‘Between Two Rivers' tells history of Cairo, Ill.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The dates of the screenings have been corrected.

A still shot of a part of Cairo, Ill. in “Between Two Rivers” film.

When Lewis and Clark arrived in what would be Cairo, Ill., in 1803, they saw a land full of contradiction. John G. Comegys, who had purchased the land, was already well aware of what could become of the area.

"The junction of the two rivers had long been looked upon as a geographic point of very great importance. Its commercial features, great as they are, are regarded as fully equaled by the advantages it possessed for a military post or center," said Comegys. "But while the geographic position fully justified all that was said of it, its topographical features were largely the reverse; so much so, indeed, that the local disadvantages seemed to outweigh the advantages of the geographical position."

And now, that up-and-down history is told through a newly-released documentary.

"Between Two Rivers" explores both sides of Cairo through the eyes of British directors and first-time documentarians Jacob Cartwright and Nick Jordan. The town immediately inspired Cartwright, who saw a beautiful and historic town with a dark and troubled past located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

A preview screening of "Between Two Rivers" will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Maiden Valley Cinema in Paducah, Ky. Another preview screening will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cairo High School Cartwright will host a question and answer session at both screenings.

"We had been looking for the subject of our next film, and were passing through Kentucky. It was at that time Cairo sort of jumped off the map," Cartwright said. "We were immediately intrigued. So much so that we had to go and take a drive down Commercial Avenue, and we viewed all of these beautiful buildings, along with many that were run down. We wanted to know this town's story."

‘Genuine interest'

Researched and filmed over a four-year period, the documentary combines original cinematography and interviews with archive footage capturing the town at the height of explosive racial tensions in the late 1960s. Cartwright wanted to illustrate the long-term effects of violent civil unrest, economic boycotts, and martial law that he thinks once deeply divided the community. He says that by talking to the citizens and getting to know as many people as possible, he and co-director Jordan gained a more intimate knowledge of Cairo and its history than they could by just reading books.

"The city's residents were much more inviting than one might think. We found that so many were tiring of Cairo's reputation as a place down on its luck, and they wanted to take the opportunity to share a different side with us," Cartwright said. "We were extremely lucky to find so many to eloquently describe the way of life there, some able to make stunning comparisons between past and present, even at a time when so many were focused on the flooding threat of the past year."

A still shot of a gated entrance with the word “Riverlore” on the top arch. The preview screening of “Between Two Rivers” is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Paducah, Ky. (Submitted photo)

And in that spirit, the film addresses the multiple factors that have lead to city's rise and subsequent fall, from booming river-trade and big business to mob-lynchings and race riots. Once renowned for its wealth and fine architecture, Cairo's current condition shown in the film reveals countless derelict homes, abandoned businesses and empty lots.

"The film does a wonderful job of capturing this community in its honest state," said Gordon Pruett, vice chair for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. "Cartwright and Jordan went through historic film from the civil rights era that hadn't been seen in over 40 years. They read anything we could get them. They were tirelessly interested in whatever they could get on the subject of Cairo, and I think the people there saw that genuine interest and wanted to help."

Cartwright said some of the people they met were also in the archived footage. This turned in to a precious resource for the director and his partner, especially the story of Preston Ewing -- author, photographer and former associate director of the NAACP.

"Here is a man who used his talents to capture these tense moments in the area's history, and we were able to see this period through his eyes and hear his account through his voice today," Cartwright said. "He led us to many other characters, and really helped us get across to the viewer the situations that have come about in this town."

Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman declined to comment, citing he has yet to view the film. Administrators at the high school, where the film will be screened, also declined comment on the project.

For more information on the film and its directors, visit www.betweentworivers.net.

jsamons@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Paducah, KY

Cairo, IL