The Arkansas Cinema Society is again hosting its signature event, FILMLAND, a film festival bringing together writers, directors, and actors from across the state and country to Little Rock. Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis spoke with director E. Vincent Martinez about the new documentary, Iron Pearls. The film centers on Elizabeth Brim, a North Carolina blacksmith known for her metalwork depicting soft or delicate items like a strand of pearls, stiletto heels, a tutu, or a pillow. Martinez says he chose Brim as his subject because of her impact on smithing. It's a craft tradition which men have dominated for centuries.
E. Vincent Martinez: And here's this woman in her 70s who wears a strand of pearls in the studio to work in every day, has just opened doors for so many women, young and not young. So, this is the story of Elizabeth Brim, a Southern lady who is probably the most prominent blacksmith or female blacksmith in America.
Jack Travis: How did you find out about Elizabeth?
Martinez: Well, you know, this is—that's the sweet part of this story. I have known her since 1988. I was in my early 20s, and we met at Penland School of Craft in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. I was doing a two-year student fellowship, and she was either living there already or about to move to Spruce Pine. And we hit it off right away. And we've just been friends over the last 30, almost 40 years.
And the prior documentary to this one also dealt with two female artists, identical twins in their late 80s who also live at Penland School. And so, it was really a natural. It just came naturally that Elizabeth needs her story told because her life has just been incredible.
Travis: You said it came naturally, but dive into that a little bit. What was that moment that you decided, "I'm going to pursue a film about this woman"?
Martinez: You know, I think if you ask any artist—I mean, my background is in fine arts, but whenever I'm working on a piece, whether it's a painting or, in this case, a documentary, I reach a point where I know we're nearing the end of filming, and I'm already going through my head, especially in the editing process: I want more. It's like an addiction, a good one. And I want more. And I start to think, "Well, what could be the next one, you know?" So, I start having all these different ideas run through my head.
And while I was wrapping up—actually, yeah, wrapping up filming on the last documentary—I was talking with my cinematographer, Franklin. I said, "Man, Elizabeth Brim. She would make one badass documentary. She's just incredible. There's a lot of content there. No one is doing what she does or has done what she does in iron." And I think we should look into that.
And it was as simple as calling Elizabeth and saying, "Hey girl, I want to make a movie about you."
And she's like, "Yes!" She's got this amazing Southern drawl, you know. She grew up in Columbus, Georgia, in the '50s, and she's got this accent that—I can't do it, but it's really good. And she said yes.
So, that's really how it happened. I mean, it's not like a light bulb went off in my head. I was just—you know, that's the natural, maybe organic side of this. As I was kind of finishing one up, I'm starting to think about the next one. And she's the one that really made sense.
And to be completely honest, it's a lot of fun for me, too. I mean, if the filmmaker's not having fun, that's going to show through in the film, and I had a really good time.
Travis: Awesome. Well, tell me about getting the content. Was that difficult, filming blacksmithing?
Martinez: No, not really. You know, of course, if you ask Franklin, my cinematographer, he'd say, "Well, damn, that studio is really dirty." So, we'd have to put blankets or cardboard on her floor, which is—I think it's a dirt floor. I can't tell because there's so much dirt on it and soot and like, just stuff. But no, it really wasn't.
There was one scene, though, in the film—the film is in chapters, and the chapter called "Pillow Talk". So, Elizabeth has become pretty famous for a technique that she invented where she welds two sheets of steel together. She also welds a pipe into it. She gets the sheets super hot, that flaming, bright orange color in the forge. And then she pumps in compressed air and the sheets go—they just inflate.
So, the one request she had, which was spot on, was: "Can we shoot that scene at night?" Because all the other studio scenes we were shooting during the day, and while it's darkish in the studio and you still get the nice, bright orange flares and sparks, at nighttime everything is amplified. I mean, that orange is just brilliant, and it really made that scene. It really set it up beautifully.
Travis: Tell me about craft and your relationship with it, and how you think that this documentary speaks to craft traditions.
Martinez: Oh, my gosh. 100%, does this film speak about craft and its history and really where it's been and where it's going? And there's this—well, you know, it's funny, I asked a few of our collectors and curators in the film to talk about craft versus art. And they kind of said, "That's sort of a non-topic anymore." It was at some point, or at one point. But today, you see more and more craft artists just losing the craft part of it, let's say, and truly having exhibitions of their work, which is as qualified as any sculpture or painting that you might see in an art gallery. So, I look at fine art and contemporary craft really on the same wave, on the same plane, I guess.
