In a city as storied as Austin — especially one that prizes the weird and lesser-known — it can be surprisingly hard to break free from the obvious and learn some niche history. The 1973 mural on 23rd Street, "Austintatious," holds many answers, and a retrospective documentary project offers the context that the painting alone can't. On September 10, the team behind the documentary project will premiere five new films joining the interactive online collection.
Passersby, as well as anyone browsing online, can view the dense 23rd Street Mural in one piece, then pick out different elements like people and buildings. In the center is Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas," who colonized the region. Around him are references to Austin businesses, artists, individuals, and even entire subcultures.
Though it may sound obvious to some Austinites who think they know their town well enough, some of the mural's many references have become obscure over the past half a century.
The five new films, all between three and 11 minutes, profile:
- Big Rikke: The Guacamole Queen — Austin wasn't always totally avocado-obsessed. The mural — as well as Frank Zappa and Doug Sahm — pays tribute to Big Rikki, whose nachos at the Armadillo World Headquarters were famous.
- Peyote: Where the Trip Begins — This film travels back to a time where peyote was both legal to have and easy to get around Austin. It also gathers hard-to-find documentation about "The Ghetto," a counter-cultural area of Austin that lives on in illustration, if not photography.
- Miracle in the Church Basement — When the standard healthcare system failed for uninsured Austinites in the '70s, the People's Free Clinic, a group of "idealistic doctors, nurses and a lot of volunteers," took over. In the film, those same helpers look back at their work and reminisce.
- The Continental Club — This portion of the mural was added later as the mural grew with the city. The website explains that South Congress just wasn't that important to most Austinites in the 70's — a dynamic that may return as prices drive smaller businesses out. The film provides a portal through which time travelers can "experience ‘old’ Austin in its most perfect form."
- The Moon Tower Murderer — Austin's gigantic streetlights are tied to a sinister mystery. A series of murders in 1885 led to a panic across Austin, but a killer is never caught. Skip Hollandsworth, author of The Midnight Assassin, A Moon Tower Mystery narrates the film and Austin experimental group the Octopus Project provides an original score.
Austinites wait in line for care at the People's Free Clinic.Photo courtesy of Beef and Pie Productions
The September 10 premiere at the Austin Film Society (AFS) Cinema will be a cool way to learn about Austin history with other people who still care about it today, but if you miss it, you'll still be able to see the videos for free online as part of the archive. One of the original muralists, Kerry Awn, will be at the premiere with director Mike Woolf, other members of the Beef and Pie Productions crew, and some people connected to the films.
Counting the five new films, there are 15 documentaries in the archive so far.
Tickets are still available for the premiere ($15) at austinfilm.org. The AFS Cinema is located at 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd.
