AnnaBetth Crittenden, Campus Carrier entertainment editor
Every student at Berry has heard stories of Martha Berry. To some she is just the founder of their college, to others she was a feminist icon. To Berry alumna, actress and mother of two, Jessica Leigh Smith (’00), she was the inspiration for a feature film.
In 2013, Smith was visiting Berry for Mountain Day when she felt called to produce a film about the life of Martha Berry.
“I looked around at all the thousands of people that were standing there, and I heard a voice saying, ‘this should be a movie,’” Smith said.
Smith went immediately into the bookstore and bought books about Martha Berry’s life and words. After finishing the books, she was more certain of her plan.
She contacted the author of “The History of the Berry Schools on Mountain Campus,” Jennifer Dickey, a past Berry employee who currently works at Kennesaw State University.
After gaging much interest from Dickey, and Berry’s chief of staff Alexander Whitaker, she began the long process to make her feature film into a reality.
“There were a lot of people interested in seeing her story told in the right way, in great quality,” Smith said.
She decided the film would be called “The Sunday Lady.”
“‘The Sunday Lady’ is going to be a feature film about the life of Martha Berry,” Smith said. “It focuses on her faith in God and the sacrifices she made over the years to create and sustain the school.”
Smith began to raise the funds to pay for a legal contract and scriptwriter on Sept. 1. She set up a Kickstarter in order to raise $40,000 by Oct. 15. The amount may seem daunting, but Smith wanted students, alumni, faculty and staff at Berry to be heavily involved in the process of the film.
“My goal was to make sure the Rome and Berry community knew about the story and would be excited to watch it,” Smith said. “I want the students to get involved and feel ownership over this. This is their story.”
Smith has worked very closely with several students throughout the pre-production process of the film. Seniors Katie Sisk, Louie Spivak and Alyssa Maker have been involved with the project as interns. Smith said that having the students work with her allows her to feel a new and current connection to Berry.
A few months ago, Smith contacted screenwriter CherylMcKay Price about writing Martha Berry’s story for the big screen. Price, known most notably for the film “The Ultimate Gift,” agreed immediately as she was already planning on moving from Los Angeles to Atlanta.
“I love true stories about great people who did remarkable things. And even better that it’s about such a strong woman who was ahead of her time,” Price said. “Martha Berry just has to be written and brought to life on the big screen.”
Smith agrees with Price’s sentiments about Martha Berry. “Martha Berry was a strong woman even for today, not just for the early 1900s. I think her story resonates with women about what they can do and what she was able to do on her own,” she said.
After the Kickstarter raises the $40,000, Smith can then begin to talk to investors. She believes that the film will need to raise $1 million to 1.5 million during the pre-production phase. Although the amount seems high, it actually would make the film a “low budget” project. Smith has, however, talkedto several producers who have created great products with low budgets. She hopes to film “The Sunday Lady” on the campus — pending Berry’s approval of the script.
“It’s amazing how much of what was there to begin with is still standing and there in good condition, it’s wonderful,” Smith said.
Although Price has never been to Berry, she looks forward to filming and walking on campus.
“I’m excited to be a part of this and looking forward to meeting the people at Berry College and seeing the places where this wonderful woman walked and inspired many people,” Price said.
Both Price and Smith have great faith in both the Kickstarter process and the film itself. Both believe in the power of the students to raise the money.
“I can’t believe [the students] would not be excited about this. Do you know what just $5 can do? I want the students to feel ownership and feel involved,” Smith said.
Price agreed with Smith.
“I hope people will get involved with the project, help us get this movie made, as it’s a story that is bound to touch hearts and lives,” Price said. “Making a movie about [Martha Berry’s] life will give us a chance to share [her] story with a much larger audience. It will give a chance for her story to inspire generations to come on a broader scale, maybe even inspire people to serve others sacrificially.”