Young@Heart director Bob Cilman doing a run-through of the James Brown classic "I Feel Good"

As a gift to our audiences, Community Cinema presented the heart-warming and inspiring hit documentary YOUNG@HEART this past December 2009. Many of our over 42 free events included live performances. Exceptional seniors shared their talents and personal stories of courage, persistence, and triumph in the face of adversity.

Our national partners created unique ways for audiences to learn more about the link between creativity, culture, and aging. The mission of the National Center for Creative Aging is to foster an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and healthy aging and to developing programs that build on this understanding. Learn more about their public awareness campaign “The Art of Aging: Creativity Matters” and the center’s free online resource guide “Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit.”

WTTW Reception for young musicians and their families at the Chicago Cultural Center

Local partners connected our audiences with “on the ground” resources to turn the passion they experience during the film into action in their community. Audience members have said after an event, “I’m going to look for a local choir for my husband!” and “Made me want to join a chorus even if I can’t sing.” Our partners included such distinguished and esteemed partners as the Jazz Institute of Chicago, WTTW Channel 11, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (BMAC), KETC, the Missouri History Museum, the SIFF Cinema at Seattle Center, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Office of Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, and Project:Involve. Project:Involve’s mission is to foster diversity in the film industry and to promote independent film making.

Our events included many super seniors who keep young at heart by performing their talents into their 70′s, 80′s, 90′s, and beyond. Watch videos and see photos from our events.

In Chicago, jazz legends Fred Anderson, Mwata Bowden, and Willie Pickens who have all known each other for years spoke following the film. Mwata and Willie have made regular appearances and Fred’s famous club, The Velvet Lounge.

Pianist Willie Pickens explained that constantly exploring such a vast art form keeps one young at heart.

From left to right: Steve Martin (Young@Heart chorus member), Bob Cilman (Young@Heart chorus director), Danny Lichtenfeld (BMAC director), Jeanne Hatch (Young@Heart chorus member), Joe LoMonaco (BMAC trustee)

At our free event at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center we had the great pleasure of welcoming Bob Cilman, director of the Young@Heart chorus, and two members of the chorus, Steve Martin and Jeanne Hatch. Despite the worst weather forecast of the winter, about 35-40 audience members showed up for the event, which included a pre-screening meet-and-greet and a post-screening Q&A session. Bob and the chorus members were, in fact, the first to arrive — the trip up to Brattleboro from Northampton, Mass. being much shorter than they had anticipated. All the guests and the hearty and courageous audience members enjoyed mingling and talking about the film.

Seattle's Raging Grannies Keep Young at Heart By Performing Humorous Songs About Current Events

The Seattle Raging Grannies opened the show in Seattle with a few humorous ditties they’ve written about the issues of today. The Grannies say on their web site, “In the tradition of wise women elders, the mission of the Seattle Raging Grannies is to promote global peace, justice, and social and economic equality by raising public awareness through the medium of song and humor.” The audience in the crowded theatre applauded after each of the Grannies’ numbers. Though they rarely all perform together, the Grannies chorus has over 20 members throughout the area. They told us, “We sing out to gain respect for all persons and encourage everyone to grow above their prejudices.” Please enjoy a clip from the Seattle Raging Grannies performance ripped from the headlines.

Gloria Lockhart (63, in pink on the right) has the distinct honor of being one of the first African American women to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro

At the historic Warner Grand Theatre in the Los Angeles area, 15 amazing seniors wowed the crowd at a pre-film talent show. The show ended with a very inspiring senior, Gloria Lockhart – 63 years young – who has the distinct honor of being one of the first African American women to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She is currently the President and CEO of Toberman Neighborhood Center, where she works to assist over 18,000 people to move from poverty to self-sufficiency. A once aspiring Olympic runner, Gloria went on to compete in master track meets for the older American; and now kickboxes as a way to relieve stress. She was joined on stage by her 43 year old coach Michele.

