Between The Folds
Unfolding BETWEEN THE FOLDS
In cooperation with OrigamiUSA and The Mathematical Association of America Community Cinema presented 42 free screening events for BETWEEN THE FOLDS a documentary by Vanessa Gould that delves deeply into the magical intersection of mathematics, science, and art that is paperfolding which is also known as origami. The film drew record-breaking crowds across the country.
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. › Continue reading
Community Cinema Rocks the Bay Area
Sara Brissenden-Smith, regional outreach coordinator for the Bay Area, gives us highlights from a season of Community Cinema screenings.
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.
Community Cinema DC: The Great Connector
You may remember our Washington, DC area Regional Outreach Coordinator, Michon Boston, from her recent appearance on WUSA9′s morning news. If you’ve been to one of our DC area events, you’ll recognize her as the person who keeps the movie rolling and the conversation going. In celebration of 4 years of Community Cinema, Michon shares one of her favorite aspects of working with Community Cinema.
If you miss Community Cinema DC you miss an opportunity to meet and mingle with some great people in the DC area who bring their knowledge, stories, and even listening ears when they take the mic for the Q&A. Community Cinema seeks out these experts, educators, and anyone digging deeper for more information about a sensitive topic. Sometimes we connect, they connect, and we all reconnect at future events.
At one of the DC area YOUNG@HEART events (l to r) Pauline Jakobsberg, Douglas Yeuell, Adrienne Price, and Michon Boston
For our first YOUNG@HEART screening at Busboys and Poets just a few weeks ago, we welcomed Douglas Yeuell, executive/artistic director of Joy of Motion Dance Center, which has 4 dance studios in our city. Douglas was joined by Adrienne Price, a member of his dance ensemble, Jazzemotion. Adrienne studied dance before life took another course (marriage, children, career), now she’s back. Joy of Motion’s motto is “dance is for everyone.” That’s no joke, especially this past Halloween when Joy of Motion hosted a ‘Thriller” line dance event from their H Street studios.
Pauline Jakobsberg is a founder of Washington Printmakers Gallery which has been around since 1985. Pauline is a printmaker herself and a teacher. She’s worked with seniors with dementia. Art has a way of triggering memories; and that was no exception in Pauline’s experiences. One member of our audience said all the people on the panel were “inspirational.”
It’s always a treat when filmmakers come to Community Cinema events like Kembrew McLeod for COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS. But this season I was glad to have a chance to work with Mazi Mutafa founder and executive director of Words Beats & Life, Inc. His organization publishes a dynamic academic journal on hip hop. Mazi and I have bumped into each other at arts events, but this is the first time we’ve actually worked on something together. Hopefully, there will be more to come. More people should get to know Mazi and the work of WBL, Inc.
We also had some dynamic lawyers on our COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS events like Peter Jaszi of the Washington College of Law at American University. Jaszi is brilliant when it comes to fair use and documentary film and video. He’s about to take it to the music level. Jaszi advised the filmmakers of COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS on fair use issues; and Ken Kaufman currently with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. Ken has a lot of music copyright and intellectual property stories in his book including getting the first calls from soul brother number one James Brown with complaints about hearing his music in the hip hop mixes. At the time Ken was Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and General Counsel of PolyGram Records, Inc.
An intricate paper box folded by DC area folder Gloria Kim
Sometimes, friends or relatives of friends save the day for Community Cinema like Gloria Kim, who has been making origami boxes for 3 years. I know Gloria through her sister Eugenia who just published her first novel, The Calligrapher’s Daughter (picked one of the Best Books of 2009 by the Washington Post). Gloria gave a hands-on, challenging, lesson on making one of her octagon boxes at both the Busboys and Poets and Mathematical Association screenings of BETWEEN THE FOLDS.
But the real reward for me is to see collaborations in the making after each screening. DC is a networking maze. How the business cards can pile up on your table. But Community Cinema provides a relaxed, informal way to connect firstly through the film, then across the room.
Malcolm Gladwell author of The Tipping Point and other best sellers called “connectors” – “the kinds of people who know everyone and possess special gifts for bringing the world together.” After all, isn’t that what Community Cinema is all about?
BETWEEN THE FOLDS Gets America Folding Paper
In cooperation with OrigamiUSA and The Mathematical Association of America Community Cinema presented 42 free screening events for BETWEEN THE FOLDS a documentary by Vanessa Gould that delves deeply into the magical intersection of mathematics, science, and art that is paperfolding which is also known as origami. The film drew huge crowds across the country.
