Street Fight – Cinema Studies, Reel and Unreal: Politics on Film

Cinema Studies: REAL AND UNREAL: POLITICS ON FILM Hollywood has always been fascinated by Washington, and vice versa. Moviemakers have turned their sights on politics and elections from the very beginnings of American cinema, and continue through this day. By looking at five films from different political and cinematic eras, three fictional and two documentaries, we can explore how moviemakers both depict and try to shape the political discussion. Professor Dale Pollock will lecture on the film being screened, exploring how and why it was made, and the themes and ideas the film will present. A focused discussion will follow immediately after the screening, concluding with a question and answer session. Not Rated A hotly contested political race generates a wealth of drama in this documentary from filmmaker Marshall Curry. Sharpe James is a veteran politician who has been mayor of Newark, NJ, since 1986; by the admission of his own spokespeople, James is a “machine” politician who uses muscle and influence to get things done, and while he’s enjoyed the fruits of his success, his administration has been accused of having a long history of corruption. In 2002, Cory Booker, a lawyer who was a member of the Newark City Council, announced he was running for mayor, and it didn’t take long for the contest to get ugly. Booker was a graduate of Yale Law School, a Rhodes Scholar, and an advocate of more open and honest government, and James and his staff wasted no time in attacking his qualifications and personality in public. While both candidates were African-American, James chose to play the race card, questioning if Booker was “black” enough and suggesting the church-going Baptist was actually a Jew. James’ campaign staff didn’t stop at verbal attacks, and as Marshall Curry began covering the James and Booker campaigns, he found himself frequently attacked by James’ supporters (with his camera running and in full view of other reporters), and a number of local businessmen stated for the record that they were supporting James for fear of reprisals later on. The film that resulted from Curry’s efforts, Street Fight, received a 2005 Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature (allmovie.com)   Will call tickets may be picked up at The Cary Box Office beginning one hour prior to the movie.