We are young artists who have moved away from home. Each of us left for our own particular reasons—curiosity, ambition, escape. But what we have in common is what we left behind: our families, relationships and traditions. We wanted to start a new chapter in New York City, a high-powered cultural synthesizer that often prioritizes novelty and dynamism over tradition and stasis.
Last summer, we left the city and traveled into the American South in pursuit of people who prioritize the opposite: “traditional” American values.
Over the course of two weeks we captured 14 stories from a variety of people, families, and communities in a search to reconcile our preoccupation with the future with a profound nostalgia for the past, our familial and cultural traditions. How are they being preserved, dying out, or being adapted for a new generation?
"American Value: Herb Dishman, China, TX" is the first episode of a short documentary series that came out of this experience. This episode tells the story of a Texas rice farmer and his decision to embrace fatherhood and carry on his family's tradition of working the land. Herb's story complicates the cultural stereotype of the American farmer by following a journey that took him away from home and around the world, but ultimately led him to realize that his true calling is back where his journey began.
Thanks to Upworthy and Vimeo Staff Picks for spreading the word about "American Value: Herb Dishman, China, TX" and Nomadique.
Photo © Sasha Arutyunova 2012
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