■ The long-anticipated spring Port Jefferson Documentary Series kicks off Feb. 28 with a screening of Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen at Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson. Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, the film draws on behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Fiddler on the Roof with interviews and never-before-seen stills, capturing how this beloved musical made its triumphant, hazardous journey to the big screen and its unparalleled impact as a cultural force. Guest speaker via live Zoom will be Director Daniel Raim.
■ Up next on March 7 at Theatre Three is Youth v. Gov, the story of 21 young people, ages 13 to 19, from all over the nation and all walks of life who collectively sue the United States government for violating their constitutional rights by threatening their futures with the effects of climate change. Guest speaker will be Director Christi Cooper via live Zoom.
■ The season continues with Refuge, a story about fear and love in the American South, at Theatre Three on March 14. A leader in a white nationalist hate group finds healing from the people he once hated — a Muslim heart doctor and his town of refugees. Guest speakers via live Zoom will be directors Din Blankenship and Erin Bernhardt, and Chris Buckley and Heval Kelli, subjects in the film.
■ After a brief hiatus, The Automatwill be screened at Theatre Three on April 11. Chock-full of rich archival footage of old Philadelphia and NYC, this everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-automats film is a lighthearted trip through the history of Horn & Hardart’s iconic and innovative eateries. Guest speaker will be Director Lisa Hurwitz.
■ a-ha, The Movie heads to Theatre Three on April 18. The music of Queen and the Velvet Underground instilled a sense of destiny in three teenagers living in a small town in 1970s Norway. That dream led to A-ha: the synth-pop trio featuring keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, vocalist Morten Harket, and guitarist Pål Waktaar-Savoy. Featuring new interviews with the band and previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage. Guest speaker via live Zoom will be Director Thomas Robsahm.
■ Next up is Zero Gravity to be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station on May 2. The documentary follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station. Guest speaker via live Zoom will be Director Thomas Verrette.
■ Final documentary at Theatre Three on May 23 TBA.
*All screenings will be held at 7 p.m.
All tickets are $10 and are available online or at the event (cash only). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.The series is sponsored by Brightview Senior Living of Port Jefferson Station and Covati & Janhsen CPAS PC of Port Jefferson.
A behind the scenes moment in the documentary with director Norman Jewison (right) and Chaim Topol in the role of Tevye on the set of Fiddler on the Roof.
By Melissa Arnold
The long-anticipated spring Port Jefferson Documentary Series kicks off Feb. 28 with Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen, a homage to the beloved movie musical.
There is something visceral about Fiddler on the Roof. Whether on stage or on screen, it has a way of gripping your emotions and stirring up memories like few other musicals can.
Based on the story Tevye the Dairyman by Sholem Aleichem, the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof opened in 1964 and became the first musical to run for more than 3,000 performances. The epic, three-hour film adaptation came along in 1971, and quickly earned accolades as the highest-grossing movie of that year.
Rosalind Harris (Tzeitel)
Nearly 50 years later, filmmaker Daniel Raim set out to document all that he could about the film through the eyes of its cast and crew. Along the way, he explored what Jewish culture, faith and family ties mean to him in the present day.
The finished product, “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen,” is narrated by actor Jeff Goldblum and presented by Zeitgeist Films.
“I brought a lot of curiosity into my exploration of Fiddler on the Roof,” said Raim, who lives in Los Angeles. “It wasn’t just about what makes [director] Norman Jewison’s film so great, but what Norman Jewison’s personal and spiritual journey was like in the process of making it.”
Raim’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and his parents met in Israel, where he moved as a teenager. While there, he attended an art-focused high school and, upon graduation, began to make documentaries for the Israeli Defense Force during his required time of military service. He later returned to the United States and attended the American Film Institute.
As for Fiddler on the Roof, Raim recalled watching it for the first time at his grandparents’ house.
“My great-grandparents died in the Holocaust, and when I was watching Fiddler with my grandparents, a portrait of them hung on the wall. My great-grandfather was a kosher butcher and a rabbi, and my grandfather took me to synagogue and taught me about their values,’ he recalled.
“I was so moved watching it with them — it felt like I was looking at a realistic portrait of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia in 1905, what life might have been like for my great-grandparents’ generation as they wrestled with changing times and anti-Semitism. I had a very specific connection to it and began to ask questions: Who am I? Where do I come from? How did my family live? It made it very meaningful to me.”
