This week on The Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham speaks with Guggenheim Fellow Alan Govenar about his new documentary Quiet Voices in a Noisy World: The Struggle for Change in Jasper, Texas.
Opening in New York theaters on November 14, 2025, through First Run Features, the film explores community, race, and healing in the wake of one of America’s most painful tragedies.
Govenar discusses the making of the film, his upcoming NYC screenings, and the restoration of his classic tattoo documentary Stoney Knows How, now part of the Criterion Collection. He also reflects on his long career chronicling overlooked voices in American culture through photography, film, writing, and archival work.
Alan Govenar is a Guggenheim Fellow, an extensively published author, photographer, filmmaker, sound archivist, and playwright whose work has explored American culture through an incredible range of lenses. He has founded institutions like Documentary Arts, the Texas African American Photography Archive, the Museum of Street Culture, and Truth in Photography. This year marks major milestones for him, including new photography retrospectives, three new books, and the premiere of Quiet Voices in a Noisy World.
The Sounds of Film is the nation’s longest-running film and music-themed radio show, broadcasting from Stony Brook University for over 35 years. Hosted by Tom Needham, the program has featured guests such as Billy Joel, Laurie Anderson, Hal Hartley, Whit Stillman, Nile Rodgers, and Cornel West.
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