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| Rahim Alhaj – Culture Iraqi; Tradition: Composer, Oud Player |
There are many threats to the continued advancement of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of American life. The proposed Trump administration budget threatens defunding of the National Endowment for the Arts, which represents less than ½ a percent of the total Federal budget.
And this is why the message of Alan Govenar’s feature “Extraordinary Ordinary People” is relevant and timely. Highlighting an impressive array of men and women who have been awarded the National Heritage Fellowship since 1982, the film is an extensive celebration of traditional artists from across the world who are thriving in the United States.
Govenar has been documenting Fellowship recipients for 35 years: he has recorded performances and interviews with musicians, dancers, quilters, woodcarvers and more. The Fellowship is one of the NEA’s least known and most enduring programs.
The artist as culture-bearer is the focus of the awards program that underscores the importance of the folk and traditional arts in shaping the fabric of America. “The idea was to raise the profile of tradition in punlic body politic: people at margins, people who are not included in mainstream media, people who were left out of the picture entirely in terms of public awareness of their culture in the United States,” says Dan Sheehy, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
Govenar shines the spotlight on Passamaquoddy basket weavers and Peking Opera singers; from Appalachia and the mountains of New Mexico to the inner city neighborhoods of New York, the suburbs of Dallas, and the isolated Native American reservations of Northern California.
The film moves rapidly to show the breadth and depth of folk traditions that exist in the United States. Indigenous, colonial and newcomer cultures converge in the American artistic consciousness: from Cajun and Zydeco music that originated on the banks of Louisiana rivers to Native Hawaiian meles accompanied by ukuleles sang along the Pacific coast. Artist statements illuminate the ongoing process of creation and destruction in order to safeguard truth and integrity of their art form.
Santa Fe “santero” Charles Carillo calls it his vocation to paint images of saints. North Carolinian Sheila Kay Adams is a renowned banjo player and ballad singer. Santiago and Flaco Jimenez expanded conjunto Tejano music to include the influences R&B, country and western, rock and jazz.
“That’s what keeps any custom alive: the ability to adapt and to change. Sometimes the change is drastic, and sometimes, it’s just little bits at a time,” says Clarissa Rizal, Tlingit, creator of ceremonial regalia and weaving arts.
Cultural preservation is the domain of artists who continue age-old crafts, music, traditions – even language – despite the constant threat of obscurity and irrelevance. People who receive the Fellowship are not famous or wealthy: they are normal people who work every day at maintaining a tradition. Many have to maintain jobs outside of their art just to pay the bills.
The “Extraordinary Ordinary People” in Govenar’s film give insights into how cultures endure, and how cultural expressions evolve while also remaining true to their roots. The artists and culture-keepers persist through all challenges – lack of resources and support, notwithstanding – to offer awe-inspiring works. The film also is a clarion call for all of us to advocate for continued support and funding for the NEA and the National Heritage Fellowship.
EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY PEOPLE
Director - Alan Govenar
Run Time - 84 minutes
Language – English
Format – Digital
Year – 2017
Genre – Documentary
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