TICKETS: FREE, NO TICKET REQUIRED
GREENHOOT RECITAL HALL
The film’s Director, Scott Galloway, Meg Fencil of Sustain Charlotte and Maya Espinosa of Black Girl Environmentalist will will join us for a post screening discussion of the film.
“A Man Named Pearl” tells the inspiring story of self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar. It offers a message that speaks to respect for both self and others, and shows what one person can achieve when he allows himself to share the full expression of his humanity.
Balanced gracefully on a ladder, deftly carving with his electric hedge trimmer, Pearl Fryar has the elegance and strength of a dancer. He is, by contrast, a topiary sculptor, an artist whose medium is discarded or “junk” plant life and whose canvas is his magical and fantastical garden. A MAN NAMED PEARL chronicles the story of Pearl’s dazzling garden as well as his extraordinary life, both of which serve as inspirations to his family, his community, and the thousands of visitors who come to experience Pearl’s world each year. The film traces Pearl’s journey from a small town sharecropper’s son to an internationally-acclaimed artist, and from his initial goal to win the Bishopville, SC, “Yard of the Month Award”a goal instigated by a bigoted remark. Many accolades followed, including museum exhibitions and his status as the celebrated cultural icon of his impoverished town. Now 68, the soft-spoken Pearl has just one wish for all those who wander through his living art: they must leave feeling differently than when they arrived.
About the Filmmaker:
Scott Galloway is the founder of Susie Films, a Charlotte-based film and television production company. Galloway has written, directed, and produced more than 900 films and television programs. His films have received national theatrical releases and screened throughout the world. With content produced for more than 20 television networks, Scott’s work has been recognized with Emmys, Telly Awards, and a prestigious Peabody Award nomination.
Through films, art, literature, and lived stories, Earthwise invites participants into deeper engagement with both land and legacy. It is a space for those who believe that ecological understanding is not just science—it’s story, memory, movement, and art.
