About the Film

Roots and Ridges: A Blowing Rock Story is the new introductory film for the museum. The film will ground visitors in the history of Blowing Rock, the story of Elliott Daingerfeild, and the role BRAHM plays in the community. The film explores the America 250 themes of Common Ground shared by all residents and visitors of Blowing Rock, and the Gathering of Voices that make this a wonderful place to be. 

This film is made possible through a grant from America 250 NC, an initiative by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

About the Filmmaker

Rebecca Branson Jones (she/they) is a North Carolina-based filmmaker and musician whose work explores the intersections of history, music, and community across western North Carolina and Appalachia. A seventh-generation North Carolinian from a small town south of Thomasville, they are grounded in the belief that storytelling is both preservation and liberation.

Rebecca began playing bluegrass banjo at sixteen, a path that led them to study Appalachian music at Appalachian State University, where they focused on documenting folk traditions in rural North Carolina. Their commitment to honoring regional stories deepened during their time working on the editing team for Ken Burns’ PBS documentary Country Music.

Today, Rebecca lives and works on the unceded lands of the Occaneechi, Shakori, and Eno Peoples in central North Carolina. Through film and music they are committed to amplifying stories that strengthen belonging and empower communities to shape their own narratives.