Elijah Bedel-Videography Reel
A demo reel of my recent videography.
Appalachia And Ulster: A Quest for Identity (Preview)
A preview for a documentary I began in 2018 as part of the Brueggeman Fellowship Program for international, independent research through Xavier University. This documentary seeks to examine the current state of cultural identity in the often historically linked regions of central Appalachia and Northern Ireland (Ulster) through the lens of traditional culture, particularly music. These regions have long been stereotyped, misunderstood, politically exploited, and misrepresented in national narratives and are linked to each other in an almost mythological sense. In this film, I speak with local musicians and artists in central Appalachian communities of East Kentucky as well as Ulster Scots communities of Northern Ireland to discuss these issues and ask their perspective on the state of cultural identity within their communities. The full documentary should be released in summer of 2020.
My Kind of Music (Sample)
A clip from my first foray into documentary filmmaking. My Kind of Music was filmed in Whitesburg, KY during the summer of 2016 as part of an internship with Appalshop’s Appalachian Media Institute (AMI), a program which teaches central Appalachian youth about filmmaking and community-based storytelling.
Through the voices of local musicians, it explores how the popularization of the national old time music revival has had an effect on the regional traditional music of East Kentucky.
The full film can be found HERE
For more information about the Appalachian Media Institute visit HERE
For information about Appalshop visit HERE
United We Live
Suzanne Chouteau, printmaker and Professor of Art at Xavier University, talks about her experience with Vietnam veteran Ernie Hopkins as part of the Experiencing Veterans & Artists Collaboration (EVAC) Project. As part of an interview conducted by the Northwest Ohio Veterans’ Oral History Project, Ernie recounts the story of how his friendship with fellow Vietnam veteran Jessie Hill began in Vietnam during one of the most consequential moments of both their lives. For more information about the EVAC Project please visit: HERE
Art at the X: Celebrating Women
Art at the X: Celebrating Women was a national juried exhibition comprised of original artworks thematically focused on woman-centered subjects to commemorate 50 years (1969-2019) of women at Xavier University. It was funded with a grant from the Xavier University’s Women of Excellence (WOX) Giving Circle. The exhibition contained 57 artworks from across the country spanning multiple mediums and styles.
This short was produced to document the exhibit.
Artifacts
Photographer Gregory Rust of Xavier University presented an exhibition entitled “Artifacts” from January 25 through February 22, 2019 in the Xavier University Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. His goal is to raise awareness about many of the social issues we still face in our country through historical and modern context as well as his personal experience in activism.
Mirror of Race
The Mirror of Race is a multimedia project using early daguerreotype photography to examine the meaning of race in America. The project’s physical exhibition was shown in the Xavier University Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio from January 25 through February 22, 2019. For more info, please visit HERE
Great Again
My senior thesis short film completed as part of Xavier University’s Digital Innovation Film & Television Program (2018). Synopsis: A promising young student, Connor Douglas (Shon Weathers), faces a life-altering consequence of racial profiling and hate in America. Written, Directed, Filmed & Edited by Elijah Bedel, 2018 Starring: Shon Weathers, Will Reed, John French, DeWayne Pitts, Vickie Cox, Mary Lisa Vertuca, & Gannon Joyner