NEWSLETTER
George Eastman Museum’s Dryden Theatre will screen the free films on Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 1 to September 1
Rochester, N.Y. — This summer, the George Eastman Museum will present two free film series in solidarity with Black Americans and Asian/Pacific Islander Americans: Spotlighting Black Film Artists and Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Directors. All are invited to attend the screenings at the Dryden Theatre. There are 17 motion pictures in total, with the first screening scheduled for July 1.
Over the past several years, the Eastman Museum has responded to acts of atrocity by partnering with community organizations to present free film series at the Dryden Theatre. Because the Dryden was closed from January 2020 until April 2021, it was unable to present a film series in the aftermath of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude, George Floyd, and other Black individuals. During this time, the country has also witnessed a surge of violence, harassment, and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans. Spotlighting Black Film Artists and Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Directors are a continuation of the series of film programs at the Dryden Theatre under the title In Solidarity.
“Our core mission at the Dryden is to share the art of cinema that represents different visions, viewpoints, and cultures—not to commemorate more lives lost to hateful violence,” said Bruce Barnes, Ron and Donna Fielding Director of the George Eastman Museum. “Yet with so much fear, bigotry, and discrimination in the world, we will continue to offer films as a powerful means to raise awareness, educate, and spark conversation. These special film series, free to all, are one way in which we express our solidarity with peoples and communities under attack.”
In 2016, the initial In Solidarity series, Summer of Solidarity, was organized in commemoration of the lives of the victims at Pulse nightclub in Orlando and in solidarity with the LBGTQ+ community. The film series L’Chaim: Celebrating Jewish Life was in commemoration of the lives of the victims of the atrocity at the Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh in 2018 and in solidarity with all Jewish people. In 2019, the film series Salam was presented in commemoration of the lives of the victims of the atrocities at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center in New Zealand and in solidarity with Muslim people.
For each of the In Solidarity series, the films have been selected for their stories of diverse cultures, their avoidance of destructive stereotypes, their role in advancing inclusivity among film artists, and their presentation of exceptional artistic achievements.
Free Film Series
Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Directors
Thursdays (July 1–August 19), 7:30 p.m.
These eight motion pictures showcase remarkable contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to cinema during the past three decades:
July 1 The Joy Luck Club (Wayne Wang, 1993)
July 8 Boy (Taika Waititi, 2010)
July 15 Eat Drink Man Woman (Yin shi nan nu, Ang Lee, 1994)
July 22 In the Family (Patrick Wang, 2011)
July 29 Picture Bride (Kayo Hatta, 1995)
August 5 Columbus (Kogonada, 2017)
August 12 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long, Ang Lee, 2000)
August 19 Coming Home Again (Wayne Wang, 2020)
Presented in partnership with the Asian/Pacific Islander/American Association of Greater Rochester; the PRISM Multicultural Center and Global Education and International Services at Monroe Community College; and the Levine Center to End Hate at the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester.
This series is sponsored by the William & Sheila Konar Foundation and Nocon & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC.
Spotlighting Black Film Artists.
Wednesdays (July 7–September 1), 7:30 p.m.
These nine motion pictures, from 1930 to the present, feature exemplary achievements by Black actors, directors, and screenwriters.
July 7 A Soldier’s Story (Norman Jewison, 1984)
July 14 Borderline (Kenneth Macpherson, 1930)
July 21 She’s Gotta Have It (Spike Lee, 1986)
July 28 Cabin in the Sky (Vincente Minnelli, 1943)
August 4 Talk to Me (Kasi Lemmons, 2007)
August 11 The Story of a Three-Day Pass (La Permission, Melvin Van Peebles, 1968)
August 18 This Is the Life (Ava DuVernay, 2008)
August 25 Shaft (Gordon Parks, 1971)
September 1 The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Joe Talbot, 2019)
Presented in partnership with the PRISM Multicultural Center and Global Education and International Services at Monroe Community College; and the Levine Center to End Hate at the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester.
This series is sponsored by the William & Sheila Konar Foundation.
Visit eastman.org/Dryden for the full schedule and to reserve your free tickets.
About the George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States, located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Its holdings comprise more than 400,000 photographs, 28,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active book publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (in collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation . For more information, visit eastman.org.
PRESS IMAGES available at the following URL:
https://eastmanmuseum.box.com/s/daf18n5kuly3ubui0h6hba5z6oolvytn
Media Contact: Eliza Kozlowski
(585) 327-4860
ekozlowski@eastman.org