One of the Miracles - The Inge Meyring Smith Story

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
from director Clay Stafford

My son attended Inge Smith’s preschool and I had known Inge in passing for several years. She was a delightful, well-educated lady who certainly loved children, but that was the extent of my knowledge of her. By happenstance, I heard that Inge was a Jewish Holocaust survivor. A few days later, someone mentioned that Inge's life had been threatened several times in Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. On the next Monday morning after I dropped off my son at her preschool, I felt compelled to ask her about these things and this documentary was born.

I assembled a small crew of three and, as we got into the life of Inge Meyring Smith, we were amazed on a personal level how one person can so drastically influence her world and also how such an impact can be relatively unknown in our age of excessive information. Her life truly has made a difference, but little is known of her.

Rather than bring in a narrator, I decided to tell Inge’s story through her and those who had shared her life. Phillip Lacy, our cinematographer, and I shot (along with sound mixer Ken Landers) over 35 hours of footage of Inge and of many who had grown older with her. We were lucky to record them when we did. Phillip, to his credit, edited our 35 hours down to 1-1/2 hours. My vision of Inge’s story would not have been achieved except for Phillip’s single-handed editing of it.

In his other role of cinematographer, it was Phillip’s idea to shoot Inge in standard HD in her home and to shoot everyone else in 24P in our studio to create a distinctive “feel” between Inge’s chronological forward-moving memories and the counter-point of the other commentaries looking at Inge’s life in reverse, from now to back then. Phillip also came up with the metaphor of Inge swimming through the water, but then nearly abandoned that footage when he couldn’t get it to work in post. Only my protests saved that sequence and Phillip made use of my suggestion of dividing the single swimming sequence in progressive parts and spacing it throughout the film allowing Inge to metaphorically swim through her life, propelled only through the thick water by her own volition. Considering our mutual contributions, Phillip and I agreed we would both be co-directors.

Ken Landers, who recorded the sound, but was also the composer, asked me what I wanted in the music. I left that to his discretion. Because the story of Inge’s life goes from the 1930’s to present and covers two continents, Ken composed and performed period music for each “chapter” of Inge’s life. The result spans from baroque to country to bayou.

We were able to put this documentary together over an 8-month period with a crew of three. In her life, Inge has been able to accomplish much with only her crew of one. Because of her and the courageous choices she made with her life, the world is a better place for little ones like my son. When one day my son should ask that perennial theoretically question, "What is the meaning of life?" I think I may recommend that he watch this film. Inge has much to teach us all. I know three filmmakers who have certainly been inspired just by getting to know her.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT from director Clay Stafford

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
from director Clay Stafford