Ironically, director Norman Jewison wasn’t Jewish at all. Despite this, he had a deep desire from early childhood to learn more about Jewish culture, especially as he faced harassment because of his last name.
Neva Small (Chava)
It took Raim more than 10 years to complete the film as he traveled the world interviewing the cast and production team. The 88-minute documentary offers an intimate, heartfelt peek inside the memories and creative process of Chaim Topol (Tevye), Rosalind Harris (Tzeitel), Michele Marsh (Hodel) and Neva Small (Chava), among others. The film also includes behind-the-scenes footage and thoughts from production designer Robert F. Boyle, lyricist Sheldon Harnick and renowned composer John Williams.
Raim made a point of showing just how much effort and research went into developing the Fiddler film, so that it could be as authentic as possible. Norman Jewison and John Williams traveled to Israel for a research trip before production began, where Williams pored over Yiddish archives and music. In the documentary, Williams shares what he learned about different types of music that were meaningful in that era and culture, and about the importance of the fiddle in a musical and historical context.
Similarly, producer Robert Boyle had to research what life was like in a shtetl, or small Jewish community. It was a difficult process, as the shtetls were targeted and destroyed during the Holocaust. Despite this, Boyle was able to faithfully recreate a Jewish painted synagogue based on the very little information he could find.
The attention to detail and commitment to authenticity is only part of what makes Fiddler on the Roof so enduring, Raim said.
“I think the appeal of the stories by Sholem Aleichem, up through the Broadway musical and the film, is that their themes and issues are universal — the breaking down of traditions, the relationships and tensions between family members,” he said. “Everyone can relate to it. You have these beautiful narratives with complex, fun characters, and it can be both joyous and heartbreaking. And then for Jewish audiences, it’s almost like an origin story that they can see themselves and their families in.”
While many in the film industry faced life-altering changes during the pandemic, Raim used his downtime as the final push to complete the documentary.
Michele Marsh (Hodel)
“At the start of the pandemic, I began to collaborate with Michael Sragow, who was the co-writer, co-producer and lead researcher, and producer Sasha Burman. The three of us worked together over Zoom during the lockdown. I thought, now is the time to pull out the juiciest archival footage and interviews I’d ever shot and start working on and shaping them. I really feel like thanks to the pandemic I could really focus on this film, and I was blessed to be able to continue filming original interviews in 2021.”
Production was completed this past December, making the Port Jefferson Documentary Series one of the first showings with an audience.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series began in 2006 with a group of friends around a dining room table. The series has since won the title of Best Film Festival on Long Island for six consecutive years.
“When I screen a film, I need to experience an emotional connection before I share it with my board members, and one doesn’t need to be Jewish to appreciate Fiddler on the Roof,” said Barbara Sverd, co-director of the twice-yearly Port Jefferson Documentary Series.
“Why is it so successful? I think it’s because it’s about average, everyday people trying to make a living, trying to keep old traditions alive, trying to fit into an ever-changing world they may not understand and leaving the Old World behind for an unknown future. But its broader message is about hope, faith and acceptance,” she said.
“We are proud to present Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen as a sneak peek before its theatrical premiere and as a welcome back to our Long Island audience. It’s the first in our upcoming Spring Series, and we are thrilled to have director Daniel Raim as our guest speaker by Zoom.”
IF YOU GO:
Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen will be shown on Feb. 28 at Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson at 7 p.m. A conversation with Daniel Raim via Zoom will follow, where audience members can ask questions and share their thoughts. All tickets are $10 and are available online or at the event (cash only). In accordance with Theatre Three’s policy, masks, vaccination cards and a photo ID are required to attend. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series wraps up its Spring season with a screening of ‘Red Heaven’ at Harborfront Park, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Monday, May 24 at sundown. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. A crew of six non-astronauts from all over the world, chosen for their ability to survive isolation, embark on a one year mission in the mars simulation station in a 1000 square foot dome on the red, rocky slope of a Hawaiian volcano in order to provide much-needed research for the future of space exploration. Bring a chair or blanket. Rain date is May 25. Tickets are $10 per person in advance by visiting www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com. Call 631-473-5220 for more information.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series will present a screening of “Ronnies” at Harborfront Park, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Tuesday, May 11 (rescheduled from May 10 due to the weather) at sundown.
