Bo Legs: Marvin Arrington, Sr., An Atlanta Story
One man's story of service parallels and contributes to Atlanta's growth as an international city.
Interview with Writer/Director/Editor/Producer Adelin Gasana
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
As an archival researcher, I was recruited by Executive Producer Marvin Arrington, Jr. to help work on an independent documentary film on his dad--the Honorable Marvin Arrington, Sr. Through my work I later picked up the key roles of writer, director and editor. The film was an aspirational piece documenting a very important city in the African American experience. The inspiration for completing the film was the very inspirational story of the biography of a man who helped transform Atlanta from a provincial, segregated town into the international city that it is today.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You are watching this in the pursuit of learning how Atlanta became the Black Mecca of the South and one of the most important cities in the U.S. for the Black American Experience. You are also watching this film to learn about the inspiring rags-to-riches story of a person who succeeded from humble beginnings and made a generational impact with his hard work, talent, and drive.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Universal themes work well in the subtle nuance of the film. For example, the universal theme of a given people aspiring for a better future and the importance of visionary work in public service was learned through the biography of the subject. Other universal themes include the "leading from behind" dimension and the "working behind the scenes" to get impactful things done for a given community were also taken in by nuances and subtle expressions of the narration and direction of the film.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script began as an outline that told the story of a single biography of an influential figure of a city paralleled with the transformation of that given city. The script conveyed the sequences of events happening in the city along with the growth and work of the subject himself. The A/V script was later introduced for plugging in the voice-over narration to tie both the transforming city storyline and the key biographical account of the main subject.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mostly positive feedback was received. Our team was congratulated on telling the unknown story of an impactful leader of Atlanta who has long been unrecognized in the history of the city. We were also thanked for informing audiences about the history of the city itself thanks to our visual documentation of the transformation and growth of metro-Atlanta in a four-decade span.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
No surprise on the feedback of the film. Our aim for the documentary was to tell the dual story of an impactful leader of Atlanta as well as the transformation of Atlanta from a Jim Crow town into the diverse, major, international city that it is today.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Our ultimate goal is to gain more press coverage of the film on radio, TV, and digital sites. We also want to reach potential audiences outside of the Atlanta, Georgia community.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Journalists to cover the film as a feature story on digital sites as well as more critical and audience reviews of the film to reach broader targeted audiences we feel the film will resonate more with.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The impact of learning something new about the city of Atlanta and imbibing in the inspiration and aspiration of people who sought a better life for themselves and their given community. The impact of the film should be the power and importance of public service.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Key question: Why has the subject of the film largely gone unrecognized especially due to the fact of his impactful work on the city he helped to transform?
Would you like to add anything else?
Oftentimes when you do documentaries about historical figures, figures who made a generational impact, it’s often years after the death of the figure himself. The timeliness of this documentary, ‘Bo Legs,’ was great. It was completed while the subject is still alive. We essentially give the living legend his flowers in an act of honoring and commemorating him.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Executive Producer Marvin Arrington Jr. is working on a documentary on "Pantheon" which will document the history of black superheroes in the comic book industry.
Director Adelin Gasana is working on an urban farm story in Georgia along with documentary topics on anarchism, Rwanda, and ecology.
Ric Mathis is working on a documentary on black empowerment community building.
Interview: February 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Bo Legs: Marvin Arrington, Sr., An Atlanta Story
One man's story of service parallels and contributes to Atlanta's growth as an international city.
Length: 1:56:00
Director: Adelin Gasana
Producer: Ric Mathis
Writer: Lyn Vaughn Vann
About the writer, director and producer:
Born in Rwanda but growing up in the united states, ADELIN GASANA has been producing documentaries since his freshman year in college. For over a decade he has worked in all aspects of production from concept to completion–directing, writing, researching, archiving, logging, producing, shooting, editing, and marketing. The documentary film topics he has produced include the Cuban diaspora of Miami, black megachurches, feminism, existentialism, high heels and how history is taught.
LYN VAUGHN VANN is a broadcast journalist most notable for her stint as a news anchor and reporter for CNN headline news. She works primarily in public information, marketing and cable access TV in Atlanta.
RIC MATHIS is an independent visual storyteller adept in areas of photojournalism and video production. Ric is very passionate about giving back to the community. He has a history of over 10 years of working closely with the Atlanta department of education, agencies and social service organizations to insure community involvement and knowledge of community resources for various individuals served. He has taught therapeutic activities and provided family and individual counselling.
Key cast: Keisha Lance Bottoms (Interviewee), Andrew Young (Interviewee), Roy Barnes (Interviewee), Kasim Reed (Interviewee), Monica Kaufman Pearson (Interviewee), Clarence Cooper (Interviewee), Shirley Franklin (Interviewee)
Looking for: journalists
Facebook: Adelin Gasana
Twitter: @AdelinGasana
Instagram: @docujourney_productions
Hashtags used: #BoLegs #BoLegsFilm
Website: www.bolegsatl.com
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies, Google Play and iTunes/Apple TV