Independent Lens
Ratified
Ratified brings to life the push to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution through the legal battle in Virginia—the final state needed to ratify the amendment.
Somebody's Gone
Amidst a quest to chronicle Black life in southern Georgia, a son films the life of his father, Brother Theotis Taylor, a gospel singer renowned for his humanity and spirituality.
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Open Call
Co-Director
Cyrus Moussavi
Cyrus Moussavi is an Iranian American filmmaker and music archivist. He runs Mississippi Records, which equitably reintroduces overlooked artists’ work to a global audience. He is a 2022 Creative Capital Awardee and his first feature, Somebody’s Gone, has received support from Sundance, BAVC, the Points North Institute, and the NEA.
Co-Director
Hubert Taylor
Hubert Taylor was born and raised in a musical family in Fitzgerald, Georgia, where he still lives today. Hubert has served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and has worked as a record producer, musician, cameraman, high school cheerleading coach, and martial arts educator. Somebody's Gone is his first feature production.
Producer
Brittany Nugent
Brittany Nugent is a producer and anthropologist whose work has screened at Sundance, BAMcinemaFest, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Blum & Poe, and the Criterion Channel. She is a three-time judge for the IDA Awards, and Somebody’s Gone is her first feature production.
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The Film
The town of Fitzgerald sits three hours south of Atlanta, Georgia. It is home to roughly 9,000 residents who live on streets named for Confederate and Union generals. Fitzgerald is the birthplace of Brother Theotis Taylor, a pianist and spiritual singer beloved throughout the region. Though he performed at Carnegie Hall and shared a stage with Sam Cooke, he never considered himself a professional musician. He was a father of eight, a turpentine farmer, and a preacher devoted to his people. He eschewed fame and chose his community. Recognizing his father’s genius, his eldest son, Hubert, films him for over 40 years.
This cinematic portrait expands to tell the story of father, son, and Black life in Fitzgerald. Somebody’s Gone delves into music as a form of spiritual communion, witnessing Brother Taylor’s falsetto, his days of prayer and fasting, and his music as a glue tying together the community. Through the years, Brother Taylor’s son, Hubert, captures footage of barbecues, family reunions, church services, funerals, and hours of music unique to southern Georgia. Like his father, Hubert is driven by a divine mission to uplift his community and reflect Black life in the South.
