Two Towns of Jasper

On June 7, 1998, a sleepy east Texas town awoke to the news of a horrifying crime. Early that Sunday morning, James Byrd Jr., an African-American, was viciously beaten, chained to the back of a pick-up truck, and dragged for three miles until his body was torn apart. Three white men, John William King, Lawrence Russell Brewer, and Shawn Berry – all with ties to the Arayan Nation – were arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder. Two Towns of Jasper is a collaborative effort between a black and a white filmmaker, with the producers using segregated crews to document the town of Jasper over the course of the trials of the three men charged with dragging Mr. Byrd to his death. Many films have been made about the racial divide in America, but none to the producers’ knowledge have used segregated crews as a lens on the subject. Two Towns of Jasper will resonate with anyone concerned with the divisions that separate one person from another, whether that division is based on race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or religion.

Following the film there is a panel discussion with filmmakers Marco Williams and Whitney Dow.

Two Towns of Jasper is presented as part of the Impact Festival.