Where Did You Get That Woman?
Loretta Smith creates an affectionate and intelligent portrait of Joan Williams, an aging washroom attendant whose ironic observations on the people she serves provide her the social stimulation she requires to continue working. As Williams recounts a lifetime of struggle, from her rural childhood through the years of high living and blues, Smith intercuts archival photographs and recordings by black folk and blues artists to locate her story in the shared experience of a generation of black women. “A beautiful and deeply moving, yet funny portrait of loneliness and feistiness. Joan Williams is an unforgettable character” (Studs Terkel). Shown at Filmex '83.