During over 42 events throughout December, thousands of guests attended free Community Cinema events featuring the inspiring hit documentary YOUNG@HEART which was followed by dozens of senior citizens across the country who refuse to let their advancing age limit their increasing talent. We hope to have inspired more people young and old to join choruses in their communities and share their messages and passions through song.

Rodger Despres, a local Michigan paper folder, displays a 45-foot long paper model train that took him 1,500 hours to construct.

Our first free event for BETWEEN THE FOLDS took place at the fabulous Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, Michigan where Community Cinema is in its 3rd smash season. Emily Maurin, Community Cinema Producing Partner with WGVU, told us, “We were extremely lucky to have two amazing paper folders with us––Richard Alexander, one of the film’s participants, and Rodger Despres, a local paper folder who has constructed a 45-foot long paper model train. They each offered a different perspective on paper folding. Richard spoke about his artwork as well as his experiences making his own paper. Rodger discussed how he has used paper to engineer working train cars and tracks. He was very excited since Richard was the first paper folder he had met! They talked about how paper folding is almost a secret society that is just now emerging as a mainstream art.”

In the video below, director Vanessa Gould gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like making the film, how she worked with artists and a discusses a variety of issues related to independent filmmaking.

“Crease Is the Word!” Jim Ridley wrote in Nashville Scene about  BETWEEN THE FOLDS at the Nashville Public Library. “Vanessa Gould’s documentary has received rapturous notices for concentrating on the intersection of art and science that the ancient paper-folding art represents.”

Mary Delach Leonard wrote in the St. Louis Beacon about our event at the Missouri History Museum. “Watching a former sculptor in France fold a flat sheet of paper into a three-dimensional human caricature … is worth far more than 1,000 words — which makes “Between the Folds” one of those unexpected documentaries you have to see to appreciate.” Read more>>

In St. Louis, approximately 340 people showed up for the viewing of the film at the Missouri History Museum. Sydney Meyer of Community Cinema Producing Partner KETC said, “I was amazed watching the diversity of people fill the auditorium and overflow onto the steps and the sides of the theater. People of all ages laughed and clapped at various parts of the film, signaling they understood what the artists were trying to communicate to them. After the film, the fun continued as more than 120 folks stayed to try their hand at paper-folding with artist Sugi Taylor. There was a lot of laughter and concentration as people attempted to make a paper box and bird.”  As I walked around the tables, I heard comments like “I thought the simple figures would be easier. Now I admire the film artists even more!” or “I loved the film and I am amazed I can make this figure out of almost nothing… one simple square of paper.”

Director Vanessa Gould spent 3 days at 3 Community Cinema events in The Los Angeles area, and we were so lucky that she took time to write about it.

“…I entered the room [at LA’s Pitches Detention Center] with Deputy Bates and a few other staff members just as [the prisoners] had finished the film. …It was quite possibly the most enthusiastic reception the film has ever seen: a room brimming with almost-rowdy excitement and big smiles, a few thumbs up and hands on hearts. Even some paper hats and paper stars made out of the local county newspaper were floating around. There were far more questions and comments than we had time for. After about 20 questions, we all folded a simple model of a fox. I tried to remind them that if anyone made a mistake it was okay. They could try again. One of the good things about paperfolding is you can start over. More chances are possible.” And, with that apt metaphor the afternoon was clearly a success. Community Cinema hopes to bring more films to prisoners through our new partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Read Vanessa’s complete post here.

Members of the Puget Area Paperfolding Enthusiasts Roundtable (PAPER) assisted audience members in folding a range of origami pieces in Seattle at the SIFF Cinema. PAPER founder Mark Morden spoke about paperfolding after the event while the audience members folded all around him.

Even months after BETWEEN THE FOLDS screened for thousands at Community Cinema, and aired nationally for millions on PBS, the film’s impact continued.

