Category: 2009/2010 Films

NESHOBA a documentary by Micki Dickoff & Tony Pagano (90 min) 2008 Click on the image to the left for a full synopsis. “…the story of a Mississippi town still divided about the meaning of justice, 40 years after the murders of three civil rights workers.” In the summer of 1964, three young men went to Philadelphia, a small town in the heart of Neshoba County, to register black voters and investigate a church burning.  When their bodies were found 44 days later buried beneath an earthen dam, many people rationalized the men came looking for trouble and got what they deserved. While the killers continued to live and prosper, most townspeople remained silent, as if the murders never happened. Finally, in January of 2005, the State of Mississippi indicted the alleged mastermind of the murders, Edgar Ray Killen, an 80-year-old Baptist preacher and notorious racist. The filmmakers gained unprecedented access to Killen. For the first time ever, they capture the outspoken views of a Klan member charged with a civil rights murder and take viewers on a journey into the mindset of a man who, to this day, feels the murders of two Jews and an African-American were justified as self-defense of a way of life. Meet the Filmmaker! Virgin Islands resident and filmmaker Tony Pagano will be present to introduce his film and participate in discussion with the audience afterwards. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet this filmmaker whose career spans 32 years in the commercial and network broadcast industry. Mr Pagano spent 17 years at the ABC News Magazine 20/20, first as an editor, then location audio, and finally as their leading Director of Photography. Tony currently owns and operates his independent production company, Pagano Productions. NESHOBA, Pagano’s feature directorial debut, was awarded numerous prizes in 2008, among them BEST DOCUMENTARY at its premier at the Boston Film Festival and BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY at the New York International Film Festival. Link to full list of awards. “a disturbing peek at how little some people have changed, as well as an inspiring portrait of others’ determination to see crime punished at last…riveting.”  Dennis Harvey, VARIETY November 2008.  Link to full VARIETY review.

THE BLACK CANDLE: A Kwanzaa Celebration by M.K. Asante, Jr. (71 min) 2008 2009 Winner, Best Documentary, Africa World Documentary Film Festival “More than a film about a holiday, this is the celebration of a people.” ~ Maya Angelou Click the image at left to visit the film’s website. The Black Candle uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Narrated by world renowned poet Maya Angelou and directed by award-winning author and filmmaker M.K. Asante, Jr., The Black Candle is about the struggle and triumph of the African-American family, community, and culture. The first feature film on Kwanzaa, The Black Candle traces the holiday’s growth out of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s to its present-day reality as a global, pan-African holiday embraced by millions of celebrants. “A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.” Kwanzaa is celebrated annually from December 26th to January 1st. Click the image at left for more information about this important holiday. ALSO FEATURING: Master Drummer Eddie Bruce! Don’t miss the Live Drumming demonstration at 6:30 PM. Bring a drum and join in the fun before the movie!

THE HARDER THEY COME by Director/Producer Parry Henzel (120 min) 1973 “Gritty, ground-breaking and graced with one of the greatest soundtracks of all time…” Original Soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Toots & the Maytals and others. Click on the image at left to visit the film’s website. “With a piece in his hand he takes on the man!” One of the most popular films to come out of Jamaica, The Harder They Come was a triumph for the Jamaican culture and it gave an honest look at life within the ghettos. It also became a legendary cult film. Ivan (Jimmy Cliff) is a country boy looking for fame and fortune in the big city of Kingston, Jamaica. He has dreams of becoming a star in the new reggae scene. When Ivan gets to town, he finds out things wont be as easy as he expected. Come out and enjoy some great Reggae Music before and during the show! A Sing-a-Long, Pot Luck, Fund-Raising Event Food, Fun & Fabulous Prizes! Join us for our first annual pot luck dinner and fund-rasing raffle. Tickets: $5 each or 5 for $20. All proceeds will be used to continue the Free Film Series for the benefit of St John. Thanks for your continued support! Bring a dish to share and a comfy chair…and get ready to Raffle! As Always, the Film is Free!

THE UNFORESEEN a documentary by Laura Dunn, produced by Robert Redford and Terrence Malick (88 min) 2007 Winner Independent Spirit Award 2008 “The best film at the 2007 Sundance Film festival, hands down…” Roger Koehler, Variety The tragedy of overdevelopment is made painfully clear in this film that traces the ambition of a Texas developer and the threats his project imposes on the local environment. When the development threatens the local treasure Barton Springs, a fragile limestone aquifer and spring-fed swimming hole, the community organizes to fight back. Contains clips from interviews with Robert Redford, Willie Nelson, Wendell Berry and Texas governor Ann Richards. “The kind of transformative viewing experience that has made the current period a golden age for nonfiction film.”

A Special Screening at Cinnamon Bay Amphitheater, St John PROUDLY WE SERVED: Virgin Islands Veterans of WWII Produced for the American Legion in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Joan Keenan (56 min.) 2009 Click on the image at left to view the film project’s website. Veterans from the Virgin Islands faced unique challenges as they left a small, predominantly African Caribbean-American community to join the segregated armed forces of the United States. The surviving group of veterans provided a rich source of historical and social perspectives. The result of over 30 interviews, this important documentary provides insight into the lives and experiences of these veterans: their motivation for serving in the armed forces, their experiences with racism, their contributions and the effects of their service on their lives. Shot on location in St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Maryland.   ALSO FEATURING: THE ROCK/TRANSFER a short by Janet Cook-Rutnik and Bill Stelzer (8:03 min) 2009 “For amidst these crumbling walls echo a multitude of voices, and each has its own tale to tell.” Part of the “Facing Locality” exhibition at the Caribbean Museum of Art, The Rock Transfer is about the weight of history collective and personal as well as an attempt to reconnect the past with the present through a symbolic gesture in which an object that signifies the past is moved from one historical place (Annaberg Sugar Factory on St. John) to another (Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts in Frederiksted, St. Croix). The Rock/Transfer was included in the 4th International Video Festival of Jakarta, at the Galeri Nasional Indonesia, that opened this fall in Jakarta, Indonesia. SPECIAL GUESTS: WELCOME VETERANS! Please join us for this special screening as we honor Veterans from the VI and beyond. Distinguished guests will include members of Team River Runner, veterans of the Wounded Warriors Project, as they are hosted by our local American Legion Post 131. Click on the image at left to find out more about this heroic mission! YouTube video – Team River Runner, St. John kayak trip: Link. Wounded Warriors St. John dive trip article: Link