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The Journey
Written by director Britni Harris.
Exactly four years ago this month I found a single spiral in north east Oklahoma that would lead me and many people on quite a journey. That expedition took us all over the country as we tried to stitch together a patchwork of various stories about Bruce Goff’s life.
Bruce Goff and one of the many cats he admired.
The other day I was having a discussion with Bart Prince, and he told me the parable about the blind men and the elephant. He said, “The blind men approach an elephant and each comes in contact at a different part of the animal. One finds the trunk and decides that an elephant is like a snake. He is certain he has the right idea about an elephant. Another reaches out to grab the tail and ‘knows’ the elephant is like a rope, and on an on. One finds the side of the elephant to be a wall, another determines that the leg is a column or a tree; the ear is like a fan. I'm sure you have heard various versions of this tale.” So we began to discuss how the story of the blind men and the elephant was very much like the nature of this documentary. Since Goff died in ’82 his current story can only be told by those who interacted with him at various times in his life. Many of you were a part of helping weave this story together, but we had to find you all first.
Interview with director Britni Harris, featuring producer Meg Hickey and Assistant Director Christa Whetstone. (photo by Eli Hull)
We have spent so much time meeting so many and documenting meaningful and invaluable moments. One of our first interviews was with Jerri Bonebrake, Bruce Goff’s personal secretary while he was teaching at the University of Oklahoma. At that point in the production we had barely scratched the surface of who Goff was, but she was one of the first to truly give us insight into the man himself. Everyone’s voice has guided us forward and connected us to another source. As we’ve gone on, we’ve realized there is an unnamable bond that links all Goff’s students, followers, and clients together.
As time passes we lose those that knew Goff best. As Goff’s remaining followers we have a great responsibility but also a great opportunity to preserve his life’s work. I ask you all to consider making this a community effort to keep Goff’s story alive and help in our efforts to finish this documentary. Without your support and financial backing this film would not be a reality. Our goal is to paint an honest portrait of this man and the mark he left on our landscape.
