Client: VisitNC
Production Company: Remedy
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Executive Producer: Josh Sliffe
Producer: Elena Studier
Director: Josh Sliffe
DP: Allen Baker
1st AC: Michael Daniel
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Post Production: Remedy
Music: Phil Cook

When Visit NC was looking for a docu-style film celebrating memorable trips to North Carolina, we knew right away that we wanted to focus on the piedmont area of the state. 

We’d heard about Seagrove for years, a town tucked away in the rolling hills of central North Carolina, hiding the largest concentration of potters in the United States, and knew it had a lot of potential for a rich, visual story to unfold. Coincidently our team also had a personal connection with someone who’d always loved art and used it as a way to cope with some difficult aspects of their life. The combination of those two elements felt right and like they begged to be intertwined.

From there we began to flesh out a story that, as we learned more about it, would feel increasingly urgent to tell. Our subject was 14 year old Callyn, who was navigating what the future of her passion for art looked like in the face of a degenerative eye condition. She came to Seagrove to explore what a more tactile artistic medium could do for her and the community there welcomed her with open arms. She had the opportunity to learn from master potters across all different types of styles and traditions, while exploring one of the most unique communities in the southeast. 

This project taught all of us at Remedy about pottery, sure, but more importantly about resilience and the unexpectedly beautiful things that can come together in the face of adversity. 

This project would not have been possible without the help of the Heart of North Carolina Tourism Board, Thomas Pottery, Jugtown Pottery, The Triangle Studio, Eck McCanless Pottery, Studio Touya, Duck House B&B, and many others. We’re tremendously grateful for their participation which enabled us to meaningfully explore Seagrove. 

We’re also super appreciative to the soulful Phil Cook for allowing us to include his music in the film!