Holy Ghost People is a documentary film released in 1967 which not only chronicles a Pentacostal Christian service taking place in Scrabble Creek, West Virginia, but also includes interviews with many of the participants within the service. Throughout the film we see the participants engaged not only in prayers, preaching, and singing, but also in activities such as speaking in tongues, healing through the laying of hands, and snake handling.
Beginning with a descriptive narration as we drive into town, which serves as set-up to what we are about to see, director Peter Adair soon steps back and lets his subject begin to speak for themselves. We never see the director himself on film, nor do we hear him directly ask his subjects any questions, as he seems satisfied simply to let them tell their own stories. Even when we move to the service, Adair seems content to simply let his cameras roll, never interrupting the service nor adding any additional narration. This is not to suggest that the presence of the cameras and the film makers is completely unobtrusive. Mention is made at various times of their presence, especially as the service begins, and there are certainly moments when the subjects cannot help but be aware that they are being filmed, and there are certainly timesxand shots that make the viewer question whether certain actions and reactions are not being done because the participants know that the cameras have turned to them. For the most part, however, especially as the service continues into its more outre moments and the congregation seems to become more and more swept up in the fervor of the moment, Adair seems willing to trust not only his subjects, but his audience, allowing any judgments on his part to be made only through scene selection and editing and leaving the final verdict on what actually is or is not happening to the viewer.
Fortunately for us, this rather fascinating documentary has fallen into the public domain, and I have embedded the first part of it for you below. The other parts can also be found on YouTube or the entire film can be see as a whole or downloaded for free at the Internet Archive (click here for the link). As far as I can tell, the film has yet to receive a proper release on DVD.
Ok, so here we go with the skinny:
Title: Holy Ghost People
Release Date: 1967
Running Time: 53 min.
Black and White
Directed by: Peter Adair
Produced by: Blair Boyd
Released by: Thistle Films
Until next time, Happy Treasure Hunting,
-Professor Damian
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