The School of the Arts at Columbia will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the motion picture with six evenings of screenings and discussions of classic and acclaimed documentary features and shorts that have either won or were nominated for an Academy Award as "best documentary." Presented by the Documentary Center and the Miller Theatre in cooperation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, each program features work from a different decade, from the 1940s (when the documentary awards were first given out) to the 1990s, and will represent the concerns and interests of documentary filmmakers of that period.
"The history of the motion picture began with the short documentaries of Lumiere," said Robert Fitzpatrick, dean of the School of the Arts. "It is very appropriate to celebrate the 100th birthday of the cinema with a retrospective of documentary films."
Richard Kaplan, curator and coordinator of this commemorative series, titled "50 Years of Documentary," said: "This is an opportunity for the public to see films that are rarely shown, particularly in their original film form on a large screen. These screenings reflect Columbia's intention to make documentary films more widely available to a general audience. It is also a reflection of the Academy's commitment to the importance of the documentary genre and its recently announced plans for broadening the selection process for the documentary awards."
The films will be introduced by the filmmaker or someone knowledgeable about the work and will be followed by a panel discussion that will engage the participation of filmmakers, critics and audience members. The preliminary list of speakers and panelists includes Erik Barnouw, Hava Bellar, Peter Davis, William Jersey, Nigel Noble and Louis Simpson.
All screenings will be at Columbia's Miller Theatre, located on Broadway at 116th Street. Admission is $8 per evening, $36 for the series (students and seniors, $5 and $24).
A schedule follows.
Thurs., Oct. 12, 7:00 P.M.:
Program One: "The 1940s - The War Years." Opening reception to follow the screening.
The True Glory (1945), directed by Garson Kanin and Carol Reed; 85 minutes; Academy Award - Best Documentary Feature:
Recounts in brilliant detail the story of the Normandy Landing and the events leading to the collapse of Hitler's Germany.
The Seeds of Destiny (1946), directed by David Miller; 21 minutes; Academy Award - Best Documentary Short Subject:
Documents the plight of people who lived in countries near Germany during World War II and who were nearly annihilated by systematic starvation.
Wed., Oct. 18, 7:30 P.M.:
Program Two: "The 1950s - The Post-War Years"
The Vanishing Prairie (1954), directed by James Algar; 70 minutes; Academy Award - Best Documentary Feature:
This pioneering nature documentary examines wildlife in the Great Plains.
Neighbors (1952), directed by Norman McLaren; 8 minutes; Academy Award - Best Documentary Short Subject:
The story of two people who come to blows over the possession of a flower. It is a parable of greed and destruction.
Universe (1960), directed by Roman Kroitor and Colin Low; 26 minutes; Academy Award nomination - Documentary Short Subject:
Filmed at the dawn of the Space Age, creates images of the universe as it would appear to a voyager through space.
Wed., Oct. 25, at 7:30 P.M.:
Program Three: "The 1960s - Civil Rights and Counter Culture"
A Time for Burning (1967), directed by William Jersey; 61 minutes; Academy Award nomination - Documentary Feature:
One of the first documentaries to deal with racism. Considered controversial in its time because of the subject matter and because of the filmmakers' intervention in the community. The film helped change attitudes about segregation in religious and social circles.
Why Man Creates (1968), directed by Saul Bass; 25 minutes; Academy Award -Best Documentary Short Subject:
A humorous and satirical film that presents an exploration of creativity and poses serious questions about the creative process.
Wed., Nov. 29, 7:30 P.M.:
Program Four: "The 1970s - Vietnam"
Hearts and Minds (1974), directed by Peter Davis; 112 minutes; Academy Award - Best Documentary Feature:
A provocative examination of U.S. involvement in Vietnam that chronicles the war through a psychological perspective. It portrays the U.S. role as a manifestation of misguided patriotism and ignorance.
Wed., December 6, 7:30 P.M.
Program Five: "The 1980s - The Nuclear Threat"
The Day After Trinity (1980), directed by Jon Else; 88 minutes; Academy Award nomination - Documentary Feature:
Traces the life of renowned nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and details his work building the world's first atomic bomb. The film includes Oppenheimer's subsequent efforts to limit the dissemination of bomb technology.
Close Harmony (1981), directed by Nigel Noble; 28 minutes; Academy Award - Best Documentary Short Subject:
Follows the process of fourth and fifth graders united with senior citizens in a musical chorus. Includes the exhilarating choral performance.
Tues., Dec. 12, at 7:30 P.M.:
Program Six: "The 1990s - The Present and History Revisited"
The Restless Conscience (1991), directed by Hava Kohav Beller; 113 minutes:
Academy Award nomination -Documentary Feature:
Presents an overview of the resistance movement in Germany from 1933 to 1945 that culminated in the 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. The film includes interviews with former conspirators and the relatives of those who were executed for their opposition to the Nazi regime.
For ticket and box office information, call Miller Theatre: 854-7799.