What: A screening of "The Great Hanging," a documentary film exposing the largest mass execution by hanging in history, will debut to the public in Gainesville, Texas, the town where the tragic incident occurred. There will be a Great Hanging Memorial social event prior to the screening.
When: 6 p.m. social event, 7 p.m. film screening May 21 (Saturday).
Where: The State Theater, 200 E. California St., Gainesville, Texas.
Cost: Screening (view movie trailer here) is free to the public, $20 for Great Hanging Memorial social event. All proceeds will go to the Great Hanging Memorial Foundation. Tickets to the social event can be purchased at The State Theater on the day of the screening.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- During the Civil War, hundreds of thousands lost their lives in the line of duty, but in one small Texas town 40 men lost theirs by hanging, accused of being Union sympathizers. The event is the largest mass execution in U.S. history, and the nation's worst act of mob violence. However, many of the town's residents know nothing about Gainesville's dark past. University of North Texas filmmaker and Department of Media Arts student Johnathan Paul is trying to change that.
"I grew up in Gainesville, and I knew nothing about it until college," Paul said. "My history professor Richard McCaslin had written a book about 'The Great Hanging,' and after reading it, I slowly started looking into it."
Paul originally set out to develop a film about the story of the victims' families' struggle to have a memorial erected at the site of the hanging, but, after speaking with residents, he realized that the tragic story needed to be told.
"Some residents knew nothing about it," Paul said. "Others knew there was a hanging, but they thought it involved slaves. They had no idea it was a Confederate hanging. They were basically killing their own neighbors because they thought they were Union spies."
The 30 minute documentary film, which was produced by Paul's production company Datalus Pictures – composed of UNT students and alumni – will debut to the public at 6 p.m. May 21 at the State Theater, 200 E. California St., Gainesville, Texas. Paul says he is eager to expose residents to their town's tragic history.
"It's an amazing story," Paul said. "The 40 victims deserve to have it told."
The screening is free to the public. Tickets to the Great Hanging Memorial social event are $20 and can be purchased at The State Theater on the day of the screening. All proceeds will go to the Great Hanging Memorial Foundation in Gainesville.