An award-winning film inspired by the Tri-State Crematory scandal opens today at Carmike's Majestic 12 theater, 311 Broad St.
"Sahkanaga" is from writer/director John Henry Summerour, who grew up in Chickamauga, Ga. In a news release, he said the film is "an exploration of how people attempt to heal and forgive in the face of an unfathomable tragedy."
The Tri-State Crematory made news in 2002 when more than 300 bodies were discovered on the property in Noble, Ga. The film imagines the event from the perspective of a teenager who stumbles across the first body.
According to Summerour, the film was shot in Walker County, Ga., with a cast of local, nonprofessional actors, many of whom had a direct connection to the real-life story. He said the film is "an effort to give ownership of the story back to the community."
The cast and crew includes students from Chattanooga State Community College, Southern Adventist University, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Baylor School and Ridgeland High School.
"Sahkanaga," he said, is the first narrative feature to be granted access to film at the Forensic Anthropology Center (aka the Body Farm) at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
To view a trailer, visit www.sahkanaga.com.