Maxine Pride from Quitman County saw the film for the first time yesterday and said the screening was special to her because of the familial and cultural ties.
Bobby Rush, another blues legend and Mississippi Delta native, graced fans with his presence as well. His musical talents influenced songs in the movie, and his expertise played an integral part in the film’s soundtrack.
“People back in the past wanted to leave Mississippi, and they don’t want to say they’re from Mississippi because writers (then) talked about Mississippi being less than something else. We not less than something else. Mississippi got it goin’ on,” Rush said.
“S”nners” also inspired local Mississippi Delta artists to continue chasing their dreams and choosing their own path. Lexington, Mississippi, native Twurt Chamberlain saw the movie for the second time in Clarksdale yesterday. After the film, he started playing his guitar and performing while propped against a tree right outside of the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium. The artist said he appreciated the will and determination of the main character.
“In the movie Sammie had a decision to make. It was like, “Go this way or that way,’ but he went on his own path. That’s exactly what I’m on right now,” he told the Mississippi Free Press. “I’m very determined to do this my way. Believing in yourself is the key to insanity, and I done went crazy for it.”
Yesterday’s film concluded with Aallyah Wright hosting a Q&A panel and then a night full of events at local blues clubs. Ground Zero Blues Club held a private reception for cast and crew members as well as news organizations and event organizers.
The free screenings at the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium (506 E. Second St., Clarksdale) continue today and will end tomorrow, May 31, with the final showing scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Correction: This story originally misspelled Jaleesa Collins’ first name. It is now corrected, and we apologize for the error.