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Cairo Documentary Premieres in Southern Illinois

By Hilary LeHew

Story Created: Feb 25, 2012 at 9:30 PM CST
(Story Updated: Feb 25, 2012 at 9:37 PM CST )

HERRIN - A documentary film on the difficult history of Cairo makes its debut this weekend. More than 100 people crammed into a small room at the Herrin Library Saturday to watch it.

"Between Two Rivers" is a feature length film that portrays the struggles Illinois' southern most city has faced through the years. "I think it speaks volumes about the history of Cairo and how it became what it is today," said film viewer Tom Woolard.

The making of the documentary was sparked when two British filmmakers, who created the movie, unexpectedly stumbled into Cairo in 2007.

"We got there and what we found was a town that was very different from that which we had anticipated," said 47-year-old filmmaker Jacob Cartwright. "It was a town that had obviously seen better days."

Cartwright was captivated by it, and the movie was born. Several detailed interviews with local townspeople help mold the story.

"It brought back a lot of memories, and often times a lot of sad memories of what it's become," insisted Woolard.

Woolard grew up near Cairo in Mounds. He said today's Cairo is virtually a ghost town compared to what it use to be.

"It breaks my heart to go down there because when I was running around in the mid 60s down there growing up, ya know? There was probably 15,000 people and it was a great place to go," he said.

From Cairo's riverboat hay days, to the end of the civil rights movement, the film walks you through the good and the bad.

"Cairo's story is relevant to many many other aspects of all of our lives," explained Cartwright. "Success, failure, boom, bust, relationships between individuals and communities."

Cartwright said his time in America has been eye opening and he hopes the film will be the same for its audience.

"KY-ro, Care-o, Keer-o, Kay-ro… It's a fantastic place," shared Cartwright. "And it's been buzzing around in my head for four years and I'm never gonna forget it."

The film's final showing will be at 4:30 pm Wednesday in the Cairo Junior-Senior High School cafeteria. The viewing is open to the public.

For more information about the film, you can visit www.betweentworivers.net.

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

As for proper pronunciation...

If you really 'CARE' and want to impress the locals, it's Care-o.

However...

Unlike the racial views (accurately) portrayed in the movie, pronunciation is a subject about which Cairoites are a fairly tolerant lot. So, it is oKAY to say Kay-ro. In fact, I've been known to use "Kay-ro" myself in trying to tell folks in the surrounding area where I live...so that I can complete an order of service.

The conversation usually goes something like this:

Person on the phone: "Where do you live?"

My response: "Care-o."

Person on the phone: "Where?"

My response: "Care-o."

Person on the phone: "Could you spell that?"

(My catty nature wants so much to respond with "T-H-A-T", but, since service is often hard to come by in Care-o, I bite my tongue.)

My response: "I'm from Kay-ro."

Person on the phone: "Oh, okay...got it."

FOOTNOTE:

What is totally unacceptable is KY-ro. (Yes, the area is known as "Little Egypt", but we dared to be different!)

POSTSCRIPT:

Okay, truth be known, I have resorted to KY-ro on occasion...when the "I'm from Kay-ro" response didn't work and the person on the phone still insisted that I pass a spelling test before completing the service call.

On those occasions, I'm apt to respond: "It's like KY-ro, Egypt."

That usually, finally resolves the issue.

However, there are those times that try the patience of Job...

...when the person on the phone responds to my "KY-ro, Egypt" ploy with..."Sir, can you spell that?"

Back to 'that'...

THAT is when I count to ten.

After THAT moment of silence, the person on the other end of the phone usually says: "Sir. Sir? Are you still there?"

My response: