Gloucester Daily Times
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/
Published: May 10, 2007
Movie producer excited about summer movie series
By JoeAnn Hart
Special to the Times
The following is an interview with Sarah Green, movie producer, Gloucester devotee, and programmer of the 2007 searts Film Series. The film series is part of "Seeing searts," an ongoing series highlighting the creativity on Cape Ann artists living and working here. The membership of searts, a nonprofit organization, includes artists, businesses and residents who support arts on Cape Ann: "a place that creative people gravitate toward." The mission of searts is to draw on Cape Ann's rich cultural resources and promote innovative collaboration to benefit arts and culture, and the local economy. searts facilitates imaginative programming, community arts education and partnerships among artists and businesses, and supports and promotes the work of local artists.
Sarah, tell us why you are running the searts 2007 Film Series.
I love movies. I am a total fan, and not because I know what superhuman effort goes into making a film, but because I truly enjoy them - highbrow, lowbrow, educational, silly - if the film engages me, I feel my $10 was well spent. But every now and then a film really knocks me out, and I can't wait to talk about it with friends. These are the films I wish everyone could see together and discuss, and the good news is that there is now a forum for just such a collective experience. I am privileged to have been asked to program the five films for the searts 2007 Film Series and to bring films to town that folks may otherwise have missed.
When do we get to see these knock-out films?
We've already begun. On April 10, at Gloucester Cinema, we showed "The Lives of Others," a movie I love for its heartbreaking portrayal of a man who, by listening closely to people very different than himself, comes to question everything he has ever believed in and lived by. The results of his change of heart are catastrophic for him, but the sublime ending helps us to understand how satisfying that kind of a change can be. It played to a packed house, and, with the help of Lawrence Martin-Bittman of Rockport, a former Czech spy who faced a similar dilemma, we had a lively discussion afterward. It was a very rewarding evening.
What's next on the agenda?
On Tuesday, May 22, we will show the documentary "Tunde," a movie about musician Tunde Jegede that I was drawn to for its purity, simplicity and beauty. The filmmaker, Ron Wyman, uses no narration, and instead lets the music and the musicians speak for themselves. According to Wyman: "So much of the music that we listen to - especially jazz, rock and blues - has roots in Africa. Bamako, Mali, where much of the film is shot, is like the Nashville of Africa." This is a joyous film, full of life, and to celebrate, we will not only talk with the filmmaker, but enjoy live African drumming. This will be a party!
Upcoming dates are Sept. 11, Oct. 23 and Dec. 11, again, all at the Gloucester Cinema. I have some ideas for the films, but I am staying open for something brand new to floor me in an unexpected way, as "The Lives of Others" did. You can be certain the films will be well made, smart and provocative, so mark those dates and join us! The films will all be followed by a discussion; either with a filmmaker, actor, expert or someone with a personal connection to the material.
A final parting word for our readers?
Yes. Go to the movies. The best part about this series is that it's a community event, in a theater, the way movies are meant to be watched. In times of war and political uncertainty, movies have historically served as a unifying experience, a place where people can seek out the company of others and discover common ground. DVDs have their place, but there is nothing like the dark room with the big screen and the big sound, eating popcorn along with fellow moviegoers. And you don't have to wait to talk about the movie.
Finally, I'd like to thank Gloucester Cinema for its generosity in providing the venue for this series. I'd also like to thank the featured sponsors: Renco Corporation for "The Lives of Others" and Gallo Productions for "Tunde." I am especially pleased that Gallo, as a member of the local film community, has chosen to support this series. If anyone would like to sponsor a screening or other searts event, please contact searts at www.searts.org.
JoeAnn Hart's novel "Addled" (Little, Brown) will be released May 15.