Private Project

Libba

The late Grammy Award Winner Elizabeth Cotten taught herself guitar 'left handed and upside down' as a young girl in North Carolina – and then didn't touch it for 40 years.
She returned to the guitar to record her 1958 album. Using Elizabeth Cotten's songs to bridge the 40 years where she didn't play, the film explores why Ms. Cotten gave up her music to begin with - and why she chose to return to it.

  • Hayleigh Hart Franklin
    Producer
  • Colin Henning
    Producer
  • Colin Henning
    Director
  • Hayleigh Hart Franklin
    Key Cast
    "Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten"
  • Zara Green
    Key Cast
    "Elizabeth Cotten (1957)"
  • Colby Hollman
    Key Cast
    "Frank Cotten"
    Fear the Walking Dead
  • Carson Fox Harvey
    Key Cast
    "Mike Seeger"
  • Colin Henning
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, biopic, music
  • Runtime:
    39 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 6, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    6,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Colin Henning

Colin Henning grew up in North Carolina and graduated with his BFA in Acting from SUNY Purchase in 2019. He lives in New York. As a young gay filmmaker he is determined to shed light on stories and perspectives that don't often get their due.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Elizabeth Cotten, a name too few people know today, was selfless and generous, things we kept in mind while making this film. With our low budget there was no room for ego– we were out to tell the story of a woman whose legacy is impactful, but story scarcely known.
As the director, my role was less to do with orchestrating emotional narrative, but rather collecting the information, resources, and thematic elements needed to allow this story to naturally unfold. I didn't tell this story: I simply gathered what we needed in order for the actors to bring life to the script and to the people.

I grew up in Carrboro, North Carolina–the birthplace of Elizabeth Cotten. Years ago I stumbled across a plaque about the Carrboro "Whopper," the freight train that once ran by the Mill in the early 1900s. This freight train, the plaque told, was unique for its small size and that it was, in fact, the freight train Elizabeth Cotten wrote her song about. I remember thinking, "That song...I know I know that song... but who is Elizabeth Cotten?"
It was a question that far too many people still have.
With a script constructed largely from Ms Cotten's own words, we are trying to shed light on who the woman behind the music was–especially since we almost never got to hear her.