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 writes in Nashville Scene about the upcoming free event for BETWEEN THE FOLDS at the Nashville Public Library THIS Sunday. “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 writes 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. › Continue reading
Fold a Turkey for Thanksgiving
Just in time for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, here is a helpful external video link to learn how to fold paper turkeys. After Thanksgiving you still have a few chances to catch a free Community Cinema screening of BETWEEN THE FOLDS about the art and science of paperfolding.
Watch the video trailer for BETWEEN THE FOLDS by Vanessa Gould and find your free screening event!
Community Cinema Seattle Partners With PAPER
Members of the Puget Area Paperfolding Enthusiasts Roundtable (PAPER) assisted audience members in folding a range of origami pieces following the free screening of the paper folding documentary BETWEEN THE FOLDS shown Saturday, November 21 in Seattle at the SIFF Cinema. There are dozens of free screenings of BETWEEN THE FOLDS remaining around the country in November.
13 Events in Two Days
ABSTRACT "CRUMPLED" ORIGAMI BY FRENCH ARTIST VINCENT FLODERER
Chances are if you live in the lower 48, there’s a free Community Cinema documentary screening event near you on Tuesday or Wednesday. Our free events take place in a variety of venues and locations: universities, public libraries, historic movie palaces in L.A., public television stations, the Frida Kahlo Theater, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Two Community Cinema films are screening, and as always our events are free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome at Community Cinema.
Boise, Idaho
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 5:30 PM
BSU Student Union Building, Hatch Ballroom B
University Dr. at Lincoln
Hayward, California
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Hayward Public Library, Main Library
835 C Street,
Hayward, CA 94541
Oakland, California
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 Ninth Street, Suite 290 (between Franklin and Webster)
Oakland, CA 94607
Find more events for BETWEEN THE FOLDS and also for COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS!
› Continue reading
In The News: Community Cinema Between the Folds
Crease Is the Word! Jim Ridley writes in Nashville Scene about the upcoming free event for BETWEEN THE FOLDS at the Nashville Public Library THIS Sunday. “Origami may sound like a flimsy subject on which to hang an entire feature, but anyone who’s ever won a bar bet by folding a dollar bill into a replica jet fighter knows that a little material can go a surprisingly long way. 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 writes 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 or a physicist create intricate creatures from single squares of paper 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>>
Paul Friswold writes in the Riverfront Times about our St. Louis event at the Missouri History Museum. “…it’s origami’s combination of complexity and simplicity that draws certain people deeper into the mysteries of creating three dimensions from two.” Read more>>
The Craftzine Blog and The Makezine Blog write about origami as the intersection of art and science. The post includes video clips from the film. Read more>>
David Pescovitz also writes on the Boingboing Blog about the intersection of art and science. Read more>>
Houston: Bring The Noise!
D TOUR director Jim Granato
This will be Julie Coan’s second season producing Community Cinema events in Houston, Texas. Julie is Director of Communications & External Relations for HoustonPBS.
So when I laid my eyes on the new Community Cinema Screening schedule I have to admit my first thoughts were, “Documentaries on organ transplants? Origami? and Copyright law?” How can I get people excited about those topics?
Then I attended the Community Cinema Retreat at the ITVS office in San Francisco in August. ITVS brings the Emmy Award winning series Independent Lens to PBS. I had a chance to watch and learn more about the films from people who were running Community Cinema programs in different cities around the country…St. Louis, Boston, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Philly, Nashville, etc….and that’s when I really started to get jazzed about this new season. And then we got to meet some film makers!
At the Community Cinema Retreat with Sally Rosenthal of BETWEEN THE FOLDS
Sally Rosenthal, executive producer of BETWEEN THE FOLDS.
Community Cinema Regional Outreach Coordinators and Producing Partners practice their origami folding skills after learning about the film BETWEEN THE FOLDS.
Community Cinema is the largest civic engagement program in broadcast television, featured in over 50 cities nationwide. Screenings are followed by lively panel discussions that bring together citizens, organizations and public television stations to encourage dialogue and action around important and timely social issues. None of it, however, could be possible without the support of ITVS’s Regional Outreach Coordinators (ROC) and Producing Partners, who organize screenings in their local communities.
Last week, ITVS invited ROC’s and Producing Parters to discuss the upcoming Community Cinema season and meet with filmmakers and ITVS staff. Sally Rosenthal, executive producer of BETWEEN THE FOLDS, shares her thoughts on the experience.
The Community Cinema retreat was another reminder how fortunate we are to be part of the ITVS family. We are even more excited about the year ahead when BETWEEN THE FOLDS, which looks at the ingenuity of some of the world’s best paper folders, airs on Independent Lens and screens across the country as part of Community Cinema.
I was struck by the welcoming atmosphere, and pleased to meet other filmmakers like Jim Granato and film subject Pat Spurgeon of D TOUR; for me, that’s been a rewarding part of being involved with this project.
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