The Cinema Lounge
On Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 8:00pm (NOTE the day) please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group.
TOPIC: Pick the Oscar Noms
It's our annual "Pick the Oscar Nominations." Before the Academy announces its Oscar choices, this is our chance to pick who should be nominated, and who probably will be.
"Barbenheimer" reigned supreme at the box office. Will it do the same with the Oscars? With eligible films by Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, David Fincher, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper, Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig among others, who will get the five Best Director slots? The acting categories are particularly crowded this year. Nineteen years ago, the Oscars honored Payne's Sideways with three acting nominations but foolishly snubbed Paul Giamatti. Now that Giamatti has reunited with Payne for The Holdovers, will the Academy rectify its mistake?
Please RSVP to atspector@hotmail.com and you'll get the Zoom link 1-2 days before the discussion.
The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 8:00pm online via Zoom. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.
A Conversation and Book Celebration with Actor Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith
By Cheryl L. Dixon, DC Film Society Member
Preface: There's another pandemic sweeping the nation. It's the mental health crisis affecting one and all. This article briefly touches on its particular effect within the Black Community, focusing on Black males and one Black man's personal story, illustrating his journey to health and wholeness. According to Dr. Thomas A. Vance (no relation): "The Black community suffers from an increased rate of mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression. The increased incidence of psychological difficulties in the Black community is related to the lack of access to appropriate and culturally responsive mental health care, prejudice and racism inherent in the daily environment of Black individuals, and historical trauma enacted on the Black community by the medical field." (Addressing Mental Health in the Black Community, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, 2/8/2019). He further states that Black adults, aged 19 to 25, suffer higher rates of mental health problems than their peers while utilizing lower rates of mental health services. Ibid. The National Alliance for Mental Illness further asserts that the global pandemic had a significant impact on mental health amongst adolescents and young adults up to the age of 25. Black men are especially vulnerable.
Courtney B. Vance: Tony and Emmy-Award winning, acclaimed actor of stage and screen (Film and TV). You may know him as the Preacher in The Preacher's Wife remake co-starring Whitney Houston, or Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O.J. Simpson. Perhaps you saw him on Broadway in Fences. Perhaps you know that he is married to actress Angela Bassett, and the father of twins. A Harvard and Yale School of Drama graduate, and head of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Vance is distinguished for successfully handling many different roles and making great accomplishments. Recently, however, he tackled the difficult subject of Black mental health stemming from Vance's own father's suicide and his godson's suicide years later. Along with Dr. Robin Smith, affectionately known as "Dr. Robin," a psychologist, ordained minister, and author, Vance has written a book, The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying their Pain and Reclaiming their Power, on these terrible experiences and how he grew through them. The co-authors presented this book at an author talk, Q&A, and booksigning at the MLK, Jr. Library, co-sponsored by Mahogany Books, at 7 pm on November 8, 2023 in Washington, DC. This event was free and available to the public.
Contrary to living an exclusively charmed life of an A-list Hollywood couple, Vance candidly discussed his personal struggles coming to terms with the impact of these suicides. Vance and Smith described the vulnerability of Black men in a society rife with "institutionalized racism, micro-aggressions, and stress caused by socio-economic factors." Indeed, they argue that "[f]or so long, we've been taught that strength means holding back tears and suppressing your feelings. Although talking about mental health is no longer the taboo it used to be, a vulnerable population has been left out of the discussion: Black men." They indicated that in both their discussion and in the book they weave Vance's personal story, which manifests inter-generational trauma, with the professional insights and therapeutic guidance of Dr. Robin. Family secrets were revealed onstage and examples of other Black men in crisis provided (Soul Train's Don Cornelius and Ellen's Stephen "Twitch" Boss, for example, who both died by suicide.) This mental health crisis was addressed onstage, front and center, no holds barred, in what felt like a group therapy session for all of us attendees. Vance described the process of clearing the muddy waters to find his truth.
Following the presentation, the Q&A honed in on the spiritual aspect of healing, hope, and faith, which referenced his movie role as a preacher in The Preacher's Wife. In some ways, Vance described how he, and his character, by extension, had come full circle. By overcoming barriers, and stigma, and encouraging both himself and others to lead a happier, more fulfilling life, he could use his personal life experiences for the greater good. Art imitates life and vice versa.
As for the book, it speaks loudly for itself: "The Invisible Ache is a vital and urgent response to the trauma that haunts so many Black boys and men, as well as a resource for those who love them and are committed to their overall health and welfare. This is a necessary guide for Black men who are navigating life's ups and downs, attempting to reclaim their mental well-being, and examining their broken pieces to find whole, full-hearted lives. Self-care is an act of revolution. It's time to revolutionize mental health in the Black Community."
The talk suggests that The Invisible Ache would be a useful guide to obtain positive mental health, inner-growth, and inspire hope, strength, and courage to face one's demons, for anyone so inclined. The truth will set us free, Vance and Dr. Robin assert, and offer a light to move us forward. The takeaways: health and healing are possible, help is available, "self-care is a revolutionary act." Let's begin the work. Let's do it!
We Need to Hear From YOU
We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, the Virginia Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, The Nitrate Picture Show, and the Chicago Critics Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.
Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
"AFI Silver After Dark" is a new series of midnight-style movies. The January film is John Waters' Female Trouble (1974).
"Special Events" for January include Selma on January 15 at noon.
"Anime Expo Cinema Nights" (November 8-February 11) features new and classic anime films. The film for January is Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Shinichiro Watanabe, 2001) shown in subtitled and dubbed versions. See the website.
"3-D Classics" (January 27-April 28) opens January 27. Titles in January are House of Wax (1953); It Came From Outer Space (1953); Robot Monster (1953); The Maze (1953) and a program of "3-D Rarities." All are introduced by 3-D Film Archive's Bob Furmanek except for House of Wax. More in February.
