Fool’s Gold

2002, BetaSP. colour. 55 mins.

Dahlonega; 60 miles north of Atlanta; Myra is part Cherokee, a cleaner in the local hotel. She and husband Thomas and unemployed son Terry live in a trailer park. In 1828 gold was found in Dahlonega; The Cherokees were rounded up and force-marched to the west in the ‘Trail of Tears.’ Today Dahlonega is a rich town living off that history.

In a moving portrait, Fool’s Gold peels away the layers of affluent colour-co-ordinated shops, cafes and big cars to reveal a community, where people like Myra and Thomas, live out life untouched by the prosperity of tourism, who struggle with poverty but share the little they have with others.

“One true documentary… “Gold” meshes the wave of tourism and modern American culture with disturbing details of the removal of Native Americans in what became the Trail of Tears.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“It was sort-of surreal, very artful in some parts. She just shot and let it speak for itself.” Mel Hawkins, Fool’s Gold participant interview in the Dahlonega Nugget.

Awards:
Audience award best documentary feature, Downstream Film Festival, USA.

Jury Award, Athens Film Festival, Ohio, USA

Audience Award best America folk film, Dahlonega International Film Festival, USA
Please note: this is the DVD verson – for a download and/or streamed version click here.

£10.00