Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville
“Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville” tells the story of Jefferson Street in North Nashville, a proud and resilient community that thrived during the Civil Rights Era, was deeply affected by the construction of Interstate 40 and is now fostering the future identity of Nashville’s Black community.
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Chase ThomsonDirector
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Chase ThomsonDirector of Photography
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Chandler MaynardExecutive Producers
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David PangExecutive Producers
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Audrey AkinsWriter
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Anna D'AmicoWriter
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David PangWriter
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Gus SnehWriter
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Karson EatonWriter
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Leah KuhnWriter
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Anna D'AmicoProducer
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Audrey AkinsProducer
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Camille WaltersProducer
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Franco BassoProducer
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Gus SnehProducer
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Jessica WeippertProducer
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Karson EatonProducer
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Leah KuhnProducer
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Ruthie HelferProducer
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Camille WaltersAssistant Directors
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Chandler MaynardAssistant Directors
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Karson EatonAssistant Directors
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Franco BassoGaffer/Grip
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Rustin RushingGaffer/Grip
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Nicole ButtreyProduction Design
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Karson EatonFirst Assistant Camera
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Rustin RushingSecond Assistant Camera
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Isaac WetzelAdditional Photography
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Caleb WilkersonLocation and Post Production Sound
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David PangLocation and Post Production Sound
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Nicholas GaleLocation and Post Production Sound
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Erin KellyEditors
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Grace GarrettEditors
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Henry BrooksEditors
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Jessica WeippertEditors
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Karson EatonEditors
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Lexa ThompsonEditorsTale of Figaro
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Ruthie HelferEditors
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Jessica WeippertLead Assistant Editor
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Rustin RushingGraphics
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Ruthie HelferGraphics
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Lillie BurkeGraphics
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Alex BeckerArchival Producers
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Camille WaltersArchival Producers
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Chandler MaynardArchival Producers
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Chase ThomsonArchival Producers
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Connor DaryaniArchival Producers
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Hanley RiggsArchival Producers
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Jessica WeippertArchival Producers
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Nicole ButtreyArchival Producers
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Audrey AkinsPublicity
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Franco BassoPublicity
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Leah KuhnPublicity
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Hanley RiggsPublicity
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Caleb WilkersonMusic and Soundtrack
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Gus SnehMusic and Soundtrack
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Nicholas GaleMusic and Soundtrack
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Lorenzo WashingtonKey Cast
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Charlane OliverKey Cast
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Linda WynnKey Cast
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LaDonna BoydKey Cast
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Rev. Bernard Lafayette, Jr.Key Cast
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Learotha Williams, Jr.Key Cast
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Ken SpringKey Cast
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Caroline RosenbergKey Cast
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Carlos ParteeKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Student
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Genres:Documentary
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Runtime:19 minutes 40 seconds
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Completion Date:May 4, 2023
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Belmont University
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Belmont University PremiereNashville,TN
United States
May 4, 2023
North American Premiere
Chase Thomson is a senior majoring in motion pictures. He is originally from Temecula, California. Chase is the Director of Photography on the project. He also worked as an archival producer on the film. He decided to join the class because he feels one of the best ways to tell stories is through the visual medium. Nashville has been a critical part of his education, and he wanted to give back to the city, especially a community that has historically not been given much light.
The difficulty of embarking on the ultimate group project was immediately evident when the team sat down in September to choose a topic for this documentary. Our parameters were to choose a social justice topic pertaining to the city of Nashville. To educate ourselves and explore different options, we read “I’ll Take You There: Exploring Nashville’s Social Justice Sites” by Amie Thurber and Leathora Williams, the latter of which is featured in the documentary. After multiple brainstorming sessions with a group of Motion Pictures, Audio Engineering, Journalism, and Emerging Media students, we came to the consensus of choosing a story that spoke to the way Nashville’s gentrification is pushing out its natives.
We chose to focus on North Nashville, because it is one of the only areas left in Nashville that hasn’t been fully gentrified, and remnants of its rich history still remain. We set out to tell the story of why the community looks so drastically different than it did prior to World War II, in the hopes that we are able to let the people a part of this community tell their story. Jefferson Street in North Nashville is a proud and resilient neighborhood that served as a place of sanctuary and promise during tense race relations, and played a primary role in the Civil Rights Movement. However, when Interstate 40 was built, it cut right through this neighborhood, fracturing the community and contributing to a loss of the area’s culture and vibrance.
“Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville” gives voice to prominent Black leaders in the North Nashville community to tell the story of what Jefferson Street used to be, and what it could be in the future. Though the story is marked by targeted gentrification and destruction, it also is one of hope, as we have discovered ways the community still thrives through the people we have met and interviewed in the process of creating this documentary. Our hope is that “Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville” lets those directly affected by Nashville’s expansion tell their own story, and by doing so, spread awareness for how all Nashville citizens, native or not, can rally around the community in supporting their rich culture and history.