The latest on what’s happening at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, dispatches from the New York Film Festival and exclusive content from Film Comment magazine.
Environmental chic is so everywhere, that it’s impossible to be truly environmentally conscious these days without going to extremes.
Case in point, one Colin Beavan, aka “No Impact Man.” You may remember him from a New York Times feature from last year called “The Year Without Toilet Paper.” The much-talked-about article recounted Beavan’s experiment in no-impact living, which entailed no public transportation, no elevators, and yes, no quilted-soft Charmin.
This Wednesday, September 2nd, don’t miss the chance to see No-Impact Man himself at the Film Society as he appears with the filmmakers behind a documentary about his ambitious experiment.
GREEN SCREENS PRESENTS: No Impact Man
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 6:30pm Buy tickets
Glenn Raucher, Film Society employee and cycle warrior. Photo by Godlis.
Bike Month is near and dear to more than a few staffers’ hearts–the Film Society boasts a strong contingent of cycle commuters from 3 of the 5 five boroughs (including yours truly!). In honor of the kick-off of the Film Society’s celebration of Bike Month on May 5th, we asked the Film Society’s resident cyclists to weigh in on their favorite bicycling moments on film.
Glenn Raucher: “Breaking Away”: Amazing cast (Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Dennis Christopher, Jackie Earle Haley, Paul Dooley, John Ashton, P.J. Soles…) one of the most inspirational stories in movie history, and a thrilling bike vs. 18-wheeler scene…what could be better!!
And the dialogue:
Dad: He’s never tired. He’s never miserable.
Mom: He’s young.
Dad: When I was young I was tired and miserable.
Nearly perfect.
Joe Hsu: “The Reader,” when young Michael Berg and Hanna Schmitz went on a bike trip to the countryside, it’s like stealing time for a little bit of happiness and to get away from real life.
Marcela Goglio: My choice of film would be “Bicycle Thief” but also Ozu’s “Late Spring.” The image of waves at the end –drenched in nostalgia for a happy life that no longer exists– is made all the more powerful and sad by the memory of past happy bicycle rides it evokes. Similarly, in Ozu’s “Tokyo Chorus” the absence of a bike helps infuse the story with both longing and sadness (the main character promises to buy his son a bike with the bonus he is expecting, but when he gets the bonus he also gets laid off and isn’t able to buy the bike). In these films bicycles can be a source of hope, comfort, companionship, pleasure, communion with nature and also a bitter and sad symbol of a life lost.
My own favorite bicycle moments on film have to be the “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” scene from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and of course, Pee-Wee’s grand excursion to find his bike in the basement of the Alamo.
We hope cyclists will gear up to be here for our May 5th Green Screens presentation of Veer, with panel discussion and reception. We’ve even got a special discount for you: $2 off general admission, if you bring a cycle helmet.
Produced by Felt Soul Media and Trout Unlimited, Red Gold is a gripping look at worlds colliding in Alaska, those of family fishermen, corporate interests and environmentalists. This is one film you’ll want to watch before you dig into another bagel with smoked salmon.
Which leads me to remind you about the culinary pleasures you’ll enjoy after this illuminating film and panel discussion. Savoychef Peter Hoffman will be on hand on hand after the screening and Q & A to serve up scrumptious salmon-centric snacks comprised of sustainable ingredients and wild salmon provided by Ocean Beauty.
Alaska and environmentalism are on the public’s radar more than ever thanks to the recent presidential race. But the issues affecting our northern neighbors are hardly limited to moose hunting and oil drilling. Produced by Felt Soul Media and Trout Unlimited, Red Gold tells the story of a group of small family-run fisheries trying to save their operation from the encroachment of a potentially extremely profitable gold and copper mine near the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed. It premieres at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on January 6th as a co-presentation of Green Screens and Independents Night.
The film takes in a wide range of perspectives from colorful local fishermen to corporate representatives, and paints a breathtaking picture of a point of conflict between small business and large, nature and man-made efficiency. “Red Gold is our attempt to give a face to the issue,” say the filmmakers, “and give a voice to the people of Bristol Bay who depend on this extraordinary fishery. We set out to create a different kind of environmental documentary—one that gives all sides a chance to be seen and heard.”
Red Gold is a film you’ll want to see before you take another bite of salmon, which is why it’s a good thing that we’ll have Savoychef Peter Hoffman on hand on hand after the screening and Q & A to serve up scrumptious salmon-centric snacks comprised of sustainable ingredients and wild salmon provided by Ocean Beauty.
New Yorkers clamor for hand-tilled morels and sustainably raised pork, beef and chicken, but can Long Island family farmers sate their hunger, stay green and also remain afloat?
You recycle, tote cloth bags, and carpool to work. But would you ever consider actually growing your own produce on your front lawn?
What is that green thing in the back of the fridge and is it actually…edible?
These are just a few of the questions raised by this month’s triple-threat edition of Green Screens. Not only will you be able to explore issues vital to foodies, locovores, and every inhabitant of Planet Earth, you can also stay for a panel that brings together both farmers and filmmakers for a bountiful discussion of all things green. Did we mention that a veritable horn of plenty of local organic produce will be available for sale after the screening? This is no average night at the movies, that’s for sure.
Buy tickets to see Farming the Future, Homegrown and The Fridge: Mon Nov 3: 6
The latest on what's happening at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, dispatches from the New York Film Festival and exclusive content from Film Comment magazine.
Header: Karen Weeks (design), Susan Sermoneta (photography)
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