It’s difficult to ask for help. In 2009, when Clara’s grandmother asked her for help recording some of her stories, they started small with outlining and recording audio. When her grandmother became ill and passed away twenty days shy of her 94th birthday, Clara continued that help. The stories, film, music, and sustenance found in Helvetia create Born in a Ballroom .
Deep in the mountains of West Virginia, Helvetia has a population of 59 people. It was settled by Swiss families in 1869, and has managed itself a microcosm of preservation. Swiss food, music, and folkways are cherished as part of an active tradition. Recipes, music, and more can be found on their website, www.borninaballroom.com
How did you start making this film? Why did you make this film?
In 2009, my grandmother, Mütter (Eleanor Fahrner Mailloux), asked me (Clara) to help her write down some of her stories. Together, she and I started outlining and recording audio. Life got in the way, and we didn't get very far before she became ill. She passed away on March 9, 2011, just 20 days shy of her 94th birthday. A few years later, Jonathan Lacocque (my husband and filmmaking partner) was inspired to capture footage of The Hütte and to conduct some interviews. The content was wonderful. We decided together that we wanted to try to fulfill Mütter's wish to share her story so we began a five year journey into documentary filmmaking. The act of making this film and now enjoying and sharing it is my attempt to fulfill a promise. And Jonathan, along with so many other talented artists, helped me do that. While it's not perfect because Mütter couldn't be here to take the horse by the reins, I felt her presence in process often. It has been very cathartic for me and for my family.
What has Helvetia meant to you? How does it affect your worldview? How has it changed?
Helvetia is my muse and my solace. When I leave her for a while I feel slightly lost and more irritable. In fact, that's one of the themes we explore in the film—how person and place connect. There's a bond Helvetia has with a lot of people that encounter her. I think you'd be surprised how many folks who live here or grew up here would express a strong tie to this little village and with West Virginia generally. For Mütter, it was similar. She felt "possessed" by this place. She wanted the best for it and yearned for it when she lived far away during her 20s and 30s.
I'd argue that every human can and should find a place that possesses them. I think we'd discover a lot of meaning and make decisions a little differently, perhaps more wisely. It's nice to tie yourself to something more permanent like a place. And I'd also argue that the relationship is symbiotic and necessary. Just as we humans need a place, a place needs each of us. Helvetia has given me many gifts. And perhaps one of the sweetest is seeing the significance of each human and our connection to Earth. Each one of us is born in a ballroom. Aren't we lucky.
The film seems to position food as a central part of Helvetia culture. Who makes your food?
Yes it does. Mütter founded a Swiss restaurant, The Hütte Restaurant, in 1968 with her dear friend Dolores Baggerly. They knew that food traditions were important to maintaining culture and to keeping a community together. I'd argue that The Hütte serves that purpose to this day, over 50 years later. The food at the Hütte is made by a few lovely people including Debbie Sayre, Melissa Lewis, Kay Wooten, Henry Rice, and Rose McNeil. We couldn't do it without them.
What is your favorite food?
At The Hütte, my favorite food is the "Our Very Own Sausage Sandwich" with the addition of Swiss cheese and a cool glass of iced tea. It's pure comfort. I have delicious memories of my mother making us a half a sandwich and letting us eat near the river outside The Hütte while she washed dishes or served customers. I've even dreamt about that sandwich and that experience when away from home.
Have you ever had a pepperoni roll?
Heck yeah! The cook at school (I went to Pickens School) made them homemade weekly for us. It was a treat from Kindergarten through 12th grade. We didn't make them at home, but we would buy them for long car trips, as gifts for friends out of state, and for hunting season they're a staple in every WV home.
Can you recall the most enlivening event you’ve attended? What do you look forward to each year?
The annual Helvetia Fair is fantastic. Dear ones from afar come home and the community rallies to celebrate our Swiss and agricultural heritage. The Helvetia Fair has been celebrated for over 100 years. Each year, generations maintain customs just to show them off at events once or twice a year and The Fair is the grandest of those. We parade in costume, yodel, folk dance, play alp horns, perform Fahnenschwingen (swinging of Swiss flags), and show off our fall harvest. It's very hard to coordinate The Helvetia Fair because there are so few of us, but it's completely worth it.
What is Fastnacht?
Fasnacht is Swiss for "Fasting Night." It's a pre-Lenten festival where Helvetia residents and visitors dress up in masks, masquerade, dance and scare away Old Man Winter by burning an effigy of the poor soul. We eat Swiss, fatty foods like rosettes, donuts, and hozablatz—all traditional Fasnacht fodder. In the US a similar festival is Mardi Gras, Carnival in Brazil, and the list goes on. It has the same religious roots wherein the pious enjoy one more week of indulgence before they fast for Lent.
What kind of dances happen at a Helvetia ball?
Monthly, Helvetia hosts square dances. At those you will do schottisches, waltzes, circle dances, and polkas. At Fasnacht, the same dances are done. If you don't know how, we'll teach you.
What do you think keeps this tradition alive? Why do people still live there?
We're stubborn. We refuse to be lost and refuse to let our traditions disappear. A few ways we've been able to maintain some of our traditions is through the many events we host. The Helvetia Fair and Fasnacht for example, force us to continue to practice yodeling, Swiss folk dancing, rosette-making, and homemade wine-making. Furthermore, food traditions are preserved within families and by The Hütte. And perhaps most importantly, the community is very aware of the fragility of culture and how one must protect it. Local matriarch Betty Biggs always repeats, "We love progress just don't change anything." That's a fine line to walk and somehow we're doing ok. We could do better and I do have fears of loss. But I'll do my part to give my children a taste of their heritage with a hope they will pass it on.
For why we people live here, I think my possession discussion above speaks to this well. But in tandem with that, there's a freedom you can find living in Helvetia and in rural America generally. No, you can't pop out for a quick Broadway show, but there's freedom to be who you want to be, live the way you want to live, and an acceptance of our diversity and desires. The quiet of Helvetia, in particular, allows you to get bored and in that boredom your mind clears. I think people living here like that feeling and prioritize that over the ease of more urban living. Lastly, Helvetia is so small (roughly 60 residents). The demand on those residents to hold the community together is significant. Sometimes that can be overwhelming. But I think we all love to feel needed and Helvetia satisfies that tenfold.
For more events and monthly updates, take a peek at this website.
What do you hope people learn from this film?
I hope you see yourself in this film. Loss of a loved one, community, and food are universal experiences. And while this one is specific and unique to rural Appalachia and to my family, I hope it inspires you. And as Mütter proclaims in the film, "You've got to have dreams. But you can't just dream them. You've got to go after them."
Should people visit? Should we observe from afar? What does your community need?
Yes, come visit us. Donate your time to us if you wish either by taking a walk down our old gravel roads or by helping us scrub the community hall for our next event. Grin.
Helvetia can be your place, too. We're willing to share. We just ask that you leave her better than you found her, but please don't change her. Most importantly, there's a place out there that needs you. Find it, embrace it, and take care of it.
