The Terlingua Homecoming Documentary Project

Working Title: A Terlingua Homecoming

Project Web Site: http://www.terlinguahomecoming.com

Progress: Shooting for A Terlingua Homecoming began on October 24th in Terlingua with a series of interviews of many of the key people involved in the reunion and also long-time residents of this magical and isolated community.

By the end of the week, the first crew of Director (and sound) Jeffrey Mills and Director of Photography Gary Watson was joined by a second crew of soundmen Bill Williams and JR Rodriguez, Production Assistants Paul Kasper and Randy Gatewood, and Researcher and Co-Producer David Jacobs.

Friday’s events covered by the crew included the arrival of the reunion guests and an evening of corridas sung by some of the original miners’ families and professional musicians such as Austin’s Butch Hancock.

Saturday morning had the crews splitting up to cover a tour of the old ghost town by event organizer Cynta de Narvaez and another expedition into Big Bend National Park where a group of reunion guests went back to a family homestead and graveyard deep in the backwoods of the park.

The crews then joined forces to cover the clean up and decoration of the Terlingua graveyard for the Day of the Dead. As evening approached, candles were lit in the cemetery and a bonfire built while participants sang with a (guitar-playing) priest who had come in from Alpine for the event.

A huge meal was prepared for the guests across the road from the cemetery where a Hispanic dance troupe also put on a show of traditional folk dances. As the full moon rose, and the graveyard glowed from the candlelight, reunion guests from young to old (90+) all moved to the dance floor to celebrate to the sounds of the local Terlingua band, the Pinche Gringos.

Next morning, bright and early, guests filled the old company church for a Mass service; the first held in the building in 40 years. After several hours of singing and communion, everyone filed out, hugging, crying, and exchanging phone numbers with friends and family who had renewed acquaintances broken 60 years before when the mine had closed in 1943.

Finally, that afternoon, the crews followed mine caretaker and former National Geographic photographer, Blair Pittman, into one of the still accessible mercury mines to follow the veins of cinebar through tunnels and shafts that opened into a natural cavern, fifty feet tall in its largest room.

The following weekend, footage was shot of the Terlingua Chili Cook-off, a nice counterpoint to the more meditative ceremenonies of Viva la Historia. Plans are also already underway to conduct additional interviews and more coverage of the Terlingua region, as well as research to gather historical photos, films and background information to deepen the contextual story around Terlingua and a unique period of immigration and industrialization history of Texas in the early 20th century.

On September 4-5, a scout of the location in Terlingua was conducted. The producers consulted with the event organizer, Cynta de Narvaez and also spoke to Blair Pittman who will be involved in the reunion as a mine tour guide. An initial video interview was also conducted with Maria Bermudez who worked in Terlingua at the Chisos Mining Company Hotel and the Perry Mansion. Maria also has an extensive photo collection of her life in Terlingua, which she will be sharing with the production.

Planning is underway to conduct further interviews in advance of the reunion: historians, Terlingua residents, and the original Hispanic employees of the Chisos Mining Company. For the homecoming event, several camera crews will be in attendance for the event scheduled for October 29-31, 2004.