Directed by Oliver Murray, RONNIE’S is a chronicle of the life of saxophonist Ronnie Scott, from poor, Jewish kid growing up in 1940s East End, London to the owner of the legendary night club, Ronnie’s. Glorious clips from performances by jazz greats spanning decades—Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, Van Morrison, Chet Baker, and more—bring to life this story of a charming, talented man who secretly wrestled with his own inner demons. RONNIE’S is a joyous, visually stunning film that seeps through your pores, melts into your bloodstream, and will propel you back to a bygone era that is nothing short of an exhilarating and nostalgic ride. Running time is 104 Minutes.
*Come at 7:15 for a special jazz concert featuring the Tom Manuel Quintet featuring musicians Tom Manuel on cornet, Ray Anderson on trombone, Steve Salerno on guitar, Darrell Smith on drums and Keenan Zach on bass.
This event is graciously co-sponsored by The Jazz Loft, Amanda Eckhart, Celebrate Your Home and Michael Ardolino Realty.
Tickets are $10 per person with advance registration required by visiting www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com. Bring a chair or blanket. For more information, call 631-473-5220.
The spring series kicks off with End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock.
By Heidi Sutton
The arrival of spring signals the return of a community treasure — the award-winning Port Jefferson Documentary Series. The season kicks off on Monday, April 5 and runs through May 24.
It’s been a rough road for the PJDS film committee since COVID-19 hit in March 2020, but the end result is a true testament to the resilience and staying power of this popular event.
“We started small,” said co-director Lyn Boland in a recent phone interview. Because of the pandemic, the team, which also includes co-directors Barbara Sverd and Wendy Feinberg, Honey Katz, Lorie Rothstein and Lynn Rein, hosted mostly virtual screenings last year as their usual venues went on lockdown. In the fall they presented two drive-in screenings on Perry Street in Port Jefferson and two socially distanced screenings at Harborfront Park.
The success from those events was encouraging and persuaded the committee to continue their mission.
“Those went really well and we really expected that we would be back at Theatre Three for the spring series, but that didn’t happen,” said Boland.
The film festival grants the committee normally relies on were canceled as well but luckily Port Jefferson Village agreed to co-sponsor part of the spring series. “Mayor Margot Garant really went out of her way to help us. Between that and funds from the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, we managed to put together a series that consists of three films online and five socially distant films in Harborfront Park,” she explained.
The selection process for choosing the eight films was also different this year, with most chosen from the South by Southwest Festival in mid-March.
This season’s exciting lineup will explore topics such as the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, Parkinson’s disease, seeking asylum, friendships, jazz, helicopter parenting, and self-imposed quarantine. Moderated by Tom Needham, host of The Sounds of Film at WUSB radio, each documentary will be supplemented by a prerecorded Q&A with a guest speaker which can be accessed at home on YouTube.
A highlight of the series will be the fourth film, a special screening of “Howie Mandel: But Enough About Me,” which kicks off the Harborfront Park part of the series. “We wanted to have a party to celebrate the outdoor portion of the season and this film is so delightful we decided to make it our showpiece,” said Boland.
“What we are really hoping is that people want the experience of seeing a film together again; people have watched a lot of films online during the pandemic and we are really hoping to get people to gather again outside in a lovely setting,” she added.
Since the film board’s formation back in 2005, Boland and her fellow board members have never lost their love of documentaries.
“There is something about an amazing story, with the footage from the actual event, with the real people, that brings vibrant real information to me. I think in this day and age, where everything is so fraught with “is this real?” “is that real?”, that there is something very important about seeing the actual people, the actual places; where for an hour and half, it’s the real thing. There are things we need to know, and I think that’s where we get it,” said Boland.
The first three documentaries will be screened virtually on Mondays at 7 p.m. with 48 hours to view. (See dates in sidebar) Tickets are $8. Register at www.portjeffdocumentary.com.
A special screening of “Howie Mandel: But Enough About Me” will be held at Harborfront Park, 101 East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Monday, April 26 at sundown. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 online or in person. Rain date is the next day.
The last four documentaries will be screened at Harborfront Park at sundown. (See dates in sidebar) Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 online or in person. Rain date is the next day.
Purchase a $50 Spring series pass good for 7 films. For more information, call 631-473-5220.
Spring schedule
End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock.
End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock
Monday, April 5 online at 7 p.m.
End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock is the incredible story of a small group of indigenous women who risk their lives to stop the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline construction that desecrated their ancient burial and prayer sites and threatens their land, water, and very existence. When the population of their peaceful protest camp exceeds 10,000, the women unwittingly find themselves the leaders of a global movement. Guest speaker will be Shannon Kring, Director.
