View the World with Different Eyes: A New Season of Documentary Film

The magic of film is that it transports us into the limitless world of the imagination. From Hollywood blockbusters to mind-bending Art House Cinema, the Lakewood Public Library is dedicated to bringing this magic to the public. As enlightening as it is entertaining, our documentary film series offers the chance to experience life from another’s perspective. This season, view the world through the eyes of a scientist, an author, a family of artists, or students from around the country. The lives they lead may be as different as night and day but they all strive to leave their mark in the world.

First join us as we pay tribute to environmentalist David Suzuki. An icon of Canadian culture and science, Suzuki is coming to Cleveland this September to accept the Inamori Ethics Prize. To honor him and his accomplishments, the Library is partnering with Case Western University to screen the documentary, Force of Nature, on Saturday, September 1 at 6:00 p.m. This film, directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, was the winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010. It offers a glimpse into the events that influenced this accomplished man’s life and is framed by Suzuki’s deliverance of his Last Lecture, what he describes as, “a distillation of my life and thoughts, my legacy, what I want to say before I die.”

October kicks off our School in the Cinema series. Presented by the Lakewood PTA council, this film series highlights documentaries that look at education from different viewpoints. Spellbound, directed by Jeffrey Blitz, follows eight hopeful students as they make their way to the Scripps Howard national spelling bee championship. Not only showcasing the lives of the students, Spellbound also takes a glimpse into the lives of the ones who support them on their journey. Continuing in November is the film Up Heartbreak Hill. In this documentary directed by Erica Scharf we follow the lives of three Native American teenagers struggling with the decision to stay in their Navajo, NM community or leave to pursue other opportunities. Witness the struggles these three students face as they examine what it means to be Native American in the world today. In January we conclude the School in the Cinema series with Mad Hot Ballroom, directed by Marilyn Agrelo. Immerse yourself in the transformative world of dance along with elementary school students from New York.

Also in January, local author James Renner and his friends track down the elusive writer J.D. Salinger in the film Catching Salinger. Directed by Renner and Charles Moore, it focuses on the road trip Renner, Moore and their friend Rob Lucas took in 2005 retracing the steps of Holden Caulfield with their final destination being New Hampshire in order to knock on the door of J.D. Salinger himself. It’s unavailable on DVD, so don’t miss your chance to see it on the big screen and catch the West Side debut of this funny and illuminating film.

February brings the end of this season’s documentary film series with The Woodmans. Directed by Scott Willis, this film not only takes a look into the too short yet accomplished life of photographer Francesca Woodman, but also examines the impact her life and death had on her family of talented artists. With unlimited access to Francesca’s work, private diaries and experimental videos, The Woodmans captures the young photographer’s voice. Through her distinctive work and her parent’s determination to keep her legacy alive, Francesca’s spirit lives on.

All films are free and open to the public. Films will be shown in the Main Library Auditorium located at 15425 Detroit Ave. Go to www.lakewoodpubliclibrary.org/film or call 216-226-8275 ext. 127 for more information.