The Order of Myths
Encyclopedia
The Order of Myths is a 2008 documentary film
directed by Margaret Brown. It focuses on the Mardi Gras
celebrations in Mobile
, Alabama
, the oldest in the United States. It reveals the separate mystic societies
established and maintained by black and white groups, and acknowledges the complex racial history of a city with a slaveholding past. While showing the mystic societies' ties to economic, class and racial stratification, the film also showed the beginnings of interaction between the black and white courts. It also tells some of the history of Africatown
, a community formed north of Mobile in 1860 by Africans from Ghana
, transported illegally as slaves to Mobile decades after the end of the slave trade.
The film competed in the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
. It had a limited release in New York
on July 25, 2008, and ran on Independent Lens
, a PBS
series featuring independent films, in 2009. It was distributed by The Cinema Guild
.
named it the 9th-best film of 2008, as did Ella Taylor
of LA Weekly
(along with Moving Midway) and Wesley Morris
of The Boston Globe
.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Margaret Brown. It focuses on the Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in Mobile
Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama[pronounce] is the oldest annual Carnival celebration in America, having begun in 1703,over 15 years before New Orleans was founded ....
celebrations in Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, the oldest in the United States. It reveals the separate mystic societies
Mystic society
A mystic society is a Carnival social organization, similar to a krewe in New Orleans, that presents parades and/or balls for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public. The term came to be used in this context in Mobile, Alabama. Mystic society membership is secret. The societies have...
established and maintained by black and white groups, and acknowledges the complex racial history of a city with a slaveholding past. While showing the mystic societies' ties to economic, class and racial stratification, the film also showed the beginnings of interaction between the black and white courts. It also tells some of the history of Africatown
Africatown
Africatown, also known as AfricaTown USA and Africa Town, is a community in Mobile County, Alabama, located three miles north of the city of Mobile. It was formed by West Africans who were among the last known illegal shipment of slaves to the United States...
, a community formed north of Mobile in 1860 by Africans from Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, transported illegally as slaves to Mobile decades after the end of the slave trade.
The film competed in the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Sundance Film Festival
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...
. It had a limited release in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on July 25, 2008, and ran on Independent Lens
Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
, a PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series featuring independent films, in 2009. It was distributed by The Cinema Guild
Cinema Guild
The Cinema Guild Inc. was established by Philip and Mary-Ann Hobel, producers known for their work in documentaries and features, including the film Tender Mercies....
.
Critical reception
The film appeared on several critics' top-ten lists of the best films of 2008. Andrew O'Hehir of SalonSalon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
named it the 9th-best film of 2008, as did Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor is a film critic who was a staff writer for the LA Weekly and Village Voice Media, writing film and book reviews, interviews, profiles, and cultural and political commentary from 1989 to 2009, when she and much of the staff were laid off....
of LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
(along with Moving Midway) and Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris is a film critic at The Boston Globe where he reviews films alongside Ty Burr. Morris and Burr also make regular appearances on NECN to discuss the latest films and do the weekly Take Two film review video series on Boston.com...
of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
.
External links
- The Order of Myths (2008), documentary by Margaret Brown about Mobile Mardi Gras, website