His Eye Is on the Sparrow (2006)

Bruce Conner had been working on a documentary about The Soul Stirrers for years, filming their reunion concert and gathering interviews. He intended to finish it in the mid-1980s, but financial and personal issues led to the project being put aside. Now, a new, smaller film, *His Eye Is on the Sparrow*, has been completed. Named after the 1906 gospel song by Civilla D. Martin and Charles H. Gabriel – famously performed by artists like Ethel Waters and Mahalia Jackson – the film features The Soul Stirrers' 1946 recording from Chicago. The carefree yet complex song is paired with a collection of seemingly simple images that hint at deeper, unresolved mysteries. - Mark McElhatten