Sharing our local culture with audiences abroad
Published 12:00 am Saturday, January 6, 2001
Daniel Tyler Gooden
LUTCHER – Every year the St. James Parish Christmas Eve bonfires draw visitors from all over the country to witness the evening of celebration.
In 1999, Mark Needleson, a freelance camera man from New York, first witnessed the bonfires and was so touched by the downhome and friendly atmosphere the parish displayed, that this year he returned, camera and all.
Needleson is originally from Chicago, but has been living the last few years in New York, shooting news footage, fashion shows, entertainment clips, and whatever else hes called out to do.
In 1999 he traveled south with his brother during the Christmas season to see southern Louisiana and New Orleans. They were staying in a youth hostel when they read a notice posted on the hostel bulletin board. A van was headed to St. James Parish for the Christmas bonfires, pay $25 for gas and come along. “We didnt expect anything. It was just something to keep us interested for the day,” said Needleson.
During the afternoon the group stopped at the plantation homes and by four or five, they pulled up along the River Road in Lutcher and Gramercy. It was all interesting, but when the bonfires were lighted, he was certain he would return to put it all on film.
“I just enjoyed watching the kids have fun. I was touched and the kid in me came out. That night I decided to document St. James Christmas Eve,” said Needleson.
Needleson promptly went home and bought his camera equipment. Serious about his idea, he spent around $10,000 dollars on digital equipment and began planning for his return. “Right now Im in a position to drop everything and do it,” said Needleson. Eager to break into the documentary circuit, where small teams dominate the field, Needleson saw this as a good beginning. “I see the direction and I wanted to get started,” said Needleson.
During Jazzfest, he came back to New Orleans and spent a day scouting out locations in St. James Parish for his documentary. He went to the town hall to get information on the bonfires, and met Gramercy Mayor Ronald St. Pierre. “He gave his blessing and told me about the open invitations along the River Road,” said Needleson.
“I was very impressed. Last year I didnt realize what an open invitation this event was. I figured that being an outsider I would be imposing,” said Needleson. So he and his brother just stood aside and watched. When he found out later that the houses were open, the friendly nature of the River Road families really spoke to him. “It would be very hard to have a blue Christmas when one can come out here and be a part of this. It really touched something in me,” said Needleson.
On Dec. 8, Needleson returned, camera always in hand, to begin his documentary. “It was like being back in school and researching a history project,” said Needleson. He hunted for leads on the tradition of the bonfires, looking for people to interview and pictures to take. The interviews were going really good, he said. Most everyone was very willing to tell what they knew of the traditions and of their parish.
During the Festival of the Bonfires, you could find Needleson talking to those gathered around the bonfire, which was lighted a 7:00 p.m. every night of the festival. Earphones like earmuffs clamped over his head, Needleson would collect footage every night of the fire spreading throughout the bonfire and the people gathered from all over to watch it.
“Im stretching out my footage, but dont really know what Im going to use yet,” said Needleson. He filmed and filmed and filmed throughout most of December gathering as much information as possible, knowing that after it was all done he could edit it and compile a strong documentary on St. James Parish. “I have the overall picture of what the documentary is, but know I just have to put it all together,” said Needleson.
The focus of the documentary will be the tradition of burning the bonfires. “Thats what struck me the most, the long-standing traditions,” said Needleson. The gathering of a whole community to build and then burn those massive pyramids of willow branches was fascinating for Needleson, as it was for anyone who had seen it for the first time. Another important tradition that really drove the event home for him was the spirit of friendship and openness that the St. James Parish citizens showed to any outside who came to be a part of their celebration. “You can see the social structure in the U.S. falling apart but here there is this case of a very strong social structure still in existence,” said Needleson. With that in mind Needleson saw the focus of his St. James Parish Christmas Eve documentary. Above all he hoped that “if some people see this, they will think about how they go about things and how they live their life,” said Needleson.
In St. James Parish the Christmas Eve bonfires work to reenforce the feeling of hometown community, and to those who come from afar, it shows that there still are some places of peace, love and friendship in the world come Christmas Eve.