Travis: Did that change before and after filming?
Martinez: No, not at all. I have felt this way for a long time. I got my bachelor's in fine arts in ceramics, actually, in 1987 and an MFA in photography in the mid-'90s. So, I've been immersed in the art world. And because of Penland School of Craft, I've been immersed in the craft world simultaneously for really most of my adult life. So, I've seen the progression.
You still have your production artists—the ceramic artists who are beautifully making your dinnerware and your coffee mugs, or your glass artists who are doing barware. To me, that is as much of an art form as anything else. But then you're also seeing these same craft disciplines, whether it's glass or iron or textile, making work that is definitely as qualified as any other piece in an art gallery or in a museum. I'm not sure if that answers your question, Jack, 100%, because that's a really deep topic.
Travis: It is. And it's one that's being discussed a lot. I mean, in Crystal Bridges' new expansion, they have a whole new craft gallery, right? And they really seem to be trying to bridge that divide. Do you see yourself in the same light, perhaps?
Martinez: I mean, personally or through this film?
Travis: Either.
Martinez: I mean, I would say yes to both. I actually—my husband and I own a fine art gallery here in Tryon, North Carolina. We opened it two years ago called Mirrorball. And we've got an incredible portfolio of artists where we've got small ceramic mugs or martini glasses, all hand-blown. Then we've got some incredible works of art from some top-tier artists in Atlanta and in the Penland School area that are just exquisite. So, the answer to that question on both counts—personally and professionally—is yes, both. I believe it.
Travis: Wow. Okay, so you've got—you're a filmmaker, you're an artist, and you're also a small business owner. Where do you find this energy?
Martinez: I don't know, I guess I was born with it. I mean, seriously, I have no idea. I sleep. I do try to get between, I don't know, six and eight hours of sleep a night. And I know that sounds so corny, but it really does help. You know, I don't know where the energy comes from. I just—I love what I do, and it's a lot of work. And sometimes I'm really stressed or just really pissed, but whatever. If you love what you do, then it's not really work. I know that's kind of a cliché, but it's true. And I mean, you just have to learn how to discipline yourself and also don't be so hard on yourself.
I tell my husband all the time—and I joke about this, but because he's younger and gets real stressed about getting everything done, and his background is branding and marketing and PR—I say to him, all kind of joking, but not really, saying, "You know what, Alex? Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow?"
My point being, when I was an educator and I was teaching high school and later college, I was this young teacher just wanting to do—like, I could never miss a day. And I had an older veteran teacher say, "Vincent, it's okay. Take that day off. The classroom is not going to fall apart if you're gone for one day. Your lesson's going to be—you're going to teach your lesson whether you do it today or tomorrow. It's okay." And I've been living by that for the last, I don't know, 25 or so years, and it makes a difference. I'm trying to teach Alex that, but he's a little stubborn.
Travis: After spending so much time with blacksmith Elizabeth Brim, do you feel like she follows that?
Martinez: She does whatever the hell she wants to do. I mean, honestly, yes, she does. She does. If you watch the film, you'll really see her personality, and she doesn't take any lip from anyone. And she breaks the rules or she reinvents the rules, and she does what she wants. And making high-heeled stilettos out of iron or a frilly apron or a pillow with fringe or a ballerina tutu, those are rules that she broke four decades ago. And even today, you don't see men or women making her type of work.
Like I said earlier, I met Elizabeth, gosh, almost 40 years ago, and I love her to death. And the film is just spectacular. And it's not just about her working in the studio, it's her as a human being. And we really touch on so many topics—from marriage equality to the contributions of immigrants in this country to just cultural things. So, the film goes beyond blacksmithing. While that is the umbrella, there's so much more depth to it than that. And that is truly a testament of who Elizabeth Brim is as an artist and as a human being.
Travis: Vincent, thank you for spending time with me today. I really appreciate it.
Martinez: Oh, it was my pleasure. I loved it. Thank you.
E. Vincent Martinez, director of the documentary Iron Pearls, speaking with Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis. You can see the movie at FILMLAND. It takes place Aug. 12 through the 15th in Little Rock. Just visit Arkansas Cinema Society for more information.
Check out this Iron Pearls Trailer to see footage of blacksmith Elizabeth Brim using her signature inflation technique in the forge as discussed in the interview.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline. Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
