'Carpet Cowboys': Star of acclaimed Dalton documentary shares experiences on and off camera

Nov. 24—Over the years, Dalton has been known by several names, from the Carpet Capital of the World to the more recent Soccertown due to success in that sport by local athletes and schools.

Now, a new title could be attributed to the town: documentary subject.

"Carpet Cowboys," directed by Emily MacKenzie and Noah Collier and executive produced by John Wilson of the HBO series "How To with John Wilson" fame, was released on Aug. 25 in New York City and has since held screenings in Los Angeles, London, Toronto and Atlanta, among others. The film is distributed by the Memory production company and produced by Memory, XTR and Brain Dead Studios.

The documentary "views a small American town through the lens of the carpet industry," according to Wilson, and was mostly filmed in Dalton. It currently holds a 92% "certified fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was named one of the nine "best documentaries of 2023" by Vogue.

While the film features local carpet manufacturers and wholesalers such as Caldwell Carpet and Tuftco, one man in particular is spotlighted heavily throughout as a major focal point, 62-year-old Roderick James Short, a described "freelance textile designer-turned self-styled entrepreneur" who, originally from Scotland, called Dalton home for more than 30 years.

Perennially donning one of many prized Stetson cowboy hats, Short — who goes by the simplified Roderick James in virtually all of his endeavors, including textile design, country music and aspiring film actor — is one of the more eccentric and eclectic personalities featured in the documentary. Now living in the Philippines, Short recently answered questions about his experiences with the filming of the documentary during its six-year production time frame and his life in and out of Dalton.

Question: First off, who is Roderick James?

Answer: Well, I was born Roderick James Short in Scotland. When I was building my first company (Roderick James Design in Dalton) some 25 years ago, I was also building a brand under that company, so I cut out my last name and I've been going as Roderick James as a brand, which I attach to everything I do, including my music recording stuff. It was more catchy, so I kept it.

Q: Being originally from Scotland, when did you first hear about Dalton?

A: My dad (James Thompson Short), who worked in the carpet design industry, had positions in both Scotland and Ireland when I was younger. He eventually accepted a position in Dalton ... when I was 19. I was married at the time and I had my own family, but I couldn't get a visa. The only way I could get (to Dalton) was to move to Liverpool, England, to one of (the) carpet mills and work in the studio there for three years, then do an internal transfer under an L-1 visa. That's how I found out about Dalton.

Q: What made you decide to get into the carpet design industry?

A: I left high school when I was 15. My father hated it, but I didn't like school. I could always draw and paint, and I was always good with my hands, especially woodworking, so I went to technical college and became a carpenter. Well, I eventually left carpentry and my father told me I was going to work with him at the carpet design studio. I started as a colorist mixing paint and he put me through the wringer.

For three years, he put me through the weave room (at Thomson, Shepherd & Co. Ltd. in Dundee, Ireland), which I'm so grateful for. I was weaving carpet on the loom, understanding how it worked. Then he sent me up to the sample room for six months, where I cut rolls of carpet into 27-inch squares for sample books. It was only after that when I was able to start as a copyist and then a junior designer before finally becoming a senior designer. It's a total process. I was about 17 when I started in the mill and about 23 when I left the (United Kingdom) to come to Dalton in the early '80s.

Q: How was the experience of working on the documentary and with the directors?

A: It was wonderful. It took six years altogether, but three of those years were during COVID(-19). After we filmed in Dalton, (the directors) came here to the Philippines in late 2019 for two weeks to film me here. We were going to go from here to China and film me doing my shtick there with all of the companies I knew and what I had done there, but then COVID happened and we weren't able to shoot that part of it. But working with Emily (MacKenzie) and Noah (Collier), it was unbelievable. They became family; they were phenomenal. I didn't have to take any direction from them; they just said, "Rod, you're doing fine. Just do your thing and we'll do our thing." It was the most amazing experience I've ever had.

Q: After finally seeing the finished product, what were your thoughts?

A: I was blown away with it. My initial thoughts after seeing the first showing, I just couldn't believe it. There was a lot of film done that wasn't in the movie, I noticed. The only criticism I have is, from the business perspective, we didn't cover all that we needed to as far as carpet design processes and things like that. But with editing and all of that, they used what they could.

Q: Many critics noted you as the standout character in the film. (A review on Roger Ebert's website said, "Roderick is the kind of larger-than-life character with a hint of melancholy that makes a documentary like this soar.") What do you think of the positive reaction your portion of the film has received?

A: I'm humbled.

Q: What were a few of your favorite moments in the documentary?

A: All of the scenes in the Philippines were fabulous. One scene that has gained a lot of traction is the one where I took a picture of bark on a tree with my phone and described how it could make a potential best-selling rug. My father taught me that. He always told me, "Son, if you look close enough, you can find detail and design in nature," and phone cameras today allow you to execute that. There were a lot of humorous scenes in the film, but there were also a lot of tears and emotional moments for me watching it back. I told the directors afterwards, "You showed the highs and the lows, but in between you told the story."

Q: In the documentary, some of your other ventures besides carpet designing were showcased, such as your passion for music. How much of a part does that play in your life?

A: As I have gotten older and I've gotten wiser with technology, I've begun making music videos for some of my music. Another name that I was given by a friend was "The Highland Drifter" and I use that for the music side of things. It isn't a business yet, but I met Jon Black, a fantastic singer and songwriter who is in the film. We became friends and I took him to China, which is where I established my second company, Roderick James International. It's basically a hospitality company that designs and sources for hotels. Anyways, Jon and I, in the evenings, would see how China would respond to country music by getting up and playing a few songs. They loved it; the only song they knew was "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. That was requested everywhere we went in China.

Q: How many times have you been able to watch the film? Do you know if there will be any screenings of the film in Dalton?

A: I've only seen it twice. I'm excited to see it again. It just wrapped up showings in the (United Kingdom), and it's about to go to Italy, Norway and Iceland. But it would be great to have a showing in Dalton; the directors did mention that. They were trying to get some ideas on where it could be held if they decided to do it, and I was thinking somewhere like the (Burr Performing Arts Park) stage downtown or even the Wink Theatre. With the stage, you could put a big screen up there and everybody could sit on the grass.

Q: As "Carpet Cowboys" gains traction through screenings around the globe and with the potential for streaming down the road, do you think more people outside Dalton will be aware of what the city is all about?

A: I really don't know of any other documentary on Dalton. I think people are realizing that Dalton, Georgia, is bigger than what they may have originally thought. I hope it will extend awareness to the great people there and hopefully bring business to it. At the very least, I just hope that it brings a smile to some faces and maybe get them a little more educated. and of course maybe leave them wanting more.

Q: Could there be more?

A: I believe that there's so much more to go into as far as the carpet design process side of things. The documentary touched on it a little, but there's so much more ground to cover. I think a "Carpet Cowboys 2" sequel would be a great idea if the possibility were there. There's much more story to be told, that's for sure, especially with my experience in the (United Kingdom), my time with my company Scotia Design Group and Beaulieu in Dalton, and more of my time in China with Shanua Carpet and Roderick James International. It would serve as a great prelude, I think.