Lois Vossen, series producer of Independent Lens and Vice President of ITVS, attended the Peabody Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, where the film Between the Folds won the prestigious award. Ms. Vossen  talks about the unprecedented evening:

From L to R: Vanessa Gould, Lois Vossen and Margaret Brown at the Peabody Awards Ceremony

The 69th Annual Peabody Awards ceremony, hosted by Diane Sawyer, marked the third consecutive year that Independent Lens received two Peabody Awards in one year, perhaps the only television series to ever achieve this honor.

Dr. Susan Douglas, the chair of the Peabody Awards Board, said that the 34 honorees were selected from nearly 1,200 finalists, confirming that the Peabody selection process is perhaps the most rigorous of any of the top industry awards.

Vanessa Gould received a Peabody Award for Between the Folds, her first film, a film exploring the intersection of fine art and science embodied in the practice of origami.

In what surely must be a Peabody first, paper-folding artist Robert Lang created a true-to-scale origami Peabody statuette that everyone at the ceremony admired — though I don’t think there were any offers to trade it for a real Peabody statuette.

Kembrew McLeod, co-producer of COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS, answers questions from the audience with Tony Berman of Berman Entertainment and Technology Law, who is featured in the film.

For more than 30 years, as hip-hop evolved from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry, hip-hop performers and producers have been reusing portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. But when lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.” Through interviews with many of hip-hop music’s founding figures—like Public Enemy, De La Soul and Digital Underground—along with emerging artists such as audiovisual remixers Eclectic Method, COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS by Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod illuminates both sides of the debate, from traditional musicians who view sampling as pillaging to those who argue that the practice of borrowing is by no means new nor is it unique to hip-hop or even music: Think of Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans.

With OVER 50 free screening events from coast to coast audiences were able to sample the flavor of hip-hip and electronic music first-hand from some of the subjects featured in the film. The Philadelphia event featured worldwide DJ sensation based in Philly, RJD2 (RJ Krohn – pictured to the right, on the left). The photo is a TwitPic uploaded live from the event.  Our event in Oakland welcomed DJ legend Jeff Chang. Local hip-hop radio DJs hosted events in St. Louis and Seattle. In Seattle, KUBE 93 FM DJ Hyphen who co-hosts “Sunday Night Sound Session” introduced the film. “Sunday Night Sound Session” airs every Sunday night at 10:45 PM. “J. Moore and I offer listeners the newest, dopest hip-hop from all around the country, including local music from our own backyard,” boasts DJ Hyphen. Tune in around the Puget Sound Region or online worldwide. DJ Hypen introduced COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS and left the audience with some things to think about while watching the film.

Read on for more video clips, photos, and community connections.

Northwestern University law professor Peter DiCola.

Our guest speaker at the Community Cinema event in Evanston, Illinois was Northwestern University law professor Peter DiCola, who co-authored the forthcoming book Creative License: The Culture and Law of Digital Sampling with filmmaker Kembrew McLeod.

We could not have asked for a better guest speaker when it comes to questions of copyright. DiCola was able to give in-depth answers that helped the audience understand legal issues in a clear and engaging manner.

In St. Louis, DJ Alejan talks about how the film exposes the many layers and areas of sampling that have never previously been explored on film.

Find more videos like this on Community Cinema Series St. Louis

Community Cinema partnered with Future of Music Coalition to present COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS. Future of Music Coalition encouraged discussions about sampling and more as part of their 8th Policy Summit in Washington DC in early October 2009. Community Cinema Regional Outreach Coordinator Michon Boston explains, “Fair use is … described for documentary makers, as follows:

Fair Use is the right, in some circumstances, to quote copyrighted material without asking permission or paying for it. It is a crucial feature of copyright law. In fact, it is what keeps copyright from being censorship. You can invoke fair use when the value to the public of what you are saying outweighs the cost to the private owner of the copyright.

– Source: “Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use”

Boston continues during her chat with Kembrew McLeod, “When it came to fair use, he appeared cautious about their selection process for COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS.”

