Conni Castille, a documentary filmmaker and assistant director of the ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ at Lafayette's Moving Image Arts program, arrived in China Saturday for a weeklong tour promoting Cajun culture.
The trip was organized by American Routes, a public radio show hosted by Nick Spitzer, a professor of anthropology at Tulane ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ. Stops include American Cultural Centers, U.S. consulates and clubs in Guangzhou, Harbin, Nanjing and Shanghai.
Castille will show and discuss two of her documentaries, “I Always Do My Collars First," a film about ironing, and “T-Galop: A ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Horse Story."
"Collars" uncovers family life and domestic rituals in Castille's hometown of Breaux Bridge, La., while "T-Galop" reveals the role of the horse in Southwest ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ and includes an interview with famed jockey and Acadiana native Calvin Borel. "T-Galop" was chosen Documentary Film of the Year by the ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Endowment of the Arts in 2013.
A Cajun band, "Jesse Lége, Joel Savoy & Cajun Country Revival," is also part of the tour. In addition to the films and musical performances, Spitzer will conduct oral history workshops and give lectures on French ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ culture.
Support for the tour, which concludes April 12, is provided by the U.S. State Department, National Endowment for the Arts, New York Institute of Technology, Tulane ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ and Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.
To learn more about Castille and her films, go to .
photo info: Conni Castille, filmmaker and assistant director of UL Lafayette's Moving Image Arts program