Stories of Freedom
The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center honors freedom seekers who crossed to Canada from Niagara Falls and the abolitionists who helped them. RLMG worked with an award-winning artist to bring these individuals to life in powerful, animated videos. A final video addresses modern social justice issues.
Niagara Falls was the last stop for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individuals escaping slavery in the mid 1800s. Our challenge was to create a sense of connection to these freedom seekers, capturing the drama they experienced, despite having few details about particular individuals or stories. We decided to maximize the opportunity for visitors to connect emotionally by engaging artist E.B. Lewis. Our graceful animations turned his watercolor paintings into powerful short videos packed with affect, action, and agency.
Some videos feature voice over by Emmy Award-winning actor Keith David, and music by Mahalia Jackson. Some are silent, embedded into scenic settings that are activated as visitors walk by. Others are accessed via a touchscreen map; visitors select a portrait associated with a particular location and a story unfolds on the wall in front of them. Additional media include a digital exploration of a historic hotel log book, as well as a video featuring interviews with contemporary freedom seekers.
The RLMG team is exceptionally detail oriented, and was able to move our work forward with complete understanding of our needs in a tight timeline. The work connects our community to their history.
Ally Spongr | Interim Director, Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