McLeod said, “We didn’t want to ruin it for people following us through the door.”

Speakers and audience members in St. Louis feel the music after the film an discussion.

For the hundreds of people who attended our free screening events for COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS nationwide, McLeod and Frazen busted the door open for musicians, artists, and others to explore the myriad aspects and themes of sampling, borrowing, mashing-up, and paying tribute. Now get out there and make some music. Holla!

I just completed my first full season of Community Cinema — that’s 18 screenings, with more than 30 community partners, 40 panelists, and more than 1,000 audience members.

A DJ spins at the Copyright Criminals screening in Oakland

Copyright Criminals brought out some of our most energetic and diverse viewers. People flooded into the theater and almost immediately lost themselves in the music.  Maybe it’s because I’m a hip hop fan, but having youth DJs mixing Lauryn Hill and Tribe Called Quest started my night off right. Law students, hip hop enthusiasts, teenagers, established authors, and DJs all contributed to conversations about artistic expression, creative ownership, and the overall impact on hip hop.

Last Christmas brought out some of the Bay Area’s finest musical gifts for Young@Heart, in the form of two legendary jazz and blues artists, Margie Baker and Craig Horton. The film gave us a chance to re-introduce our audiences to musical talents in the Bay Area with more than 40 years in the game; performers who at 70 years young still sparkle onstage and have first person accounts of what the “Harlem of the West” was like in its heyday.

Artist, biologist, and origami aficionado — Bernie Peyton — at a Between the Folds screening

Between the Folds brought out some of the world’s premiere paper folders, renowned in the origami community. It is always interesting to stumble into a thriving community that you had no idea existed. Watching Oakland audience members learn to fold panda bears with origami experts Bernie Peyton and Robert Lang was truly heartwarming.  One of our strongest partnerships in Oakland is with DEAF Media, and many of the audience members who stayed to learn folding were students who are hearing impaired. We usually have a discussion component that is translated, but for the first time this was a visual demonstration and the students lit up.

Garbage Dreams brought out massive crowds, including one ambitious teacher in Oakland who summoned her elementary school students to the event in order to reinforce lessons on recycling. In San Francisco, the Department of the Environment was able to provide pictures of the city’s waste removal program in the early 1900’s … pictures that looked like modern-day Egypt.  And so as is often the case at Community Cinema screenings, audiences arrive expecting to watch stories from far and away places only to find themselves rooted in the pictures before them.

And it’s the final highlight of the season which builds on that idea — our community partners, panelists, and audience all participate on a volunteer basis.  They share their time, resources, questions and knowledge with each other graciously.  A most sincere thanks to all of you!  It’s been a great year full of music, art, and wonderful dialogue here in the Bay Area.

(left) D TOUR director Jim Granato and (right) June R. Wallace, Community Affairs Coordinator, California Transplant Donor Network at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Throughout the month of September 2009, Community Cinema presented free preview screenings of the documentary D TOUR. Each of the 36 events between September 1 and September 29 connected audience members with information about local organ donation registries and shared the stories of transplant recipients and the donors who saved their lives. The emotionally moving film follows indie rock drummer Pat Spurgeon on a “dialysis tour” as he waits for a kidney transplant match and tours with his band, Rogue Wave.  The film lead to many deeply personal and heartfelt discussions with speakers afterward. Even if you missed one of our events, you can still easily connect with the local donor registry in your area.

And, you should.  The need is dire.  Every 13 minutes another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. One in nine American adults— more than 20 million –have kidney disease, and most don’t know it.  Nationally,  about 106,000 people are awaiting transplants of all kinds. In the Puget Sound region around Seattle there are over 1600 people waiting. In the DC area alone, there are nearly 2,000 people waiting desperately for an organ to save or enhance their lives.  More than 3,400 individuals live in the New England region waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.  20,000 people on the wait list live in California.

