Bright Leaves

2004· 108 min★ 7.1· Documentary

Ross McElwee travels through the North Carolina tobacco belt in search of the ancient southern traditions associated with tobacco growing and use, while comparing his filmmaking to commercial cinema, represented by Bright Leaf, a melodrama directed by Michael Curtiz in 1950, starring Gary Cooper, apparently based on the life of his great-grandfather.

Cast: Ross McElwee, Brian Baucom, Susan Bennett

Director: Ross McElwee