Elva E. Bishop
University of North Carolina

Projects
Celebrating the virgin in "la mala vecindad"
In collaboration with Altha J. Cravey
(A work in progress – March 2007)

Our documentary brings together several distinct celebrations of the Virgen de Guadelupe in Durham NC. In a run-down apartment complex on Durham’s east side (la mala vecinidad), dancers of all ages honor the virgin with hours of ancient indigenous traditional matachine dancing. Afterword, many of these same dancers and their families go to a special Catholic mass for the virgin. In yet another separate activity linked to the immigrants rights movement and Tepeyac, antorcha runners passed through Durham en route from Mexico City to New York City in December of 2005. These three celebrations of the virgen – and their interconnections and impacts on the community -- are highlighted in our documentary.

Bio

Elva Bishop's day job is video technician for UNC-TV, but her energy is in producing independent digital video documentations. Past projects covered traditional North Carolina musicians and storytellers and an hour long historical documentary on the peculiar early history of women's basketball. More recently, "Welcome to Todos Santos-We Pray for the Peace of the World"-co-written with Julian Jeronimo Jeronimo was screened at the First Nations Film and Video Festival in Chicago in 2005, and at the Native American Film Festival in Columbia, SC in 2006. "People's Guelaguetza-Oaxacans Take it to the Streets" - co-produced with Altha Cravey- was screened at the Latin American Film Festival in North Carolina, November 2006. Current projects include the Fiesta of San Sebastian/Diriamba, Nicaragua-taped for the past 3 years, and the Virgen of Guadalupe dancers/Antorcha Guadalupana runners of Durham, NC-also co-produced with Altha Cravey-in production since December 2005.