Mike Letcher, whose documentaries covered Alabama culture, dead at 71 Updated Feb 08, 2021; Posted Feb 08, 2021 Documentary filmmaker Michael Letcher's work often highlighted aspects of life in Alabama.Courtesy of Dragonfly Public Media Facebook Share Michael Letcher, an award-winning writer, director and editor of documentaries that often addressed culture and race in Alabama, died over the weekend at age 71. Letcher’s death was confirmed by author Frye Gaillard, whose collaborations with Letcher included work on his 2011 film “In the Path of the Storms.” According to information provided by Gaillard, Northport resident Letcher died after a brief illness unrelated to COVID-19. “In the Path of the Storms,” which won a regional Emmy, examined life in Bayou La Batre in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Letcher also won a regional Emmy for “Tuskegee, Alabama: Living in Black & White,” which was not his only work to address race and civil rights. Others included “God’s Will,” about Mississippi preacher Will Campbell, an early and prominent white supporter of the civil rights movement; “Coming to a Crossroads,” about Hispanic immigrants in Alabama; and “Journey to the Wilderness,” an examination with Gaillard of white Southern heritage and civil rights.