232. Interview | GLENDORA Director Isabelle Armand

I interview Isabelle Armand about her documentary GLENDORA, ahead of its premiere at the Dances With Films: NY festival on January 16.The documentary, about a rural Mississippi town's struggle to redefine and strengthen its cultural history, is lovingly photographed by Armand, who sees the documentary as an exercise in collective memory, a way to archive generational history in a matter the town hadn't before gathered.Armand's previous project, a photobook titled LEVON AND KENNEDY, documented the process of exonerating two Black men wrongly convicted of murder, forced to spend a collective 30+ years in prison. The documentary further examines the systemic issues with impoverished communities, primarily populated by African Americans.However, watching the movie and talking with Armand, I don't get the sense this is doom-and-gloom. The movie, much like Armand herself, bubbles with joy and humor. It celebrates the ingenuity and love these people utilize for their home, shining a light on the talents that lie in places most would overlook.GLENDORA will premiere at the Dances With Films: NY festival on January 16.More information can be found here.---Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠Throw a couple dollars in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠tip jar!