Two Documentaries With Local Connections Showing March 3 at Flatonia’s Lyric Theater

The award-winning feature documentary The Grove, Texas and the documentary short The Friendly Tavern make their Flatonia and Fayette County premieres together on Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. at The Lyric Theater.

Directed by Hallettsville native Lori Najvar, The Grove, Texas focuses on the life of collector Moody Anderson and the town he owned by the same name, situated 85 miles north of Austin and 16 miles southeast of Gatesville in Coryell County.

“I came upon Moody Anderson’s story while working on a project about auctions and auctioneers and recognized right away that it was a special story that needed to be told,” said Najvar, who calls Austin home but still has strong ties to Lavaca and Fayette counties.

The Grove is a microcosm of Texas history—a scene of pioneers and cotton gins, gristmills and gunfights, and even a bank robbery. Anderson purchased the dying town in 1972 and over the next 37 years, this dedicated historian created a living museum using The Grove as a backdrop. Moody filled the original intact buildings dating from the end of the 19th century with a unique collection of Americana and Texacana memorabilia, some of which were used in over 80 feature films – starting with the 1985 classic television mini-series Lonesome Dove and continuing with Second Hand Lions, Texas Chain Saw Massacre—and most recently, a Coen Brothers’ remake of True Grit.

The Friendly Tavern – not to be missed beforehand – is the short documentary about one of the town’s favorite haunts from yesteryear, The Friendly Tavern. Also directed by Najvar, this heart-felt community story features the tavern owners Dorothy and Tony Pulkrabek, their tavern, the regulars who hang-out there and the life of an oldtime pub where the dominoes are played on a regular basis.

“I wanted to capture the spirit of this timeless place,” said Najvar. A touching tribute to the Pulkrabek’s and to numerous locals’ home away from home, the film provides a fun, light-hearted trip down memory lane for anyone who ever warmed a seat there.

Presented in partnership with the non-profit Polka-Works, Big Day Pictures, and Fayette Savings Bank, the double bill will be followed by a Q&A with director Lori Najvar.

Tickets are $7 and can be purchased in advance at The Lyric Theater ( www.thelyrictheater. com) and Fayette Savings Bank – Flatonia or at the door.