Free film showing of "The Take"

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
6:00pm - 9:30pm

At Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St.
Richmond, VA


Potluck at 6:00pm
w/musical performance by
WM Draper, Brennan Chambre, & Jordan Chu

Film showing begins promptly at 7:30pm


Film Synopsis
In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave.

All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act - The Take - has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head.

In the wake of Argentina's dramatic economic collapse in 2001, Latin America's most prosperous middle class finds itself in a ghost town of abandoned factories and mass unemployment. The Forja auto plant lies dormant until its former employees take action. They're part of a daring new movement of workers who are occupying bankrupt businesses and creating jobs in the ruins of the failed system.

But Freddy, the president of the new worker's co-operative, and Lalo, the political powerhouse from the Movement of Recovered Companies, know that their success is far from secure. Like every workplace occupation, they have to run the gauntlet of courts, cops and politicians who can either give their project legal protection or violently evict them from the factory.

The story of the workers' struggle is set against the dramatic backdrop of a crucial presidential election in Argentina, in which the architect of the economic collapse, Carlos Menem, is the front-runner. His cronies, the former owners, are circling: if he wins, they'll take back the companies that the movement has worked so hard to revive.

Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy, the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale.

With The Take, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada's most outspoken journalists, and writer Naomi Klein, author of the international bestseller No Logo, champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of workers' lives and their struggle: the demand for dignity and the searing injustice of dignity denied.

Free film showing of "Heavy Metal In Baghdad"

Presented by the Lucent Phoenix

FREE March 16th
potluck begins at 6pm
film begins at 7pm

At Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St
Richmond, VA 23220
www.gallery5arts.org

About:
"Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a feature film documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003-2006, Iraq disintegrated around them while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis."

"Film Synopsis" Heavy Metal Baghdad. 2007. VBS IPTV. 1 Mar. 2010 http://www.heavymetalinbaghdad.com/about.html.


Official website:
http://www.heavymetalinbaghdad.com/

Free film showing of Beautiful Boxer

Beatufiul Boxer
Presented by Richmond BJJ Academy and The Lucent Phoenix

Free
February 9th
at Gallery5
200 W Marshall St

Potluck begins 6PM
Muay Thai demonstration 7PM
Film showing begins 7:30PM

Richmond BJJ Academy, will be performing the Muay Thai demonstration before the film.

Film info
"Based on the true story of Thailand's famed transgender kickboxer, Beautiful Boxer is a poignant action drama that punches straight into the heart and mind of a boy who fights like a man so he can become a woman.

Believing he's a girl trapped in a boy's body since childhood, Parinya Charoenphol (affectionately known as Nong Toom in Thailand) sets out to master the most masculine and lethal sport of Muay Thai (Thai boxing) to earn a living and to achieve his ultimate goal of total femininity. Touching, funny and packed with breathtaking Thai kickboxing sequences, Beautiful Boxer traces Nong Toom's childhood, teenage life as a traveling monk and grueling days in boxing camps. Shot in 9 provinces across Thailand and in Tokyo, the film also features a series of explosive matches where Nong Toom knocks out most of his opponents in Thailand and Japan."


"Beatiful Boxer The Film." 14 January 2010. http://www.beautifulboxer-themovie.com/.

Free film showing of: Waltz With Bashir

The Lucent Pheonix presents a free film showing of
Waltz With Bashir an Ari Folman film

"A memoir, a history lesson, a combat picture, a piece of investigative journalism and an altogether amazing film" A.O. Scott, New York Times

Tuesday January 19th
Potluck at 6pm
Film showing at 7pm

FREE
at Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St
gallery5arts.org


"In 1982, Ari Folman was a 19-year-old infantry soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. In 2006, he meets with a friend from his army service period, who tells him of the nightmares connected to his experiences from the Lebanon War. Folman is surprised to find that he does not remember a thing from that period. Later that night he has a vision from the night of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, the reality of which he is unable to tell. In his memory (Scene on poster above), he and his soldier friends are bathing at night by the seaside in Beirut under the light of flares descending over the city. Folman rushes off to meet another friend from his army service, who advises him to discuss it with other people who were in Beirut at the same time in order to understand what happened there and to revive his own memories. Folman converses with friends, a psychologist and the reporter Ron Ben-Yishai who was in Beirut at the time.

