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April 24, 2020
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
On my personal Facebook page, I changed my cover photo to one of the Clinton Street Theater in happier times. A local band was shooting a music video on our corner, and it was one hell of a party.
And I changed my profile picture to one of me in the ticket booth before a midnight screening of the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.
I'm trying hard to stay positive, even though it is so hard to keep my spirits up at times.
The Great Courses are available for free on Kanopy, and I've been watching the 24-episode series on the Black Death. Seems fitting for these times. The Great Mortality is estimated to have killed more than 50% of the world's population. And it stopped the world's economy for years. With most folks dead or unable to work, the fields lay fallow and cathedrals and palaces remained unbuilt. No food. No goods. No services. Sound familiar? No one was around to pay taxes, but that mattered little, as few people survived to manage governmental functions. In some cities, citizens responded with unusual solidarity, caring for the sick, the widowed and the orphans, while in other cities, it was every man for himself. Without science to help them understand the genesis of the disease, there was a lot of finger-pointing. Was God angry? Or was it brought by those who were different, those who were "other?" Even news of outbreaks sparked violence and the scapegoating of Jews.
Coming out of the wreckage, however, the lower and merchant classes, including women, found their economic opportunities transformed. When governments were finally able to start the work of rebuilding, many attempted to maintain the pre-plague status quo. It didn't work. Maybe it was like the old WWI song, "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?", or maybe it was more like "you can't put the genie back in the bottle." The old way of life and doing things was not there for the returning. Everything (the economic, social, and political worlds of Europe) needed to be reinvented to accommodate the deep changes brought about by the plague.
I feel like I am in some kind of existential crisis every day, sometimes several times a day. Our new normal of staying home, staying safe won't be like this forever, but neither will we be going back to our old way of life. What will our brave new world look like? How can we come out of this stronger, kinder, healthier in mind and body?
Your thoughts?
Thanks
--W. S. Merwin - 1927-2019
 Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
standing by the windows looking out
in our directions
back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you
with the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is
VIRTUAL SCREENINGS THAT BENEFIT CST
Instead of going into great detail on our virtual screenings in this newsletter, especially since films will come and go in terms of availability, I'll keep the homepage of the Clinton Street Theater website up-to-date, so it's one stop shopping for all the film screenings that benefit us with a portion of the proceeds from your ticket. Look at that page for a quick description of each film and the links to rent/purchase. If you click on any one of the film titles, you will go to a page with a more in-depth description and a link to the trailer.
For the next week (through April 30), here's what we're screening online:
From Kino Marquee: BUY A TICKET. WATCH AT HOME. SUPPORT THE CLINTON. (Note: All three István Szabó films are purchased on the same page.)
MEPHISTO -- 1981, West Germany/Hungary/Austria
In early-1930s Germany, a passionate stage actor finds himself before a dilemma: renounce his apolitical stance and comply with the Reich's doctrine, or face oblivion. But, Faustian bargains never end well. What is the price of success?
COLONEL REDL -- 1985, Yugoslavia/Hungary/Austria/West Germany
Set during the fading glory of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the film tells of the rise and fall of Alfred Redl (Brandauer), an ambitious young officer who proceeds up the ladder to become head of the Secret Police only to become ensnared in political deception.
CONFIDENCE -- 1980, Hungary
During WW2 Hungarian resistance hides a married couple from the officials. The woman is sent to act as the wife of one of the resistance members who is also in hiding and pretending to be somebody else. They slowly begin to fall in love.
Also from Kino Marquee: BUY A TICKET. WATCH AT HOME. SUPPORT THE CLINTON.
BEANPOLE -- 2019, Russia
Leningrad. WWII has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and mentally. Two young women search for meaning and hope in the struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins.
From KimStim: BUY A TICKET. WATCH AT HOME. SUPPORT THE CLINTON.
EARTH -- 2019, Austria
Several billion tons of earth are moved annually by humans - with shovels, excavators and dynamite. 'Earth' observes people, in mines, quarries and large construction sites, engaged in a constant struggle to take possession of the planet.
From Area 23a Films: BUY A TICKET. WATCH AT HOME. SUPPORT THE CLINTON.
FANTASTIC FUNGI: THE MAGIC BENEATH US
Fantastic Fungi is a descriptive time-lapse journey about the magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth that began 3.5 billion years ago.
OTHER MOVIE-VIEWING RESOURCES
WOMEN MAKE MOVIES VIRTUAL FILM FESTIVAL 2020
In March, WMM launched a Virtual Film Festival to commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. However, in response to the demands and circumstances of COVID-19, they have expanded the content of the festival and extended it to run through May 31, 2020. Sign up to watch films by women at no cost! (You'll be joining more than 5000 attendees in 89 countries -- and growing!)
