Author: Andrea Leland

jflkasdfjasdofijsdlfkjasdflkjsdf Films from the 4th TRAVELLING CARIBBEAN SHOWCASE OF FILMS  Spotlight on CUBA May 7, 2013/ 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay Join us for an insightful look into contemporary Cuba.  Two filmmakers capture  stories of homemakers, architects, government officials, street-sweepers, and soldiers  – inspiring, controversial, and uniquely Cuba! OLD HOUSE : 93–min,  fiction, directed by Lester Hamlet A powerful glimpse into every day life on Cuba, Esteban’s return to his homeland of Cuba from abroad to spend time with his dying father reveals truths and valuable life lessons — not just to Esteban, but to the entire family.     CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS:  12-min, animation Pictures speak louder than words in this comical rendering of an important historical moment. Thanks to Elaine Ione Sprauve Public Library, home to the St. John Film Society film collection.  

sdlfkjasdflkj  RISE UP: STORIES FROM THE JAMAICAN UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE 88-min, documentary, directed by Luciano Blotta, 2009 You listen to Bob Marley and may have even been to Jamaica but you’ve never seen anything like this!   Follow three courageous musicians from Kingston back alleys, crowded dancehalls, privileged suburbs, and rural outposts as they demonstrate the raw power of hope in a place which appears to have forsaken them – although appearances can be deceiving. Welcome to the Jamaican underground music scene! In a society where talent abounds and opportunity is scarce, three distinct and brave artists fight to “rise up” from obscurity and write themselves into the pages of history. Featuring Turbulence, Ice Anastacia, and Kemoy, with appearances by Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, and Lee “Scratch” Perry.  Rise Up is a journey into the heart of reggae’s birthplace, transcending genre and niche, seemlessly weaving three distinct stories into one inspiring feature film that is both dramatic and vibrantly explosive. Whether you are a long-time fan of Jamaican music or want to learn more about it, there is plenty for you in Rise Up.  Acclaimed as a musical Hoop Dreams and considered one of the best movies to come out of the Caribbean in many years, Rise Up was considered by the Academy for a Best Documentary Oscar nomination.  Indie Wire says “Rise Up transcends the music subculture genre with abundant grace and style.”  Preceded By The Short: BROOKLYN RACINE 12-min, documentary, directed by Jeremy Robins and Magaly Damas, 2008 What happens when a group of young Haitian immigrants bring the enduring legacy of rara — voodoo-inspired marching music — from the Haitian hills to Brooklyn streets?  The results awaken a pride for home that takes even the participants by surprise!  PRESENTED AS PART OF THE 4TH  TRAVELING CARIBBEAN SHOWCASE OF FILMS

UNION MAIDS Directed by Jim Klein:  50 minutes, 1976, Documentary   March 5, 2013 / 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay Sitdowns, scabs, goon squads, unemployment, hunger marches, red baiting and finally, the energetic birth of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO): the 1930s were a landmark period for the American labor movement. Union Maids is the story of three women who lived it and make history come alive today. Oscar-nominated Union Maids is one of the earliest oral history documentaries.   Read more about the film Union Maids here.   SCOUT’S HONOR Directed by Tom Shepard:  60 minutes, 2001, Documentary March 5, 2013 / 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay Scout’s Honor traces the conflict between the anti-gay policies of the Boy Scouts of America and the broad-based movement by many of its members to overturn them. The story is told predominantly through the experiences of a 13-year old boy and a 70-year-old man — both heterosexual, both dedicated to the Scouts, and both determined to change the course of scouting history.  Scout’s Honor won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and Freedom of Expression Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival as well as Grand Prize at the 2001 USA Film Festival and Best Social Issue Documentary by the Council on Family Relations and was broadcast nationally on PBS’s Point of View.  Read more about the film Scout’s Honor here.   JOIN DIRECTORS JIM KLEIN AND TOM SHEPARD FOR A POST-SHOW DISCUSSION ON MARCH 5, 2013! St. John Film Society welcomes visiting filmmaker and New Day cooperative founder, Jim Klein.  Jim Klein has been active in the American independent film community since 1969 and today directs, edits, consults, and teaches film at Wright State University. Klein and partner Julia Reichert’s extensive filmography includes Oscar-nominated Union Maids, one of the first oral history films and the film that will be shown on March 5; Growing Up Female, the first documentary about women from a feminist perspective; Methadone: An American Way Of Dealing, the first film to challenge government policies on heroin addiction; and Oscar-nominated Seeing Red, the first documentary film on American Communists. ; Growing Up Female, the first documentary about women from a feminist perspective; Methadone: An American Way Of Dealing, the first film to challenge government policies on heroin addiction; and Oscar-nominated Seeing Red, the first documentary film on American Communists. St. John Film Society welcomes visiting filmmaker and New Day cooperative member, Tom Shepard.  Shepard produced and directed Scout’s Honor.  The Stanford graduate’s filmography includes Knocking, about Jehovah’s Witnesses and their contributions to medicine and civil liberties; Whiz Kids, about Intel Science Talent  Search competitors — a competition Shepard won in 1987; The Grove, about AIDS and the nature of remembrance. Shepard has worked at National Public Radio (NPR) as an editor for Linda Wertheimer, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and co-produced Listening to America, an audio documentary on the history of public radio in America.   JOIN US FOR ANOTHER INSPIRING EVENING OF FILM...

Surfing for Life Directed by David L. Brown,  68 minutes, Documentary, 1999 March 20, 2013/ 7:30 pm / Cases by the Sea, Coral Bay Ten legendary surfers weave a remarkable history of surfing in California and Hawaii.  Not just about surfing, Surfing for Life reads like a metaphor of  how to live and encourages the viewer to pursue whatever hopes and dreams that inspire passion.  Critics call it “wise and refreshing, told with artistry and a celebratory spirit” (Newsweek) and “A treasure, perhaps the most intelligent treatment of surfing ever captured on film” (San Francisco Chronicle). Join St. John Film Society at Cases by the Sea in Coral Bay — bring your own chair or sit at the picnic tables and enjoy Owen & Hannah’s drink specials, and local food from Reggie’s BBQ! St. John Film Society is partially funded by the NEA, VICA, and YOU!  Your $5.00 suggested donation is always appreciated! Find out more about the film Surfing for Life here. Thanks to Elaine Ione Sprauve Public Library, home to the St. John Film Society film collection. Special thanks to Cases by the Sea, an official partner of St. John Film Society!