KNOXVILLE — The East Tennessee Historical Society will present a sneak-preview screening event for Civil War: The Untold Story, a visually stunning new five-part documentary series narrated by Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey) and produced for public television by Great Divide Pictures. The event will also include a Q&A with the filmmaker following the screening. James Ogden, the historian for Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will briefly discuss the important roles that Knoxville and East Tennessee played in determining the final outcome of the war.

Premiering nationally beginning April 1, 2014, the series breaks new ground by examining the war through the lens of the Western Theater—including the critical, yet lesser-known battles of Shiloh, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Atlanta. Filmed with sweeping cinematic style on the very grounds where these epic battles were fought, the series recreates authentic scenes and features interviews with top historians to provide new insights on one of the bloodiest and most defining eras in our nation’s history—highlighting the battles, the causes and politics of war, the impact on Southern civilians and women, and the relatively unknown roles that African Americans played in the conflict, from enslaved to emancipated to soldier. Looking at our nation’s seminal event through the lens of this untold story tells us not only who we were then, but who we are now. The series strikes a powerful chord that still resonates today. This special event is one of 25 exclusive previews being held around the U.S. in cities such as NYC, St. Louis, Memphis, Atlanta, Nashville, and more. ​

The screening will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 2:00 pm at the Bilo Nelson Auditorium of the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street. Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Untold Story is produced for public television by Great Divide Pictures, which, in addition to numerous cable television documentaries, has created more than 25 films shown in National Parks Visitor Centers around the country. The series is sponsored by Nashville Public Television and will be distributed to public television stations nationally by American Public Television (APT).