The short documentary film, “I Believe I’ll Go Back Home,” that will premiere Friday, March 22 at 6:15pm at Oxford Film Festival.
I Believe I’ll Go Back Home:
Robert Johnson’s Copiah County Roots & Living Legacy
In 1931 legendary bluesman Robert Johnson went home in search of his father. Instead, he became one. Johnson’s descendants reveal the human being behind the myth and his living legacy as a father, grandfather, and musical inspiration in Copiah County.
The story is told by Johnson’s grandchildren, including Teresa Johnson who sadly passed this winter, and features the descendants of Johnson’s mentor, Ike Zimmerman. Blues musicians Dexter Allen (recent Grammy winner), Linda Marsaw, and Joshua Hood share the enduring blues culture in Copiah County. Univ. of Mississippi Humanities scholars Ralph Eubanks and Greg Johnson give historical context. The uplifting Steven Johnson Blues Band perform throughout the film – and will also frontline the Friday night party March 22 at 9PM the Oxford Film Festival!
You can find festival info and tickets HERE.
The film was made to support the work of the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation, started by the Johnson family to serve its mission to preserve the music and memory of Robert Johnson through the provision of art education, competitions and scholarships. It strives to make the local community a better place to live by increasing the economic status of the residents of Copiah County, Mississippi through the arts. The film was made possible in part through a grant from Mississippi Humanities. It’s been an honor to work with the Johnson family and production partners Antonio Tarrell and Michael Fagans.
The film will have a broadcast on Mississippi Public Broadcasting sometime later this spring. You can follow the film’s festival progress and streaming release, when available, HERE.