The film ends with animation dissolving into actual footage of the aftermath of the Sabra and Shatila massacre."

Waltz With Bashir. (2009, Dec 20). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 29, 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz_with_Bashir

New Work: G5 Posters and Little Black Fish Inks

Hand drawn type and illustrations for the "forgetters" show. I was messing with using both pencils and felt tip pens to do line work on the severed fingers. The end result was unexpected, but still appreciated.


Poster for the current exhibition at Gallery5. Not completely happy with it, but it works well for the time constraint.


First stage of inking The Little Black Fish cover. I will be adding lighter "inks" digitally to break up the forms even more. The created shapes will function as a map to use multiple shades of the same color similar to a mosaic or stained glass.


First sketches for an eventual illustration of Nong Toom, the famous Thai Boxer. It still needs a whole lot of work - even for an initial sketch. I intend to: change the flowers to orchids, marigolds, & carnations (referencing the Pong Malai), add hand wraps, add ornamentation/border (also referencing the Pong Malai), and of course change the composition itself.

I also plan on exaggerating the flower explosion and figuring out a way to have the figures overlap more without messing up the perspective. My hope is that these two changes will emphasize the impact more.

The finished illustration will be used for a film showing at Gallery5, but I would also like to do a screen-print of the final version (sans the film showing info).

Free film showing of The Garden

Gallery5 & The Lucent Phoenix Presents The Garden


The Garden is more than the subject of the film, it's about the constant struggle and pitfalls activists run into while organizing in the interest of the people. No matter how righteous the cause, how much they follow procedure, how much press they can amass, how much community support and dialog they can stimulate, in the end, bureaucracy will serve the needs of the capitalist and force those without capital to compromise. As a result we'll lose more than a struggle for (insert cause here), it would likely be the last time a lot of those involved will ever attempt to organize against the rich and powerful. And born from this loss is a new justification for apathy, one which will not be easily shaken. If you take anything from this film I think it should be that nothing short of direct militant action on a national scale will result in a victory for the people.

FREE
Tuesday December 8, 2009
At Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St.
Potluck: 6:00pm
Film: 7:00pm

ABOUT THE FILM
From [ http://thegardenmovie.com ]
The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.

But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:

Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?

And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do.”

If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?

The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

Free film showing of "DON'T NEED YOU:The Herstory of Riot Grrrl."

Tuesday, October 13th
6PM Potluck
7PM Film Showing
Discussion to follow.

At Gallery5
200 W. Marshall Street
Richmond,VA 23220

Description:
Once upon a time girls rallied together to publish their own zines, make their own bands and there was a declaration for "revolution, girl style now!" However, a decade and some change after riot grrrl occurred why are so many women reluctant to declare themselves as feminists? For girls living after the rise and fall of riot grrrl, in a so--called "post feminist" world, what is our agenda today? Are there women still yearning for something more in the underground.

Kerri Koch's documentary "Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl" sets out to chronicle a DIY movement which created a community for women, coast to coast, to make themselves heard. Tired of being eclipsed by boys in the hardcore and punk subcultures, women rallied together and began forming their own bands, publishing their own zines, running art galleries and overall establishing a community accessible and safe for girls.

Koch explores the origins and evolution of riot grrrl through interviews with those involved including members of Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Heavens to Betsy. A need for a safe and equal space for women in a subculture tinged with violence and gender discrimination is reiterated by almost every interview. The explosive force and growth of the community soon gained national attention and misrepresentation of riot grrrl came along with it. Mainstream media outlets portrayed riot grrrl as a novelty and used the popularity of feminist ideals in the underground to market products and a lifestyle to women. The exploitation of its original sentiments would eventually lead to the dissolution the movement. The film concludes by acknowledging that while riot grrrl dissolved almost as quickly as it began, it's influence (and perhaps need?) is still felt by young women today.

