Late 2010 and most of 2011 will go down in Texas history.  For many, especially those not connected to the elements on a daily basis, weather memories can be fleeting. For those who depend on the land and the weather for their livelihood, the sting of the drought is still palpable.

While the drought has mitigated over he much of the state, some fear that it’s not over yet.  While climatologist opinion vary, many who work the land fear that the dry days will return.  Even if the rain does fall in a steady and predictable fashion, the effects of the drought will be undoubtedly felt for years to come.

When the drought first started, most did not recognize it.  Not quite as sudden as a tornado and not as dramatic as a hurricane, a drought is a slow motion disaster that works on people and the land over time.  In northwest Texas, many started recognizing that the weather wasn’t right around January of 2011.  It hadn't rained at all in about three months and the wind began to blow mercilessly.  With the wind, came blowing dirt and fire - not just in the northwest but all over Texas. 

By late February, I began documenting the drought’s effects in still images and video.  Having amassed a small multimedia collection, I sat down with my friend and rancher David Davidson and interviewed him about the effects that the drought was having on his operation.  Half an hour later I wrapped up the interview and a couple of months after that I edited the piece into a short film about the weather phenomenon.

When I first launched the film on my website, it went viral and was shared throughout many social networks across the internet - it seemed to touch a nerve  The small piece of documentation helped many remember the tough times that people who work the land went through. 

This past week, the film was selected to screen at the Flatland Film Festival in Lubbock. 

http://blog.russellgraves.com/2012/01/drought.html

The Flatland Film Festival is an annual event whose mission is to cultivate an appreciation for film, video, and digital moving-image expression and serves the citizens of the region and encourages artists working in this mode of expression.

In about a month the short film will screen to an audience of film enthusiasts and like documentary films do, help people understand the significance of a time, place, or person.  My hope is that in its 8 minute and 3 second run time, The Drought helps people remember. 

Any questions or comments?  Contact Russell at russell@russellgraves.com or visit his website at www.russellgraves.com