AudibertPhoto

     Just after the Civil War, newly freed African Americans faced the daunting challenge of where to live and how to survive in an oft times hostile new social order in the south. One solution was to establish self-sufficient freedman’s villages, sometimes with the help of their former masters. These communities thrived up into the mid-20th century, but then faded as younger generations moved away to take advantage of job opportunities in the cities. One such freedman’s village is Little Petersburg. Located in Orange County, Virginia, Little Petersburg survives to this day, mostly because of a small church and its dedicated congregation. “Rediscovering Little Petersburg” takes a look at this remarkable community and its church through the eyes of people who were born and raised there.

     Ever since the fall of 2018, video documentarian Phil Audibert has been interviewing local folks for his “Memories” oral history project. He started by talking to residents of Dogwood Village Assisted Living facility in Orange, VA, and has now branched out into the Orange County community as a whole. He has videotaped dozens of conversations for this on-going and seemingly never-ending project. Weaving in family and archival photographs, Audibert has edited most of these interviews down to a cohesive 30 minutes or less each. For a taste of this project, viewers might want to start with the three-minute “Memories” trailer (see below), followed by the 40-minute “Memories Greatest Hits Part I.” Other than our children, memories are our most precious possession because they cannot be replaced. That is the tragedy of death and dementia; they rob you of your most precious possession. The “Memories” project seeks to keep these recollections alive forever.

     In 1714, under the direction of Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood, 12 German families established a remote settlement on the Rapidan River in present day Orange County, Virginia. At the time it was the westernmost outpost of the British colonies in the new world.

     This latest documentary from AHHA Productions explores the many important facets of the original Germanna settlement. From Alexander Spotswood to the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe; from the beginnings of the iron industry to the Enchanted Castle; from the ongoing archaeological excavation to today’s millions of descendants; Germanna…America in Embryo tells the story of a remarkable community and its outstanding legacy.

     Following the 1954 Supreme Court decision in the Brown vs. Board of Education case and the passage by Congress of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, schools across the south gradually began the process of integration. In some communities, this process was not without friction and violence.

     In Virginia, some schools actually closed rather than integrate. But not so in Orange County. Despite resistance from some of its citizens and pressure from outside groups, the desegregation of the Orange County Virginia public school system, albeit 11 years in the making, happened smoothly. Why?

     This documentary seeks to answer that question by exploring the process, from the creation of the first fledgling African American schools in the late 19thcentury through consolidation and resistance in the mid 20thcentury to full integration…a process that took almost 100 years.

     Back in 1984, Phil had the good fortune to meet, photograph and interview Edna Lewis, author of the seminal cookbook on southern cuisine,The Taste of Country Cooking. Born and raised in the freedman’s community of Freetown in Orange County, Virginia, Edna went on to become the “Grande Dame” of southern cooking. She gave, not just southern cooking, but all American regional cuisine a place to call its own. And she was one of the first to preach the benefits of Earth to Table and Grow Local, Eat Local. Her memory was honored at the Orange Downtown Alliance’s first edibleFest, for which, Phil and Susie and Ross Hunter produced a 25-minute video documentary, In the Season…The Edna Lewis Story.

     On February 2nd, 2013, Gordonsville Virginia turned 200 years old. Because it has been Phil’s hometown since he was eight years old, he and Susie and Ross decided to do something about it. The result is Gordonsville…A Strong Fabric. It tells the story of a resilient community from its humble beginnings as a tavern at a crossroads up to the present day. There are many stories here: the railroad, the Civil War, the boom years and the bust. Fires, fried chicken, and the future all figure into it, but it’s really a story about its people and the strong fabric of their community.

     All Four Years: The Civil War in Orange County, Virginia stems from a driving tour that Phil wrote for the Orange County Department of Tourism to kick off the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The resulting documentary “morphed into something much bigger,” says Audibert, who used modern day photographs, video of recent re-enactments plus 1860’s era photographs to illustrate that the Civil War was felt locally for all four of its years. The hour-long film focuses more on the impact of the war and its consequences on the citizens of Orange County than on troop movements and tactics.

     A Candle in a Candy Store- When the Gordonsville Volunteer Fire Company turned 100 years old in 2016 it commissioned  AHHA Productions to produce a documentary that traced the company’s history and tradition of community service that dates back to 1916. Old photographs, newspaper clippings, 8 mm movie film, old VHS tapes, interviews with veteran firefighters and an exciting mock call all contributed to this fast moving five part tribute.  DVD available through the Gordonsville Volunteer Fire Company.

Available on DVD. To order a copy, send a check for $22.50 made out to AudibertPhoto, 9116 Open Gate Rd., Gordonsville, VA 22942,, and we'll pop one in the mail for you. Be sure to include your phone number and mailing address.

     AHHA Productions is a creative partnership between Phil and Susie Audibert and Ross Hunter. Their studio has produced several full length documentaries and dozens of short videos about everything from mounted foxhunting to a jobs program for high school and college students to rid a scenic river of unsightly trash. Short videos can be viewed on their You Tube channel. Copies of full length documentaries are available for sale at the Arts Center in Orange and the Orange County Historical Society.