The Bright Lights at Home program is providing a live conversation with the director of the film. Sign up for their email list and you'll be sent the Zoom link the day of the discussion. Be sure to watch the film before the discussion on Hulu.
Tuesday, April 28th – Cunningham (Available 4/23 on Hulu)
Directed by Alla Kovgan, documentary, English, 93 minutes, Germany, France, USA, 2019
Cunningham traces Merce Cunningham’s artistic evolution over three decades of risk and discovery (1944–1972), from his early years as a struggling dancer in postwar New York to his emergence as one of the world’s most visionary choreographers. The 3D technology weaves together Merce’s philosophies and stories, creating a visceral journey into his innovative work. A breathtaking explosion of dance, music, and never-before-seen archival material, Cunningham is a timely tribute to one of the world’s greatest modern dance artists. Discussion with director Alla Kovgan, Visual & Media Arts professor Shaun Clarke, and Conservatory dance professor Allissa Cardone.
Watch the trailer! Facebook event
Facets, a nonprofit that connects people to independent ideas through transformative film experiences, has put together a special list of films to watch and discuss with your kids (as young as eight). You have a link to where you can watch a film or TV series (2 are free, one can be viewed through Amazon Prime), and then a set of questions for discussion and learning.
Also from Facets: Watch five international, award-winning films, hand selected by Chicago International Children's Film Festival Director, Ann Vikstrom. These films not only screened at a past festival, but they made such an impact on our expert jurors they were awarded a top prize! Now you can watch them at home for FREE!!! Ms.Vikstrom provides her "take" on each film, and includes relevant themes that you can discuss with your child. Something for everyone--ages 2 and up.
IN OTHER NEWS
If you would like to purchase a gift card to use once we are allowed to open, I've got them available through Square. The theater will receive these funds now, and if only 100 people purchase a $10 gift card, I'll have enough to make my loan payments for this month. (Thanks in advance if you want to support us in this way!!!)
Some writers have new books coming out in the midst of the pandemic; and, as it happens, one was authored by dear friend of the Clinton, Judith Arcana. Hello. This is Jane. is a story collection rooted in Judith's memories of Chicago’s pre-Roe abortion underground — fiction that's based on a true story. The release date is May 3rd, the anniversary of Judith's 1972 arrest as one of the "Abortion 7." Download a free preview, or pre-order the book NOW.
Do you like to garden? Virtual Gardening Classes with The Gardening Goddess are available Saturdays at 10am via Zoom! All classes are $20. To register please email: jolieann.donohue@gmail.com
- April 25th Organic Culinary Herb Gardening
- May 2nd Warm Season Vegetable Crops
- May 9th Crop Rotation for Garden Health
- May 16th Edible Flower Gardening
- May 23rd Gardens for Bees, Butterflies & Beneficials
- May 30th Troubleshooting the Organic Vegetable Garden
Jolie Donohue, The Gardening Goddess, shares her 25 years of gardening experience. She has taught gardening for over 10 years at Portland Nursery, Portland Community College and Mt Hood Community College. www.jolieanndonohue.com
In this unprecedented time, as more and more of us are turning to poetry, the Academy of American Poets launched Shelter in Poems, an initiative that invites poets and poetry lovers to share poems on social media that give them comfort or courage. Shelter in Poems: A Virtual Reading extends this idea with a special offering of poems read by poets laureate, actors, musicians, artists, and more. Join the event on Thursday, April 30, 4:30 p.m. PDT--registration through EventBrite.
If you Instagram--from Venture Portland: Now more than ever, it is crucial to support the small businesses that strengthen the livability and character of the neighborhoods we call home. Show us how you’re safely supporting independent neighborhood businesses with takeout, delivery, donation and other socially distant solutions with #supportsmallpdx! For the next five weeks we’ll pick our favorite weekly posts and send the winners $25 gift cards for their featured business. Enter to win gift cards by following @ventureportland. Use the hashtag #supportsmallpdx every time you post a purchase from a small business. Post often for multiple chances to win! Plus bonus points for cool facemasks! Winners will be announced: 4/27, 5/4, 5/11, 5/18
Yes, I am still plugging my book. A few folks have told me that they are taking some time to read it while they are self-isolating. If you want to join them, you can order a copy from Powell's Online Book Store, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
"In struggling against anguish one never produces serenity; the struggle against anguish only produces new forms of anguish."— Simone Weil
Don't be a stranger. Write until we can meet again.
Kind regards,
Lani Jo
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