Logline: In 1931 legendary bluesman Robert Johnson went home in search of his father. Instead, he became one. Johnson's descendants reveal the human being behind the myth and his living legacy as a father, grandfather, and musical inspiration in Copiah County.
Producers
Samantha Davidson Green
Antonio Tarrell
Sound & Drone Operator
Michael Fagans
Release Year
2024
Made possible in part through
support from Mississippi Humanities
UPCOMING PREVIEW
SCREENINGS &
FESTIVALS
OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL
MARCH 21-24, 2024
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI
LIGHTREEL FILM FESTIVAL
JUNE 5-8, 2024
WASHINGTON DC
LISTEN TO STEVEN'S MUSIC
The Story
According to the myth, blues legend Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for sudden greatness. The truth is closer to home... At a pivotal time in his art, Johnson retreated from heartbreak in the Delta and set off in search of the biological father he'd never known. His journey took him back to his birth place, Copiah County. Though he failed to find his father, Johnson became one himself – only to find himself cast out of his new family for playing music associated with the devil. He found an adoptive family with a music mentor, however, who would help Johnson transform his craft. In this film Robert Johnson’s living descendents, who reside in Copiah County to this day, debunk the myths about their grandfather, relate their father's quest to prove his paternity, and strive to heal painful rifts dividing fathers and sons, gospel and blues, and all who transform their pain into enduring art.
Steven Johnson
Grandson of Robert Johnson
Teresa Johnson
Grandaughter of Robert Johnson
Michael Johnson
Grandson of Robert Johnson
Meet The Crew
Samantha Davidson Green
Producer, Director, & Editor
Samantha Davidson Green is a film+theater director/educator based in Plainfield, NH. In her collaborative approach to storytelling, Samantha seeks to build art through community and community through art.
Samantha’s directing career began in a Mississippi classroom, led her to KQED TV9 Public Television, and eventually to UCLA Graduate School of Film, TV & Digital Media where she earned her MFA in Film Directing. Her award-winning short films have played in festivals worldwide, including Tribeca Film Festival (Winner, Best Student Film Award). Her first feature film, THRASHER ROAD (2019), took home Best Feature (Austin Revolution), Best First Feature (WorldFest-Houston), and Spirit of Independent Filmmaking (Stony Brook) awards . She recently taught Film Directing and Production in the Film and Media Studies Department at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. After serving as President of the Board of Directors for White River Indie Films (WRIF) in White River Junction, VT, Samantha joined CATV (Community Access Television) as Executive Director, leading the organization to a repositioning and rebranding as JAM – Junction Arts & Media, an innovative non-profit community media arts center for the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Antonio Tarrell
Producer & Director of Photography
Antonio Tarrell, hailing from Bruce, Mississippi, is a highly skilled and versatile filmmaker. With expertise in producing, directing, and cinematography, he has contributed his talents to a wide range of projects including feature films, commercials, and documentaries. Tarrell's unwavering objective as a filmmaker is to create visually captivating images that not only advance the narrative but also have a profound emotional impact on the audience at a subconscious level. Antonio Tarrell Films' accomplishments include contributions to 5th Step (2023), Robert Johnson: I Believe I'll Go Back Home (2023), NHK (Japanese Broadcast: Mississippi Revealed (Mississippi Delta), 2022, Fox Business: Earth with John Holden (Arkansas), 2022, Mississippi Public Broadcast: Mississippi Roads (2022), David Sheffield: The Heartbreak Henry for Theater Oxford (2021), Discovery Channel: Earth hosted by John Holden (2021), PBS: Make America Black hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr (2021), CONDÉ NAST ENTERTAINMENT featuring Joseph Stinchcomb (2021), Black Privilege. White Power. (2020), Walk Against Fear: James Meredith for Smithsonian TV (2019), Restaurant Impossible: Revisited - Season 2 for Food Network (2019), Pilot Episode: Bluff City Law for NBC (2019), Wedding at Graceland for Hallmark (2019), Dateline Crime with Tamron Hall for Investigation Discovery (2018), Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers (2017/2018) for Oxygen TV, and much more.
