What we see, how we see and why we make meaning of it do matter.
On Saturday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 19, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., this columnist, who also works as a filmmaker and Columbia College adjunct professor, hosts the sixth annual Oak Park International Film Festival, including screenings and panel discussions at the Oak Park Public Library. The multiplicity of this year’s local films and filmmakers is an exercise in diversity itself – from powerful portraits of South Dakota Sioux in “Eagle Butte,” to a humorous look at identity in Oak Park in “My Life In Black and White,” to a special tribute to Haiti’s Cine Institute, the country’s only film school that’s on the mend after being devastated by the January earthquake. Local artist and gallery owner Laurie Beasley, who specializes in Haitian art, will introduce this work and discuss in French and English what she and Columbia College students and faculty are doing to help rebuild this school demolished by the earthquake, and what you can do, too. Other locals with Haitian connections will be on hand for this inspirational screening.
One expected highlight is “The Place,” a beautifully photographed feature about a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother, played by Joyce Porter, and how he finds solace in drawing pictures and keeping to himself while on a quest to find his place. We’re offering a moving documentary on black males, including local men and boys who will be part of a traveling road show of African-American men. Called “The Man Project,” this work in progress is directed by former “Cosby Show” publicist Claudette Roper, who filled last year’s festival with a crowd anxious just to see the trailer.
Related to that is a look at the history of Oak Park through the story of one particular family, and a book signing by festival co-coordinators, Yves Hughes Jr. and yours truly.
On Saturday, there is a noon-time forum, “Image and Implication of Youth in Films,” featuring local young filmmakers and teen film critics discussing “civic cinema,” where service learning meets film and civic engagement. The educational outreach connected with this seminar is inspired by “Tribeca Teaches,” a New York-based program where film professionals instruct low-income teens and Columbia College’s “Community Arts Partnership” program.
On Sunday, there is an afternoon showcase themed “Image and implication of Oak Park actors and actresses.” It features local talent such as Joyce Porter, Bill Moor and Alice Brown in stellar performances. This year’s festival, which launches a year-long Columbia College Critical Encounters “Image and Implication” initiative, presents us with the opportunity to further expand conversations already begun, as well as to invite new and different aspects of community concerns. It examines how images – visual, verbal and virtual – shape public perception and influence events and policy. “Image and Implication” challenges us to examine the impact of what we see, hear and read; produce arts and media that reflect and encourage civic engagement; and helps us take action on issues of social importance. In sum, the festival’s theme of “image and implication” explores how symbols inform our storytelling. For a complete listing of screenings and discussions, see www.oakparkfilm.com.
• Stan West, an Oak Parker for 16 years, is a former foreign correspondent for Pacific News Service. He is an author, educator, filmmaker and human rightsactivist. But his favorite job, he says, is being a parent.