Filmmakers roll cameras at Clearview

Jan. 8—HENDERSON — Two filmmakers, Terrance Afer-Anderson and Michael LeMelle, recorded a series of interviews for two projects at Clearview Church's Rise and Shine Cafe, with the help of church staff, on Saturday.

Their original plan was to shoot outside at Back to Eden — but the rain changed their plans, and the show went on.

They didn't have a clapperboard, though LeMelle seemed to improvise with his hands. During each take, he would list the interviewee's name before beginning the footage with a loud clap. After all the interviews, he took a "room tone," recording everybody present, all totally silent, for 30 seconds. Also known as presence, it's used in smoothing out cut dialogue during editing.

Each interview was shot in one take, for which he thanked the subjects.

Clearview's staff includes tech-savvy young people and those with some film experience. They've made themselves available for parts of the projects, as they've done for others, like Maria Parham.

Kenneth Spellman, Back to Eden's founder, requested the film be shot at Clearview and the church staff were happy to oblige.

"That's part of the community-building," said LeMelle, "which was our intent from the beginning, all the community coming together... everybody kind of pitched in and jumped in. Especially with a story like this, about our, as some say, tainted history in America — the coming-together shows how far we've come and where we're going."

The first and newer project is a docu-drama that fuses the stories of "Hiram and Nettie," a play Afer-Anderson wrote and in which LeMelle has often starred, and the story of the Wortham plantation, now called Back to Eden, on Satterwhite Point Road.

By fusing the two narratives, they can include more of Back to Eden's history, "which makes it more impactful," said LeMelle.

Afer-Anderson interviewed one Ronald George. Seven years ago, he started researching his ancestors, soon learning his great grandmother was one Ann Wortham, who was listed on the 1880 Census as being of both Black and white descent — she had an enslaved mother and a slave-owning father by the last name of Wortham.

George later visited Back to Eden — it was a "strange" feeling, but a wondrous one. He was able to connect to his family's past, he said. The place has had a similar impact on the two filmmakers, who each described feeling a strong connection when they visited its grounds.

As for that project, they still need some elements of production, such as costuming, On-site shooting for that project will commence sometime in April, said LeMelle, unless something changes "drastically."

The hope now is to get the finished product published on one or more streaming platforms.

Meanwhile, the crew has also been working on a documentary about Spellman since last February. On Saturday, they interviewed around 10 loved ones, friends and colleagues, including his wife, Laurece, one of his old cellmates, Eli Shipman, Pam Hester, Vance County's tourism director, and Dr. Abidan Shah, Clearview Church's pastor.

Afer-Anderson asked each person to describe Spellman in one word — they were mostly synonyms for determined. Spellman had been incarcerated for about 19 years, during which time he developed the M.E.A.T. Program, a lecture course about entrepreneurship that many former inmates swear by.

He left prison with a $45 check that he spent on a meal for him and his wife. Later, he founded Ken's Construction and bought a collection of properties including Back to Eden.

Soon, he'll be on the silver screen. Indeed, Afer-Anderson interviewed Spellman himself. Afer-Anderson's first question was, "Who are you?" That was an unexpected question, Spellman said. That interview was one of at least a few.

While work on the documentary continues, Afer-Anderson is also writing a book about Spellman. He wants to release both at the same time, in around eight months or so, said Spellman.