Film 23

Film 23 is a silent, fragmentary odyssey through the thriving African American communities of 1920s Oklahoma, captured through the lens of Reverend Solomon Sir Jones. Eschewing traditional narrative structures, the film serves as a visual census of towns like Wellston, Okmulgee, and Drumright. It documents the dignity of everyday existence, from the steps of Baptist churches to the bustling activity of segregated schools and local businesses. This is a rare, unfiltered look at a world built by those determined to thrive in the face of systemic adversity, focusing on the architecture of community and the faces of those who inhabited it.