The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society is proud to host an exciting community event on Friday evening, April 27 at 7pm: the one-time public screening of WEST MAIN STREET,
A 1995 independent feature documentary by local filmmakers Reid Oechslin and Chris Farina, West Main Street offers a moving portrait of a diverse community of people who lived and worked along the same short stretch of a Charlottesville, Virginia road. The film includes exclusive on-camera interviews with some of Charlottesville’s most unforgettable residents, many of whom have since passed away— including local Civil Rights leader George Ferguson, the legendary Jefferson School teacher Rebecca McGinness, beloved teacher and community leader Sonny Sampson, UVA Corner barber Milton Via, Barrett Day Care Center Director Cindy Stratton, Greek immigrant Pete Stratos of the Chili Shop, and many more.
This low-budget 16mm film was shot in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. Through a variety of residents’ personal and often humorous memories and the use of archival photographs, the community’s past and present is gradually woven together. The inhabitants of West Main Street discover, often to their surprise, how their lives were linked to the fate of the road that physically connected them. The stories return to the central theme of community and the struggle to preserve it in the face of a century of change.
This special event has been made possible thanks to our sponsoring partners: Lighthouse Studio and the Vinegar Hill Theatre, the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, and the Virginia Film Festival.
The film will be followed by a brief Q&A with celebrated Charlottesville filmmakers Reid Oechslin and Chris Farina.
West Main Street at the Vinegar Hill Theater is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available. Space is limited, so please arrive early to get a seat. Doors open at 630pm.