Every D TOUR event gave audience members a chance to hear the local stories of transplant recipients, donors, doctors, nurses, and/or those living their lives while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

Washington DCJCC screening 9/13/09 – left to right Ellen Weiser (kidney recipient), Elaine Weiss (liver recipient), Jean Cook (Future of Music Coalition), John Odgen (WRTC), Ellen Blaock (donor parent)

Regional organ donor registries we worked with included Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network (Chicago), The California Transplant Donor Network (N. CA and Nevada), the National Kidney Foundation of Middle Tennessee (Nashville area), New England Organ Bank, Washington Regional Transplant Community (DC area), Louisiana Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency (Miami), Gift of Life Donor Program (Eastern PA, southern NJ, and Delaware), and Donate Life Today (WA and Montana). Each of these organizations can give you information about donating in your community. They also offer resources for transplant recipients and patients waiting for a transplant.

Through the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP^®) the National Kidney Foundation of Middle Tennessee in the Nashville area 226 people at risk for kidney disease were given free screening tests last year. The National Kidney Foundation’s nationwide KEEP offers free screening for those at risk – anyone 18 years and older with high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of kidney disease.  KEEP provides three simple tests that determine kidney function to thousands of people each month in dozens of cities across the U.S.  Pat Spurgeon’s story in D TOUR highlights the need to regularly monitor kidney health for those who are in at-risk categories.

In St. Louis we met husband-and-wife speakers, Keya and Darion. Keya was surprised to find herself a perfect donor match for her husband, Darion. “The decision to be a donor was very easy because I wanted my husband alive and healthy and to live a long life with me. The film reminded me of the importance of what I did as a donor.” For husband Darion, “The film triggered feelings I had forgotten. The film was like looking in a mirror. At 23 when I needed a kidney I felt invincible but this film makes you aware that kidney failure can happen to you or someone you know at anytime.”

Based on observations at our events and talking to our partner organizations afterward, we estimate that at least 50 people signed up to become organ donors with their local registry (including one of our own regional event producers and two ITVS staff members) at D TOUR events.  Up to 50 lives can be saved or made better by each donor, which means that about 2500 people could potentially benefit from connections made at D TOUR events in September. June R. Wallace, Community Affairs Coordinator, for California Transplant  Donor Network said after the D TOUR event she attended in Oakland,”The filmmaker captured the experience of just what a recipient, their families,  and their friends go through while waiting. The emotional rollercoaster of waiting for an organ is devastating.  My volunteers were so impressed to see both sides of  the process, and it gave them more encouragement to continue this great work they do.”

Panelist Uyen Le is interviewed for Saigon TV KJLA

Community Cinema’s National Coordinator Desiree Gutierrez reflects on a screening of A Village Called Versailles held earlier this month before an entirely Vietnamese audience in Southern California.

As one of the National Community Cinema Coordinators, I am use to hosting screenings with diverse crowds, but Sunday night I had the chance to be the outsider at a screening of A Village Called Versailles hosted by Nguoi Viet Daily News in Orange County’s Little Saigon.

The newspaper was the first Vietnamese publication outside of Vietnam and has a rich history. As it was told to me, the newspaper originated out of a series of letters that traveled back and forth between Vietnam and the U.S. as people tried to track down their family members and friends after the war.

Tiffany Le a reporter at Nguoi Viet reached out to me last month wanting to learn more about hosting a screening of A Village Called Versailles. She knew the residents of her community would want to see the film, but as she pointed out, they would not drive to LA or West Hollywood to attend one of our already scheduled events. We made arrangements to host the film at the newspapers auditorium in the heart of Little Saigon.

The newspaper had given us tremendous media coverage. We had a feature with images run a few days before the screening, and an interview with the filmmaker run the day of the event, not to mention a half page ad in the World Cup edition of the paper. Needless to say, the Vietnamese community knew we were having an event and they turned out. Nearly 200 people and four media crews filled the auditorium, and as I had been warned, I the only “Westerner” in the room.

