The Barber's Diaries » Altamont

On-Location Production of “The Barber’s Diaries”

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:18:06 +0000

Sisters Wilma Ellis Kazemzadeh (left and Adrienne Ellis Reeves stand on the spot where their family home once stood in the central Illinois town of Altamont. The Ellis family had lived there – the only black family in a white farming community – until the early 1930s.

Their father, Charles Ellis, was the town’s barber and kept extensive diaries of life in those times. It is the subject of a PBS documentary, The Barber’s Diaries. Michael Wunsch, CEO of Outpost Worldwide Productions, is seen here filming their first trip back to Altamont in 80 years. The program is being produced by Wunsch and award-winning journalist David Henderson.

[[Show as slideshow]]

Video Story Treatment: “The Barber’s Diaries”

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:47:47 +0000

Filmmaker and director Kevin Willmott has teamed with Outpost Worldwide – an independent film and HD video production studio – and writer David Henderson to bring a remarkable, very timely and inspiring story to television screens. It’s The Barber’s Diaries, the story of Charles Everett Ellis, who was a barber in Altamont, a small Illinois town during the 1920s, and the only black man in town. We believe we, as a nation, are at a historic time when such a story carries a profound message.

Kevin recently sat down in an Outpost Worldwide studio to talk about the importance and timeliness of the project.

Photo Gallery

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:11:36 +0000

Here is a collection photos of the Ellis family in Altamont, Illinois, in the pre-Great Depression era, and today. We encourage your comments, and invite you to send your photos related to this project.

Special thanks to Mr. Pete Seeger for his storytelling guidance on the project, and to Mr. Alvin Oliver of Altamont, Illinois, for his invaluable assistance.

[[Show as slideshow]]