Selma is in the midst of a rare moment is history.

Sure, the city’s history is marked by several historical moments, including the Battle of Selma and Bloody Sunday. Though, in re-enacting the events of the first attempt at marching to Montgomery, director Ava DuVernay and her crew are creating another significant moment in the city’s history.

It’s unlikely that another film with the crew of “Selma” will ever return. “Selma” has nearly 700 people in its cast and crew.

Selma is already the most well-known city with a population of 20,000 people, but the potential for tourist traffic after the movie’s release is tremendous. It’s as if a public relations agency has been hired to promote Selma.

Many of the complaints of area business owners about diminished revenue are valid, as the atmosphere of downtown Selma is significantly different.

On an average day, downtown Selma can be quite noisy, with dozens of cars passing over the Edmund Pettus Bridge every minute.

This week, portions Water Avenue are noticeably quieter. A few vans and buses pass over the bridge every once in a while, carrying actors and “Selma” movie crew, but mostly Water Avenue, from Arts Revive to the corner of Broad Street, is devoid of any human traffic.

Immediately after crossing the threshold of Ward 8, streets are filled with large trucks, movie equipment and tents. There’s a constant buzz of activity on the eastern section of downtown Water Avenue.

It’s as if “Selma” closed off access to a portion of downtown and began colonization.

On the southern side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge the pattern of activity is much different. A few hundred yards of U.S. 80 are closed off to public traffic. Not only are there dozens of actors playing state troopers, but on Wednesday, there were nearly a dozen actual state troopers preventing the public from getting too close to the production.

A few Selma and Dallas County residents seem to be curious enough to wander up to the edge of the production’s boundaries. Some even whip out binoculars, because the limits, at least on the southern side of the bridge, are too far away to see anything significant.

Just before filming began in Selma, some were unhappy about decisions to leave out Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Richie Jean Jackson’s house, Amelia Boynton’s house and GWC Homes, which were centers of activity during the voting rights movement. By focusing on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and closing off traffic to outsiders, the film crew is ensuring that a limited amount of time is used in the most productive way.

It may be disappointing for Selma and Dallas County residents not to be able to catch a glimpse of the extras in period attire, but soon the Edmund Pettus Bridge will be elevated to an international symbol.

So be patient, Selma and take in the rare moment for the city to be featured in a film that will be distributed internationally.