Although I brought the film to this community, I was also an outsider. People could tell I didn’t speak Vietnamese (I am an obvious Caucasian-Mexican mix) and they would give me a welcoming nod, but few people tried to speak with me. When I went on stage to introduce the film in English, I was told that out of cultural respect, I should say, “Even though I am not Vietnamese, I love this film.” When I joked, I think they can tell I am not Vietnamese; I was informed that few people would understand me and as long as I said that sentence they would understand why I was there. With that, I was happy to oblige.

Reporter Kristoffer Kennedy of Viet Weekly, directs a question toward the panel

The film features both English and Vietnamese speakers.  Vietnamese subtitles ran while English speakers were on screen.  Watching the film with this crowd was a very different experience than with my typical “Western” crowd. This community understood the cultural humor and the true meaning of what people are saying, which can get lost in translation.

The panel discussion and community dialogue was also held entirely in Vietnamese. I was told that a majority of the conversation was focused on the current devastation from the BP oil spill, and the conversation ended with people talking about how their community could reach out to the New Orleans East community.

After the event, two men told me that they didn’t know about the situation presented in the picture or that this was happening to “their people,” and thanked me for sharing the film.

By screening the film, we shared a story about a community that received little commercial attention and that, conversely, brought a story to a community that is rarely the recipient of media attention. Even though I understood very little of the conversation, I knew Community Cinema had achieved its mission.

Last month filmmaker S. Leo Chiang participated in a discussion after his picture, A Village Called Versailles, played before for an audience of inmates at the San Bruno County Jail in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chiang offered his account of what was an unlikely setting for a film festival…

When ITVS emailed me about showing A Village Called Versailles, In, of all places, a jail as a part of Community Cinema screenings, I was taken aback at first, and then I was excited. I had never been inside a jail, and I wasn’t about to pass up the chance. I am, after all, a documentary filmmaker with innate anthropological curiosities.

I set out to the San Bruno County Jail #5, which is a part of the San Francisco County Jail system. My ITVS rep and I clear up confusions about our security clearances, pass through many remotely operated thick, metal, sliding doors, and walk down long, non-descript hallways. I see guards and rooms full of inmates in bright orange jumpsuits. So far, the experience looks a lot like a scene out of Oz on HBO.

We are here to present the film to students in classrooms of a pioneer Charter high school inside the San Francisco County jails, the Five Keys Charter School. The inmates take classes from inside the jail with the aim of getting their high school diplomas.

I enter the classroom and am nervous. The students had seen my film the day prior, and I’m there to answer questions and discuss their reactions to the film. I wonder if anyone would even speak or, let alone, raise a hand to ask a question. Or, will they just be rowdy? Will the session disintegrate into chaos?

After the first question, I start to loosen up. The students are compelled by the images on the screen, and they want to share their thoughts. One Vietnamese American inmate speaks about the refugee experience that he and his family went through. Many other students obviously relate to what they saw on the screen, a marginalized community being treated unfairly by the powers that be.

The discussion becomes livelier. The students alternate between asking questions: “What’s New Orleans like now all these years after Katrina?” And “Where did all of that garbage end up?” They offer up their opinions too: “I think the story is really touching, and you don’t have to be Vietnamese to appreciate it,” one inmate said.

My ITVS colleague jumps in and asks about the backgrounds of certain students and where they are from. Richmond, Bayview, Hunter’s Point — mostly cities and neighborhoods where polluting factories are built and garbage is dumped.

I often tell folks that a main goal for me with this film is to empower people from underserved and underrepresented communities to speak up, to fight against injustices in their own neighborhoods. Here, I am facing an audience of all different ethnic backgrounds from these very neighborhoods. I am certain that some of them are in this very jail due to the obstacles presented in their neighborhoods, which they feel powerless against. This is the very audience that I want to influence.