FREE Film Showing

THE YES MEN
FREE Film Showing
Tuesday July 14th
Potluck begins 6PM
Film begins 7PM

At the Lucent Phoenix
Located in Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St.
Richmond, VA 23220

The Yes Men, a movie, follows a couple of anti-corporate activist-pranksters as they impersonate World Trade Organization spokesmen on TV and at business conferences around the world.

The story follows Andy and Mike from their beginnings with GWBush.com, and on to their tasteless parody of the WTO's website. Some visitors don’t notice the site is a fake, and send speaking invitations meant for the real WTO. Mike and Andy play along with the ruse and soon find themselves attending important functions as WTO representatives.

Delighted to speak for the organization they oppose, Andy and Mike don thrift-store suits and set out to shock their unwitting audiences with darkly comic satires on global free trade. Weirdly, the experts don’t notice the joke and seem to agree with every terrible idea the two can come up with.

Exhausted by their failed attempts to shock, Mike and Andy take a whole new approach for one final lecture.

The Yes Men is directed by Dan Olman, Sarah Price, and Chris Smith, whose previous credits include the 1999 Sundance Winner “American Movie.” It was released by United Artists.

Free Film Showing

"A Little Trip of a Dream" A film premier presented by the Lucent Phoenix Resource Center

FREE June 9th
Potluck begins at 6pm
Film begins at 7pm

At the Lucent Phoenix
Resource Center
Located in Gallery5
200 W Marshall St
Richmond, VA 23220

A documentary that portrays the experience of a U.S. woman who travels to Mexico and gets to know the village of Ocotitlan, the home of her undocumented co-workers back in Richmond, Va. Through interviews and encounters with community members in Ocotitlan, Jen begins to understand her friends’ migratory motivations.

With much curiosity, Jen goes to the U.S./Mexico border to see the conditions in which undocumented people migrate. After exploring the border and its different manifestations, Jen returns to Richmond to share her experience with her friends, who she sees with new eyes. “The Little Trip of a Dream” is an experience where connections between two worlds become stronger and solidarity tears down walls.

Local media activist, Jen lawhorne, will be available at the premier for questions.

"El Viajecito de un Sueño:
un estreno presentado por la Biblioteca Lucent Phoenix
Gratis 9 de junio
la comida empieza a las 6 p.m.
la presentación a las 7 p.m.

en la Biblioteca Lucent Phoenix
ubicado en
Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St.
Richmond VA 23220

más informes:
www.gallery5arts.org
804 644 0005

Un documental que cuenta la experiencia de una mujer estadounidense que durante un viaje a México, conoce el pueblo de unos amigos indocumentados con quienes trabaja en Richmond, Virginia. En entrevistas con la comunidad, la mujer, Jen, va entendiendo las motivaciones migratorias de sus compañeros. Además, Jen se encuentra con ex-colegas de trabajo y los parientes de sus amigos que se quedaron atrás.

Con mucha curiosidad, Jen se va a la frontera de México y los Estados Unidos para ver las condiciones en que viajaron sus amigos. Jen explora la frontera y sus manifestaciones distintas y cuando regresa a Richmond para compartir su experiencia con sus amigos, ella los ve con ojos nuevos. “El Viajecito de un Sueño” se trata de una experiencia donde las conexiones entre dos mundos se hacen más fuertes y la solidaridad derrumba muros.

La realizadora del documental, Jen Lawhorne, será presente en el estreno para discusión.

FREE Film Showing

Potluck begins at 6PM
Film begins at 7PM

At The Lucent Phoenix
Resource Center
Located in Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St.
Richmond, VA 23222
804 644 0005
lucentphoenix@gallery5arts.org

Burning the Future: Coal in America examines the explosive conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Confronted by emerging “clean coal” energy policies, local activists watch a world blind to the devastation caused by coal's extraction. Faced with toxic ground water and the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, our heroes launch a valiant fight to arouse the nation's help in protecting their mountains, saving their families, and preserving their way of life.