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NATCHEZ — A special treat awaits those who attend the Voices and Votes sessions at Copiah-Lincoln Community College library on Oct. 27. The premiere of the draft documentary “Women of the Struggle: Facing Fear in the Civil Rights Era” will be shown free of charge at noon and 6 p.m.

“The draft is a work in progress,” said G. Mark LaFrancis, award-winning film maker and director and executive producer of “Women of the Struggle.” He said, “Our production team spent four years so far on this film, being interrupted by COVID-19 for two years. Because the topic – voting and Civil Rights – is so important now, we wanted to release a draft of what essentially is a powerful and meaningful film. It depicts women who as girls and young ladies experienced the rigors and dangers of the Civil Rights era, especially in the 1964-1967 era in Mississippi.”

LaFrancis added, “We are still interviewing as best we can with COVID and Omicron still threatening people. Some of our footage we had to obtain through internet interviews. Our intent is to complete the film for the 2023 Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration.”

He and his team – Robert Morgan and Darrell White – produced “The Parchman Ordeal: The Untold Story,” which won numerous awards at national film festivals. “Women of the Struggle: Facing Fear in the Civil Rights Era” is an outgrowth of “The Parchman Ordeal,” LaFrancis said.

“We expect several women who are featured in the film to be at the program,” LaFrancis said.

Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is a traveling Smithsonian Museum on Main Street Exhibit currently on display in the Co-Lin library. The exhibit is free and open to the community through Nov. 11.