Driving away, I was thrilled that the response was far better than I expected. I don’t know how much the inmates took away from watching A Village Called Versailles. I can only hope that the film is able to modestly contribute to their outlook on life after incarceration. I read one student’s answer about what the film was trying to convey. He says, “even the smallest voice makes a sound and anyone can have an impact.” We can all take that to heart.

One couple in the audience, a retired teacher and professor who regularly show up for our events, were themselves survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Even before the film they spoke with me and said how much they enjoyed Community Cinema, “We support Public Television and these events assure us that are money is being put to good use! They are so educational especially the discussions which Jim [KETC producer] facilitates so well. Thank you.”

A village called Versailles rises from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina

The audience talked a lot after the film. Many felt the film had great impact was very emotional and showed the power a group of people can have when united for a common cause. The Vietnamese residents of Versailles in the film inspired Denise DeCou a panelist representing The National Conference for Community and Justice. It was a group who started out with no voice, not even on the area map, and rose up to be leaders and cause change for their community. She said, “It inspires and gives hope to our own region which struggles with racial issues, that we can empower people to lead and cause changes too.” Jennifer Kapczunski, professor from Washington University, felt the key issue in the film was how communities are defined. Communities can be erased from a region’s map unless they come together and create a powerful voice directed at the political persons in charge.

Power is embodied by organizing as a neighborhood around a key issue. In our own community there are groups that are forgotten and ignored. “The most interesting thing in this film is how the youth became so involved and that is key to a communitys survival.” Two other key points embodied in this film were the use of home video in documentaries and how the church is central in many communities. Home videos in the right hands can enhance a film and they are having more and more of a place in documentaries. Secondly, Father Vien empowered the people to join together to cause change. He knew what to do, but he guided the people to stand up for themselves. The discussion ended on a positive note with an audience member saying, “This film embodies the American Dream. People came to America to better themselves, work hard and now the younger generation is carrying their ideals forth.”

Tune in Tuesday to watch the national broadcast television premiere of A Village Called Versailles on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).

If you work for a community organization, a non-profit, or dedicate your free energy to volunteer for a cause you feel passionately about, ITVS.org is an amazing and easy-to-use resource to help you to foster dialog and move the conversation forward.

There are many ways you can use our new website to access films that address the issues you’re interested in:

• Attend a Community Cinema or theatrical screening: Type in your zip code and find out when you can attend a screening in your area, often with spirited panel discussions and additional resources to delve into the subject presented.

• Search by topic: Right from our new front page, you can search our nearly 800 films to find the ones that speak directly to your cause.

• Drill down into our catalog: Narrow your search by region, genre, or television series to find the film that most accurately suits your needs.

And check out our new engagement section, where you can learn more about Community Cinema as well as our engagement campaigns that include discussion guides, printable posters and postcards, and more.

Dive in and let us help you get your community talking about the issues that matter where you live. And share your success stories with us!

A village called Versailles rises from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina

Community Cinema is having our own “Super Tuesday” today with six screenings of our May documentary selection, A Village Called Versailles. The film has been a festival-circuit hit all year. The link above will connect you to all of our upcoming free screenings as well as our free downloadable discussion guide. The guide will give you background information, a statement from the film’s director S. Leo Chiang, and resources you can use to support Versailles and your own community.

Please join us!

San Francisco, California at 5:45 PM
San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin St. 94102

Queens, New York at 6:00 PM
Al Oerter Recreation Center
131-40 Fowler Ave

Manhattan, NYC at 7:30 PM
East 54th Street Recreation Center
348 East 54th St. 10033

Rochester, New York at 7:00 PM
WXXI
280 State St. 14614

Houston, Texas at 7:00 PM
Rice Cinema hosted by HoustonPBS
6100 Main St. 77030
Event Web site »

Montrose, Colorado at 7:30 PM
Hosted by Rocky Mountain PBS
Montrose Regional Library
320 South 2nd St. 81401

Here’s a clip from the film.