Gullah documentary debuts at Mitchellville Freedom Park; filmmakers, residents highlight cultural preservation

Summary

Around 300 people attended the February 12 debut of 'The Spirit We Move,' a short documentary featuring Gullah residents; Omolola (Lola) Campbell, executive producer, said the film is intended to preserve and amplify Gullah stories, and director Andrew Maguire described the project as an effort to make the culture more visible.

A crowd of about 300 attended the Feb. 12 debut of the short documentary 'The Spirit We Move' at historic Mitchellville Freedom Park, BCTV reported. The film features Gullah residents telling their stories of life on Hilton Head.

Omolola (Lola) Campbell, a sixth‑generation island native and one of the documentary’s executive producers, said preserving Gullah culture is central to her work. "Our culture connects through stories, through land, through food," Campbell said in the broadcast.

Director Andrew Maguire, based in Ojai, California, said he made documentaries about indigenous communities and hopes this film will help make Hilton Head's Gullah heritage more visible to wider audiences. BCTV said the film was produced with assistance from the Hilton Head Island‑Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

The broadcast framed the film as a response to large‑scale development on Hilton Head that has altered island demographics and landscapes over decades; Campbell told the Post and Courier that she seeks opportunities to bring exposure to Gullah culture rather than confine it to museums.

BCTV's report emphasized the film's local roots and community reception at the Mitchellville event.