Freer Gallery of Art
On January 10 at 2:00pm is Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa, 1942), part of the "Japanese Classics" series.
The 28th Annual Festival of Films from Iran begins with Imagine (Ali Behrdad, 2022) on January 12 at 7:00pm. On January 14 at 2:00pm is Roxana (Parviz Shahbazi, 2023); on January 19 at 7:00pm is Terrestrial Verses (Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami, 2023) followed by a video Q&A with the film's directors. On January 21 at 2:00pm is Leila's Brothers (Saeed Roustaee, 2022); on January 26 at 7:00pm is Winners (Hassan Nazer, 2022); and on January 28 at 2:00pm is The Persian Version (Maryam Keshavarz, 2023).
National Gallery of Art
On January 7 at 2:00pm is The Visit and a Secret Garden (Irene Borrego, 2022), a documentary about Spanish painter Isabel Santalo, followed by a discussion with the film's director. On January 14 at 2:00pm is the re-scheduled Wilmington 10 – U.S.A. 10,000 (Haile Gerima, 1979). On January 20 at 2:00pm is the documentary Ciné-Guerrillas: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels (Mila Turajlic, 2022) followed by a discussion with Mila Turajlic. On January 21 at 2:00pm is the documentary Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels (Mila Turajlic, 2022) with the filmmaker present to discuss the film.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On January 7 at 6:00pm, January 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30pm is the documentary Brief Tender Light (Arthur Musah, 2023).
Strathmore
On January 27 at 7:30pm is Back to the Future (1985) with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performing Alan Silvestri's musical score live in synch with the film. Plus 20 minutes of new music added by the composer. Anthony Parnther conducts.
French Embassy
On January 23 at 7:00pm is the documentary Rudy Gobert No. 27 (Jon Bensimhon, 2023) followed by a Q&A session with the film's subject basketball player Rudy Gobert, and the film's producer Sebastien Onomo. This screening is the beginning of a series of events celebrating Olympic values in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
On January 28 at 2:00pm is "Animation First DC Film Festival" presenting two feature-length films: the award-winning When Adam Changes (Joel Vaudreuil, 2023) from Canada followed by Q&A with the director; and The Sacred Cave (Daniel Minlo and Cyrille Masso, 2023) from Cameroon.
The Japan Information and Culture Center
On January 31 at 6:30pm is What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Kazuhito Nakae, 2021), based on an award-winning TV show.
Cinema Arts Bethesda
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series held at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. On January 7 at 10:00am is The Quiet Girl (Colm Bairead, 2022) from Ireland. This film was nominated for the Oscar's Best International Film and has won and been nominated for many other awards.
Breakfast is at 9:30am, the film is at 10:00am and discussion follows, moderated by Adam Spector, host of the DC Film Society's Cinema Lounge and author of the column "Adam's Rib." A season pass is available.
The Avalon
On January 10 at 8:00pm is Heart to Heart (Martin Horsky, 2022) in the "Czech Lions" film series.
On January 17 at 8:00pm is La Syndicaliste (Jean-Paul Salome, 2022), part of the "French Cinematheque" series and starring Isabelle Huppert.
The "Reel Israel" film for this month is the award-winning documentary Farewell Herr Schwarz (Yael Reuveny, 2013) on January 31 at 8:00pm.
Library of Congress
The Mary Pickford Theater shows In the Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison, 1967) starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger on January 18 at 7:00pm.
Landmark's E Street Cinema
"Retro Replay" is a series of classic films shown Tuesdays at 4:00pm and 7:30pm (note that the times may vary). This month's theme is "1974: The Year Landmark Opened." On January 9 is The Godfather Part II (1974) with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro; on January 16 is Chinatown (1974) starring Jack Nicholson; on January 23 is Badlands (1974); and on January 30 is Amarcord (Federico Fellini, 1974).
Kennedy Center
On January 7 at 3:00pm is the documentary Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle and Karen O'Connor, 2023) On January 14 at 3:00pm is Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023) from France. On January 21 at 3:00pm is the Japanese anime Blue Giant (Yuzuru Tachikawa, 2023). On January 28 at 3:00pm is the documentary Full Circle (Josh Berman, 2023), featuring a post-film talk film director Josh Berman.
Embassy of Austria
On January 10 at 7:00pm is the documentary Calling Hedy Lamarr (Georg Misch, 2004). There is also an exhibit "Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese," curated by Dr. Danielle Spera and designed by Stefan Fuhrer, through January 26. See below.
Old Greenbelt Theater
On January 6 at 1:00pm is a silent double feature Big Business (1929) starring Laurel and Hardy, shown with The Kid (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, with Andrew Simpson providing live music accompaniment. On January 29 at 7:00pm is Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929), famous for its range of cinematic techniques.
Alden Theater
This month's foreign film is Kon-Tiki (Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, 2012) from Norway/Denmark, a dramatized story of Thor Heyerdahl and his Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947 on January 4 at 1:00pm and January 10 at 6:30pm.
The Performing Arts movie for January is Stop Making Sense (Jonathan Demme, 1984) on January 18 at 1:00pm.
Angelika Film Center Mosaic
The "Angelika Classics" series shows classic films on the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm. On January 1 at 7:00pm is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966).
"Classics in Black and White" features a classic B&W film on the third Monday of each month at 7:00pm. On January 15 at 7:00pm is City Lights (1931) starring Charlie Chaplin.
"Dinner With..." is a series of films on fourth Mondays at 7:00pm. On January 22 at 7:00pm is High Society (Charles Walters, 1956) starring Grace Kelly.
