Award-Winning documentary “Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville” tells story of North Nashville’s Jefferson Street
Belmont University documentary students this weekend secured wins at two acclaimed film festivals, the Nashville Film Festival and the International Black Film Festival, in the student shorts and short documentary categories for their film, “Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville.”
In addition, the documentary has been nominated for the ARFF Amsterdam International Awards and won the Tennessee Spirit Award at the Tennessee International Indie Film Festival in August.
The documentary highlights Jefferson Street in North Nashville, a historically black community whose neighborhood was deeply affected by the construction of Interstate 40 in the 1950s. Their film tells the story of how the interstate highway system changed the trajectory of this once thriving community.
“The difficulty of embarking on the project was immediately evident when the team sat down [last] September to choose a topic for this documentary,” said Chase Thomson, the film’s director of photography. “We came to the consensus of choosing a story that spoke to the way Nashville’s gentrification is pushing out its natives.”
While gentrification has swept throughout the city, some of the North Nashville neighborhood has remained untouched by developers, leaving remnants of the area’s rich history. The film seeks to tell the story of why the community looks drastically different today than it did prior to World War II, giving voice to the people of Jefferson Street.
“Though the story is marked by targeted gentrification and destruction, it also is one of hope, as we have discovered ways the community still thrives through the people we met and interviewed in the process of creating this documentary,” said Thomson.
In its former glory, Jefferson Street was home to prosperous businesses and rock’n’roll and rhythm and blues clubs, welcoming artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner, Ray Charles and Billy Cox. The film team sought to interview those directly affected by Nashville’s expansion to tell their own story, in hopes of celebrating the neighborhood’s rich culture.
The course — housed within the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont — has been dubbed “the ultimate group project.” Nineteen students from various disciplines including journalism, emerging media, creative entertainment industries, motion pictures and audio engineering, collaborated to discover, examine and film all aspects of a complex human story. With research assistance from honors students, the interdisciplinary class used those elements to write, edit and produce a short, Nashville-focused documentary throughout two semesters. In total, nearly 55 students contributed to the film representing more than 25 areas of study.
“These awards are a testament to our students’ hard work and professionalism and our professors’ dedication to learning outside of the classroom,” said Brittany Schaffer, dean of the Curb College. “A truly collaborative effort, this film highlights the power of interdisciplinary education as we teach our students to become well-rounded, forward-thinking storytellers.”
Advised by two-time Emmy-award-winning Assistant Professor Dr. Jen Duck along with 30-year film editing veteran and motion pictures lecturer Jennifer Bergen, the 2022-23 Documentary Project class was instructed to find their topic by looking at Nashville through a social justice lens. Award-winning author, historian and Associate Director of Global Honors Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel provided research direction for the project along with 16 honors students who collaborated with the student filmmakers.
“I am so proud of our students and grateful for our neighbors in North Nashville who trusted us with their stories,” said Duck. “Telling these stories helps bring us all together to create awareness and change for the better in our community. We hope to continue producing projects like these for many years to come so everyone feels at home in Nashville and beyond.”
The film has created enduring partnerships across the city including a private screening at National Museum of African American Music this summer, and a community event Tuesday hosted in partnership with Nashville Public Television and Nashville Black Market (whose founder is featured in the film). Nearly 500 Nashvillians, including newly elected Mayor Freddie O’Connell, attended the event.
Those interviewed for the project include:
- Lorenzo Washington, Founder & Curator of Jefferson Street Sound Museum
- Dr. Ken Spring, associate professor of sociology at Belmont University
- Dr. Learotha Williams, Jr., historian, and scholar at Tennessee State University
- Carlos Partee, co-founder of Nashville Black Market
- Caroline Rosenberg, relator
- Sen. Charlene Oliver, state senator
- LaDonna Boyd, president and CEO of R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
- Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr., minister, educator and civil rights advocate
- Linda Wynn, assistant director for state programs, State of Tennessee.