Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2005)

Musician and songwriter Jim White acts as a tour guide for this documentary which explores the strange and soulful heart of the American South. As White shares his own story of dealing with the legacy of his Southern heritage -- where Saturday nights at the juke joint fade into Sunday mornings in the church, and the revelry and violence of the former runs counter to the Holy Ghost visions of the latter -- he meets other musicians and artists who are also fascinated by the emotional and spiritual power of Appalachia's dualistic nature. Artists featured include mercurial singer and songwriter Johnny Dowd, post-modern songsters the Handsome Family, Florida-based novelist Harry Crews, old-timey banjo master Lee Sexton, modern-day blues singer David Johansen, and musical saw player Melissa Swingle. Produced for British television, Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus was the first feature film for Andrew Douglas, who previously distinguished himself making short films and television commercials.