The new Pin Point Heritage Museum introduces visitors to coastal Georgia’s rich Gullah/Geechee culture through recollections and experiences in Take Me To The Water, a 30-minute documentary portrait directed by Jeff Bednarz of Directorz. The film made its world premiere at the Charleston International Film Festival which wrapped this past weekend.
The privately funded museum collaborated with O&H Brand Design to envision the museum’s exhibits. After working with the community it was unanimously decided the best and most authentic portrayal of Pin Point would come from people sharing their stories on film.
Pin Point is a rural waterfront community located southeast of Savannah, Georgia, on the banks of the Moon River. Founded in 1890 by freed slaves, this Gullah/Geechee enclave was home to the A.S. Varn & Son oyster & crab factory, which employed most of the community from 1926-1985. Following a faithful restoration, the factory reopened as the Pin Point Heritage Museum, with regular visiting hours starting in spring 2012. And while the factory’s former employees and their families are now scattered across the country, their culture lives on through oral tradition and this historic preservation.
While in Pin Point, Bednarz saw firsthand that the art of storytelling was vibrant, but only its residents past and present knew this oral history. Take Me To The Water weaves this rich history with a personal fabric, illuminating their history with humor, candor and grace for new audiences.
Many stories and moments that didn’t make the final film were integrated into museum exhibits that share the history, language, religion and traditions of Pin Point.
“Development of the land has come at the expense of preserving the history of communities. And unfortunately, most of this history was not recorded in books or captured in pictures,” related O&H Brand Design partner Brian Owens. “With the Pin Point Heritage Museum, we hope the stories and the cultural significance of this region can be preserved for generations to come.”
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