Last night at the IFC, I walked tentatively into the theatre. The returns had just started to come in and it was hard to pry myself away from the TV screen downstairs—even though all the pundits, experts, and media mouths had little to say at 7:45 pm. But I went into the theatre to watch STF’s screening of CHISHOLM ‘72, an amazing film about Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, a self-described “mavericky,” African-American woman from Brooklyn who sought the democratic nomination for the presidency in 1972.
Chisholm failed to win the nomination and the film makes it clear that she was campaigning at a time when the US was never going to see an African-American woman as a viable candidate. When asked why she made the film, director Shola Lynch explained that she wanted to know why someone would enter a race, knowing that winning was not an option, but in working on the film she realized that winning, “wasn’t black and white, it was nuanced.” Chisholm ran because she had every right to. For those who may have said to Chisholm, you can’t run, I imagine her replying, “Yes, I can.” Her campaign was an ideological victory.
Members of the Black Documentary Collective, STF regulars and film-fans alike came out for a special evening of remembrance. It was a tribute to the late St. Clair Bourne, who passed away last year at the age of 64 (see NYT obituary). The evening began with introductory remarks by his sister, Judith Bourne, and was followed by a screening of his documentary MAKING DO THE RIGHT THING .
Some snapshots of the evening:
1) From L – R: Kathe Sandler (director of A QUESTION OF COLOR), William Greaves (who gave Bourne an early opportunity on the TV show BLACK JOURNAL), Thomas Allen Harris (director of 12 DISCIPLES OF NELSON MANDELA) and Sam Pollard (editor of various Bourne and Spike Lee films, not to mention CHISHOLM 72 – playing at STF on Nov. 4) – who all participated in a Q&A after the screening.
The Sundance Institute will always have a place close to my heart for their crucial grant to my first outing as a producer MISS GULAG. So when they throw a fundraiser, I’m not going miss it. Last night, they held their annual New York City gala at Roseland in the heart of Broadway’s theater district. They kindly offered a lower priced admission for the after party (and an extra discount to the STF email list) to make the event more accessible to the average indy filmmaker. The city’s documentary community was out in full force, as pictured here:
1) Well, okay, this isn’t a documentary maker standing next to me. It’s the brilliant comic actor Jack McBrayer who plays the NBC page Kenneth on 30 ROCK. I’m a recent convert to the show having binged on the DVDs of the first two seasons this month. McBrayer could not have been more sweet when I asked for this photo.
Last night at the IFC Center, director Astra Taylor unveiled her new documentary EXAMINED LIFE in a special screening for STF pass holders and invited guests at the IFC Center. The film portrays eight contemporary thinkers – including Cornel West, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Martha Nussbaum and Judith Butler – talking about their philosophies as they wander through the urban landscapes of New York, Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco.
The film will get a theatrical release in 2009. Pictured here L to R: ethicist Peter Singer who’s featured in the film delivering a memorable monologue in Times Square, along with STF host Thom Powers and Taylor.
STF regular Joshua Weinstein will be presenting his film FLYING ON ONE ENGINE at the Rubin Museum of Art (17th St & 7th Ave) this evening at 7pm. FLYING ON ONE ENGINE follows wheelchair-bound-aneurysm-stricken surgeon Dr. Dicksheet as he travels to India to perform free operations in marathon-like surgery sessions. Good luck tonight, Joshua!
