Louisiana State University: LSU Professor Zack Godshall Premieres New Documentary Film

Press release from Louisiana State University:

10/28/2021

"The Laughing Man" is about Thomas Alan Williamson, who Godshall met 10 years ago
in Shreveport, La., when he cast him in a film. Thomas, a part-time actor in his 50s,
defies all expectations. Facing trauma, mental illness, homelessness, and isolation,
Thomas's joy, optimism, and most of all laughter paint the portrait of a man in love
with life despite the odds being stacked against him. Thomas would like to visit his
dying father in East Texas, from whom he has become estranged, but every day is a
struggle to survive. Godshall navigates his own complicated relationship with Thomas
as the lines between director, collaborator, friend and caregiver are blurred. The
documentary weaves verité footage, first-person accounts, and Thomas's own writing
in this intimate look into his struggles, his strained relationship with his father,
his perseverance, and his appreciation of life's beauty.

Godshall, a Louisiana native, makes films about unsung people and places that exist
along the fringes of culture. His films have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival,
and played on Time.com, Topic, and The Documentary Channel, and received praise from
The NY Times, The Atlantic, Oxford American, and The Huffington Post. 

Godshall’s previous films "Low and Behold," "God’s Architects," "Water Like Stone"
and "What Happens When Robert Leaves The Room" garnered awards at the New Orleans
Film Festival. 

"The Laughing Man" was supported in part by the Louisiana Board of Regents and the
New Orleans Film Society’s Southern Producers Lab. 

For more information about the festival and film screenings, visit https://neworleansfilmsociety.org/film-guide.

To view "The Laughing Man" trailer, visit www.zackgodshall.com. 

Contact Ernie BallardLSU Media Relations225-578-5685eballa1@lsu.edu  

This press release was produced by Louisiana State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.