At 7 PM on August 31st in downtown Oakland the Big Screen will rock and roll. Not from the usual California earthquake, but from Oaklanders reliving events from last fall that were literally "heard 'round the world."
From Art Beat:
ABOUT THE FILM
'Occupy the Bay' is a documentary video project directed by Jonathan Riley and produced by Kevin Pina / Long Memory Productions. This one-hour documentary chronicles the local incarnation of the Occupy Movement, which officially started in September 2011 on Wall St., and then spread across the country and continues today. Rather than aiming to define the scope of the entire Occupy Movement, to create a one-sentence slogan articulating its goals, or to abstractly discuss its impact on the "national conversation," this film focuses more specifically on events in the Bay Area and their impact. From Occupy Oakland's port shutdowns and controversial decision to embrace a 'diversity of tactics,' to police brutality that has attracted attention nationally and worldwide, this movie deals with the unique factors that have made the story of the Occupy Movement in the San Francisco Bay Area what it is today.
I have not seen any part of the film yet other than the trailer (embedded below). But those I know that have had more than a peek say that this is a no apologies, no-holds-barred documentary that will not disappoint. The film's producer, Kevin Pina, is noted for bringing to light vast human rights abuses in Haiti since the fail of Aristide.
If you are in the Bay Area on Friday night, August 31st, 2012, then downtown Oakland @ 477 25th St., an easy walk from the 19th Street BART, is the only place to be.
If you were glued to the internet in the aftermath of October 25th, 2011 -- the night all holy hell broke out in Oakland -- or you cheered as tens of thousands peacefully poured over the causeway to shut down the Port of Oakland on November 2nd , then the 25th Street Collective is your destination on the night of August 31st.
And if in fact you were there on October 25th, November 2nd, December 12th, January 28th, betwixt or between, then by all that is not Quanlike, you must be there!
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Kevin Pina is an award winning journalist and filmmaker. Pina first reported on human rights violations committed by the Haitian military in the poor neighborhood of Cite Solei in 1991 for the KPFA News in the United States. He is known for his extensive coverage of human rights abuses in Haiti following the ouster of Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004 and the installation of the interim government of Gerard Latortue and Boniface Alexandre in March 2004. Pina reported on events in Haiti from 2003-2006 as a Special Correspondent for the radio program, Flashpoints, heard on KPFA -- the flagship station of Pacifica Radio based in Berkeley, California. Pina is also the Founding Editor of the Haiti Information Project (HIP), a non-profit news agency based in Port-au-Prince and Northern California.
But, but, but...
You can't afford it? If you can't afford it, it's free!
If you can afford it, pay as much as you can afford, up to $25. Proceeds will go towards costs associated with the making of the film and fees for applying for screenings at film festivals around the country.
You only watch films via Netflix? Get a Life!
You say you don't like watching 'beautiful people' ? You're In Luck!
Oaklanders are ugly. Real ugly. And Occupy Oaklanders... well, we'll just go with 'butt ugly.' I don't know whether my ugly mug will make it into the annals of moviedom via this film, but any way you cut it this is not going to be out of 'The Great Gatsby.' (and if I do appear onscreen, I'll be happy to give you my autograph before my adoring fans sweep me out into my limosine they take me away for uglifying the place).
You have something else to do? Cancel it!
This Oakland showing will be the first time the entire hour-plus long documentary will have been screened.
- People will start gathering at 6:00 PM.
- The film starts at 7:00 PM.
- There will be a Q&A with the producer afterwards.
- The release party, with music by Jabari Shaw, Super Natural and Shareef Ali continues into the night.
Aloha.
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Note: This is a slight revision of the same diary published a few days ago in the morning. I'm republishing it with a few different flourishes hoping to catch the evening crowd. It's still okay to rec it (heh).