About the Film
Ray Lum (1891–1977) was a celebrated Mississippi mule trader, auctioneer, and legendary storyteller. Bill Ferris and Judy Peiser made a film about Ray Lum in 1972. Shortly afterward, Ferris wrote an oral history of Lum and shot additional 16mm footage. This film material was preserved in the William R. Ferris Collection at UNC–Chapel Hill’s Southern Folklife Collection. Fifty years later, Ferris saw an opportunity to create a new film from the archival material. Working with a team led by Ashley Melzer, he combined the footage with music and animation to tell a fresh story.
