Every one of the films we discuss will be available to view for free on the Kanopy streaming service (www.kanopy.com)\, accessible through your DC Public Library card. The aim of the group is to engage with a deep and diverse po ol of film history&mdash\;we will examine films both classic and contempor ary\, from a variety of artistic movements and regions. \; \; \;
\nOn March 10th we will be discussing two signif icant American independent films: The Exiles and Killer of Sh eep\, which can be accessed through the links below. \;
\n< a href="https://dclibrary.kanopy.com/video/exiles">The Exiles (19 61)
\nDirector Kent Mackenzie first conceived of The Exiles< /em> while filming a documentary short in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles during his time as a student the University of Southern Califo rnia. The Exiles is a portrait of young Native Americans who emig rated from their reservations in the Southwest to the city and settled in Bunker Hill. Mackenzie developed The Exiles in close collaboratio n with the people who would go on to appear in the film as actors\; he was committed to creating a realistic portrayal of this unique community and its ties to the broader youth culture of the era. Unfortunately\, the film was largely impossible to see in the decades since its release in 1961. A fter it was featured in Thom Andersen's 2003 documentary Los Angeles P lays Itself\, renewed interest in the film led to its restoration\, a theatrical re-release\, and distribution on home media. \; \;
\n\nKiller of Sheep w as made on a shoestring budget on weekends during Charles Burnett's time a s a student at UCLA. He was a part of a group of black filmmakers and coll aborators at the school whose work was later dubbed the &ldquo\;L.A. Rebel lion&rdquo\; film movement. Burnett shot the film in his neighborhood of W atts\, employing amateur actors and a style that combines lyricism and rea lism to great effect. The film attracted significant attention after Burne tt submitted it as his thesis project in 1977\, and it went on to win the Critics' Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1981. However\ , Killer of Sheep did not see wide release because of complicatio ns regarding the licensing of music rights (the expansive soundtrack inclu des Dinah Washington\, Paul Robeson\, and Louis Armstrong). \;Like The Exiles\, Killer of Sheep was restored and re-released i n the 2000s\, allowing a wider audience to experience this sensitive and c omplex portrayal of working-class life. \;
\nThe group meets vi rtually via Google Meet. Please contact Cody at cody.walker@dc.gov \;for information on how to join. See you there! \;
\nhttps://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/6247224 URL;VALUE=URI:https://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/6247224 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR