by Chris Kaltenbach
Suzanne Niedland and Anberin Pashe’s Miss Lil’s Camp proved one of the day’s highlights, even though its short length (26 minutes) left viewers desperate for more information on its subject: author (Strange Fruit) and pioneering integrationist Lillian Smith ran a summer camp in Georgia for upper-crust teen girls from the 1920s through the mid-’40s, one that stressed intellectual stimulation as well as social equality. Four women who spent summers at the camp, including Smith’s niece, were brought together to reminisce about this remarkable woman and the many ways she challenged their worlds.
Niedland, who came up from Florida for the festival, said she’s at work on a feature-length film adaptation of Smith’s life, and she admits to dreaming big–maybe she could interest Cate Blanchett in the lead? “I think I have a good chance of interesting some A-list actress in this,” she says. “There are not many strong parts for women out there.”
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