We are putting the spotlight on Professor Cindy Hahamovitch and a number of graduate students (Bryant Barnes, Cole Wicker, Ariana Persico) in history who have been involved in the Athens Historical Society's Athens Film Project. The four short films bring to life the stories of Athens’ industrial roots, its fight for emancipation, and the early struggles of Indigenous people and Black students in our community. The Historical Society recently held a free, on-night showing of the films for a packed crowd at Athens historic Morton Theatre. Recently noted in the Athens Banner Herald online after the event: "Cindy Hahamovitch, executive producer of the Athens Film Project, helped launch the project to bring local history to life through film. Originally planned as local field trips, the initiative shifted during the pandemic, making history more accessible to students through movies.T he atmosphere in the Morton Theatre was vibrant, with attendees engaging in animated discussions about the event. " “The idea behind the project is to make history meaningful to students by making it local,” Hahamovitch explains. “We started with the standards–the facts and concepts Georgia teachers have to teach--and looked for interesting local stories to illuminate them.” You can read more about the the project on in our most recent annual newsletter at https://history.uga.edu/newsletters.
