Aaward-winning filmmaker Louise Woehrle is a storyteller and the owner of Whirlygig Productions, Inc., whose projects have found national and international broadcast and distribution. She is passionate about telling stories that help us see ourselves and others in new ways, promote healing, and connect us as human beings. Woehrle recently completed her feature documentary A Binding Truth, about two 1965 high school classmates, one Black and one white, who shared the same last name but little else. What is a coincidence? They meet again almost 50 years later after a shocking phone call that would change their lives. Their story, rooted in the South, is also America’s story – one of slavery’s legacy and our current racial divide. It’s a story of healing and shows a way forward as these two men explore their binding truth.
“…two 1965 high school classmates, one Black and one white, who shared the same last name but little else.”
A Binding Truth is a fascinating story. Where did you find Jimmie and De, and how did their story ultimately become a documentary?
Louise Woehrle: I’m so happy you found it fascinating! I was in New York screening my previous documentary, Stalag Luft III – One Man’s Story. My two cousins, Katie and Ellen Holliday from Charlotte, NC, attended the screening event. Katie is married to De! She asked if I had my next project lined up. I said no, but I had an idea. Then she asked, “What about Jimmie and De’s story?” I responded, “Katie, that’s a big story to take on,” but I thought more about it and ran it by my Executive Producer, Jay Strommen. He said, “Do we want to make a difference? And, of course, I said, “Yes.” So the next thing I knew, we were on a plane to Charlotte to meet Jimmie and De. After that meeting, things really took off fast. A high school friend of De’s, Jock Tonissen, coordinated a luncheon and invited people he thought would be interested in Jimmie and De’s story. We had created a sizzle reel by that time and a 2-page summary. A man named Chuck Hood approached me and said he wanted to help, and wow, everything took off from there. Chuck took on the fundraising with Lauren Batten; the rest is history. The support from the Charlotte community has been incredible. The money was raised through donations, except for the start-up capital by Jay Strommen. Our fiscal sponsor is FilmNorth in Minneapolis, which I have used on many projects.
