The Silver Needle

A lovely slice-of-life portrait, The Silver Needle examines the lives and art of Elizabeth and Joyce Scott, a pair of African-American artists who also happen to be mother and daughter. In interviews with family members, director Rebecca Crumlish uncovers Elizabeth's oppressive upbringing in the Depression-era south, where she was lucky to receive one meal a day. In those days, Elizabeth recalls, they "made everything that could be made by hand." Elizabeth often met with other women on the plantation at high noon for quilting. Today she is acknowledged as a master quilter. Her daughter Joyce, a nationally recognized artist in her own right, is a multi-media artist working in paint, sculpture, and textiles. The film features a wide variety of the Scott's work: from Elizabeth's huge, beautifully layered quilts, to Joyce's expressionist bathroom. And the conversation between mother and daughter is a lot of fun to listen to (the only false note is Joyce's remark that her "mother gets rid of a lot of angst in her work;" the concept of "angst" being a bit removed from a simple Christian woman's vocabulary or thinking.) The title comes from a picture which features the passing of the "silver needle" from mother to daughter. Inexpensive and delightful, The Silver Needle is highly recommended. (Available from: Osiris Productions, 1314 Fairmont St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009.)