Community

Yesterday’s MoveOn “Banned Bookmobile” visit was very successful; dozens of people were on hand before the 4:30 program began and the crowd grew steadily from there. Nancy Damon, MoveOn’s local organizer/liaison, assembled a great group of speakers (and started the program off in great style herself!) and we got good coverage, including by CBS19, NBC29, and WINA. Before leaving mid-way (to get this newsletter out!), we got to hear “My Monticello” author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, Rabbi Dan Alexander, current HD-55 candidate/former Charlottesville School Board member Amy Lauferand Albemarle School Board candidate Allison Spillman (make sure your Albemarle County friends turn out to vote for these two!), Albemarle County School Board member Katrina Callsen (and our future Delegate, go vote for her!), and a surprise address by Greene County candidate Sara Ratcliffe (your Greene friends need to vote for her in HD-62). Still to come were Mayor Lloyd Snook, Senator Creigh Deeds, and Judy Le (all three of whom also need our votes, Judy is running for Albemarle County School Board).

Photos from the event are below (used with permission of MoveOn and GettyImages), and we recorded the remarks of Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, Katrina Callsen, and Allison Spillman and have those videos our YouTube channel (subscribe to see past and future videos like these!).

The Banned Bookmobile is on a national tour to highlight the terribly frightening and undemocratic attempts by extremist Republicans to ban books in schools and libraries nationwide; per WVTF and the Virginia Education Association, there’ve been 400 attempted book bans in Virginia this year as of September, and one public library almost closed due to efforts to ban LGBTQ content (but they fought and won that battle!).

Thanks also to Barbara Shenefield for making the great event poster (graphic to your left)!

 

 

 

 

The 2023 Virginia Film Festival(next Wednesday 10/25 until Sunday 10/29) features more than 100 films at the Paramount Theater, the Violet Crown, UVA’s Culbreth Theater, and the CODE Building.

The films are organized into different series and themescentered on important issues ranging from Black excellence and indigenous cinema to the environment and critical conversations.

Here are a few of the films we’re excited about — the first one a documentary about Charlottesville people from a local director!

1. Sometime, Somewhere (Algún Día, En Algún Lugar)

Series and themes: Latinidades, Virginia filmmakers, critical conversations, nature & environment

Directed and produced by Charlottesville local Ricardo “Rick” Preve, this black and white film explores the unique journeys and shared struggles of Latino immigrants in Charlottesville. It explores some of the many factors behind immigration, from climate change and poverty to drug-related violence. Set against the backdrop of two historical traumas—9/11 and the Jan 6 Capitol assault—the film features firsthand accounts and stories of resilience. The viewing features a discussion with Preve. Showtime: Saturday, 10/28, 3:00 PM. Culbreth Theater. 97 minutes.

2. American Fiction

Series and themes: Black excellence, page to film, critical conversations, Gala screenings, LGBTQIA+

American Fiction tells the story of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a writer whose works get little attention until he writes a satirical memoir about Black representation in pop culture—”Black stuff,” as his book agent put it—that quickly becomes a smash hit. With a star-studded cast that includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown, the comedy drama that unfolds as Ellison endures the consequences of his fabricated persona earned American Fiction the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival. The viewing features a discussion with director, producer, and writer Cord Jefferson. Showtime: Thursday, 10/26, 8:00 PM. The Paramount Theater. 117 minutes.

3. All of Us Strangers

Series and themes: LGBTQIA+, from page to screen

An existential depression confines screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) to his London flat until he meets Harry (Paul Mescal), a neighbor. The romance that blossoms between them inspires Adam to write a screenplay about his parents, who died in a car accident 30 years ago. Upon returning to his childhood home for inspiration, he finds himself re-meeting his parents just as they were before they died—asking them the questions he’s held onto since he was 12 years old. This dream-like ghost tale, based loosely on Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers, is directed by Andrew Haigh. Showtime: Thursday, 10/26, 8:00pm. Culbreth Theater. 105 minutes.

4. King Coal

Series and themes: Nature and Environment

King Coal comprises a collection of poetic vignettes that depict daily life in Appalachia, primarily exploring how coal became deeply intertwined with the region’s communities even after its economic dominance waned. A young girl learning the region’s history serves as a narrative pathway for this documentary, while poetic narration and archival footage provide historical context for the complex legacy of coal in the area. Showtime: Thursday, 10/ 26, 5:30pm. Violet Crown. 80 minutes.