‘Me to Play’
Me to Play
Monday, April 12 online at 7 p.m.
The film follows two veteran actors as they pursue a one-night-only performance of a lifetime. Dan Moran and Chris Jones, who first met while performing in A Month in the Country with Helen Mirren in 1995, are united by a mission to present Samuel Beckett’s absurdist tragicomedy Endgame if it’s the last performance they do. Coincidentally diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the same time, the actors find purpose in illuminating Beckett’s prose. Guest speaker will be Director Jim Bernfield.
‘The Jump’
The Jump
Monday, April 19 online at 7 p.m.
In 1970, off the coast of Cape Cod, Lithuanian sailor Simas Kudirka jumped from his Soviet ship onto a US Coast Guard vessel seeking asylum. Denied refuge by the American crew, Simas was sentenced to a Soviet labor camp for treason, sparking an international cause célèbre. As his dramatic case played out in the media and up through the highest levels of the US government, this ordinary man became a symbol for freedom-seeking refugees everywhere. Guest speaker will be Giedre Žickyte, Director.
‘Howie Mandel: But Enough About Me’
Howie Mandel:But Enough About Me
Monday, April 26 at Harborfront Park
An intimate and provocative documentary, the film explores the life and career of Howie Mandel, a veteran comedian, actor and producer, arguably most known for his battle with OCD and for being a judge on America’s Got Talent rather than for his considerable comedic genius. The film delves into his early years in the comedy industry and how he became a star on one of the most beloved television series ever, St. Elsewhere. Guest speaker will be Barry Avrich, Director.
‘Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation’
Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation
Tuesday, May 4 at Harborfront Park
The documentary is a story of two of the greatest writers of the past century examined in a dialogue that stretches from their early days of friendship to their final, unsparing critiques of each other. Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams lived parallel lives and struggled with a lifelong pursuit of creativity, self-doubt, addiction, and success. Giving life to the dialogue and a physicality to their relationship, Jim Parsons is the voice of Capote and Zachary Quinto is the voice of Williams. Guest speaker is Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Director.
‘Ronnie’s’
Ronnie’s
Monday, May 10 at Harborfront Park
Ronnie’s is a chronicle of the life of saxophonist Ronnie Scott, from poor, Jewish kid growing up in 1940s East End, London to the owner of the legendary night club, Ronnie’s. Glorious clips from performances by jazz greats spanning decades — Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, Van Morrison, Chet Baker, and more — bring to life this story of a charming, talented man who secretly wrestled with his own inner demons. Guest speaker is Oliver Murray, Director.
‘Chasing Childhood’
Chasing Childhood
Monday, May 17 at Harborfront Park
Overprotected and over directed, American children are wilting under the weight of well-meaning parents. This thoughtful film follows education professionals and reformed helicopter parents who seek and offer solutions for developing more confident, independent young people while restoring some joy and freedom to childhood. Guest speaker will be Co-Director Eden Wurmfeld.
‘Red Heaven’
Red Heaven
Monday, May 24 at Harborfront Park
A very timely film, Red Heaven explores what humans need to be happy, healthy, and sane. A crew of six non-astronauts from all over the world, chosen for their ability to survive isolation, embark on a one year mission in the Mars simulation station in a 1000 square foot dome on the red, rocky slope of a Hawaiian volcano in order to provide much-needed research for the future of space exploration. How does their mood and mental health change over time in this prescient exploration of self-imposed quarantine? Guest speakers will be Lauren DeFilippo & Katherine Gorringe, Co-Directors.
The annual Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson was canceled in 2020 out of an abundance of caution. Photo by Glenn Tinnie
By Allan Varela
We are living in strange times with the political upheaval and the terrible, deadly pandemic hanging over our lives. Every day we are literally battered with controversy and bad news.
There is one place of comfort, however. We find it in the arts. We listen to music and watch music videos. We turn on movies old and new and stream over the top shows that offer constant variation. We might even look at a book of visual art or search for fine art online. The arts are present when we sing a song together, when a family member plays the piano or guitar or draws a picture. Yes indeed. The arts are alive in our lives. But there is so much more to this cultural picture than the obvious I just stated.
Every day, in every way we live, our lives are surrounded by the work of artists. Look down at the chair you are sitting in while reading this story. That’s right, it was designed in part by an artist and created by artisans. Look around the room you are in. If you see wallpaper, it was designed by an artist. The color palette of the paint scheme in your home was created by an artist. The ring on your finger and the jewelry you wear were all designed by artists.
