Hale County This Morning, This Evening

Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a unique and profoundly emotive documentary directed by the talented RaMell Ross. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018, it quickly established itself as an unconventional take on documentaries and was always destined to leave an indelible mark on cinema history.

The movie stars Latrenda 'Boosie' Ash, Karmyn Bryant, and Korbyn Bryant, among others. These non-professional actors provide an intimate and evocative insight into the everyday lives of African Americans living in rural Alabama. Where other films might seek to tell a well-structured narrative tale, Hale County This Morning, This Evening instead provides a cinematic tapestry, woven with snippets of life, ordinary moments, and fleeting memories.

Rather than attempting to spoon-feed or shape a viewer's understanding through a pre-constructed narrative, Hale County This Morning, This Evening encourages the audience to pause, observe, and reflect. It is an observational portrait of African American lives, shot over five years, primarily focusing on two young men, Daniel and Quincy. The film explores their dreams and relationships as they traverse the mundane and the monumental, the profound and the peculiar.

A creative force, RaMell Ross, an artist, photographer, and filmmaker, brings a keen and perceptive eye to the screen. Ross is the heart, the mind, and the lens behind this ground-breaking film. He captures ordinary moments and elevates them into extraordinary frames – a kid dribbling a basketball, the crimson blue of the sky enveloping the silhouette of a lone tree, or the hazy sunlight piercing through the fog.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening does not sugarcoat or romanticize the lives it presents. The struggles of being young and black in the South, economic hardship, and systemic racism – they're all implied through the context of the scenes, the subtle interactions and apparent way of life. Equally, the film shines a light on the joy, the community, the love, and the vibrant life present within this community, crafting a balanced and authentic representation of this region of America.

The film boasts a visual poeticism rarely seen in the documentary genre. The compact vignettes reveal more in their singularity than many complete narratives, with each frame composed like an individual photograph. Ross's background as a photographer is evident in the way the film is structured visually. The documentary serves as a meditative experience, urging the audience to submit to the rhythm of life in Hale County, Alabama, rather than seek meaning in a linear tale.

The soundtrack, too, is as immersive and as thoughtfully constructed as the visuals – at times hauntingly poignant, then lively and authentic and finally, heartbreakingly resonant. It brings a meaningful cohesion to the scenes, sidestepping the conventional and manipulative sentimental scores.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a true exhibition of lived experiences. It's a mosaic of life in all its complexities, a masterfully explorative look at the quotidian lives of those living in the Deep South. From the first day of life to a basketball match under the setting sun, each moment extends a heartfelt invitation to observe, empathize, and understand.

The documentary was rightfully recognized with a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019. It took home the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at Sundance Film Festival 2018 and was widely recognized in many film festivals worldwide.

In the end, Hale County This Morning, This Evening breathes into the documentary genre a fresh perspective, a nuanced lens, and a daring approach. For those willing to step out of the confines of traditional storytelling, to listen to the tale told by quiet moments and mundane routines, and to appreciate life in all its simplicity, complexity, joy, and heartache, this film offers a remarkable, immersive, and introspective experience. It's all about ordinary people living their ordinary lives, and yet, in its essence, it is anything but ordinary.