Fiddlin'

Fiddlin' was like taking a step back to a simpler more innocent time. All the generations were jamming together. The music was outrageous with these talented musicians who were all playing by ear. I fell in love with the talent and can't wait to take my kids to see this film. It is a rarity to see a movie that is appropriate for all ages and Fiddlin' is that film!

Fiddlin' was created by sister filmmakers from the Appalachian mountains. Director-Writer, Julie Simone and Producer-Writer, Vicki Vlasic, went back to their roots to capture the culture, history and talent that has dwelled in these mountains for a couple hundred years. It probably helped that they were once locals because the interviews are genuine and dig deep into the hearts of their subjects. You can't help but appreciate the beautiful cinematography, but it is the raw and prodigious talent of the subjects that keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat and moving in time with the music.

As I looked around at the festival screening I attended in Charlottesville, VA, I was surrounded by smiling faces and was amazed at how engaged the whole theater was. There was laughter, applause, toe-tapping and a few tears as well.

Young guitar prodigy and little heartbreaker, Presley Barker, will make your jaw drop and have you wishing you had stuck with music lessons as a kid. His mentor and world class luthier (a custom, hand made instrument builder), Wayne Henderson, shares his talents with not only Presley but many of the young kids in the region. As the film is set during the Galax Fiddler's Convention, you'll see Wayne and Presley wind up competing for top prize in the guitar competition. The film also paid tribute to some of the historical greats whose contributions have kept the Old Time and Bluegrass music genres alive. The Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe and multi-Grammy winning singer-songwriter, Doc Watson, both appear in archival footage and add to the historical elements.

Seeing so many young kids holding instruments and hanging out with the old folks left me wishing for that simplicity for my own children and had me picking up my old guitar once again. This is a film I could watch again and again and one I will share with friends and family for years to come..

Fiddlin' (2018) was co-written and directed by Julie Simone. The movie is a documentary about the Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax, Virginia.

Old Time music is different from Bluegrass music. Fiddles, banjos, and guitars are the traditional instruments. Drums and steel guitars aren't played. (The mandolin appears in both Old Time and Bluegrass.) The movie's title is misleading, because other Old Time instruments are featured as much as the fiddle. (The name of the convention is misleading in that sense as well.)

The film presents what the viewer would hear and see if he walked through the crowd at the convention. Added to this are many interviews with musicians--young and old, female and male.

I enjoyed this movie, but I thought it was a little longer than it needed to be. Director Simone had all these great interviews with dedicated musicians, and she just couldn't bear to leave some of them out.

The music in the film is wonderful. The musicians are talented, and it's great to see a generation of teenagers who are carrying on the Old Time music tradition.

If you're interested in Old Time music, this is a must-see film. If not, it's still worth seeking out to learn about a world that most of us don't inhabit.

We saw this movie at Rochester's wonderful Little Theatre, as part of the High Falls Women's Film Festival. (There are many younger women musicians, but I assume the film was chosen because the director was a woman.) The movie will work well on the small screen.

A joyful, multi-textured time-machine journey, full of engaging old-timers and astonishing young virtuosos who live in (and thus keep alive) the fast finger, flatfooting community of old-time and bluegrass musicians. Beautifully shot and cleverly edited it's a joyful postcard of Americana created by a warmhearted team of women filmmakers. What a hug!

I loved this look into Appalachian/ Fiddlin' life. This is an inspirational story and reminder of the beauty of a simple life...enjoying what you do, those you live amongst and learn from and the beauty of passing down knowledge. It was very refreshing to see people not driven by money or fame and just being happy with their passion. And equally satisfying to see the respect and humbleness that existed between the youth and their elders for one another. Not to mention some stellar fiddling performances.