Your clothes — designed by an artist; your home — designed by an artist; the car you drive — designed by an artist. You see, everything you live with and in was designed to some degree by an artist. Everything you use to express yourself to the world was designed… well, you get it!
I am writing this as a reminder that the arts and artists of all types are hurting right now. It is easy to say “So what?” but remembering the impact the arts have on our lives should lead to “How can I help?” There are numerous not-for-profit organizations that need our help. Those of us fortunate enough to financially weather our current storm need to reach out to support these groups as they support artists, the arts and the cultural life of our communities.
These organizations have found ways to present engaging concerts online, to show documentary films that include a Q&A with the director online or make reservations to see an exhibit whilst keeping to community health standards. But the revenue stream for ticket sales has dried up and I fear that some of the groups will begin to fall apart.
The arts organizations have wonderful financial impact on our communities. Property values remain stable or increase in communities that offer arts programming. Every dollar invested in an Arts Council program brings back some four dollars in revenue from simple things like an audience buying gas to get to a show, to visiting a local restaurant for a meal before or after a show.
Cultural engagement is needed to keep our communities enriched and interesting. Financial engagement is what is needed to keep our cultural organizations alive. Please make a difference and donate, as you are able, to a local not-for-profit arts organization or museum. Even a small amount can make a big difference.
Allan Varela serves as chair for the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council which hosts the Port Jefferson Documentary Series, Charles Dickens Festival, WinterTide Concert Series, Sunset Concert Series and Fiddle & Folk Festival. To support or sponsor the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council,please visit www.gpjac.org/sponsor.
In a scene from the film, the Allman Brothers Band pose with Jimmy Carter at a benefit concert for the presidential candidate in 1975. Photo from PJDS
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series kicks off its 26th season on Monday Sept. 14 with an outdoor screening of “Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President” at the Harborfront Park, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson at 7 p.m. This fascinating documentary charts the mostly forgotten story of how Jimmy Carter, a lover of all types of music, forged a tight bond with musicians Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan and others. Director Mary Wharton assembles a star cast including Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Nelson, Dylan and Bono and fills the soundtrack with Southern rock, gospel, jazz, and classical. Bring seating and a mask. Rain date is Sept. 15. Advance tickets only are $10 at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com/ticketsvenues.
This past July, the Port Jefferson Documentary Series held a special screening of Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation at Theatre Three. The community came out in droves to reminisce and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock. As wonderful as it was, the sold-out event was just a prelude of what was to come.
From Sept. 9 to Oct. 28, the series will kick off its 25th season of presenting the latest award-winning documentaries to the community. Sponsored by the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council and the Suffolk County Office of Film and Cultural Affairs, the first film will be screened at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, the next five at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson and the final film at Stony Brook University’s Charles B. Wang Center.
Each screening will be followed by a Q&A session with guest speakers including directors, producers, the movies’ subjects and outside experts.
It is a labor of love for film board members Lyn Boland, Barbara Sverd, Wendy Feinberg, Honey Katz, Phyllis Ross, Lorie Rothstein andBarbara Sverd, Wendy Feinberg, Honey Katz, Phyllis Ross, Lorie Rothstein, who each choose one film out of hundreds to present to the audience. This fall’s picks were selected after the “film ladies” attended the Tribeca Film Festival, DOC NYC and the Hamptons Film Festival.
This season’s exciting lineup includes, in order of appearance, Halston, which examines the life and career of fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick; Clean Hands, the heart-breaking and eye-opening story of a Central American family living in extreme poverty; The Raft, a 1973 scientific experiment on the high seas that went horribly wrong; Cold Case Hammarskjöld, a journalistic inquiry into the 1961 plane-crash death of Dag Hammarskjöld, the secretary-general of the United Nations; Kifaru, the emotional story of Sudan, the world’s only remaining male northern white rhino; Gay Chorus, Deep South, which follows the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’s bus tour through the deep South to confront a resurgence of faith-based anti-LGBTQ laws; and Mike Wallace Is Here, which examines the 50-year career of “60 Minutes’” fearsome newsman Mike Wallace.
In terms of which films will tug at your heart strings the most, Lyn Boland says it’s a tie between Kifaru and Gay Mens Chorus, Deep South, “depending on where your sympathies lie, but they are on opposite sides of the spectrum.”
