W&L Filmmaker-In-Residence Produces Documentaries
One Focuses On Brownsburg
This winter and spring, the Journalism and Mass Communications Department at Washington and Lee University is presenting two feature-length documentaries by DeLaney Filmmaker-In-Residence Nich Perez, created in close collaboration with community members and W&L student filmmakers. Both films will be submitted to 2026-2027 local and international film festivals.
From the rural crossroads of culture and cuisine in “KAMAL’S” to the reflective, community-centered storytelling of “The Brownsburg Conversations,” these screenings highlight the power of documentary film as a bridge between classroom and community, said a spokesperson.
The screening of “KAMAL’s,” a feature-length food documentary, will take place on Wednesday, March 25, at the Stackhouse Theater. Doors open at 6 p.m. for refreshments, and the film begins at 6:30 p.m. A Q&A with the filmmakers, along with Chef Kamal Hammouda and Laura Fendt, will follow the screening and will be moderated by Assistant Professor of Religion Kameliya Atanasova. The event is free and open to all.
“KAMAL’S” tells the story of a Muslim chef in rural Iowa and his Catholic wife who transform their restaurant into a vibrant crossroads of cultures. Blending Middle Eastern flavors with Midwestern harvests, they create more than a menu; they create a gathering place.
On Wednesday, May 6, the premiere of “The Brownsburg Conversations” will bring audiences into the heart of a Virginia community reckoning with its past and imagining its future. The feature-length documentary will debut at the Stackhouse Theater, with doors opening at 6 p.m. for refreshments and the screening beginning at 6:30 p.m. A community conversation and Q&A will follow moderated by Associate Professor of Journalism Kevin Finch.
Created in deep collaboration with residents of Brownsburg and student filmmakers, “The Brownsburg Conversations” offers an intimate portrait of a village reflecting on its histories of race and slavery, the enduring role of faith in shaping connection, and the possibilities for regeneration as tradition and modern life collide in an increasingly polarized America, said a spokesperson.
