Documentary uncovers truth about The Ridges
By Susannah Elliott, Entertainment Editor
October 22, 2005 | 12:23 a.m.
A crew of curious OU students, Bradley D. Productions, has compiled a factual look at stories many only know as urban legends. “The Athens Asylum,” produced in 2004, provides truth about The Ridges as Halloween ghost stories begin to resurface. The Ridges, now housing the Kennedy Museum of Art, is regarded as a piece of history -- or mystery -- buried in an Appalachian forest, but the former patients and workers interviewed in the documentary see it as much more.
“The Athens Asylum” is a documentary packed with 60 minutes of interviews, photos, documents and film clips that reveal the tremendous amount of history surrounding the nearly 140-year-old institution. The production manages to cover every detail possible as it takes viewers on a journey through the mental health center’s long life.
OU students and perhaps even Athens natives will be surprised to learn the effects The Ridges had on the community and the campus. As recently as 20 years ago, students visited the asylum to volunteer, learn or just enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
Some of the most interesting aspects of the documentary are the stories revealed in its valuable interviews. Former workers and patients dispel and confirm rumors and share anecdotes of memorable patients and events that The Ridges saw over its years as an asylum. Viewers are whisked through history and along the way, hear of the alligator that lived in the basement and of course, “the stain,” the most popular asylum story repeated among OU students. Eyewitnesses share their accounts of finding a dead woman in that abandoned ward. Their stories are slightly different than even The Ridges Web site’s information.
As the events of 138 years echo in the voices of the interviewees, obscure photographs and film clips fade across the screen. The audience is drawn into the evolving world of The Ridges that overlapped with the Athens community as Model T’s bumble along Richland Avenue, and nurses smile for the camera.
The photos and clips alone are reason enough to watch “The Athens Asylum,” though the interviews are just as engaging. Both historians and doctors address issues ranging from the evolution of mental therapy, to how OU gained ownership of the land, to which places on the grounds were the best for going “necking.”
This documentary provides a professional glimpse of an important piece of the campus and community. “The Athens Asylum” is a great way to get the facts straight, learn new stories to tell and develop pride in the castle on the hill -- along with pride in fellow OU students. In short, it is a quality documentary.
At times, the background music is distracting, and some quotes go unexplained, but overall, “The Athens Asylum” will keep viewers’ attention throughout the entire hour. The DVD even has extra features to further satisfy viewers. A slideshow of current pictures of the former asylum and surrounding buildings shows what to look for if you have never visited The Ridges, and old film reels of events on the grounds tell their own stories. The DVD is sold at university bookstores and can be borrowed from Alden Library.
“The Athens Asylum” is about finding out the truth. Experiencing the documentary may help determine for yourself whether or not your friend really did see chains in the asylum basement as they looked through the windows that night.
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For more information about The Ridges visit: http://www.ohiou.edu/~ridges