Alabama. Deep South. A State closely linked to the Civil rights movement: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, The Birminghan Campaign (or 1963 Birmingham movement); Selma to Montgomery marches.

A State also renowned for its cuisine: Soul Food, the famous pork chops and seafood – remember the movie Forrest Gump and Bubba, who wanted to buy a shrimp fishing vessel once the war was over?

Gip – Henry Herman Gipson- grandson of a freed slave is somewhere between 90 and 100 years old and lives in Bessemer, Jefferson County, 80 miles away from Alabama.

Despite his age Gip, who is considered a legend in the American juke scene, holds the keys to one of the last original juke joint of the South, Gip’s Place – unforgettable Shug performing at Harpo’s  juke-joint in the movie “The Colour Purple” – a sanctuary for blues music.

Not only is his shack in the woods one of the last original juke-joints of the South, he also runs a graveyard – which is ironic for a man who could have been put in the ground several times over, with the bullet holes to prove it.

This is a story, a portrait of a remarkable son of the South who has seen all kinds of things in his long life and has overcome great odds to give the community around him hope and purpose.

So It Goes for ProteinTV
Director | Joshua Bullock
Photography | Gabe Elder
Sound Designer | Hannes Wannerberger
Executive Producer | William Rowe
Lenght | 14:09