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Emotions and memories collide during the move of a Raleigh plantation
Moving Midway, the highly acclaimed documentary released by New York
film critic Godfrey Cheshire in 2008, is now available on DVD.
Cheshire, who grew up in Raleigh, conceived of the film in 2004 after learning of his cousin Charlie Hinton's plans to move Midway Plantation, the family's antebellum ancestral home, from its original site to another lot nearby in Knightdale. The film was a hit with the critics. New York magazine named Moving Midway runner up for Best Documentary of 2008 and L.A. Weekly called it a Top 10 Movie of 2008. New Yorker critic David Denby called Moving Midway "a fascinating, touching and intellectually tough-minded documentary."
Cheshire's camera follows family members as they face conflicting emotions and long-suppressed memories in response to the house-moving project. The cast of characters includes Mary "Mimi" Hinton, the somewhat eccentric elder stateswoman of the family who ran Midway while Cheshire and Charlie Hinton were children. More drama unfolds after Charlie Hinton and Godfrey Cheshire discover that a liaison occurred between their great-great-great-grandfather and a plantation slave, leading them to a previously unknown branch of the family who are African-Americans still living in the Raleigh area.
Meanwhile, Cheshire discovers more Midway connections when he meets and begins to collaborate with New York University professor Dr. Robert Hinton, whose grandfather was born at Midway.
Those who attended Preservation NC's Annual Conference in Winston-Salem in October enjoyed a screening of the film and a lively discussion with Cheshire and Dr. Hinton. Now you can get your own copy of Moving Midway and help support Preservation NC at the same time. Just use the above link to go to First Run Features, where you'll get a 25% discount on the list price and Preservation NC will receive a share of the proceeds.
Renee Elder is Communications Director for Preservation North Carolina. Contact her at
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