A Day for Film and Doughboys

Wikipedia image of a typical wartime American doughboy

Have you ever lived by a coastal shore?

I could answer that question in the affirmative, having lived for a short time in one of North Carolina’s premier port cities, Wilmington.

My Wilmington abode was located a mere mile or so from Wrightsville Beach, N.C., and I can attest to the fact that there’s something different about living by the sea.

The coastal lifestyle is different, the local cuisine is different, local fashions worn by the local inhabitants are different.  Even the air itself is different.

Speaking of the air in Wilmington, over the years, the sea winds of Wrightsville Beach and the gentle Cape Fear River breezes downtown seem to have stirred up creative spirits and welcomed those with artistic souls.

Wilmington is the home of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNC-W), and, if you’re a native of North Carolina, you’ve probably heard about the UNC-W Film Studies program and Wilmington’s ties to the Hollywood film industry.  Just this year, for example, big Hollywood names like Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were in town working on location on a soon-to-be-released Hollywood film.

One of the largest examples of Wilmington’s role as a host to homegrown creativity is its annual Cucalorus Film Festival, which celebrates independent film and independent filmmakers.  More than 100 independent and international films will be showcased at this year’s event, which concludes today.

No longer living at the N.C. coast, I won’t be making any Cucalorus viewings this year, but I’m excited to share that I will be attending a 2012 Veteran’s Day release of Doughboy the Movie, an independent film that celebrates our U.S. Veterans and was produced by some creative souls in the hills of Wheeling, West Virginia.  Check out the Doughboy the Movie trailer to learn more about the movie and the Wikipedia doughboy definition to learn more about the significance of doughboys in U.S. military history.

What do you think?  Do you think living in a certain landscape can spark one’s creativity?   If so, which type of landscape do you think can engender the most creativity out of one’s soul?