06/21/2026
We're proud to report that interest in this project continues to grow. Join us for another screening Aug. 16 in Winterville.
Washington-based nonprofit Alternative Stage/Haunted Pamlico is honored to announce that it is partnering with two nonprofits in Pitt County to present a second public screening of the documentary "A Peaceful Rest: Stories from Grave Keepers of ENC."
In-kind sponsorship of the screening is being provided by the Winterville Historical and Arts Society and the Eastern Carolina Village and Farm Museum. The screening will run at 3 p.m. Aug. 16 at the restored Winterville Train Depot, 217 Worthington St., Winterville. Refreshments and a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers and special guests will follow. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted on behalf of the nonprofits.
"A Peaceful Rest" documents a growing local movement toward cemetery restoration and preservation in eastern North Carolina. The film includes interviews with volunteers who are working to rescue small burial grounds from Ayden to Avon, highlighting their struggles to do the work they've chosen to do and celebrating the discoveries they've made. The film focuses as much on the individuals behind these successful preservation efforts as on the history they're working to save, while also pointing toward the work that lies ahead.
Alternative Stage/Haunted Pamlico premiered "A Peaceful Rest" during a packed event on June 5 at the Turnage Theater in Washington. Since then, the group has received invitations to co-host screenings of the film in other communities and is working to schedule those occasions through the end of the year.
"We're grateful for the public interest in this film," said S. Kruger, who co-directed the film with editor-cinematographer David Winstead. "The real interest behind this production is in the film's subjects, who are tireless in their dedication to grueling work that doesn't pay and carries little reward beyond personal satisfaction. Any value one may find in 'A Peaceful Rest' is rooted in its power to draw attention to the preservationists who inspired the film."
