“Please Ask For It” community screening
Friday afternoon was wrapping up when a man came by the office to drop off an announcement. I had seen him around town and knew who David ‘Fox’ Caldwell was, but I had never met him in person. I met him at the counter and asked if I could help him.
“I have an announcement to put in the newspaper,” Caldwell said.
The announcement was a community screening of “Please Ask For It.” The newspaper had published an article or two about its release in the past several months.
Caldwell was very excited about the film and said he had been to Memphis for a screening. He said there have been several films about his record shop.
“There is one I haven’t seen,” Caldwell said. “It was made several years ago.”
We talked briefly, and I told him I had seen him in one of the photos the newspaper had taken at the Veterans Day celebration held at the Eddie Lee Smith Multi-Purpose Center on Nov. 10. Then he began to tell me how he served our country.
“I was in World War II,” he said.
He said he had served also during the Korean War. He was later stationed in Germany after the Korean War.
We talked briefly about our freedoms in America that other countries do not have.
We both began to think about the veterans – what they had to endure to serve our country – a lifestyle change and journey, and some veteran’s lives sadly ended in death.
I was delighted to finally meet Mr. Caldwell.
The award-winning documentary short film “Please Ask For It,” featuring Caldwell of Holly Springs, can be viewed Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. at Rust College Doxey Morehouse Auditorium, 150 Rust Avenue, Holly Springs.
In celebration of Caldwell’s 96th birthday, Rust College will host a free community screening with a reception following.
Allison Waid, the director, said this is a free event. It is an open invite to experience the documentary alongside Caldwell and his family. This is a non-ticketed event, and seating is first come, first served.
Waid transports the viewer to Northern Mississippi to share how one man and his record shop preserve the area’s vibrant Black History.
The film features Caldwell and his Holly Springs record shop, Aikei Pros., illustrating how a record collection can unite a global community through regional and rare music.
Waid immersed herself into Caldwell’s world, returning numerous times to capture the politics, celebrations, and culture shifts occurring in Blues Alley in Holly Springs.
Following the screening, guests are welcome to participate in a moderated conversation with Caldwell and Waid.
Alongside director Waid are co-director Stephen Sutton, producer Kira Simon-Kennedy, and cinematographer Tim Duggan.
The film has been screened at eight festivals nationwide, winning awards in Memphis and Los Angeles. The film will continue the festival circuit throughout 2024.