If you dig History and Preservation, you’ll enjoy our award winning films! “To Protect and Preserve”, Historic Flat Rock’s Legacy to Keep” is now available to stream from Vimeo. As filmmakers whose passion is archival, artful storytelling, the attached trailer showcases how we create films about people, places and times.

Historic Flat Rock’s story unveils the history of Flat Rock, North Carolina, a small American Village in the Blue Ridge Mountains that was established in the early 1800s. Flat Rock’s early history begins in the land of the Cherokee, revealing their way of life and attitudes toward stewarding the land, water sources and trading. The story continues with the Early Explorers, First Settlers, Charlestonian Rice Planters, and Enslaved and Freedmen, impacting transgenerational descendant lives to this day. Interviews include Historian and Author, Alexia Helsley, Cherokee Scholar Tom Belt, descendants of the first families, a slave descendant, preservationists and residents, giving us a wealth of stories and history specific to Flat Rock, also known as “The Little Charleston of the Mountains.” 

In 1966, President LBJ signed The National Historic Preservation Act, emphasizing the importance of preserving our great nation’s heritage of land, landmarks and culture for generations to come.  Subsequently in 1968, Historic Flat Rock, Inc., a non-profit volunteer organization was founded by community residents, preservationists and conservationists to create the Flat Rock historic district. Its mission is to “Protect and Preserve” houses, churches, woodlands, and open spaces as well as promoting its cultural history through education.

This archivally rich film includes photos, maps, blueprints, literature, and art from diverse repositories and museums. It’s designed to educate and inspire all ages and demographics through the unveiling of its unique and hidden history. Historic Flat Rock is the largest Historic District in the state of North Carolina.

In our film development process we research our subjects and deep dive into obtaining archival assets from repositories, libraries, museums and private collections in search of lost content, obcure photos, forgotten documents and film/video footage. Pairing these elements with interviews, B roll, drone and gimbal film shoots, we then design and weave all of these assets together into compelling multi-media films.

Finishing the process, we add narration, develop soundtracks, sound effects and custom graphics and illustrations. This work is highly engrossing and requires great energy and focus. Filmmaking is so rewarding when a documentary comes together as its own authentic voice to share, educate and inspire.

Thank you for streaming and watching! Patricia Bradley and Michelle Mullen, Filmmakers

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