According to Boland, who serves as co-director with Sverd and Feinberg, this season’s program has been drawing rave reviews. “I have had people say ‘this is an amazing lineup.’ I think one of the reasons is that this season covers a really broad spectrum: we have fashion, we have a diplomatic mystery, the environment, a gay position, journalism (and the importance of journalism), and The Raft which is just so unusual. What’s so remarkable about this lineup is the breadth of subject matter – there is something for everyone.”
As always, the film ladies invite the community to “come for the film, stay for the talk” as the Q&As can get quite lively.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series will be held at 7 p.m. on select Monday nights from Sept. 9 to Oct. 28. Tickets, which are sold at the door, are $8 per person. (No credit cards please.) If you would like to volunteer, please call 631-473-5200. For more information, visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.
Film Lineup
Halston
Monday, Sept. 9
The Long Island Museum
1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook
Guest speaker will be Frédéric Tcheng, director
Moderator will be Tom Needham, host of “The Sounds of Film” on Stony Brook University’s WUSB
*Ticket includes admission to LIM’s exhibit Gracefully Chic: The Fashions of Philip Hulitar from 6 to 6:45 p.m.
Clean Hands
Monday, Sept. 16
Theatre Three
412 Main St., Port Jefferson
Guest speaker will be Michael Dominic, director
The Raft
Monday, Sept. 23
Theatre Three
412 Main St., Port Jefferson
Guest speaker will be Mary Gidley, subject in film (via Skype)
Cold Case Hammarskjöld
Monday, Oct. 7
Theatre Three
412 Main St., Port Jefferson
Guest speaker will be Göran Björkdahl, researcher/cinematographer and subject in film (via Skype)
Kifaru
Monday, Oct. 14
Theatre Three
412 Main St., Port Jefferson
Guest speaker will be David Hambridge, director (via Skype)
Gay Chorus Deep South
Monday, Oct. 21
Theatre Three
Guest speaker will be Bradley Meek, president of the board of the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus
Special performance by the LI Gay Men’s Chorus
Mike Wallace Is Here
Monday, Oct. 28
Charles B. Wang Center, SBU
100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook
Guest speaker will be Peggy Drexler, producer
Moderator will be Charles Haddad, School of Journalism
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series will host a special summer screening of “Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation” at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on Monday, July 29 at 7 p.m.
With never-before-seen footage, the documentary tells the story of the political and social upheaval leading up to those three historic days, as well as the extraordinary events of the concert itself, when near disaster put the ideals of the counterculture to the test.
The screening will be followed by an interview with co-screenwriter/editor Don Kleszy. $8 advance sale tickets are now available at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries. Tickets will also be sold at the door (cash only). For further info, call 631-473-5220.
7:00 PM Charles B Wang Center
Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook
Guest Speakers: Catherine Colvin, Marie Colvin’s sister; Paul Conroy, Photojournalist (via Skype)
UNDER THE WIRE is a chilling and inspiring documentary about Marie Colvin, the celebrated Sunday Times correspondent, and photojournalist Paul Conroy as they enter war-ravaged Syria in February of 2012 to cover the plight of trapped and slaughtered civilians in Homs, a city under siege by the Syrian Army. For Colvin, who constantly tested her limits in conflict zones across the globe, this was to be her last mission. Deliberately targeted by Syria’s top leaders, she was killed in a rocket attack that also gravely wounded Conroy, who eventually managed to escape. As he recounts in his memoir, Under The Wire, he reluctantly left behind many others in desperate need, but was urged to “go out and tell the world.” Using contemporaneous footage, much shot under siege and on the run, Colvin, Conroy and others recall in the film the terrors they endured, the events leading up to Colvin’s death and Conroy’s hair-raising and courageous escape. It is a powerful reminder that journalists who put themselves in harm’s way to expose the truth about war and genocide are not the enemies of the people but are their voices and champions.
Time: 95 minutes
Co-sponsored by the Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism’s Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting
Tickets are $8 per person at the door (no credit cards please). For more information, call 631-473-5200 or visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.
■ a-ha, The Movie heads to Theatre Three on April 18. The music of Queen and the Velvet Underground instilled a sense of destiny in three teenagers living in a small town in 1970s Norway. That dream led to A-ha: the synth-pop trio featuring keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, vocalist Morten Harket, and guitarist Pål Waktaar-Savoy. Featuring new interviews with the band and previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage. Guest speaker via live Zoom will be Director Thomas Robsahm.
■ Next up is Zero Gravity to be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station on May 2. The documentary follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station. Guest speaker via live Zoom will be Director Thomas Verrette.
Film Lineup
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