An important film in African American cinema winds up as a part of a cross-curriculum study and will bring a Hollywood star to Southeast.

Have you heard of the 1970s movie "Georgia, Georgia?" Probably not, mostly because it didn't get much recognition at the box office when it was released in 1972. But, after this semester, hundreds of students at Southeast will be able to tell you about it and the impact it had on them.

Dr. Karie Hollerbach, a professor in the Department of Mass Media, stumbled across the film and realized its significance. She worked with colleges and departments across campus to use the movie as part of the curriculum. By the time the spring 2022 semester started, three colleges, nine departments, 16 faculty members, and 535 students were directly involved in what is now known as the "See Me Series."

The new initiative by the Department of Mass Media is designed to bring explorations of and conversations about diverse creative media work to the Southeast campus. The faculty who are using the film, either in its entirety or through select clips, are using it to open important dialogues about things like race, the Vietnam War, an exploration of intersectionality and equity, and as a window through which to analyze the gender dynamics and roles that were in place during the time the film was made.

As part of the series and the study of "Georgia, Georgia," a public screening will be held on March 30. The movie's leading man, Dirk Benedict (of "The A-Team" and "Battlestar Galactica"), will be in Cape Girardeau to discuss the film and its impact on April 6. Both events are free and open to the public.

I watched it immediately, and it really made an impression. The ideas and the issues regarding gender, ethnicity, social class, and celebrity that they were discussing in this independent film from 50 years ago were remarkably similar to discussions that we are still having today.

Dr. Karie Hollerbach, Professor, Department of Mass Media