Thursday with Langston Hughes: "Middle of Nowhere"
It's been awhile since I made time to go to a film festival screening of any kind. Not since college, and that was *clearing throat* years ago. But I'm really looking forward to a film supported by the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center: "Middle of Nowhere."
"Middle of Nowhere" follows a woman's quest to keep her marriage and her own identity intact after she drops out of medical school to support her husband. A husband who's been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Yeah, I know: whoa.
But I'm interested because the film is not a lecture -- it's a glimpse into the life of someone who happens to look kinda like me. That focus is unusual for films in general, and indie films in particular. It's distributed by the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM).
The AFFRM collective was founded in part by the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (LHAAF), a yearly event of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center.
Now going into its tenth year, LHAAF hosts nine days of Seattle premieres for films like "Middle of Nowhere" as well as work by local filmmakers. They've begun their call for work for the event, which re-starts in January 2013. (If you're a filmmaker who wants to apply, contact the LHAAF here.)
In the meantime, here are the details for "Middle of Nowhere":
In the words of the philosopher, the film is kind of a big deal: it's getting raves all over the place, including on Oprah's Twitter feed. And -- and! -- director Ava DuVernay won the Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
Does this sound like a movie you're going to see? Or have you already seen it (in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia or Washington, DC)? Tell me in the comments or on Facebook.
FTC disclosure: I'm partnering with the LHPAC on a series I call "Thursdays with Langston Hughes," generally published on Thursdays. I am being paid an honorarium for my work. However, all opinions and views expressed in this series are my own.
"Middle of Nowhere" follows a woman's quest to keep her marriage and her own identity intact after she drops out of medical school to support her husband. A husband who's been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Yeah, I know: whoa.
But I'm interested because the film is not a lecture -- it's a glimpse into the life of someone who happens to look kinda like me. That focus is unusual for films in general, and indie films in particular. It's distributed by the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM).
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| Photo by Joe Mabel |
In the meantime, here are the details for "Middle of Nowhere":
WHEN: Friday, October 19th to Wednesday, October 24th (matinee, early evening and evening screenings)
WHERE: AMC Southcenter, 3600 Southcenter Mall, Tukwila, WA 98188
WHY: Because you want to see more from the people who brought you "Dreamgirls." Because you want to see a film that's beautiful and thoughtful. Because the kids are in school and you can finally give something your full attention.
MORE INFO: http://www.langstonblackfilmfest.org/ and http://www.seattle.gov/arts/In the words of the philosopher, the film is kind of a big deal: it's getting raves all over the place, including on Oprah's Twitter feed. And -- and! -- director Ava DuVernay won the Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
Does this sound like a movie you're going to see? Or have you already seen it (in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia or Washington, DC)? Tell me in the comments or on Facebook.
FTC disclosure: I'm partnering with the LHPAC on a series I call "Thursdays with Langston Hughes," generally published on Thursdays. I am being paid an honorarium for my work. However, all opinions and views expressed in this series are my own.
Statement
I believe telling someone's story elevates it to importance by the act of focusing the audience's attention upon it. My work strives to tell stories of ordinary people as though they were icons of the dominant culture.
In my collage portraiture, I paint over photocopies of relatives and copyright-free vintage images, then layer elements to tell the stories I imagine for each subject. My materials include acrylics, fine art papers and ephemera, each element selected to advance the narrative.
In my assemblage work, I use repurposed cigar boxes as my substrates because I am fascinated by their history of being used to hold personal treasures and secrets. They are like small caves: sheltering, intimate, yet potentially claustrophobic without a source of light. I house the stories I tell within my caves with layers of textured paper, color and vintage imagery.
I see layers of memory and emotion within people like layers of an archaeological dig: compacted below the faces we know, supported and shaped by the strata of ancestors and experiences only half-remembered. But like ancient cities which survive into the modern era, fragments of these subsumed layers may still surface in daily life at unexpected moments.
I see layers of memory and emotion within people like layers of an archaeological dig: compacted below the faces we know, supported and shaped by the strata of ancestors and experiences only half-remembered. But like ancient cities which survive into the modern era, fragments of these subsumed layers may still surface in daily life at unexpected moments.
Arts of the Terrace giveaway: And the winner is...
Emily Cline, aka Doodlebugheart!
Congratulations on winning a free print of my work at the Arts of the Terrace!
Emily, I need you to email me two things:
Everybody else: if you're within driving distance of Mountlake Terrace, WA, I'd love to see you at the reception on Friday. Details:
I've been notified I won a prize -- yay! -- which I'll receive at the reception, so join me there and you'll be first to see it!
Emily, I need you to email me two things:
- which print you prefer ("We See" or "Impenetrable")
- your snail-mail address, so I can ship it to you
Everybody else: if you're within driving distance of Mountlake Terrace, WA, I'd love to see you at the reception on Friday. Details:
This Friday, September 28, 7pm-9pm
Mountlake Terrace Library
23300 58th Ave. W.
Mountlake Terrace, WA
I've been notified I won a prize -- yay! -- which I'll receive at the reception, so join me there and you'll be first to see it!