The Order of Myths

The Order of Myths is a documentary film by Margaret Brown, about the segregated 2007 Mardi Gras event in Mobile, AL. It portrays both the excitement surrounding the event and the racial issues beneath. The black and white communities of Mobile each elect its own Mardi Gras "King" and "Queen." One of the issues examined in the film is the historical relationship between members of 2007's "royalty"—ancestors of the white Mardi Gras Queen are said to have owned the slave ship that brought the black Queen's ancestors to America. The Order of Myths explores Mobile's voluntary segregation, as well as the desire, particularly on the part of the film's white subjects, to defer to tradition, rather than make steps to alter the racial equation.

Fast Facts

1. Premiere: 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
2. Spotlight Premiere: 2008 SXSW Film Festival
3. Mobile, AL's 1703 Mardi Gras marked the first time the event was celebrated in America

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